University of King’s College president and vice-chancellor Dr. William Barker has announced that he will be ending his term as president on June 30, 2011. Dr. Barker was installed as president in September of 2003 and had originally agreed to serve a seven and a half year term, which would have concluded December 2010.
With the lifting of mandatory retirement, he has chosen to remain until June of next year and will have served eight years in total. He will receive a period of administrative leave from King’s to complete research projects. After this he plans to return to a regular teaching position in the English Department at Dalhousie University as part of the joint King’s-Dalhousie faculty.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as president and look forward to my final year,” says Dr. Barker. “As in any position of senior university administration, there are ups and downs, surprises, disappointments, successes and inspiring moments. What has made it so happy a time for me and my family has been the opportunity for us to live on campus, in such an exceptional and energetic academic community.”
Dr. John Hamm has worked closely with the president as acting chair of the board of governors. “Under Dr. Barker’s stewardship, the university has grown and prospered while maintaining its reputation for academic excellence—causing some to refer to it as the ‘Harvard of the North’,” says Dr. Hamm. “The King’s community is very much indebted to the president’s leadership.”
Smooth succession at King’s has been put in good order with the appointment of Professor Kim Kierans (currently Director of the School of Journalism) as vice president for 2010 to 2015 (effective June 30, 2010) and Dr. Hamm’s renewal as chair of the board of governors to 2013. For more information, please contact Alison Lang at 902. 422.1271 ext. 136 or at alison.lang@ukings.ca.
