Memorial University’s governing Board of Regents has approved the appointment of Dr. Ian Sutherland as vice-president (Grenfell Campus) pro tempore effective June 15, 2021.
Currently serving as the dean of Memorial’s School of Music, Dr. Sutherland will serve in the vice-president (Grenfell Campus) role for two years until a search for a new vice-president (Grenfell Campus) can be undertaken and completed.
‘Vision and aspirations’
“After consultation with members of the Grenfell Campus community and the university’s vice-presidents, I was pleased to recommend Dr. Sutherland to the Board of Regents for appointment to this interim leadership position for Grenfell Campus,” said Dr. Vianne Timmons, president and vice-chancellor.
“Originally from Lewisporte and an alumnus of Memorial, Dr. Sutherland has forged a dynamic career that he describes as “wildly interdisciplinary”,” Dr. Timmons added. “His co-leadership of the university’s ongoing strategic planning initiative has helped inform him, in particular, about the vision and aspirations of Grenfell Campus moving forward. I thank him for stepping into the role of vice-president (Grenfell Campus) at this time.”
Build on excellence
“I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Grenfell Campus,” said Dr. Sutherland.
“Students, faculty, staff and community, I look forward to getting to know you, to learn from you, to work with you. The aspirations laid out in the Committing to Communities plan are inspiring, and together we’ll continue that journey, building upon the excellence that is Grenfell.”
Dr. Timmons thanks Dr. Jeff Keshen
The appointment comes after the announcement earlier this month that Dr. Jeff Keshen, who is currently vice-president (Grenfell Campus), will step down in June 2021, to become the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Regina.
“Stronger partnerships with communities will be a major part of Dr. Keshen’s legacy as Grenfell’s leader,” said Dr. Timmons.
“I want to thank him for his visionary and thoughtful leadership and wish him well as he moves on to new challenges at the University of Regina.”
She also noted that an acting dean of music will be appointed effective June 15, 2021. More details will be shared when available.
About Dr. Ian Sutherland
Dr. Sutherland has been dean of the School of Music since 2016. He received his B.Mus.(Hons.) and M.Mus. degrees from Memorial before completing his PhD in sociology and philosophy at the University of Exeter in the U.K.
A globally active academic, Dr. Sutherland has worked as an academic leader, educator, researcher and consultant, delivering courses, workshops, seminars and lectures in more than 40 countries worldwide.
Combining expertise in music, sociology, philosophy, creativity and leadership studies, he is recognized as an expert at the intersections of arts, business and leadership.
His research is wide-ranging, including studies on leadership development, the aesthetics of power (he was awarded Outstanding Article of the Year by the Academy of Management Learning & Education in 2016), the social dimensions of creative processes and the socio-political dynamics of early 20th-century music in Europe.
He is a co-founding editor of the journal Music and Arts in Action and the author/co-author of articles appearing in Management Learning; Business Leadership Review; Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society; Journal of Visual Art Practice; Music and Arts in Action; and Emotion Review. He is co-author of Key Concepts in Leadership (Sage, 2012).
Before returning to Memorial in 2016 in his current role, he served as associate dean for research and director of PhD studies at IEDC–Bled School of Management in Slovenia and as a research fellow of the Centre for Leadership Studies at the University of Exeter. He also held appointments in Poland, Germany and the United States.
Dr. Ian Sutherland was among the 2019 honourees of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, an annual program that recognizes this country’s emerging influencers for their exceptional achievements.
About Grenfell Campus, Memorial University
Grenfell Campus, Memorial University is located in the city of Corner Brook on Newfoundland’s west coast.
The campus offers a growing number of undergraduate and graduate programs in the schools of Arts and Social Science, Science and the Environment, and Fine Arts and through a partnership with the Western Regional School of Nursing.
Of 1,400 enrolled students, approximately 12 per cent are international students representing more than 40 different countries and more than 20 per cent are Indigenous.
Students, faculty and staff who choose to study and work at Grenfell Campus enjoy the safety and friendliness of a small city with the availability of a great number of outdoor activities year-round.
With increased infrastructure and partnerships with all levels of government and the community, Grenfell takes pride in playing a role in contributing to the region and embraces all opportunities to promote, celebrate and recognize the benefits of a diverse community.
