After months of reviewing applications and interviewing candidates, King’s is entering the final stage of its search for a new president. The next president will replace William Lahey, who has led King’s for almost a decade. 

The search began almost a year ago, with King’s receiving around 145 applicants. From there, the presidential search committee narrowed it down to a long-list of nine candidates. 

“We were kind of wowed by the quality of the people who applied for the role,” said Stephanie McGrath, chair of the committee. “Everybody from the long and the short list was talking about how excited they were by the opportunity. They understand there’s lots of challenges, but the opportunity is huge and they all really believe in what King’s has to offer.”

After two rounds of interviews, the committee invited three candidates to spend a full day at the university, meeting with faculty, staff, program directors, students, the Board of Governors and the current presidents of King’s and Dalhousie. 

From March 9 to March 13, each candidate gave a public presentation in Alumni Hall and participated in a Q&A session. 

The first candidate is a King’s alum who worked as a journalist and holds a leadership position in a Canadian publication. The second is a King’s alum who works in academia with a background in comparative literature and law. And the third leads a healthcare institution, with a background in political science and did not attend King’s. The presidential search committee has asked that they remain anonymous in order to not compromise their current employment.

After the visits, King’s community members gave feedback on the candidates through an anonymous survey.

“Students should know that their voice a million per cent matters, and that we are listening to what they have to say,” said McGrath. “We are taking their feedback directly, and it is going to have a direct impact on our choices.”

The final decision will be made based on all the information that has been collected by the committee: background checks, reference checks, the candidates’ interviews and feedback from King’s community members. 

“Our main priority is choosing someone who’s going to really understand what makes King’s special,” said McGrath. “We want a president who can advocate for the school and the education it provides, and who’s able to connect to the community.” 

McGrath said the board is excited and optimistic about the search.

“There’s no bad choice here,” she said. “Everybody is brilliant, passionate and talented. At the end of the day it’s going to be ‘who is the right person at this moment in time?’”

Students weigh in

Students also have ideas about what they hope to see from the next president.

Daisy Uhres-Todd, a first-year FYP arts student, said she hopes the next candidate will continue working towards greater diversity, equity and inclusion at King’s.

“There is this culture of elitism and being pretentious at King’s and I feel like we need to find a way to combat that,” said Uhres-Todd. “It goes hand in hand with diversity, equity and inclusion and trying to find a way to diversify liberal arts and King’s.”

Supporting student athletics at King’s is also important, according to Miqaela Olatundun, a first-year journalism student and student-athlete. 

“[Athletics is] a small community, but we are really mighty and we need that support to continue growing,” Olatundun said. “I’m on the rugby team and just having support in any way — people showing up, getting certain equipment, things like that — that’s really important to us.” 

The end of an era

Preparing to welcome a new president also means saying goodbye to Bill Lahey.

“The reason I wanted to be president of King’s is I thought I wouldn’t just be a bureaucrat, I would get to know students and students would get to know me,” Lahey said. “And that’s what has happened. I’ve had a lot of fun and I think I’ve been helpful to some students and the students have enjoyed what I’ve contributed to their quad life. That’s my greatest satisfaction.”

After ten years of living on King’s campus, Lahey has some words of wisdom for the next president: 

“Listening is very, very important, including when it’s hard to listen because people are saying things about you or about the university that are not easy to hear. And being present. I know from experience that when you’re out and about, you open yourself up to absorbing more of the culture and what makes King’s special, and that has all kinds of relevance and influence on the more formal parts of your job.”

Lahey added that it’s also crucial that the next president continue working towards making King’s a more welcoming, inclusive and diverse community. 

“I say sometimes that King’s is not going to be given a third chance,” he said. “Before, we didn’t have strong relationships with underrepresented communities and we have been given that second chance. If we walk away from that, I think there will be very little willingness to trust us once again.”

As for his message to students, Lahey acknowledged the threats facing the liberal arts and encouraged students to believe in themselves and their education.

“Whatever changes are happening in the world around them, [King’s students] are going to have very important things to contribute,” said Lahey. “They have acquired an education that is not just of this time — it’s a timeless education. They have every reason to be confident about what they will contribute to the world.”

As his presidency comes to an end, Lahey says the experience has left a lasting impact on him.

“I have loved being president of King’s. Truly loved it. Whatever I may or may not have accomplished, it’s made me into a better person,” said Lahey. “I’m very grateful to King’s and to the people of King’s for the opportunity I had to be the president of this wonderful place for ten years.”

With files from Emma Breton and Emily Conohan