Committee for Nominating a Chancellor
Information Box Group
The 2024-25 academic year is the final year of the second three-year term of the University’s Chancellor, Santee Smith / Tekaronhiáhkhwa, whose current term is set to end on August 31, 2025. It is therefore necessary to convene a Committee for Nominating a Chancellor. The Senate By-laws specify that the Committee for Nominating a Chancellor shall consist of the President, the Chair of the Board, the Principal of the Divinity College, the alumni members of the Senate, and five other members of the Senate elected by the Senate.
The Chancellor is the titular head of the institution, whose main duty is conferring degrees at Convocation, along with defined roles in University governance as an ex-officio member of the Board of Governors and Senate. Chancellors often also participate in the cultural, philanthropic, and ceremonial aspects of University life, including fundraising activities, meetings with government representatives, and building connections locally, nationally, and internationally.
Committee Membership
The following individuals are members of the Committee for Nominating a Chancellor. The appointments were approved by the Senate on January 15, 2025.
Ex Officio
David Farrar (Chair)
President & Vice-Chancellor
Professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Jane Allen
Chair, Board of Governors
Stanley E. Porter
Principal and Dean, McMaster Divinity College
Professor of New Testament
Roy A. Hope Chair in Christian Worldview
Members Appointed by the Senate
Alumni Association
Alex Mouriopoulos
Cameron Nolan
Dennis Souder
Margaret Zanel
Faculty of Business
Narat Charupat
Professor, DeGroote School of Business
Director, Master of Finance
Faculty of Engineering
Carlos Filipe
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering
Associate Dean (Research, Innovation, and Partnerships)
Faculty of Health Sciences
Kerry Yang
Undergraduate Student
Faculty of Science
Kalai Saravanamuttu
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Associate Dean (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity)
Faculty of Social Sciences
Renae Watchman
Associate Professor, Department of Indigenous Studies
Consultants to the Committee (non-voting)
Susan Tighe
Provost & Vice-President (Academic) and President-elect
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Andrea Thyret-Kidd
University Secretary and Chief Governance and Privacy Officer
Statutory References
Senate By-Laws Review the By-Laws
Articles II.3 – II.10 of the Senate By-Laws govern the composition of the Committee and the overall selection process for the appointment of a Chancellor.
Updates and Communications
- Daily News: Committee Begins Search for Next University Chancellor (Jan16, 2025)
- Senate approved the composition of the Committee for Nominating a Chancellor (January 15, 2025).