With just a few days under my belt as the new Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) at Queen’s, I wanted to send a short message to faculty, students and staff to introduce myself.

My wife and I came to Canada for a year in 1976 and have been here ever since. That first year, I was a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Economics at Queen’s. Wherever I have subsequently worked in Canada, Queen’s University has always been my point of comparison. It set the bar high then, and it still does today, which is only one of many reasons why I felt both honoured and privileged to be selected for the role of Provost at Queen’s.

The position is not without its challenges. If I am to meet these challenges, I shall do so only by being transparent and forthright in my assessments and decisions and open to the guidance, wisdom and criticisms of all members of the Queen’s community.

Thank you for taking the time to read this short introduction. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the days and weeks to come, and to working together on the many important initiatives underway.

Alan Harrison
Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic)