New NSCAD president takes on role following controversial firing of her predecessor

The new president of the Nova Scotia Higher education of Art and Style University has formally began her five-12 months phrase.

Peggy Shannon’s appointment was announced in December of 2021, much more than a year soon after the controversial ouster of previous president, Aoife Mac Namara who held the post for less than a year.

The board did not provide an explanation for firing Mac Namara — a decision that was condemned by the school union. 

Correspondence received by the Globe And Mail newspaper in 2021 indicated that Mac Namara  was remaining pressured by the board to promote historic campus buildings to a Halifax developer. 

Shannon, who arrived in Halifax at the commencing of July, has over 20 a long time expertise as a professor and administrator, most recently at San Diego Point out College.

Given that currently being employed on December 1, she has been getting cellular phone, digital and in-person conferences with associates of the faculty, team and board, Shannon told CBC Radio Information Morning Halifax host Portia Clark.

This is a condensed edition of their conversation that has been edited for clarity and length.

Did you you have questions about the board?

I did, during the interview.

I experienced accomplished my research and I wished to realize from their point of view, and undoubtedly I knew there have been troubles of confidentiality, regardless of what they could convey to me.

I was leaving a pretty good task and I wished assurance that if I remaining my task and arrived in this article, that this was something that was not likely to finish in 9 months or a calendar year.

So we did have some frank conversations about that.

What is your strategy for making bridges amongst your place of work in the union and the board? How are you going to go about that, specified the partnership as it stands now?

I pride myself on currently being a bridge builder. That is been something that I have accomplished in the course of my vocation.

I am a communicator. I will be setting up a lot of conferences. And 1 of the factors I want to do in the drop is do a welcome again that invitations the board, the college and the employees, and let us just start out new.

Let’s get to know each and every other. Let’s move forward and let us appear to the future.

I will be getting approaches to deliver people today together just to have significant, deep conversations. And I do plan to do a good deal of listening as well throughout the slide.

What have you heard so much that guidebook the way you established up these conversations?

The last time I was below in city was in April, and I was in this article for the launch of the NSCAD Film Festival, and I was capable to fulfill with customers of the government committee of the school union, It can be termed FUNSCAD, and I heard from them worries about seeking to be absolutely sure that they were being integrated in decisions, that they have been read, that they were welcome to the desk, to the conversations.

I read that, I recurring it again, to allow them know that I heard what they had been declaring to me and I will continue to do that. 

You are hearing that possibly they didn’t feel as involved just before, and it is really definitely critical for them to be?

I think right after what occurred two yrs back, and again, I wasn’t listed here and I was not section of that, I think there are some most likely residual considerations that, as we search to the future, I hope will dissolve with time.

And if they do not, I understand, but I do hope that they do.

Previous we read, NSCAD was not likely to be becoming a member of the artwork gallery of Nova Scotia at the new setting up on the Halifax waterfront, which has also been substantially talked about. What is your belief on advertising the historic campus and relocating the school?

I assume that properties will need to be available and if there’s a way to convey the NSCAD group of pupils, college and staff members jointly in some way, I am for that.

I do not have more than enough facts.

I know that there have been ongoing discussions at the port. I imagine there have been discussions perhaps with many others, all over again, in advance of my time.

I am hoping that as we go forward as a community, that everybody will really feel comfy with the subsequent way. 

And inclusive in more methods than one particular. That was some thing that the earlier president was really targeted on. I’m wanting to know about your feeling about producing NSCAD a welcoming room for all learners and school.

In my have qualified daily life and personal existence. Inclusivity, fairness, diversity are front and centre. So in every little thing that I do individually it is critical. 

Effectively, my husband is African-American. My kids are biracial. So in each and every day of my life we are searching at issues.

We have pretty spirited conversations about the eating room desk in excess of the several years.

On a own amount, I comprehend as significantly as I can, as a white woman, some of the concerns that my husband and my children encounter on a everyday basis.

Now translate that into my specialist lifetime. And I am really aware of the demands of a range of pupils and school and staff. 

it is 1 matter for universities and plans to have variety initiatives but it results in being only a slogan except you have an initiative that when people today come, they experience welcome. 

I never know that as substantially perform has been accomplished in the ‘how men and women come to feel welcome’ piece. And so I will be really centered on that.

How are you laying out your priorities? 

NSCAD requirements a strategic prepare. It does not have one. 

I have not arrive below to make a strategic program on my very own for this university. You will find likely to be a yr long organizing system that engages college students, college, workers, alumni, the board and neighborhood at substantial.

I want to listen to from persons what the priorities are for this university likely ahead, since my emphasis is on the long term. 

Less than the strategic program will be pillars of what’s important, and just about every pillar will have themes, and then we will have deliverables and timelines and motion goods and all people issues that you have in a strategic system.

But we are likely to do that together, and that is my huge priority, and that will address communication. It will deal with residual, potentially tough emotions and move us ahead.

Can I just say I think this is these an extraordinary second in time for Halifax, for NSCAD in its background and in my have daily life.

You can find just this kind of convergence of interesting probability likely forward.

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