President and Vice-Chancellor

We respectfully acknowledge that we are on the treaty and traditional territory of the Mississauga Anishinaabeg. We offer our gratitude to First Peoples for their care for, and teachings about, our earth and our relations. May we honour those teachings.

Trent University invites applications, nominations, and expressions of interest from exceptional leaders for the position of its ninth President and Vice-Chancellor, with the appointment to be effective summer 2024. This is an exciting opportunity to join a vibrant, engaged, and sustainable university community committed to interdisciplinary, strategically focused, and leading-edge teaching, research, and innovation. The position of President and Vice-Chancellor at Trent University is more than just a role – it is an opportunity to uphold and contribute to a legacy of visionary leadership while shaping the future of Ontario’s top undergraduate university.

Over its 60-year history, Trent has established a reputation as a world-class institution, renowned for its innovative approach to teaching, groundbreaking research, economic impact, dedication to cultivating a transformative learning experience in the liberal arts and sciences, and professional programs for students close to home and around the world. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching and student satisfaction as well as for its distinctive, interdisciplinary approach to research, Trent has close to over 12,500 students, including 1,600 international students from 79 countries. Both undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff, and their peers through diverse communities that span colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, in more than 100 programs, Trent brings critical and integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, community engagement is in more demand than ever. Trent students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives, and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership, and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty, and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA. For more information please see https://www.trentu.ca/

Providing leadership for all aspects of university affairs, the President and Vice-Chancellor ensures the performance, societal contribution, and vitality of the institution, commensurate with the Board of Governors’ and the provincial government’s expectations. The mandate is decidedly transformational: to take stock of the current challenges and opportunities, and the distinctive positioning put forward in the Strategic Mandate Agreement 2020-2025; to implement a bold and compelling strategy; to align the University internally and externally; to galvanize key stakeholders; and to secure the institution’s future for generations to come. For further information also see the Board Strategic Directions 2022-2027.

The ideal candidate possesses proven, relevant, executive level acumen with demonstrated experience working with government and the community. Experience leading complex organizational change, undertaking strategic programmatic decisions, engaging core constituencies, and building institutional enrolment and performance is also sought. Proven competence in financial management, fundraising, strategic deployment of technology, and creative partnerships is important. The candidate will have graduate and scholarly credentials, knowledge of postsecondary systems, and an appreciation for the synergy between liberal arts and the sciences. Articulate, consultative, and strategic with a commitment to action, the new President and Vice-Chancellor will be passionate about the history and promise of Trent and will ensure its distinctive position in Canada’s postsecondary landscape. For more information please see Presidential Mandate 2024-2029.

Trent University is actively committed to creating a diverse and inclusive campus community and encourages applications from all qualified candidates. Trent University offers accommodation for applicants with disabilities in its recruitment processes. If you require accommodation during the recruitment process or require an accessible version of a document/publication, please contact TrentPresident@lavernesmith.com. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.

The consultants will begin review of candidates immediately, with committee consultation later in the fall, and will continue until the role is filled. Applications, including curriculum vitae, a letter of introduction, and the names of three references (who will not be contacted without consent of the applicant), should be submitted, in confidence, to the University’s executive search consultants:

Laverne Smith & Associates Inc.

TrentPresident@lavernesmith.com