Following consultation with UBC stakeholders, we are pleased to announce that Dr. Neil Guppy has accepted a reappointment to the position of Senior Advisor to the Provosts on Academic Freedom. His second term will begin on July 1, 2018.
This position supports institutional efforts to ensure that academic freedom is understood, safeguarded and promoted at UBC. While all members of the community have a responsibility to protect and support this central freedom, the Senior Advisor undertakes various educational and consultative initiatives (such as scholarly integrity and academic freedom), including providing advice to the President and other senior administrators in both Vancouver and the Okanagan.
Dr. Guppy’s commitment to ensure the university is fulfilling its various mandates, with respect to academic freedom, has been very effective. Some of the initiatives during his first term have included:
- Initiating the Scholars at Risk program;
- Conducting orientation sessions with new board members and others in senior leadership positions;
- Meeting and discussing academic freedom with colleagues in a range of forums including faculty meetings, executive leadership teams, and the Faculty Association;
- and serving as a spokesperson on matters related to academic freedom.
Dr. Guppy’s focus will continue to involve supporting faculty, staff, and students, while also developing interactive scenarios and online tools for incoming Board of Governors, Senate and other administrative members, to assist them in matters of academic freedom.