News Briefs

February 23, 2007

Tomkins named U of R president

REGINA – Jim Tomkins, a professor emeritus in the University of Regina’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics, has been appointed President and Vice-Chancellor for a term that runs until June 30, 2008.

The appointment, announced in a media release, takes effect March 26. During his 37-year career at the university, Tomkins spent seven as vice-president administration (1998-2005), and nine years as head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. He has chaired the University of Regina Faculty Association, and was a 35-year member of the committee overseeing the academic and administrative pension plan. Tomkins also spent almost four years seconded to the provincial government as a senior policy analyst on post-secondary education.

“Dr. Tomkins is a respected academic and administrator with strong ties to our University and to Regina,” said Mo Bundon, chair of the U of R’s Board of Governors, in the release. “Under his leadership, and that of the senior management team, I know the U of R will continue to advance by building strong partnerships and focusing on the success of our students.”

Solution proposed to underfunding

MONTREAL – The heads of four Quebec universities with faculties of medicine are proposing principles they believe should serve as guidelines for the Quebec government in the search for a solution to the chronic underfunding that afflicts Quebec universities.

A McGill University release said Bruno-Marie Béchard of Université de Sherbrooke, Michel Pigeon of Université Laval, Luc Vinet of Université de Montréal and Heather Munroe-Blum of McGill University claim the quality and accessibility of the universities are essential to Quebec’s development. They propose a reinvestment plan to catch up with the average of other Canadian universities, and the creation of a non-recurrent emergency fund of about $500 million in the very near future to repair and upgrade aging buildings.

According to Munroe-Blum, Quebec universities run the risk of being marginalized by a lack of funding. "While growing investments are being made in university education and scientific research elsewhere in the country, Quebec is losing ground. If nothing is done, the gap will only continue to widen. Reinvestment will benefit our students, our primary raison d'être."