Thursday July 14, 2022 | VANCOUVER, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The president of the University of British Columbia (UBC) is wrapping up at the Vancouver post secondary institution in preparation for relocation to managing post secondary education in the United States.
Santa J Ono has served as UBC president for six years.
Ono’s letter to the UBC community thanks students, faculty and staff for the collective efforts undertaken during his tenure. “On all of our campuses of the university, we have strengthened our ability to deliver our core mission of education, research, scholarship and service,” he said in his letter.
UBC has two main campuses — Vancouver and Okanagan — and other sites including UBC Robson Square, Centre for Digital Media, UBC Faculty of Medicine Across BC, and Asia Pacific Regional Office.
Minister Kang’s statement:
On July 13, an announcement about UBC President Santa Ono moving on as of October 2022 was made by Anne Kang, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training:
“UBC has announced today that Santa Ono is moving on to assume the presidency of the University of Michigan, come October 2022. I want to thank Santa Ono for his outstanding leadership as the president of the University of British Columbia.
“Ono joined UBC in 2016, and during his tenure he has made a lasting impact on students’ lives. Under his leadership, UBC has continued to grow its academic offerings while building infrastructure, such as new student housing, academic centres and research facilities.
“Among his many accomplishments, he was instrumental in shaping UBC’s strategic plan and the university’s commitment to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He established a climate action plan and introduced the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force to address systemic racism. His vision truly will have positive impacts on the lives of students for years to come.
“In addition to all this work, Ono led the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring UBC continued to support students and the province in the best possible way.
“Thank you, Santa Ono, for your commitment to lifelong learning. We wish you all the best with your next chapter as president of the University of Michigan.”
Top-ranked university in USA:
According to the University of Michigan website, it is a” top-ranked public university” with “a tradition of excellence in research, learning and teaching, sports and the arts, and more”.
New president-elect:
Ono, age 59, will begin a five-year term as the university’s 15th president on Oct. 13, 2022.
The University of Michigan located in Ann Arbour, MI introduces their president-elect with these notes: “He also serves as chair of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, on the board of directors of Universities Canada and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and as past chair of Research Universities of British Columbia.”
“He has served on the boards of the American Council on Education and the Council on Competitiveness, as chief innovation adviser to the Province of British Columbia, and as co-chair of the Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy for the Government of Canada.”
Prior to leading UBC, Ono served as the 28th president of the University of Cincinnati and senior vice provost and deputy to the provost at Emory University. He also served as professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Ono has taught at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University and University College London. He has advised national and regional governments on higher education and mental health.
He holds honorary doctorates from Chiba University and the Vancouver School of Theology.
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