Sylvie Murray selected as Dean of College of Arts

Dr. Sylvie Murray has been selected as Dean of the College of Arts. She will commence her duties in this role on July 1, 2021.

Murray has held the role of Associate Dean of Faculty in the College of Arts since September 2016. Her career at UFV spans 27 years and has been characterized by sustained engagement with the university community. Her experience includes faculty member in the History department, department head of History, Senate member, and executive member of the UFV Faculty and Staff Association. Murray served as Program Development Coordinator within the Vice-Provost’s office from 2013 to 2016 before joining the College of Arts Dean’s office as Associate Dean of Faculty.

A breadth and depth of institutional experience informs her leadership, as does an understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the academic environment. Keenly aware of UFV’s location on the ancestral territory of the Stó:lō, and as a settler on this land, Murray, throughout her career, has demonstrated a commitment to Indigenization at UFV.

A strong work ethic, collaborative problem-solving skills, a clear communication style, and a commitment to soliciting collegial engagement and enthusiasm round out her approach. She has a keen appreciation for the collegial nature of academic life and knows the importance of defining and delivering a shared vision, mission, and goals at the institutional level.

Murray holds a PhD in History from Yale University, and an MA and BA in History from the University of Quebec at Montreal. She is the author of two books in her field of expertise (20th-century American history), a number of book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed publications, and reviews in many journals.

Murray’s education, research, and career experience at UFV all position her exceptionally well to lead the College of Arts. Her years of teaching and supporting students in the classroom have also provided her with a deep appreciation of the work of faculty. She has a sophisticated understanding of academic governance within the university.

Over the course of her career she has assumed leading roles in a range of initiatives including serving on the Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILO) editorial team, on the Senate Governance Committee, on the Senate Research Committee, on the Undergraduate Education Committee, on the Academic Planning and Priorities Committee, on the Faculty Standards Committee, on the Research Options Sabbaticals adjudication committee, as chair of the Graduate Studies Committee, as chair of the UEC Short Programs Committee, and as co-chair of the Strategic Enrolment Management Student Retention Subcommittee.

Dr. Murray is looking forward to starting her new role.

“As Dean, I will be committed to leading the College forward in a spirit of collaboration and accountability to our key values and goals,” she notes. “I will intentionally nurture the values of respect, appreciation, trust, and empathy that we have built in the College; I will model a bold assertion of our commitment to social justice and social change; I will challenge my colleagues to continue to find innovative ways to utilize their knowledge and talents as educators to bring about the best that a liberal arts education has to offer to our students and communities; and I will energetically and creatively pursue opportunities for revenue generation to support our priorities. I am deeply honoured to support my colleagues and our students, build our institution, and engage with our communities in the years ahead.”

“I would like to thank all who attended the candidate presentations and provided feedback during this consultation process. Thank you, as well, to all those on the Search Committee for your excellent work over the past months,” said Provost James Mandigo. “Please join me in congratulating Dr. Murray on her new role.”