The St. Jerome's University Board of Governors has appointed Dr. Scott Kline as Interim President, effective July 1, 2019.
An ethicist by training, Kline's first role at St. Jerome's was as a faculty member in the Department of Religious Studies with a joint appointment in Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies. He became Associate Dean in 2013 and Interim Vice President and Academic Dean in 2014. For the past three years, Kline has served as Vice President Academic and Dean, working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and administration on the formation and administration of the University's academic plan; developing academic policies; and providing senior leadership for academic support units, including Student Affairs and the University's library.
"When I came to St. Jerome's University in 2002 as a faculty member, I knew I had come to a place that was bubbling with ideas, rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition, and committed to serving students and the community in ways that would transform everyone involved," Kline recalls. "I also liked that our faculty and staff took a learner-centred approach to education, which strongly emphasized the student's active participation in their learning and encouraged critical thinking. I look forward to providing leadership that continues to foster this tradition."
Kline's research focuses on matters related to religion and public policy. He has written on religious conflict resolution, Catholic approaches to peacemaking, and religion and US foreign policy. His current research focuses primarily on the role of faith-based organizations in systems approaches to homelessness, which he conducts with his wife and St. Jerome's alumna, Dr. Megan Shore ('99). He is also the author of Ethical Being: A Catholic Guide to Contemporary Issues (2013), one of many publications in which he explores the role of religion in a secular society.
Relationship building has been integral to Kline's success at St. Jerome's. He recognizes his good fortune working with wonderful colleagues at St. Jerome's, the University of Waterloo, and the affiliated institutions on the Waterloo campus. "We must continually look for ways to complement what they do so well across the creek' and yet find ways to differentiate ourselves on the Waterloo campus," he says. He also believes that alumni are integral to carrying out the University's mission because they have experienced firsthand what it means to be a St. Jerome's student at the University of Waterloo.
"Dr. Kline's advocacy of the St. Jerome's University mission and his support of students, staff, and faculty are at the core of his commitment to the University," said Mary Ellen Cullen, Chair of the St. Jerome's University Board of Governors. "We are pleased to appoint him as Interim President."
