UNIVERSITY OF SUDBURY
University appoints Dr. Serge Miville as its new President and Vice-Chancellor

On June 17, in a decisive move to herald its presence as a leading francophone University in the province of Ontario, the University of Sudbury appointed Dr. Serge Miville as its new President and Vice-Chancellor.  

With a rich history dating back to 1913, the University of Sudbury recently returned to its status as an autonomous university to better serve its students and community.

Along with key stakeholders in the Franco-Ontarian community, the University of Sudbury is embarking upon an ambitious plan to renew and reinvigorate Francophone higher-education in Greater Sudbury, and across Ontario's North. After a careful review of candidates from across Canada, the University decided that Dr. Miville, an accomplished historian, was the ideal candidate to lead the University through this next decisive step to continue its evolution in support of leading-edge higher education by, for and with the North's resilient Francophone community.  

Hailing from Smooth Rock Falls in Northern Ontario, Dr. Miville holds a Bachelor and a Master of Arts (Ottawa), as well as a Ph.D. (York). In 2020, he was welcomed in the Société Charlevoix des études franco-ontariennes. Dr. Miville was until recently Research Chair in Franco-Ontarian History at Laurentian University. To wide acclaim, Dr. Miville served as the Director of the Institut franco-ontarien (IFO), which recently moved its offices to the University of Sudbury. In addition to his academic roles, Dr. Miville has been instrumental in administrative and governance roles through various academic committees and boards. Dr. Miville's writings on francophone Canada have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Société Radio-Canada, Le Droit, and Le Devoir, amongst others.

"Dr. Miville is an excellent successor for the realization of our mandate. His drive, his positive leadership, his aptitudes and his vision align perfectly with the ambitions of our university," states the Chair of the Board of Regents, Pierre Riopel.

The appointment of Dr. Miville represents a generational change in leadership that reflects the University's new direction and plans to offer a new and unique experience to its students. He is deeply committed to the Greater Sudbury community, to its students, its professors, and its broader academic community. Dr. Miville is further committed to establishing an inclusive post-secondary education vision that maximizes opportunities found within the broader network of French-language post-secondary institutions to offer the best possible choice and diversity of educational opportunities in person and through hybrid options. Dr. Miville is also deeply committed to ensuring the continuation of the University's dialogue with Indigenous communities.

"It is an immense honour to take on such a significant responsibility," states Dr. Miville. "My commitment to students is clear: the entire team at the University of Sudbury will leverage our resources to ensure that you have the option to study in the North, in French, and that your academic credentials will be recognized and transferable. I am profoundly optimistic about the future of our university, about the future of Francophone higher-level education, and remain hopeful our partners in the provincial and federal governments will be of assistance as we serve the Francophone community, but most of all, as we attempt to open our doors to students in September 2021."

The Board of Regents wishes to thank Father John Meehan, S.J., Ph.D., for his immense contribution as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sudbury since September 2019. His humanistic leadership, in addition to his communication and rallying talents have left a mark on the entire university community and will be valuable in his new role of Director of the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History at Trinity College, at the University of Toronto.