Irwin Law Inc. congratulates Jamie Cassels on his appointment as Vice-President Academic and Provost at the University of Victoria.
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
May 16, 2001
LAW DEAN NAMED UVIC’S NEW VICE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC
The University of Victoria has a new vice president academic and provost – Prof. Jamie Cassels, a member of the University of Victoria’s faculty of law since 1981 and dean of law since 1999. The five-year appointment is effective Aug. 1, 2001. Cassels’ appointment was approved by UVic’s board of governors following the unanimous recommendation of the 15-member search committee and favourable ratification by 94 per cent of voting faculty members. “This is an outstanding appointment,” says UVic President Dr. David Turpin, who headed the search committee. “Jamie is a remarkable scholar and has a clear understanding of the challenges facing this university. He’ll bring exceptional integrity and leadership skills to his new position, and I’m looking forward to working with him closely in the years ahead.” As vice president academic and provost, Cassels will be responsible for general supervision of all academic programs, long-range academic planning, enrolment management and all human resource matters related to UVic faculty. During his 20 years at the university, Cassels has served on many law faculty and university committees, as well as senate and the faculty association (including two years as its vice president). “I’ve tried always to be a good citizen of the entire university,” he says. “I think I understand its policies, procedures and institutional culture.” Cassels has won the law faculty’s master teacher award twice (1986 and 1996), the UVic Alumni Association’s Excellence in Teaching Award (1998), and the Canadian Association of Law Teachers Award for Academic Excellence (1999). He holds a BA in law and philosophy from Carleton University, an LL.B (bachelor of law) from the University of Western Ontario and an LL.M (master of law) from Columbia University. His areas of teaching and research include contracts, legal theory, and remedies. Other interests include environmental issues, law and society in India, and race and gender issues in the law of tort. He’s the author of several books, including The Uncertain Promise of Law: Lessons from Bhopal and Remedies: The Law of Damages. During his tenure as law dean, Cassels has helped to maintain the faculty’s reputation as one of Canada’s top law schools. Ranked number one in the country in five of the past six surveys of recent law graduates conducted by Canadian Lawyer magazine, the school is praised for its faculty members’ open door policy and their willingness to coach, guide and listen to students. Cassels sees faculty renewal as one of the major challenges facing UVic in the years ahead. Almost one-quarter of faculty will be replaced over the next five years, largely due to retirements. “Equally important,” he says, “is the need for UVic to respond positively to the challenges of a changing world, without losing sight of the humane values that have always defined this institution.”
-30-