Accession - UAA-2022-017

The mission of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at the University of Alberta (U of A) is to lead the academic mission of the university. They also work with the team of vice-presidents at the U of A to ensure their goals and objectives are aligned with the University’s strategic plan. The Provost and Vice-President's portfolio includes; student recruitment, retention and well-being; student experience; selection and leadership of Deans; facilitation of program development and review; international engagement; learning environment; and relations with the professoriate.

The Vice-President (Academic) is the senior Vice-President in the University and as such, acts for the President whenever so delegated. Until the establishment of the office in 1955 a senior dean was appointed to this duty on an ad hoc basis. In 1943 an Assistant to the President was appointed to share some of the administrative load placed on this office. When Dr. Walter Hugh Johns was named to the office of Vice-President in 1955 he continued in his position as Dean of Arts and Science until assuming the office full-time in 1957. In 1963 the title was changed to Vice-President (Academic). To more accurately reflect their role as a leader of the internal management of the university, the title of Provost was added to the position in 1998. In July 2001, the formal title was changed to Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

Some of the responsibilities of this office are assigned by the Board of Governors upon recommendation of the President, and others are assigned by General Faculties Council. The Provost and Vice-President (Academic) is responsible for the appointment, the terms of appointment, and the termination of appointment of the faculty members of the University. The records of the office show that the Provost and Vice-President has taken administrative responsibility for the following areas since 1955: teaching faculties and schools; Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research; budget for academic departments; academic policy, planning, program proposals; staff and student affairs.

The Provost and Vice-President (Academic) is Chair or member of the major standing committees of the University: those of the Board of Governors, the Senate, General Faculties Council and the President. There are numerous national and provincial bodies concerned with education in which the Vice-President (Academic) participates.

Executive Assistants: Clem L. King (1943-1946); Walter Hugh Johns (1947-1952); George Samuel ([1952-1960])

Vice-Presidents: Walter Hugh Johns (1955-1959); Lawrence Harold Cragg ([1959]-1963); Herbert Stoker Armstrong (1963-1964); Max Wyman (1964-1969); Arthur Gilbert McCalla (1969-1970); Henry Kreisel (1970-1975); Myer Horowitz (1975-1979); R. George Baldwin (1979-1984); J. Peter Meekison (1984-1991); W. John MacDonald (1992-1995); A. S. Smith (Acting, 1995-1996); Doug Owram (1996-2003); Carl Amrhein (2003-?); Dr. Steve Dew (2015-?)