Karen Campbell has been appointed to a four-year term as Vice-Provost (Academic Planning, Policy & Faculty), starting July 1, 2016. She will begin Sept. 1 as Special Advisor to the Provost and Vice-Provost-Elect, working closely with Alan Weedon during the final year of his term. Weedon has served as Vice-Provost since July 2002.
Campbell joined Western as a faculty member in 1986 and moves to central administration from the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, where she has served as chair of Epidemiology & Biostatistics since 2003. In addition to her administrative role, she has served as a professor within Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Paediatrics, as well as been affiliated as a scientist with the Children’s Health Research Institute.
Campbell’s research focuses on prenatal health, prenatal influences on child health and development, childhood obesity, prenatal and postnatal health services utilization, and trajectories of maternal mental health.
During the past 12 years as department chair, Campbell led or advised on a wide range of planning and policy initiatives, while also serving on numerous pan-faculty and pan-university committees.
“Indeed, it is the wealth of Karen’s experience and knowledge as an academic leader at Western that has prepared her well for this next challenge in her career,” wrote Janice Deakin, Provost & Vice-President (Academic). “With your support, I am confident she will continue to provide creative and effective leadership for the university in her new role.”
The Vice-Provost (Academic Planning, Policy & Faculty) is responsible for developing and implementing the university’s budgetary and operational policy to support academic planning. Also within the portfolio is the Office of Faculty Relations, which has responsibility for negotiation and administration of the collective agreements between the university and the faculty and librarians represented by The University of Western Ontario Faculty Association, as well as the agreements on conditions of appointment of clinical faculty. In addition, the portfolio includes the Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention, which provides a central resource to academic units as they seek to attract and retain faculty members.
Campbell’s appointment was advanced at the recommendation of the university Senate-appointed Selection Committee for the Vice-Provost, and received the formal endorsement of the president and Western’s Board of Governors through the Board’s Senior Operations Committee earlier this week.