After two years in retirement, Donna Rogers is taking the reins at Algoma University as its interim president and vice-chancellor.
Rogers previously worked as an academic dean and vice-president, academic and research between 2018 and 2022 before a brief retirement, only to come back and serve in the university’s top role as it seeks a permanent president moving forward.
“My job is to lead the university while that search goes on. Presidential searches can take some time,” she told SooToday.
“My focus will be on building on the foundation that already exists, and doing everything I can to make sure that we remain a place where students can thrive.”
While she is only back on an interim basis, Rogers said her belief in Algoma University is one of the reasons she goes to work every day.
“I have a real loyalty to Algoma University and a belief in the institution,” she said.
“I believe in its special mission. It's an institution that, in my experience, keeps students at the heart of things, and that's why I go to work every day.”
With close to four decades of experience in an academic career that has seen her take on various roles at universities around North America, Rogers said it’s a “humbling” feeling to have the university place confidence in her for this position.
“It's a place where I think I can take on a role like this and make a difference, and certainly not just keep the doors open and the lights on, but keep working on some of the strategic pieces that are important to the university,” she said.
“I'm keeping students at the heart of things.”
Moving forward, Rogers will have a few challenges to navigate.
With federal caps recently introduced on international students, and “chronic underfunding” of Ontario universities at the provincial level, Rogers said universities across the province are set to lose substantial revenue over the next two years.
“Ontario's universities receive the lowest per student funding in the country,” she said. “Ontario's universities are estimated to lose revenue of nearly a billion dollars in the first two years of this cap.”
“Those are big challenges.”
As a result, Rogers said the university is “very, very cautious” about additional hiring, and is looking to expand enrolment for domestic students, among other measures, as it navigates issues impacting the entire sector.
She said Algoma already has strategies in place to encourage domestic students to enrol at the university, noting it has “the highest per capita value in scholarships and bursaries.”
“That's on the MacLean's list. That's not just in Ontario,” she said.
Rogers is also stepping into her role after the university’s faculty voted no confidence in its previous president last year, and a number of protests by international students at its Brampton campus.
She said facing issues head on and having open dialogue with all parts of the university community are what she plans to do while navigating any issues moving forward. She recently held an open meeting with faculty to hear their concerns and thoughts, and she said she tries to attend student events to connect with them, as well.
“I'm open to them, I want to hear what they have to say, whether it's positive or whether it's critical, because that's how I learn what matters,” she said.