Poy to the world! U of T Poy to the world! U of T

Vivienne Poy, senator and U of T graduate, is to succeed Henry N.R. (Hal) Jackman as university chancellor. Poy becomes the 31st chancellor of U of T, and the first person of an ethnic minority background to be elected chancellor since U of T’s founding in 1827.

The chancellor of the university is elected by the alumni’s College of Electors for a three-year term. As ceremonial head of the university, the chancellor supervises convocations, confers all degrees and acts as an ambassador to the more than 365,000 alumni world-wide. In addition, the chancellor serves as the university’s senior volunteer and plays an essential ambassadorial role in advancing the university’s interests within the local, provincial, national and international arenas.

When asked about her aspirations as newly elected chancellor, Poy said:

“My goal is to represent the university well. I know when President Birgeneau first became president, he spoke of the goals of the university—that the university should reflect diversity and attain excellence. ‘If hiring is based on merit then diversity will be reflected,’ Birgeneau had said. Both diversity and excellence are very important for any university. I would like to assist President Birgeneau to the best of my abilities to achieve those ends.”

Poy is no stranger to innovation. She was the first Canadian of Asian descent to be appointed to the Senate, having been appointed to the upper house in 1998. She has served as a member of the Senate’s steering group for human rights and the legal and constitutional affairs committee, and is a member of the Canadian Committee on Women, Peace and Security.

Poy has been involved with a number of cultural and philanthropic causes across Canada as well. These include the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Stage Company and the Kidney Foundation. In addition, Poy is a director of the Bank of East Asia (Canada), an honorary patron of the Chinese Cultural Centres of Greater Toronto and Vancouver, the Chinese Canadian Heritage Fund and a major contributor to the Scarborough General Hospital’s capital campaign.

“I will assist the university administration to establish a condition to strengthen diversity so that students will have role models of various minority backgrounds. We have a very diverse university. It is up to the administration to establish conditions that will strengthen diversity in the university to achieve excellence.”

Poy has a long history with the university that is not limited to being a student.

Poy served on the university’s Governing Council from 1994 to 1995 and was a member of the advisory board of the Faculty of Arts and Science. Poy’s outstanding commitment to volunteering for the university was recognized by an Arbor Award in 1997. In addition, Poy helped establish the Lee Chair in Chinese Thought and Culture in the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Vivienne Poy (Lee Tak Wai) Chancellor’s Fellowship in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Poy received a master’s degree in history in 1997 from U of T, and is currently completing her doctorate in history.

Having been with the university for such a long time, at various levels, will undoubtedly assist Poy’s fusion with the university as chancellor. Her history doctorate, with the subject “Canadian Law and Immigration of Chinese Women from South China and Hong Kong,” is scheduled to be defended in July.

“The first thing I said when I was told I was nominated was, ‘But—I’m still a student!’” Poy joked.

Poy also pointed out that “the university has talked about diversity, and the fact that I was elected means that the university is taking its role as a diverse university seriously.”

The chancellor of the university is elected by the alumni’s College of Electors for a three-year term. As ceremonial head of the university, the chancellor supervises convocations, confers all degrees and acts as an ambassador to the more than 365,000 alumni world-wide. In addition, the chancellor serves as the university’s senior volunteer and plays an essential ambassadorial role in advancing the university’s interests within the local, provincial, national and international arenas.

When asked about her aspirations as newly elected chancellor, Poy said:

“My goal is to represent the university well. I know when President Birgeneau first became president, he spoke of the goals of the university—that the university should reflect diversity and attain excellence. ‘If hiring is based on merit then diversity will be reflected,’ Birgeneau had said. Both diversity and excellence are very important for any university. I would like to assist President Birgeneau to the best of my abilities to achieve those ends.”

Poy is no stranger to innovation. She was the first Canadian of Asian descent to be appointed to the Senate, having been appointed to the upper house in 1998. She has served as a member of the Senate’s steering group for human rights and the legal and constitutional affairs committee, and is a member of the Canadian Committee on Women, Peace and Security.

Poy has been involved with a number of cultural and philanthropic causes across Canada as well. These include the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Stage Company and the Kidney Foundation. In addition, Poy is a director of the Bank of East Asia (Canada), an honorary patron of the Chinese Cultural Centres of Greater Toronto and Vancouver, the Chinese Canadian Heritage Fund and a major contributor to the Scarborough General Hospital’s capital campaign.

“I will assist the university administration to establish a condition to strengthen diversity so that students will have role models of various minority backgrounds. We have a very diverse university. It is up to the administration to establish conditions that will strengthen diversity in the university to achieve excellence.”

Poy has a long history with the university that is not limited to being a student.

Poy served on the university’s Governing Council from 1994 to 1995 and was a member of the advisory board of the Faculty of Arts and Science. Poy’s outstanding commitment to volunteering for the university was recognized by an Arbor Award in 1997. In addition, Poy helped establish the Lee Chair in Chinese Thought and Culture in the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Vivienne Poy (Lee Tak Wai) Chancellor’s Fellowship in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Poy received a master’s degree in history in 1997 from U of T, and is currently completing her doctorate in history.

Having been with the university for such a long time, at various levels, will undoubtedly assist Poy’s fusion with the university as chancellor. Her history doctorate, with the subject “Canadian Law and Immigration of Chinese Women from South China and Hong Kong,” is scheduled to be defended in July.

“The first thing I said when I was told I was nominated was, ‘But—I’m still a student!’” Poy joked.

Poy also pointed out that “the university has talked about diversity, and the fact that I was elected means that the university is taking its role as a diverse university seriously.”