Searches and Reviews

Update: April 2, 2026

Dear members of the University community,   
  
I am pleased to announce that after a comprehensive national search, and upon the unanimous recommendation of the Search Advisory Committee, the Board of Governors has approved the appointment of Dr. Ellyn Lyle as the University’s next Provost and Vice-President (Academic). She will begin a five-year term on July 1, 2026. 

Dr. Lyle joins us from Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia, where she is currently Dean of Education and Health. Prior to that, she served as Dean of the Faculty of Education at Yorkville University.  

Dr. Lyle has extensive experience across complex post-secondary environments. She has a sustained commitment to academic excellence, student success, and institutional stewardship, with particular interest in supporting students and educators as they contribute to socially equitable and sustainable programs. During her career, her leadership has advanced academic planning, program renewal, faculty recruitment, equity-focused hiring and mentoring, accreditation, and new program development.  

While serving in senior leadership, Dr. Lyle has remained actively engaged in teaching and research, ensuring that her work is grounded in lived academic practice. She is currently the Principal Investigator on SSHRC-funded research examining international student experiences in Canadian post-secondary education – work that informs her leadership in recruitment, retention, and belonging. Together with members of the Search Advisory Committee, I am confident that Dr. Lyle will provide visionary leadership to the University's academic mission and make equally strong contributions to our University Executive Team. 

I wish to thank the members of the Search Advisory Committee – Dr. Ebin Aries-Kleyenstuber, Ekin Büyükakten, Dr. Douglas Farenick, Emily McNair, Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann, Dr. Christie Schultz, Juliana Serroul, Dr. Nathalie Reid, Dr. Christopher Yost – as well as Megan Ludik and D'arcy Schauerte, who supported them throughout the process. Your professionalism and commitment were integral in bringing the search to such a successful conclusion. 

I also want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to Dr. david Gregory for the tremendous service he has rendered to the University during the two times he has served as Interim Provost and Vice-President (Academic) since 2020. During his first appointment as Interim Provost, his health care expertise played a critical role in helping us navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. During his second appointment – which began in June 2024 and will end on June 30, 2026 – he once again demonstrated a deep and unstinting commitment to the University and its academic mission. All of us owe him a great debt of gratitude. 

In coming months, we will have the opportunity to formally welcome Dr. Lyle to the University and thank Dr. Gregory for his service. Details will be forthcoming. In the meantime, I wish everyone all the best as the Winter 2026 term draws to a close. 

Yours sincerely,  

  
Jeff Keshen  
President and Vice-Chancellor  

Update: March 6, 2026

Members of the University community,

Following their presentations to campus, I am writing to invite your input on the two candidates for the position of Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

Recordings of their presentations can be reviewed at the following link: https://ursource.uregina.ca/executive/committees/provost-vice-president-academic.html

Please send your input to darcy.schauerte@uregina.ca no later than 4:00 p.m. Monday 9 March.  

All input received by then will be anonymized, collated, and circulated to members of the Search Advisory Committee.

On behalf of the Committee, I would like to thank all who joined the presentations this week. The degree of interest indicates how important this position is to the University community, and your input will be reviewed thoroughly by the Committee as it prepares its recommendation.

Yours sincerely,

Jeff Keshen
President and Vice-Chancellor

Update: February 23, 2026

Members of the University community, 

The Search Advisory Committee is pleased to announce that two candidates have been shortlisted for the position of Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

Candidate information, a schedule of the presentations, Zoom information, and recordings will be posted in coming days at https://ursource.uregina.ca/executive/committees/Search-Advisory-Committee.html. 

The dates of their campus visits are Monday, March 2^nd and Friday, March 6^th.

The public presentations are open to all University faculty, staff, and students. They will take place in hybrid form each day from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. in the Administration-Humanities Building Boardroom 527, and on Zoom. They will also be recorded for those unable to attend, and the recordings will be made available once all campus visits and presentations are complete.

I wish to thank the shortlisted candidates, the members of the Search Advisory Committee, and the University community for their commitment to the success of this search.

Yours sincerely,

Jeff Keshen
President and Vice-Chancellor

Update: November 27, 2025     

The job posting for the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) is now live at https://leadersinternational.com/university-of-regina-provost-and-vice-president-academic/

To apply, please email a cover letter and resume (PDF or Word document only – preferably in one document) to apply@leadersinternational.com, indicating the job title in the subject line.

Update: October 30, 2025

Members of the University community,

I am pleased to follow up on my email of May 2, in which I asked for volunteers or nominations to serve on the Search Advisory Committee for the next Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

 Chaired by me in my role as President and Vice-Chancellor, the Search Advisory Committee is now in place, with diverse representation from the University. Committee members are:

• Dr. Christopher Yost, Vice-President Research
• Dr. Douglas Farenick, Dean of the Faculty of Science
• Dr. Christie Schultz, Dean of the Centre for Continuing Education
• Dr. Ebin Aries-Kleyenstuber, Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, and Representative of the Council Committee on Academic Mission
• Emily McNair, Associate Dean, Faculty of Business Administration
• Dr. Nathalie Reid, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
• Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann, President, First Nations University of Canada
• Juliana Serroul, Director, Office of Research Services
• Ekin Büyükakten, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies

Thank you to these individuals for agreeing to serve on the committee, and to all others who volunteered to do so.

 The committee will be supported by Megan Ludik of Human Resources and D’arcy Schauerte of the President’s Office. As the search process continues, information and updates will be posted on the University Search website.

Yours sincerely,

Jeff Keshen

President and Vice-Chancellor