Harvey Weingarten, Alex Usher, Sheldon Levy, and Rob MacIsaac
Friday November 9, 2012 Toronto Roundtable Event: Solutions to Improve the Quality of Canada's Current Post-Secondary System
Dr. Harvey P. Weingarten became President and CEO of the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) on July 1, 2010. Prior to his role at HEQCO, Harvey Weingarten was President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calgary from 2001 to 2010. When he left that position, the University of Calgary wrote the following about his presidential legacy: “Harvey Weingarten ended his term as the University of Calgary’s seventh president on Dec. 31, 2009. He left the university a far better place than when he arrived almost nine years before. Under his leadership, the university increased access, invested in students, recruited world-class faculty and attracted record amounts of research revenue and philanthropic support. There were so many sod-turnings as a result of the billion-dollar capital growth plan he launched that he kept a shovel on hand in his office. A telentless agent of change, he pushed for excellence across campus. Throughout it all, he never lost sight of the goal: do what’s best for students.”
Alex Usher is the President of Higher Education Strategy Associates and Editor-in-Chief of Global Higher Education Strategy Monitor. An internationally recognized expert in student financial aid and quality measurement in post-secondary education, Mr. Usher has authored numerous ground-breaking studies in higher education. In addition to his years of work on higher education in Canada, his recent work spans Asia, Europe and Africa as well.
Sheldon Levy is President and Vice Chancellor of Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. Previous post-secondary appointments include Vice President, Finance and Strategy, University of Ontario Institute of Technology; Vice President, Government and Institutional Relations, University of Toronto; President, Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology; and Vice President, Institutional Affairs, York University. He received a master's degree in Mathematics and a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from York University. Current appointments include Board of Directors, Waterfront Toronto and Fields Institute; Honorary Board of Directors, Greater Toronto Marketing Authority; Advisory Council, Toronto Board of Trade; and Board of Governors, Trails Youth Initiatives. With over thirty years dedicated to postsecondary education, Sheldon is recognized for championing dynamic growth in academic quality, research excellence and student success, and his impassioned advocacy for the role of the university as city-builder. He believes strongly in the ability and the responsibility of universities to advance social and economic progress through knowledge and innovation.
On February 1, 2009, Rob MacIsaac became the 7th President of Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology. Under Rob’s leadership, Mohawk has initiated the largest campus renewal project in the college’s history, initiated the first environmental plan among Ontario colleges, established Mohawk as a leader in applied research and forged a first-of-its-kind partnership with Sheridan College to co-locate programs. Rob MacIsaac was the first Chair of Metrolinx, the transportation authority responsible for planning and governing transportation in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA). Prior to his work at Metrolinx, Rob MacIsaac served as mayor of the City of Burlington between 1997 and 2006. During this time, he became well-known for his regional approach and progressive growth management ideas for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
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