President Lakehead U will retire but leaves behind an honourable legacy

 

By Mike Shusterman


At a time when a number of universities across Canada are finding themselves in dire financial straits, Lakehead University is an anomaly, developing into a cutting-edge research intensive hub, thanks in no small part to the president himself.
Dr. Frederick F. Gilbert is a modest man who is quick to point out the accomplishment of other faculty members before hailing himself. He has been at the helm of Lakehead since 1998, and is set to retire next year. It is his ability to surround himself with some of the best people in the field that makes this university what it is today, he said.
“Lakehead is prepared to prosper well into the future as we have developed our potential in many key areas.”
The high-caliber of the faculty has significantly increased research output, allowed for better decision- making processes, and has boosted moral. As a result, attracting even more qualified people is becoming a reality which leads to increased enrolment and revenue.
Research funding has reached more than $20 million annually and places Lakehead in 30th position in Canada. Gilbert “would stack Lakehead’s faculty and research accomplishments against any of the older, much larger, research intensive universities such as the University of Toronto.”
The university’s proposed new research facility (NORD21) will join the Paleo DNA Lab and other cutting-edge research facilities on campus. As the new Northern Ontario School of Medicine becomes a stronger element for the city, the region, the province, and the country, more research projects are expected to be introduced with some overlapping into other research fields other than medicine.
Bio-refining and forestry value-added research, for example, have ranked Lakehead in the number one spot for “Value Added,” in Macleans magazine.
“It was an important indicator that helped a student consider Lakehead as a first choice, because it declared that Lakehead was providing good value for the student’s education dollar,” Gilbert stated.
Part of the plan for Lakehead was to reach out beyond the northwestern Ontario boundaries to attract students. They managed to accomplish this by constructing an Advanced Technology and Academic Centre (ATAC), that is equipped with voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) telephony, super computer and smart classrooms.
“ATAC helped put Lakehead University on the map, and it included a virtual reality lab at a time when only six others existed at Canadian universities,” Gilbert explained.
“The Centre reaches out to both the Thunder Bay and Orillia campuses and embraces the entire region, as Lakehead is able to provide distributed education to people across the North and indeed the world. Dynamic partnerships with the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, the Northern Ontario Medical School, and the region’s business community such as the Robotic Engineering Lab and the Wood Products Lab, demonstrate Lakehead’s philosophy of working with our surrounding communities to make a socio-economic difference,” he explained.
The new Orillia campus “provides the capacity Lakehead requires to be sustainable into the future.” Gilbert explained. “The Orillia campus allows Lakehead to tap even more into the southern Ontario student market and has already provided Lakehead dividends with an additional 450 students. Our new Orillia campus provides a future that will see us survive through this and future challenges.”
Lakehead has been at the forefront of a number of new ideas which other universities are copying.
“When other institutions start to follow your lead, you know you are onto something (right).”
The Orillia campus has joint arts and sciences degrees with the Thunder Bay centre and possesses a philosophy of inquiry-based learning.
This means students in smaller groups learn through discussion, rather than the older model of the student simply being the receptor of material teachings, Gilbert explained.
Success will continue after Gilbert retires. The university’s board has ensured the advances made will include a three-year strategic plan. This will help his replacement during the first years of his/her tenure understand the institution's direction. Gilbert will be a tough act to follow. His accomplishments have secured Lakehead's future, and reminded the Northerners that, “it is the people who have made the difference and collectively prepared our future. We are truly the best small comprehensive higher learning institution in Canada.”