Skip to McMaster Navigation Skip to Site Navigation Skip to main content
McMaster logo

Senior Officers of the University

President & Vice-Chancellor
The President of the University is its chief executive officer and reports to the Board of Governors and to the Senate. In providing creative leadership, the President has responsibility for supervising and directing the academic, business, and administrative work of the University and its teaching and non-teaching staff. The President is the chief public representative of the University. The President is also Chair of Senate and presents to the Board of Governors recommendations which Senate makes for tenured appointments and promotion of members of the University’s teaching staff and academic administration. The President has the authority to make appointments for a stated term.

Provost & Vice-President (Academic)
The Provost and Vice-President (Academic) is the senior Vice-President and is accountable to the President and to the Senate for the academic administration, planning and development of the University. In conjunction with the Senate, President, Deans and the University Planning Committee, the Provost sets the academic goals of the University and establishes priorities in terms of University objectives.

Vice-President (Administration)
The Vice-President (Administration) is the chief financial and administrative officer of the University and is accountable to the President and Vice-Chancellor and, through the President, to the Board of Governors for the planning, development and application of the University=s financial resources, human resources, administrative support and physical plant.

Dean & Vice-President (Health Sciences)
The Dean and Vice-President (Health Sciences) in consultation with the President has the responsibility for developing and strengthening relationships between the Faculty of Health Sciences and the rest of the University, while maintaining McMaster’s leadership in the field of Health Sciences. The Dean and Vice-President (Health Sciences) is directly responsible to the President for relationships between the Faculty and outside agencies, organizations and institutions. For the academic leadership of the Faculty, the overall budget of the Faculty and for recruitment of Faculty personnel, the Dean and Vice-President (Health Sciences) reports to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

Vice-President (Research & International Affairs)
The Vice-President (Research & International Affairs) in consultation with the President has the responsibility to coordinate the establishment of research goals and priorities for the University, to manage the development and implementation of research policy within the University and to coordinate the University’s research activities with the external environment. The Vice-President (Research & International Affairs) has responsibility for the University’s administrative services supporting research, for the Arts and Science and Engineering Research Boards and the Committee on Scientific Development, and for the administration of research institutes and centres.

Vice President (University Advancement)
The Vice-President (University Advancement) is a senior officer of the University responsible for the Offices of Alumni and Development and Public Relations. This officer reports to the President, is a member of the President’s Priorities and Planning Committee, and is involved with a number of University committees as an official observer, consultant or member.

Deputy Provost
The deputy provost will focus on matters related to academic operations and planning, faculty, academic leadership, student recruitment and external partnerships, including the provincial SMA3 agreement. The role is a key support to the provost and will be a senior member of the provost’s executive team.

Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning
The Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning) is responsible for developing and coordinating policies and practices with respect to undergraduate education.  The Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning) plays a key role in a wide range of academic matters related to undergraduate studies, including those that cross Faculty boundaries and/or involve other educational institutions. Other responsibilities include being Chair of: Undergraduate Council, a Committee of Senate that is responsible for curriculum, admissions, awards and general academic regulations of the University; Associate Deans Group.

Vice-Provost (International Affairs)
The Vice-Provost (International Affairs) is responsible for providing strategic leadership for McMaster’s international portfolio, including developing strategic partnerships to enhance research, growing the university’s international presence and profile, and aligning international student recruitment strategies.

Vice-Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies
The Associate Vice-President & Dean of Graduate Studies has an institution-wide mandate. A primary responsibility is for supervision of graduate programmes of the University. The Dean of Graduate Studies works closely with the deans of Faculties and with departments and reports to the Provost and to the President.

Associate Vice-President (Students and Learning) & Dean of Students
The AVP (Students and Learning) is also the Dean of Students and is responsible for providing vision, leadership and successful management of several diverse student affairs programs and services. This portfolio consists of the first year transition program, personal and academic counseling, career counseling and employment services, residence life, service learning, health services and programs, athletics and recreation, accessibility services, community relations, judicial affairs and student affairs planning and evaluation. The Dean of Students works collaboratively with all of the University stakeholders to create learning opportunities for students that facilitate active engagement and maximize effective learning.

Associate Vice-President (Institutional Research and Analysis)
The Office of Institutional Research and Analysis provides leadership, advice and support for planning, policy formation and informed decision making activities. To support the strategic goals of McMaster, Institutional Research and Analysis:

  • Provides accurate, timely, and high quality data to various academic and administrative offices at McMaster and to external agencies
  • Liaises with government and external agencies
  • Supports and advises senior administration through the provision of effective analyses and insights based on a thorough understanding of McMaster and its external environment
  • Leads and supports key planning activities of McMaster

Deans of Faculties
Deans of Faculties provide academic leadership for their Faculties with specific attention to the formulation of policy in both undergraduate and graduate areas. They have a major responsibility for determining priority decisions concerning the division of resources within the Faculty and help shape, along with senior academic administrators, institutional academic priorities and policies.   Faculty deans report to the Provost.

Assistant Vice-President (Administration) & CFO
The Assistant Vice-President (Administration) reports to the Vice-President (Administration) and has direct responsibility for financial planning and operations: Financial Services, Investments, Purchasing Resources (including Mail Services and Accounts Payable) and the Office of Analysis and Budgeting.

Registrar
The University Registrar is the enrolment reporting officer of the University and is responsible for the certification of students’ academic records. The Office of the Registrar handles the admission of undergraduate students and communicates with potential students; prepares the undergraduate timetable and registers students; maintains student records and issues lists (such as class lists) and statistics which are compiled from the records; edits the University calendar; assigns classroom space; administers examinations and the undergraduate scholarship programme; and coordinates the arrangements for convocations.

Secretary of the Senate
The Secretary of the Senate is responsible for ensuring that the University’s academic policy-making bodies are provided with administrative support and procedural and policy advice, so that the appropriate decisions are made at the right time and in as informed a manner as possible. These bodies include the University Senate and its standing and special committees, Undergraduate Council and its sub-committees, and the Faculties and Faculty Councils. The Secretary of Senate is also responsible for maintaining, in an accessible form, the official Senate records. Reporting to the President (who is Chair of Senate), this officer provides advice and information on Senate policies and activities to members of the University Community.

Secretary of the Board of Governors
The Secretary of the Board of Governors reports jointly to the Chair of the Board and the President of the University. The Secretary of the Board is responsible for ensuring that the corporate papers of the University are kept in proper form. The Secretary advises the Chair of the Board and the President about procedures and procedural policies and gives direction in the proper formulation and implementation of administrative policies and procedures. The Secretary provides administrative support to the Board of Governors and its standing committees.

University Librarian
Reporting to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic), the University Librarian provides leadership for coordinating and directing the development of library and information services in the University, and has direct responsibility for Mills Memorial Library, the Thode Library of Science and Engineering, and the Innis (Business) Library.