Humanitarian and U of A alumnus elected as Chancellor

The University of Alberta launched Douglas Stollery into a life of defending human rights. Now, Stollery is taking his experience forward as the next university Chancellor.

In his voluntary role as Chancellor, Stollery will be the honourary head of the U of A. He’ll also serve on the U of A’s Board of Governors — the highest administrative body of the university. As well, Stollery will chair the university’s Senate, which advises the university and assesses its relationship with the community. Stollery will succeed current Chancellor Ralph Young.

Having graduated with an LLB from the U of A’s Faculty of Law in 1976 and an LLM from Harvard Law School in 1980, Stollery’s law career has been comprised of practicing and teaching. Most recently, he practiced as general counsel of PCL Constructors Inc. In the academic sphere, Stollery has taught for nine years as a sessional instructor in the U of A’s Faculty of Law.

As Chancellor, Stollery will now preside over current students’ degree ceremonies, an experience that he also underwent as a former U of A student. Stollery remembers his own education at the U of A as where he learned to learn and think about the changing world — this was fundamental to both his career and life, he said.

“You learn lots of facts and deal with specific issues that are current with your time in university,” Stollery added. “All (of those issues) change over time for whatever area you’re in, including law. But the wonderful thing about a university education is it prepares you for the changes that happen.”

In his 40-year career, one of the biggest changes Stollery has seen has been the advancement of LGBTQ rights in Canada. Stollery was co-counsel on the Supreme Court’s Vriend v. Alberta case, which ruled that the province’s dismissal of a teacher for his sexual orientation was unconstitutional. Legal experts consider the case as one of Canada’s most important Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms rulings.

Stollery continues his interest in local human rights as an advisor of the university’s Institute of Sexual Minority Studies and Services. Internationally, Stollery works with CARE, a humanitarian organization that addresses issues such as food shortages, economic development, and education.

Beyond law, Stollery has fundraised for the university and lectured for one year each in the Faculty of Business and the Faculty of Extension. He has also served in a number of community roles, including director of CARE Canada, president of the Victoria School Foundation of the Arts and director of the Stollery Children’s’ Hospital Foundation.

Stollery begins his four-year term as Chancellor on June 1. The appointed Chancellor will be officially installed on June 15 in a 3 p.m. convocation ceremony at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.

Similarly to his role as a student, Stollery said he will initially focus his time as Chancellor on learning.

“I’m going to start listening to the community and understand (its) issues and how the university can help,” Stollery said. “My very first priority is to give some careful thought as to what my priorities should be.”