Dean Alexie Tcheuyap is very pleased to announce the inaugural directors of the two new multidisciplinary schools in the Faculty of Arts.
Dr. Jay Dolmage will serve as the Director of the School of Critical and Creative Humanities, effective July 1, 2026 for a four-year term.
Dr. Ian Milligan will serve as Director of the School of Social, Political and Historical Research, effective July 1, 2026 for a four-year term
“These appointments mark an important and exciting milestone toward the restructuring of Arts as six schools,” said Dean Tcheuyap. “Arts is ready to shine even more brightly and embrace new opportunities for our students.”
Dolmage and Milligan were elected in accordance with Policy 40 (The Department Chair or School Director) process. Following strong support shown in the ballots completed by faculty and staff in each of the new schools, the director nominating committees made their recommendation to the Provost for approval.
Jay Dolmage has served as Chair of the Department of English Language and Literature since July 2022 and previously held Associate Chair, Undergraduate and Associate Chair, UCR in English. His scholarship brings together rhetoric, writing, disability studies, and critical pedagogy. He is the founding editor of Canadian Journal of Disability Studies and is committed to disability rights in his scholarship, service, and teaching. Domage’s books include Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education (2017) and Disability Rhetoric (2014).
Ian Milligan has served as Associate Vice-President, Research Oversight and Analysis in the Office of Research since January 2022. His primary research focus is on how historians can use web archives, as well as the impact of digital sources on historical practice more generally. His books include Averting the Digital Dark Age (2024), The Transformation of Historical Research in the Digital Age (2022), History in the Age of Abundance (2019), and Rebel Youth (2014). Milligan was principal investigator of the Archives Unleashed project between 2017 and 2023, developing sustainable open-source infrastructure for the Internet Archive.
The role of director in the new schools is a significant and challenging endeavour in leading multiple disciplines and programs, notes the Dean. “But there are also exciting intersections and collaborations across each school’s research and teaching activities. I see these intersections — existing and potential — as a vital part of our Faculty’s evolution in response to the needs of our students and society.”
The School of Critical and Creative Humanities will include six current departments: Communication Arts, English Language & Literature, Fine Arts, French Studies, Germanic & Slavic Studies, and Spanish & Latin American Studies.
The School of Social, Political, and Historical Research will include seven current departments: Anthropology, Classical Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, and Sociology & Legal Studies.
"I have strong confidence in the commitment of Dr. Milligan and Dr. Dolmage to collegial governance, exercised in close collaboration with members of their respective schools," said the Dean. "In their final presentations as candidates, each articulated a leadership approach grounded in transparency and consultation.
"Both candidates also underscored the importance of respecting the distinct disciplinary strengths within their schools, while expressing a clear intention to advance interdisciplinary engagement. This balanced approach aligns closely with a key priority of both the Faculty and the University."
The current chairs of Psychology and Economics will become directors, effective July 1, 2026: Lutz Bosch, Director of the School of Economics; Evan Risko, Director of the School of Psychology.
The existing schools will continue to be led by current directors: Blake Phillips, Director of the School of Accounting and Finance; Jessica Thompson, Director of the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business.