New Leadership Role in the AVPA Office: Assistant Vice-President, Academic - Leadership and Strategic Initiatives

Monday, February 13, 2023

New Leadership Role in the AVPA Office: Assistant Vice-President, Academic - Leadership and Strategic Initiatives

Martin Cooke, Assistant Vice-President, Academic - Leadership and Strategic Initiatives

The Office of the Associate Vice-President, Academic is pleased to announce the creation of the new role of Assistant Vice-President, Academic – Leadership and Strategic Initiatives. The first to hold the role will be Martin Cooke, who will move from his current role as Associate Dean, Undergraduate Students in the Faculty of Arts. Dr. Cooke is jointly appointed in the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies and the School of Public Health and Health Systems. 

In addition to a strong record in various academic leadership roles, Dr Cooke is a successful teacher and productive researcher. His research focuses on Canadian demography and policy, with an interest in the life course, population change, and social policy—including aspects of family and households, fertility, population aging and migration, and policies like social assistance and pensions.  

This new role will be part of the leadership team in the AVPA office, with two primary areas of responsibility:  

  1. Leading the Academic Leadership Program, which helps academic leaders develop management and leadership skills and expand their knowledge of University policy 

  1. Leading, on behalf of the AVPA, projects undertaken in implementation of the University’s strategic plan 

The Academic Leadership Program has largely been inactive for over a year. For its re-launch later this year, Dr. Cooke will be charged with leading its ongoing evolution to better meet the University’s needs and address strategic priorities and will be empowered to make the changes needed to do so.  

“I am very much looking forward to contributing to the culture of leadership at Waterloo and helping to meet the challenges we have set for ourselves. I am especially excited to work on the further development of the Academic Leadership Program and to support colleagues who are in, or are contemplating, administrative positions. The leadership program should improve our collective ability to make the changes that we have identified in the strategic plan. I am hoping that a renewed ALP will have a strong focus on active mentorship and leadership skills development, in addition to job-specific administrative knowledge. I am excited to start working with colleagues across campus on its development.”  

His first two-year term officially begins May 1, 2023, although the AVPA office has already begun seeking his input on strategic projects.