On July 1, Jim Farney officially began his new role at ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ as director of the School of Policy Studies and Stauffer-Dunning Chair. But before he got started, he had the chance to meet some of the people he would soon be leading.
Farney joined alumni, faculty, students, and friends of the School of Policy Studies in Toronto on May 27 for the school’s annual Spring Alumni Reception. The evening offered a chance to reconnect, but it also looked ahead to the future of the school and the kind of public-policy leadership Canada needs.
Farney brings with him extensive experience as an academic leader, teacher, researcher, and public commentator. He most recently served as professor and Regina director at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Regina, where he was responsible for academic oversight, strategic planning, faculty development, and administrative operations.
His ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ appointment brings another nationally respected voice to the university at a time when thoughtful leaders are needed to help address increasingly complex policy challenges across Canada.
That need was a recurring theme at the May reception.
Carlene Alexander, Deputy Minister of the Treasury Board Secretariat, spoke about the growing importance of advanced policy skills in the public sector and the strong reputation ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ Policy graduates have built across the Ontario Public Service.
Don Drummond, MA’77, LLD’10, the Stauffer-Dunning Fellow and an adjunct professor in the School of Policy Studies, challenged governments, business leaders, economists, and citizens to strengthen Canada’s national policy conversation and approach the country’s challenges with greater urgency.
Farney himself talked about his enthusiasm for joining the school and the unique strengths and opportunities he sees within the ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ Policy community.
Farney has built a national reputation through his research on political development, provincial politics, education policy, and conservatism in Canada. His current research looks at school choice, particularly religious and independent schools, and how education systems are governed.
He is also the co-author of Faith, Rights, and Choice: The Politics of Religious Schools in Canada, which received an honourable mention for the Seymour Martin Lipset Book Award from the American Political Science Association in 2023.
Farney has held leadership roles in several academic and professional organizations, including the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration, where is currently a board member. His media commentary has appeared on CBC Radio, CBC TV, CTV, and CNN, as well as in The Economist, The Guardian, and The New York Times.
Read more about Jim Farney in the ºÚÁϳԹÏ×ÊÔ´ Gazette.
