Mount Allison University appoints Peter Mansbridge as Chancellor

SACKVILLE, NB, Nov. 9 /CNW/ - Peter Mansbridge , one of Canada's most respected and recognized journalists, has been named Mount Allison University's next Chancellor.

Mount Allison's President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Campbell will make the announcement public at an event on Monday November 9 at 11:00 a.m. in the Wallace McCain Student Centre (62 York Street, Sackville, NB). Mansbridge will join the event via a live satellite feed from Toronto .

Mansbridge's appointment was endorsed by a vote of the University's Board of Regents on Friday and he is due to be installed during a ceremony at the University in May 2010 . His term will run from January 2010 to December 2013 .

"Peter's reputation is well suited to Mount Allison," says Campbell. "He is a recognized leader in his field and is committed to cultivating creative and critical thinkers with the desire to make a meaningful impact in the world."

"It will be wonderful to have a national figure with his public stature help take the University's message of excellence to an even wider audience," says Campbell.

Mansbridge first visited Mount Allison in the 1980s when he participated in a speaker series. He has been actively associated with the University since then, delivering the inaugural Canadian Studies lecture in 1997, accepting an honorary doctorate in 1999, and serving on the University's National Advisory Council.

"I am thrilled to further cement my relationship with one of the country's most respected universities, and look forward with excitement to meeting with students, staff and faculty in the months and years ahead," says Mansbridge. "I am deeply honoured to have this opportunity and anxiously await my first Convocation as Chancellor."

As Chancellor, Mansbridge will act as the ceremonial head of Mount Allison, presiding over Convocations, conferring all degrees, and acting as an ambassador for the University.

Peter Mansbridge will continue in his role as chief correspondent and anchor of CBC's flagship nightly news program, The National and host of CBC News Network's Mansbridge: One on One. His career spans 40 years and during that period he has covered the most significant events of our time including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the signing of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords, the deaths of Pierre Trudeau and Princess Diana , the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan , the 911 attacks, a global economic meltdown, and numerous federal elections. For his efforts, he has received 12 Gemini awards, six honorary degrees, and has been made an officer of the Order of Canada .

Peter Mansbridge becomes Mount Allison's eighth Chancellor and follows a long line of exceptional Canadian leaders who have held the post. Past Chancellors include Margaret Norrie McCain, the first female Lieutenant Governor in New Brunswick , and Purdy Crawford, one of the country's most respected business leaders and lawyers. The University's current Chancellor John Bragg (2005-present) is an award-winning Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist. Bragg is retiring from the position in December 2009 .

About Mount Allison University

Mount Allison University is widely recognized as Canada's top undergraduate university. Founded in 1839 and located in Sackville, NB, Mount Allison is a close-knit, residential campus, offering students an unparalleled learning experience. Mount Allison and its student-centered approach to education is ranked again in 2009 as the No.1 undergraduate university in Canada by Maclean's magazine, as it has been for most of the last 19 years. The University has had more Rhodes Scholars per capita than any other institution in the British Commonwealth, and counts many of Canada's top business, cultural, and community leaders among its graduates.

Peter Mansbridge and Robert Campbell will be available for questioning after the event.

For further information: Mount Allison's director of marketing and communications: Tony Frost, [phone], Cell: 871-2209, [email protected]