Written by Christopher Schnedler and Ganga Rajesh
Durham College’s incoming president says fostering relationships with students is important as she begins to take over the role.
“My message to DC students is please come up and say hi to me in the hallway,” said Elaine Popp, current executive vice-president, Academic. “Introduce yourselves. Let me know what’s important to you. I am a very approachable person and I’d love to hear from you.”
Outgoing president, Don Lovisa, has nothing but kind words to say about his successor, while still acknowledging that things will change.
“Elaine is bright. She’s experienced, she has a vision for the college, and she will bring her own touch to it,” he said. “You know, we all bring our sort of personal touch to the job. And so she’ll bring hers.”
Popp’s appointment was made public last Tuesday. Shortly after, nearly every screen on campus had her portrait alongside the announcement.
She and Lovisa have worked together for nearly a decade, and she served as executive vice-president, Academic for eight years under Lovisa. She said the announcement left her feeling good.
“I felt humbled and I felt honoured too. I absolutely love Durham College. I love the people at Durham College,” Popp said.
Lovisa announced his retirement last May. In a recent interview, he saiid he feels good about the decision.
“You know, you come to a point where, you know, it’s just time to go and do something else. And that’s where I am,” he said. “So I leave with a smile on my face and the satisfaction of a job well done.”
Popp was chosen as a result of a months-long process which involved the board of governors of Durham College and a third-party executive search firm, Phelps. Board chair Gail Johnson Morris said Phelps was instrumental in helping the board come to a decision.
“We looked at all of our values and we looked at our stakeholder input and they said, ‘This is what you need to do,’” Johnson Morris said. “We heard over and over and over again, you have got this awesome foundation. Don’t muck with that, build on it and take it and, you know, leverage it.”
Johnson Morris added even with 62 initial candidates, Popp represents the leadership traits the college was looking for in a president.
“Her philosophy in leadership is not about being in the spotlight. It’s about making others shine. So, she’s one of those ‘pass the mic’ folks,” she said.
Popp already faces challenges as she enters a new office. First, the recent announcement from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that the number of international student study permits would be cut by 35 per cent next year.
Additionally, the provincial government said this week that it has no plans to lift the tuition freeze from 2019 levels.
“The funding pressures that colleges and universities are under is no laughing joke,” Popp said.
She isn’t walking in unprepared though. She has already been involved in strategy meetings and budget deliberations before she has even taken office.
“We are right now meeting as a leadership team to plan our 2024-25 budget,” Popp said.
As he winds down to his final day on Feb. 29. Lovisa has parting advice for Popp.
“You have to listen and be open to new ideas,” he said. “You have to be prepared to take risks and invest in the future. And you have to be open and honest with people, even if sometimes they don’t want to hear what you have to say.”