Concordia Announce Departure of Senior Administrator to McGill

University Registrar Brad Tucker Leaving in June, Replacement Yet to Be Found

NewsJonathan Caragay-Cook — Published March 17, 2016

Brad Tucker, the university’s registrar, has taken a position at McGill after working at Concordia for 15 years.

His departure comes a few months after Benoit-Antoine Bacon, Concordia’s provost, announced he was taking a job at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. come the fall semester.

The process of finding a new registrar hasn’t been figured out yet, according to university spokesperson Chris Mota. Tucker is slated to take up his new post at McGill starting June 1. Mota said she expects he’ll complete his mandate at Concordia until then.

News of Tucker’s departure came in the form of a press release on Tuesday, which stated his important role in university initiatives such as the creation of the Sexual Assault Resource Centre and the implementation of the Student Information System. In the past, the SIS has been heavily scrutinized by students and faculty.

The Office of the Registrar handles student affairs related to recruitment, registration, and record-keeping. It oversees the Birks Student centre, as well as the offices for international students, examination, and financial aid and awards.

Finding a New Provost

Concordia’s search for a new registrar could mimic the hiring process already in place for a new provost.

To find a new provost and replacement for Bacon, a search committee consisting of students, faculty, and administrators has been formed. Concordia President Alan Shepard said he’s hopeful to have a new provost by September.

Graham Carr, Concordia’s Vice-President of Research and Graduate Studies, will act as the interim provost and balance the duties of both positions.

As long as they find a replacement by September, Shepard said the interim role should be manageable for Carr. If no one is found by then, the situation will be reevaluated, the president added.

Concordia students received an email a few weeks ago asking to take a survey about what they want from a new provost. Shepard said there are pros and cons to hiring an internal replacement.

One of Bacon’s main projects as provost was overseeing the formation of the university’s highly touted “strategic directions.” With its formation coming to an end, Shepard explained it would be beneficial to have someone familiar with the process to lead its implementation.