Cheryl Jensen has been named Algonquin College’s eighth president.
“As a teacher and leader, academic and administrator I’ve long admired Algonquin College,” Jensen said at the announcement Thursday morning, adding the college is a pioneer in applied knowledge. “It has truly become a standard for Canadian colleges.”
Jensen comes to the Ottawa college after working for 31 years at Hamilton’s Mohawk College, where she was as a professor, dean and vice-president.
Jensen was the Hamilton institution’s first female dean in the Faculty of Engineering Technology and Skilled Trades and taught in the Chemical Engineering Technology program for 16 years.
Jensen was selected after a four-month international search by the school’s board of governors.
“We were looking for a proven leader with the ability to inspire,” said Mark Sutcliffe, who sits on the board of governors, at Thursday’s announcement. “Someone who personified Algonquin values of caring, learning, integrity and respect.”
Jensen, who has a masters of education, in organizational and administrative studies, is the 2012 recipient of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges silver award for leadership excellence.
Outgoing president Kent MacDonald has held the position since 2012 but will be leaving Ottawa to serve as president of St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, one of his alma maters. MacDonald’s last day is the end of this month and Jensen will start on Aug. 25. In addition to the Woodroffe campus where the announcement happened at 11 a.m. Thursday, Algonquin College also has campuses in Perth and Pembroke.
