With decades of experience to her name, Sheila Embleton started her new role as Algoma University’s interim president and vice-chancellor this summer.
Amid tuition freezes, international student caps, and more, postsecondary institutions are contending with an array of challenges across the province, and Embleton said she hopes to bring stability to Algoma University.
“What I hope to accomplish is actually to make sure the university remains stable during this extremely stressful time for the sector,” she told Sootoday.
“That's where I think I can make a contribution, basically, from my long experience in administration and in postsecondary, and I'm hoping to be useful by trying to keep everything stable while we all go through this.”
Embleton left her role as a distinguished research professor in linguistics at York University to come aboard at Algoma, and this will be her second stint in a top administrative role at an Ontario university.
She previously took the helm at Laurentian University in the aftermath of its 2021-2022 insolvency issues – serving as interim president there until a permanent one was hired in 2024.
“When I first signed the contract at Laurentian, we actually didn't know if it was going to be to 'wind it up' or to 'bring it back to life.' Of course, I'm glad it turned out,” she said.
While at Laurentian, Embleton led the university through a number of its legal obligations following insolvency, including developing a new strategic plan and an operational transformation plan.
“It was a rebuilding that was happening, and I worked with a fabulous team there. I really thought it was great, and I really saw the value of higher education in these smaller institutions in the north.”
Building trust, consensus and relationships with the community and local Indigenous communities are some of the skills Embleton said she’s gained in her experience, which she hopes to bring to Algoma University.
“It really hammered home to me the importance of that, especially in difficult times, and I think for all universities now it's difficult times,” she said.
This spring, Algoma University projected a 50 per cent decrease in international student enrolment, a heavy hit to its finances.
While the university projects a $1 million surplus in 2025-2026, Embleton said controlled hiring, voluntary exit incentives, and more are in place to steer the university through.
“With a lot of past international student activity, there is actually a bit of a reserve fund,” she said. “It gives an opportunity to replan in a rational, moderate kind of way. Many universities have been really pushed into doing things very, very quickly, but we have a little bit of a cushion there.”
Although the university’s board of governors moved to pause enrolment for five programs earlier this year – sparking criticism from the university community – Embleton does not anticipate the need for additional hits to programming moving forward.
“I don't actually see that on the horizon. I mean, things can always come up to surprise one, but there are no plans,” she said. “They were being very cautious by doing that, but I don't anticipate anything more.”
In her time at Algoma University, Embleton said she will be spending time at both the Brampton and Sault Ste. Marie campuses.
Embleton began her new position on July 1, and will stay on until the university hires a permanent president and vice-chancellor.
–with files from Heidi Ulrichsen at Sudbury.com