By Jill Sperling

New president and vice-chancellor begins role at TRU

Dec 3, 2018 | 4:09 PM

KAMLOOPS — Thompson Rivers University’s new president stepped into his new role today, replacing Dr. Alan Shaver, who retired from the position in September. 

Dr. Brett Fairbairn comes to the university from the University of Saskatchewan. 

He has 32 years of experience as a faculty member and administrator, but he intends to impart his vision for the university only after he spends some time listening to what the needs are. 

Fairbairn has, however, deduced that the school could benefit from some program expansions. 

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“It’s hard to look at the Kamloops region and what goes on in this region without thinking that the university’s offerings in the professions, in science and technology and especially in engineering wouldn’t benefit from being augmented,” he said. “We have beginnings in professional masters programs and now in software engineering. I think those are beginnings in a direction where there’s clearly still an unmet need.” 

Fairbairn is also addressing the gap left behind in TRU’s administrative staff by the death of Christopher Seguin, the former VP of Advancement. 

The position is occupied in the interim, but Fairbairn says a restructuring of the role is a possibility in order to cover all of its functions. 

“It’s very difficult to find a person who has skill sets in all of those areas equally. I think the previous incumbent came about as close as is humanly possible, so it may in part depend on what individual we can find and what their particular strengths are and that may then make it apparent where else we may need to have other people in supporting roles.”