Dru Marshall concludes 10 years as University of Calgary provost

After a decade as UCalgary’s provost and vice-president (academic), Dr. Dru Marshall, PhD, concludes her tenure today, March 31, 2021.

Marshall joined the university in 2011 to serve in this role and her work on the academic and research plans,  ii’ taa’poh’to’p, UCalgary’s Indigenous Strategy, as well as the Campus Mental Health Strategy, Global Engagement Plan, and focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, are hallmarks of her time as provost.

“In her 10 years here, Dru has been instrumental to shaping the university into what it is today,” says UCalgary President Ed McCauley. “Dru developed new portfolios to help promote UCalgary’s values of inclusion, equity and community. When you see the great work being done on Indigenous engagement and equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives on campus, that personifies Dru’s positive legacy of respect and caring.

Focus on teaching and learning

Marshall also saw a need to improve and support how people teach and learn on campus. She hired the university’s first vice-provost of teaching and learning and oversaw the launch of the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, the development of the University of Calgary Teaching Awards program, the creation of the Strategic Framework for Learning Technologies, and the development of UCalgary’s Experiential Learning Plan. Such investments in teaching and learning on campus have resulted in increases in student satisfaction since 2011. 

Other achievements

Marshall’s time as provost saw her engaged in many other milestones. These ranged from the growth of UCalgary’s satellite campus in Qatar to the development of a memorandum of understanding on pluralism with Aga Khan University. She also led the Mexico Regional Advisory Council to shape UCalgary’s internationalization efforts in that country.

Closer to home, she oversaw the development and implementation of more robust quality-assurance processes, championed new initiatives to support student experience — including new enrolment and admissions processes — and created the Academic Leadership Academy. Marshall also led UCalgary’s crisis management team through many challenging times including the 2013 flood, the 2014 Brentwood massacre, the 2015 Fort McMurray fire and, most recently, the first year of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“Her work ethic is phenomenal — and only matched by her passion for, and commitment to UCalgary,” says McCauley.