Sheldon Levy, Chair of the Council of Ontario Universities and President of Ryerson University, announced today that Paul C. Genest, President and CEO of COU, will be leaving his position on August 28, 2009, to take up a new role as Ontario’s Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Associate Secretary of the Cabinet.

“Over the past two years, Paul has intensified COU’s advocacy efforts, deepened engagement with many different stakeholder, delivered on key university priorities and strengthened the capacity of the secretariat,” said Levy. “We will miss him but we know that he will continue to make an important contribution to our province.”

“I feel privileged and grateful to have worked with the outstanding leaders of Ontario’s universities and my dedicated colleagues at the secretariat, but this new role is an incredible honour and an exciting opportunity to serve this province and contribute to addressing the challenges we face,” said Genest. “I remain intensely committed to higher education and will bring the insights gained at COU into my new role.”

Bonnie Patterson, a former President of COU and most recently President and Vice Chancellor of Trent University, will assume the role of Interim President of COU. Patterson served as President of COU from 1995 to 1998 before moving on to Trent University, where she left an indelible mark in leading and promoting the university for the last 11 years while contributing to the broader sector dialogue provincially and nationally. A search process for a permanent president will be set in motion at COU expeditiously.

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For further information, please contact:

Sheldon Levy
Council Chair & Ryerson University President
416.979.5002
slevy@ryerson.ca

Bonnie Patterson 
President and CEO
416-979-2165 Ext. 256
bpatterson@cou.on.ca