By Noushin Ziafati
John Austin will serve as Ryerson University’s interim vice-provost students starting July 31 after Heather Lane Vetere resigned from the position earlier this month.
Austin is currently the executive director of student affairs at Ryerson, where he oversees a portfolio of services and programs designed to enhance students’ co-curricular experience.
“How my work [in] student affairs has positioned me to be helpful in this role is that it’s given me expo
John Austin. COURTESY PHOTO.
sure to the real day-to-day challenges and opportunities for success for students,” he said.
Austin has worked at Ryerson since 2011 and he has been involved with developing the university’s sexual violence policy, mental health services, accommodations for students with disabilities, increasing Ryerson’s campus culture. He is also a member of the Board of Governors (BoG).
Michael Benarroch, the provost and vice-president academic, announced Austin’s appointment as the interim vice-provost students on Tuesday.
“I would like to thank John for accepting the appointment, and wish him success in his interim role,” Benarroch said in a press release.
The vice-provost students is in charge of overseeing the Office of the Registrar, undergraduate admissions and recruitment, athletics and recreation as well as student affairs, including health and wellness, student learning support, career services, housing, and student life.
The Office of the Vice-Provost Students is also responsible for student conduct and dispute resolution, and sexual violence support and education.
Austin will be taking over for Lane Vetere, who announced her resignation as vice-provost students on July 9, stating that her final day at Ryerson was July 28.
Lane Vetere has been vice-provost students for the past nine years. During her time at Ryerson, she has been involved in the creation of the Office of Sexual Violence Support and Education and developing Ryerson’s policy on sexual violence, which was approved by the BoG in June 2015.
Heather Lane Vetere. FILE PHOTO.
Austin said that one thing he will be doing as the interim vice-provost students is looking at the portfolio that Lane Vetere created nine years ago and seeing how it’s changed and grown and how he can help support the portfolio that’s “very different than it was nine years ago when she was hired.”
On Tuesday, Lane Vetere tweeted that “Things are in good hands,” in reference to Austin’s appointment.
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