Ian Holloway reappointed dean of law

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Ian Holloway has been reappointed for a third term as Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary, effective July 1, 2021 for a period of three years. 

Earlier this year, after a conversation with the President and the Provost, Dr. Holloway indicated his openness to be considered for reappointment. An Advisory Decanal Review Committee was then established to consider Holloway’s performance during his time as dean and the potential for reappointment. This process is outlined in the University of Calgary Procedure for the Appointment and Reappointment of Deans. The committee invited and reviewed feedback as part of the process and I extend a thank you to everyone who took the time to provide input. Following a very engaged process, the committee recommended renewal, and President McCauley was pleased to accept that recommendation.  

Holloway commenced his role as dean at the University of Calgary on July 1, 2011. Previously he served as dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Western Ontario. Holloway received his Bachelor of Laws in 1985 from the Dalhousie Law School, his Master of Laws in 1992 from University of California at Berkeley, and his PhD from the Australian National University in 1999. He is also an alumnus of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. 

Before his academic career, Ian spent a number of years in private practice where he focused on labour and employment law. He also served as the law clerk to the chief justice of the Federal Court of Appeal. Ian has received many honours during his career, including being elected to membership in the American Law Institute (2003), an honour that is held by few Canadians, appointed a Queen's Counsel (2004), and elected a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management (2018), the first Canadian legal academic to be so honoured. 

Often called upon by government and the community, Ian consistently demonstrates his commitment to service and provides his expertise in various capacities. For instance, in 2015 he was appointed to the Security Intelligence Review Committee and made a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Beyond the legal sphere, Holloway spent a total of 25 years serving in the Royal Canadian and Royal Australian Navies.  

Holloway has provided tremendous leadership in the midst of the global pandemic and challenging economic situation in Alberta. Despite the current landscape, the Faculty of Law’s articling placement rate remains among the highest in Canada. It is obvious he deeply cares for those in the faculty going the extra mile to check in with faculty, staff, and students during these unprecedented times to ensure they are well supported.  

A hallmark of Ian’s time as dean has been the creation and implementation of the Calgary Curriculum. This curriculum is built on the concept of excellence in lawyering, which requires strong substantive competence as well as performance. His commitment to continuous curricular evolution will ensure our legal education offerings remain meaningful and relevant. His continued focus on the Faculty of Law being seen as Canada’s most innovative law school has resulted in annual application numbers exceeding those of other institutions, demonstrating the desirability and quality of our program. Dr. Holloway is often quoted as saying “[o]ur duty is to prepare students for the profession they’re joining, not the one we joined. And no question, their profession is going to look different from ours." 

One accomplishment of which Dr. Holloway is particularly proud ,is the relationships the faculty has established with Indigenous leaders and the extent to which the faculty has integrated Indigenous material and Indigenous perspectives in the curriculum. Reconciliation remains a work in progress, but the Faculty of Law has taken important steps forward on the journey.

In his next term as dean, Holloway is committed to furthering the progress the faculty has made in relation to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Ian acknowledges that although important strides have been made in the area of EDI further progress is required. He will also work to ensure that the faculty plays a critical part in the University of Calgary’s new Growth through Focus plan, once the final version is approved. The Faculty of Law is well positioned to be a leader to help achieve the desired outcomes of the plan, as entrepreneurial thinking and innovation are what drives the faculty forward. As an example, the Faculty of Law was one of the first law schools in Canada to offer a course in entrepreneurship.  

I would like to thank the members of the Advisory Decanal Review Committee, which I chaired, for their participation in this important process. They were: Susan Skone, Vice President (Research) representative; Catherine Brown, Faculty of Law tenured academic staff representative; Sharon Mascher, Faculty of Law tenured academic staff representative; Nickie Nikolaou, Faculty of Law tenured academic staff representative; Elizabeth Whitsitt, Faculty of Law tenured academic staff representative; Erin Gibbs Van Brunschot, General Faculties Council representative; Hussein Warsame, General Faculties Council representative; Sandra Davidson, decanal representative; Melanee Thomas, Faculty Association representative; Chantel Pegg, AUPE representative; Susan Marks, MaPS representative; Dalal Souraya, undergraduate student representative; and Tanille Shandro, graduate student representative. 

Please join me in congratulating Ian Holloway on his reappointment.  

Dr. Dru Marshall 
Provost and Vice-President (Academic)