FACILITYCalgary

March 31, 2015 

He chose the meeting place options – Wyckham Hall or Starbucks. I thought Starbucks would be too noisy, so I chose Wyckham Hall, assuming it was a ‘quite place’. It is a food court with lots of noise, lots of activity, lots of students. And my subject was in his element – often distracted from our chat for nods, hellos and being visible. It looked a little strange I thought .. two middle-aged bald guys in the middle of the food court, but my subject was very forthcoming, entertaining and lives up to his reputation as a high-energy enthusiastic guy.

David Docherty, President of Mount Royal University, says he was a ‘middling’ student in high school. Basketball was his passion until his Grade 13 year where he began to excel. He was eager to learn physics but got 51%. But he tells me he really loved it. Good thing he didn’t become a physics prof. But he does admit to  getting very good grades in undergraduate work and in grad school …

I wanted to talk about him. He wanted to talk about the school. He’s itching to talk about the school’s new ten-year strategic plan, but it hasn’t been rolled out yet. But he hinted at a few things – and exchange program. Not ‘internationally’, but within Canada. And more international students. And more first nations students. Still focused on being a great undergrad school, but with more space, more capacity … “We have an amazing product.”

His heritage is Scottish. He’s been playing bagpipes since he was 13. He used to compete …

He was born in Midland, Ontario – that’s Georgian Bay country – to parents who’d immigrated from Scotland. Mom worked as a bookkeeper at the shipyard. Dad was a stationery engineer. He has an older sister and admits to having been a somewhat typically rebellious second child. He has two sons from his first marriage, a daughter from his second.

Schooled in Owen Sound, he went on to study at Wilfred Laurier University where he earned a B. in Political Science. Then five years off to travel, to intern at Queen’s Park, Masters Degree at McMaster University, and a Ph.D. from University of Toronto. “I thought about journalism, but I wanted to be a professor.”

His teaching career: one year as a teaching assistant at Laurier turned into a full time tenure track position. Then Western as Assistant Professor, Chair of Department gobbled up the next seventeen years … to become Dean, Faculty of Arts at age forty-three. A job he enjoyed – creating new programs. Lots of responsibility but not much authority. Along that path he published some books as professors seem to do. Then the President had a project for him – two years later he had some leave coming (and time to write another book) when head-hunters came calling., as they often do. Opportunities to go to Ottawa, Halifax and Calgary. While he had some desire to go to Halifax, the ‘type of school’ was his deciding factor – he wanted an undergrad focus – and he chose to pursue the job at Mount Royal, coming here as President of Mount Royal University in 2011.

What has contributed most to your success? ”I’ve been very fortunate to have good people around me. I work in a field I absolutely love. I’m an optimist.”

What has held you back? “I don’t think anything has. I would like to have written another book by now.”