Will Alan Davis Stick Around for Another Term?
President of KPU says he hopes he can stay, but awaits Board decision
On Aug. 31 of next year, the current President of KPU’s first term will come to an end. Whether or not Alan Davis will get to keep the position beyond this point—a position he will have occupied for five years—is currently unknown.
Speculation over Davis’ fate will endure until early 2017, when the Board of Governance will make the decision for him. While Davis can offer his input and desired outcome, only the Board has the power to conclusively give him the red or green light to stay in office. They will evaluate his performance throughout his first term before making their final call.
In a phone call on August 11, Davis says that although “it’s a bit awkward to talk about because it’s kind of in-progress,” he is confident that the Board will make the right decision. They have already begun to discuss it, although the deadline is quite distant.
“When I started at KPU, I said I was good for 10 years because it takes that long to really see the impact of your work. There’s been a lot of change. There [are] a lot of reason for me to see the fruits of my labour over the next few years,” he says. “I’m still healthy and enjoying the work, so for me it’s a very positive opportunity.”
Davis speaks as an ex-board member, explaining that “being on the other side of the table” has allowed him to understand the amount of thought and time that goes into making such a significant decision.
“I think KPU is a fantastic place with a fantastic future and I’d like to be a part of it. They know that, so it’ll be great. That’s only one part of the picture, so they need to make their decision now.”
Davis does seem to be quite interested in keeping his role as President of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, although he has faced opposition in the past. Last year, head-to-head confrontation between the environmentally-friendly Pipe Up Network, as well as KPIRG and other student groups over the university’s agreement with Kinder Morgan, led to some controversy over Davis’ leadership.
