Eager to hear from Dawson College’s new Director General, Toby Harper-Merrett, employees packed the venue for the Welcome Assembly on Aug. 17, marking the start of the new academic year.

In his first remarks to the Dawson community, Toby shared insights into both his leadership approach and his personal background. While acknowledging that he is beginning his tenure from a learner’s perspective, he also demonstrated an understanding of the Dawson community, its history, its current concerns, and the significant contributions the College makes to Quebec.

Son of a CEGEP teacher

Born in Montreal, Toby grew up in the Milton Park neighbourhood, a community of anglophone artists, activists, and academics.

“My mother was a CEGEP teacher, many of our family friends worked here and elsewhere in the college and university system, and many of my best friends work in Montreal’s institutions of higher education,” he said.

Toby brings a diverse range of experience to his new role at Dawson, including roles at  the Université de Montréal and on the regulatory and corporate affairs team at Cogeco. He summarized his professional background as being “a people-leader, an education administrator and a government relations professional.”

Shifting to the College, Toby acknowledged the challenges facing Dawson and its community: “I know there have been, and definitely remain, some real stresses on the college and the people in it. I’m not here to ignore or dismiss those, but to reassure you that you have leadership committed to helping each of us not just weather the difficulties but to chart our own course.”

Among the issues he addressed were the budget, government policy, and artificial intelligence.

Speaking about AI, Toby said: “For many reasons, we can’t expect consistency in the real, granular practices of students and teachers, therefore, for now, decisions and directives about academic use of AI will remain at the department level.”

About the budget

On the budget, he offered both encouraging news and a realistic assessment of the College’s financial situation:

“Some good news, we received confirmation this summer providing some relief for the capital budget. Renovations and equipment amounts were increased. …Dawson is still running a deficit. I do not have a detailed picture of that yet, but any structural deficit is unsustainable and needs to be corrected. …I believe strongly that Education deserves public investment. My job is to be part of arresting any decline in that investment, and to make sure Dawson is still sound as that investment starts to regrow to meet our future needs.”

Addressing relations with government and the impact of recent legislation, Toby said:

“I know that recent policy choices have challenged the college to adapt its historic practices and may have challenged your personal values. But, let me be clear, as a public institution, Dawson is expected to always comply with the letter of the law…. I want to acknowledge the work that was, and continues to be, done here to apply Law 14 (Bill 96).”

Thriving and proud

Looking ahead, Toby said he would like to see Dawson continue to take pride in its contributions to Quebec’s society and economy: “I see a place that is thriving and proud. The themes you should retain from me are: positive, additive and celebratory.”

He also emphasized that his role is to support the College’s various constituencies and to understand how community members envision the future: “My job is to understand and manifest your diverse visions, though I hope we can agree on Thriving and Proud.”

Toby first experienced Dawson as a Liberal Arts student and member of the Blue Ring Society in the 1990s.

“What I loved about Dawson was the sense of belonging created by its close-knit and caring communities of students and staff. Even as a large institution, that remains one of Dawson’s greatest strengths today,” he said.

Here to listen and to act

As he begins his tenure, Toby says he is committed to ensuring institutional stability, systems resilience, and community well-being.

“I’m here to listen and to act,” he said. Toby is looking forward to meeting members of the Dawson community and taking part in activities and events connected to the student experience.

Community members are encouraged to send him invitations to Dawson events, and he will try to attend something fun at the College every week. He will attempt to read every email sent to DG@dawsoncollege.qc.ca.