STU appoints Sandra Irving as chancellor of the university, concerns arise

St. Thomas University granted Sandra Irving an honorary degree in 2017 to recognize her significant contributions to society, higher education and support to students across Atlantic Canada (Credit: STU Communications)

On Feb. 17, St. Thomas University (STU) announced that Sandra Irving, the widow of late oil tycoon Arthur Irving, was appointed chancellor by the university’s board of governors.

The news came in as Hon. Graydon Nicholas, the first Indigenous judge to be appointed as a provincial court judge, prepared to end his term as the university’s chancellor. 

The chancellor presides over the bestowal of post-secondary education degrees during spring and summer convocation, assists in university development and is an “ex officio” member of the university’s board of governors.

The board of governors is composed of external members, faculty, students, staff and executives of the university.

Tanner Augustine, an Indigenous student in a non-degree year, raised his concerns about this news. 

“To have [Hon. Graydon Nicholas], an Indigenous figure replaced by an Irving, a family that has clashed with Indigenous Peoples quite a lot. In many people's opinion, it has turned St. Thomas University into a company,” he said.

Ana Lucia Pavón, the president of St. Thomas University Students’ Union, also expressed her stand on how this decision may impact the student community.

“I think that, especially a liberal arts university that focuses on marginalized groups, should take into account the student voices when making these decisions,” said Pavón. “I'd say the Indigenous students are the ones that are affected.”

She said that even though the university likely made this decision “out of strategy, due to the current climate of tension that exists between post-secondary and government,” the Irving family is known for impacting the environment in the province. 

“[The Irvings are] not seen as friends to the Indigenous Peoples and especially to my reservation. They're seen as our opposition in any deals with any local businesses,” said Augustine.

For Augustine, choosing Irving as the chancellor “doesn’t match” the university's values. 

He said that somebody who has dedicated their life to the liberal arts would be a “better choice.” 

“There's concern that, like the student administration, for pure financial reasons, chose this candidate. Not a strong candidate for the student community as a whole,” he said.

On the other hand, Jeffrey Carleton, senior advisor to the President and Vice-Chancellor Nauman Farooqi, said that Irving was a “wonderful” choice to fill the position, given her record of philanthropic contributions to education.

“She wants to support the fact that we have 207 Indigenous students, second-highest percentage in the country,” said Carleton. “We can't get to that place to provide those education opportunities, unless we do a whole bunch of other things and she'll help us do that.”

“We know that there are people who will disagree with different aspects. We know that at the same time, it's an outstanding appointment and it has significant and widespread support from the community,” said Carleton.

Carleton said that Irving's “outstanding track record of support for students and society” will help STU since the scholarships can help Indigenous students and those who take environmental studies. 

“Those scholarships and bursaries can be for students who study things that are completely unrelated to urban oil.”

Sandra Irving will be formally installed as chancellor on May 20, 2026, during spring convocation.