Questions remain among Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) staff following former interim Dean Bob Lemieux’s departure, as Queen’s has not publicly explained the circumstances surrounding the leadership change.
READ MORE: FAS Interim Dean Bob Lemieux prematurely departs Queen’s
The Journal contacted current and former faculty members and department heads across FAS. Some declined to speak, and others did not respond. Lemieux declined The Journal’s request for an interview.
Sailaja Krishnamurti, department head and associate professor in Gender Studies, said in a statement to The Journal that no explanation was provided to faculty members.
“I’d say there were differing perspectives among some of the department heads with respect to managing the deficit and the strategy around budget cuts and austerity measures,” she said. “But it’s an important part of collegial governance that we get to discuss these issues as colleagues.”
When asked if Lemieux’s departure came as a surprise, Krishnamurti said it did.
FAS professor Micheal* said the announcement came shortly before the Senate meeting on March 26.
READ MORE: Spring Senate learns about upcoming review of Queen’s budget model
According to Micheal, neither Principal Patrick Deane nor Provost Matthew Evans addressed the departure at the beginning of the meeting. A senator later raised the issue, questioning why Lemieux’s departure hadn’t been discussed.
Micheal described the number of leadership changes in FAS as unusual. “The fact that we have had now two interim deans and a dean in less than two years, and the faculty within FAS have not had a say in two of those deans, is remarkable,” he said.
Faculty members still don’t know why Lemieux left the role, according to Micheal. He said they had heard the departure followed a disagreement with University administration over the proposed College of Computing.
“What I have heard […] is that he had a disagreement with the provost about the plan to create a College within Arts and Science,” Micheal said.
READ MORE: AI-focused College proposal divides Queen’s faculty
From their perspective, Lemieux had been attempting to improve transparency and collegial governance.
“I think he really did have the interest of the faculty at heart, and he was doing his best to advocate for us,” Micheal said.
A Department Head in the FAS, Sarah*, said the lack of explanation surrounding Lemieux’s departure has contributed to frustration among faculty members.
“The fact that two deans in a row left in the middle of the day, replaced immediately with no consultation, no justification […] is indicative of a serious management problem upstairs,” Sarah said.
Barbara Crow, the previous dean of FAS, left the role in 2024. Lemieux was then appointed interim dean.
READ MORE: Dean Barbara Crow departs from Queen’s
Frequent leadership changes have affected morale and day-to-day planning in departments, according to Sarah.
“How do you run a department when you don’t know what the priorities are going to be next week or next month?” she said.
Sarah said her experience with Lemieux differed from that of other faculty members. She described him as difficult to work with and said colleagues she regularly spoke with held similar views, calling interactions with him “very frustrating to deal with.”
In a statement to The Journal, Queen’s said Lemieux concluded his term in late March after guiding FAS through “a period of significant change with steady and thoughtful leadership.”
During his time as interim dean, Queen’s said Lemieux oversaw the approval and launch of the Modular Degree Framework and advanced new international partnerships to support a Work-Integrated Learning program tailored to Arts and Science students.
The University also said Lemieux “fostered collaboration across diverse perspectives while keeping students at the centre of decision-making,” helping strengthen the faculty’s role within Queen’s and its ability to serve students and society.
The University’s statement didn’t specify the circumstances surrounding Lemieux’s departure.
*Names changed due to concerns of reprisal
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Arts and Science Dean, ArtSci Dean, departure, FAS, Interim Dean Bob Lemieux
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