Shelagh Rogers is preparing for another three years as chancellor, but even after serving in the position at two Canadian universities, she admits the role remains somewhat mysterious.
Rogers, ArtSci ’77, was unanimously reappointed by University Council on Oct. 13. Her second three-year term will begin July 1, extending her time as the University’s 16th Chancellor until 2030.
The longtime Canadian broadcaster and mental health advocate previously served as the chancellor of the University of Victoria for seven years before returning to her alma mater in 2024.
READ MORE: Shelagh Rogers installed as Queen’s 16th Chancellor
While the position involves presiding over convocation, serving as a voting member on the Board of Trustees, and chairing University Council, Rogers believes its responsibilities extend beyond formal ceremonies and governance meetings.
“I think it’s a role that you can make your own,” she said.
For Rogers, that means using the position to advance two causes that have shaped much of her life: mental health and wellness, and truth, healing, and reconciliation.
A familiar campus, a different perspective
Rogers first arrived at Queen’s as a student in 1973. More than five decades later, she continues to learn about the University, describing her experience in the role as an ongoing education.
“I’m taking a great big crash course in Queen’s University,” she said.
Although she lives in Winnipeg, Rogers typically spends five to seven days a month on campus meeting with students, faculty, and staff to better understand their experiences.
She describes one of the privileges of being chancellor as having the opportunity to contact people across the University and ask questions.
“It’s always about the people for me,” Rogers said.
A personal commitment to mental health
Rogers’ advocacy for mental health is rooted in her own experience as a Queen’s student.
“I think I was really looking for family and I just got lost for a little while,” she said.
She recalled seeking help through the University’s student health services. At the time, she was told her symptoms were likely hormonal, an explanation she believed for decades.
“I know now that it was a dip into depression,” Rogers said. “But I wasn’t diagnosed until 2003.”
During her second term, Rogers hopes to protect funding for mental wellness initiatives at Queen’s, particularly as universities face financial pressures. She emphasized that mental support should extend beyond students to include faculty and staff.
She also emphasized the importance of confronting residential school denialism and ensuring the University’s commitment to reconciliation translates into meaningful action.
Rogers hopes to use her position to bring greater attention to the research, creative projects, and interdisciplinary work taking place across the University, connecting people and highlighting initiatives that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Making reconciliation visible
Alongside mental health advocacy, Rogers identified truth, healing, and reconciliation as a central priority when she became chancellor.
Her involvement in reconciliation efforts stretches back to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada, a commission established in 2008 to investigate the history and lasting impacts of Canada’s residential school system. In 2011, she became an honorary witness, a role which involves listening to the testimonies of survivors at national and regional gatherings to bring those experiences into the light.
Through her work, Rogers met the late Murray Sinclair, who served as chief commissioner of the TRC from 2009 until 2015 and was her predecessor as Queen’s chancellor. While exploring her Métis ancestry, she discovered the two were related.
“We are cousins,” she said. “And that was just a huge gift.”
Given her past experience as the University of Victoria’s chancellor, Rogers recalled Sinclair contacting her for advice when he was approached about the position at Queen’s.
Her message was that the role could become an opportunity to advocate for meaningful change.
“You can promote the things that you really believe in, […] and try to change things for the better,” she said.
Rogers highlighted changes to convocation ceremonies that provide dedicated time for Indigenous graduates to be honoured through traditional blanketing ceremonies.
“If we are saying we stand for truth and reconciliation, we have to show it,” she said.
Looking toward another three years
When asked what she hopes to accomplish during her second term, Rogers said she hopes to continue supporting mental wellness, reconciliation, and the work taking place across the University’s academic community.
Rogers also expressed excitement about the reopening of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre and the opportunities for collaboration between disciplines.
Although she acknowledged the financial challenges facing Canadian universities, she said she remains optimistic about the University’s future and expressed confidence in Principal Patrick Deane’s leadership.
“There’s just a lot coming at all universities right now. Queen’s isn’t immune,” she said, adding that she appreciates his commitment to the institution.
“I’m very, very fond of Patrick,” she said. “He’s got a good mind and a good heart.”
For Rogers, the opportunity to continue learning about Queen’s and connecting with its community remains one of the most meaningful parts of her position.
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chancellor, Shelagh Rogers, University Council
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