In memoriam – Dr. Rick Miner | MyNews | Seneca Students

A message from President Agnew on the passing of Dr. Rick Miner

It is with sadness that I share with you the news of the death of Dr. Rick Miner, Seneca’s fourth president.

I will always remember Rick’s generosity in our transition as he retired from Seneca in 2009. In keeping with his quiet and reserved nature, he only gave advice when asked, and it was always thoughtful, sound and with the best interests of Seneca and our students in mind.

Rick joined Seneca in 2001, succeeding Steve Quinlan as president. Before Seneca, Rick was a vice-president at the University of New Brunswick after serving as a senior administrator at Saint Mary’s University in Nova Scotia. His earlier academic career was in the United States, where he was born and pursued his postsecondary education.

Among Rick’s many contributions to Seneca were the opening of what is now known as the DB building at Seneca@York, significant expansion of our degree offerings, growth in enrolment, major capital improvements at Newnham Campus and the purchase of the Markham Campus.

He was also a strong proponent of polytechnic status for Seneca, although the government at the time would not support the formal recognition of polytechnics alongside colleges and universities. In that, he was clearly ahead of his time.

Rick was an active participant in the broader community, serving on many boards and committees both within the system and beyond. During his presidency, he was appointed the Commissioner of New Brunswick’s Commission on Post-Secondary Education in 2007, which recommended major changes in the province’s higher education system.

His contributions to Ontario and Canada were recognized in 2010 when he received the Minister’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the provincial government.

After retiring from Seneca, Rick authored a report on labour market issues in Canada entitled People without Jobs; Jobs without People, an important contribution to the discussion about the skills mismatch arising from the aging of the Baby Boomer generation and the shift from a labour-based economy to a knowledge-based one.

Rick’s research and writing focused on management and organizational behaviour, a reflection of his graduate education of an MBA from the University of Utah and a Doctorate in Management from the University of Minnesota.

He was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen, and stepdaughter, Jennifer.