In October, the Dalhousie Senate presented the 2018–2019 Lloyd Fraser Award for Outstanding Senate Leadership to School of Information Management professor and former senator Mike Smit.
The award, named for long-serving Dalhousie senator and former Senate Chair Lloyd Fraser, recognizes a member of Senate or a Senate standing committee who shows exceptional leadership that results in substantial benefit to the Senate and the university.
“Senators have expressed over and over again how Dr. Smit’s contributions have made a significant difference in the outcomes on a myriad of issues,” said Kevin Hewitt, chair of the Dalhousie Senate.
He points to Dr. Smit’s key role working with students, senators and Dalhousie’s Board of Governors to create a statement that will inform Dalhousie’s investment policy and procedures, noting the “humour, outstanding communication skills and attention to detail” that Dr. Smit brought to the discussions.
Dr. Smit, who currently serves as the Faculty of Management’s associate dean (academic), approaches the formidable responsibility of university leadership with a sense of jovial determination.
"We're proud of the work Dalhousie does, but also very aware of our flaws,” he says, acknowledging that the complexities of the university don’t always make progress easy. “There are days when I'm baffled about how we're able to function as an organization. But as long as we're honest about identifying those flaws, and willing to roll up our sleeves to help fix them, I think we can continue to be proud."