Kenneth McRoberts, éminent politicologue et spécialiste du `fait français', est nommé principal de
      Glendon, le collège bilingue de sciences humaines de l'Université York

Kenneth McRoberts, distinguished political scientist, expert on 'the French fact', Appointed Principal of Glendon, York University's bilingual liberal arts college

TORONTO, May 12, 1999 --

York University Political Science Professor and distinguished author Kenneth McRoberts is uniquely qualified to lead York's bilingual liberal arts Faculty into the next Millennium, York University President Dr. Lorna R. Marsden said today as she announced McRoberts' five-year appointment as Principal of Glendon College, effective July 1, 1999.

"Professor McRoberts' sterling credentials as a scholar, author, administrator, and teacher are complemented by his leadership skills, and the energy and commitment with which he takes on challenges," said Marsden. "The Board of Governors and I have given Professor McRoberts a five-year mandate to build on Glendon's historical mission as a bilingual liberal arts institution. We anticipate that the students, faculty and staff of Glendon -- as well as the larger community -- will be well-served by his efforts," she said.

McRoberts , 56, has taught Political Science at York University's Keele campus since 1969; the last three years he has also lectured in French at Glendon. Since joining what is now Canada's third largest university, McRoberts served as Director of the Graduate Programme in Political Science and Director of the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies. He has also completed a six-year term as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Canadian Studies. And he was recently elected President of the Canadian Political Science Association.

McRoberts has written on a variety of topics, including Quebec politics, Canadian federalism, and constitutional questions. He is author of Quebec: Social Change and Political Crisis, which is now in its third edition with McClelland & Stewart, and has appeared in French translation with Les Éditions Boréal. In 1991, McRoberts gave the Sixth Annual Robarts Lecture at York University, entitled Avoiding the Issue: English Canada and Quebec. He co-edited (with York U. Prof. Patrick Monahan) The Charlottetown Accord, the Referendum and the Future of Canada and edited Beyond Quebec: Taking Stock of Canada.

His most recent book is Misconceiving Canada: the struggle for national unity (Oxford University Press, 1997). A French translation will be published this fall. McRoberts is currently completing a book on language and nationalism in Catalonia, Spain, to be published by Oxford University Press.

The incoming Principal is passionate about the great potential for Glendon, which he hopes to reach by working with faculty, students and staff during this critical period in its development. "Glendon has a rich history, and I feel honoured to take on this challenging position," said McRoberts. "I would like to help Glendon become a truly national institution that would allow Anglophones and Francophones to meet, that would serve as a bridge between Quebec and the rest of Canada. At the same time, it could play a critical role in preparing young Canadians for public service," he said.

McRoberts said Glendon's strengths as a liberal arts college are well established, adding that he would like to strengthen Glendon as a bilingual institution in which both of Canada's linguistic communities are actively present. "I would like to see Glendon draw upon these two communities across the country as a whole, in their full richness. This means attracting Anglophones throughout Canada, especially the graduates of French immersion programs. It also means providing French-language university education for Ontario's increasingly diverse Francophone population, while working to secure a stronger participation of Francophones from Quebec, as well as other parts of Canada."

McRoberts was born in Vancouver, B.C., where he attended elementary and secondary school. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and later, his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago.

Glendon is York University's bilingual liberal arts Faculty, the only institution in southern Ontario where university programs are offered in both French and English. With one of the lowest student/professor ratios, Glendon offers a superior learning environment for pursuing undergraduate studies on a beautiful campus situated in a park-like setting bordering the glen of Toronto's Don Valley river.

The Glendon College of York University is dedicated to the proposition that a small, bilingual arts college, operating within the ambit of a big university, can offer students the best of both worlds. The size and cohesiveness of the College mean that students have direct and ready access to professors, fellow students and administrators. In a college of about 2,000 students, relations can be more personal and informal - less bureaucratic. In such an institution, professors are close to students and intensive undergraduate teaching is naturally emphasized at the same time that professional scholarship and research are pursued.

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For more information, please contact:

Sine MacKinnon
Senior Advisor, Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22087
YU/048/99