Nik Nanos has officially begun his term as chancellor of Carleton University.
Nanos, a member of the Order of Canada, completed his undergraduate degree in political science and history at Queen’s University. While studying politics, Nanos did his first opinion survey on a local riding and quickly fell in love with public research. That passion led to the creation of Nanos Research, a polling firm used by many Canadian news organizations.
The Charlatan sat down with Nanos to talk about what being named chancellor means to him and how he plans to make the role his own.
The Charlatan (TC): How did you get involved with Carleton University?
Nik Nanos (NN): I live in the Glebe, so Carleton loomed large in my life. I would take my kids to Carleton for summer camps, the soccer teams would practice there, and so I was at Carleton a lot. The more I learned and the more I knew, the more I loved the university.
TC: How does your experience in working in public opinion research inform your role as chancellor?
NN: Working in the world of listening to Canadians very much grounds me in the hopes, concerns and aspirations of people. I see one of my roles as keeping our Carleton community vibrant, relevant and engaged. I see my role of chancellor as one of tirelessly working to keep the Carleton community strong, standing with faculty in the fight to advance the freedom of thought and academic independence. I’m also looking forward to supporting staff and the great work they do and serving alongside Carleton’s leadership team.
TC: Can you walk me through the roles and responsibilities of a chancellor?
NN: I see the chancellor as the leading volunteer who’s heading up the university. The chancellor has a number of ceremonial responsibilities including presiding over convocation. The chancellor is also an ex-officio member of the Board of Governors for the school.
We are here to be part of the team. We’re here to serve the community, and we’re here to listen to students, faculty, the administration, the board, and alumni in order to take direction on the areas the chancellor should be focusing on.
TC: What do you bring to the role of chancellor?
NN: First of all, I’m really embedded in the community. I’m literally on site. This is not like I am 1,000 miles away and only show up for convocation. I expect that I will be called upon to volunteer often, just because of how close I am to the school. I’m also a big believer in post-secondary education and comfortable raising funds to support students and the university.
TC: How will the appointment as chancellor shape your roles and responsibilities at Nanos Research?
NN: Well, I’m self-employed, which means I get to do whatever. My wife would always joke because people would always ask, “Is Nik ever going to retire?”
And she’d say, “Why would he ever retire? He gets to volunteer as much as he wants, he gets to work as much as he wants, and he gets to work on the projects that he wants.”
I’m very fortunate on that front.
TC: What does the opportunity of being the chancellor mean to you?
NN: It means I can continue to be an important part of the Carleton community. I’ve served on the board, I’ve served as the board chair, and it was a sad day when my volunteering went down a notch. I still was raising funds for different scholarships that I support at the university, but what it means for me is a renewal and re-engagement and a ramping up of my volunteer efforts to support Carleton.
TC: How has the transition been into the new role?
NN: This may sound weird for a person who’s in the news a lot, but I find it a bit awkward, the focus on myself as an individual.
My other work doesn’t focus on me personally — it comes down to what Canadians think. . I’m a little more uncomfortable with the recognition that comes with being chancellor. But I am 100 per cent comfortable with the work that comes with being chancellor.
TC: What do you hope to accomplish as chancellor?
NN: What I hope to accomplish is that the school is a better, stronger place than when I started.
And you know what? Carleton is an amazing place and it’s doing well. But, I would be very happy if at the end of my term as chancellor, people saw that Carleton had improved even further because of my contribution.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Featured image provided by Nik Nanos
