Provost Barbara Crow talks plans, goals at new “open hour”

(Photo: Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic)

Editor’s note: Some quotes have been edited for length and clarity.

Provost and Vice-President, Academic Barbara Crow shared her priorities, principles, and even some career stories at the first "open hour” meeting in Assumption Hall last Friday.

The weekly drop-in sessions were promoted as an opportunity to ask questions, share ideas, and discuss campus issues informally with the new provost.

“[The open hours are] a symbolic gesture that says I want you to know I’m available and that there’s at least one way where you can meet me,” Crow told the Lance.

“It’s a chance to see that I have a family, I’m human, that I care about the university and that I want to listen.”

The provost is a powerful but often unknown figure on campus, especially among students. Senior administration and their job descriptions are rarely, if ever, explained or discussed during orientation or in class.

Crow described the provost as being responsible for the university’s academic operations and faculty, likening the position to a CEO.

“It’s my job to make sure we provide the best academic student experience, and that’s about ensuring we have great faculty, excellent researchers, and teachers. It’s about making sure that we have the other dimensions that are critical to academic success. For me, it’s about making the university better.”

It’s been a little over a month since Crow was appointed provost and vice-president, academic on July 1. She described the experience so far as both challenging and rewarding.

“Last Monday, I felt like I was drinking out of a fire hose!” She laughed. “But people have been very welcoming, very open. I think people really want strong leadership and want the university to be better, and I sense that. I sense that people care. You can do a lot when people care.”

This year, Crow is focused on listening to the community and understanding UWindsor’s unique culture, institutional practices, and legacy.

She described herself as a “systems thinker” — someone who looks at why certain systems are in place and works to maintain or improve their standards.

Bringing the community in to be a part of the solution is integral to her process, she explained.

“We were just working on something right now and I said, you’ve got to bring the people who use these forms in. I think this is the way we should be doing it, but the people using it are going to tell you something else.”

Crow’s background as a feminist scholar also informs how she approaches her work, particularly her belief in the importance of feeling seen and listened to.

“The more inclusive we are, the better we are, and the stronger we are. I think exclusive practices only benefit certain groups and certain kinds of power and reproduce certain kinds of hierarchies.”

Before coming to UWindsor, Crow served as dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen's University for seven years. Her departure in July 2024 followed a controversial academic year, during which the FAS faced a $13.8 million structural deficit, program cuts, and layoffs.

2024-25 was an equally turbulent year for UWindsor. To make up a $42 million budget deficit, the university decided to shut down University Players, pause admissions to the Acting program, and reduce staff. In April 2025, over 150 students and staff marched through campus to protest the cuts.

This year, the university is projecting a $7.4 million deficit.

All Ontario universities are struggling, said Crow. What matters is focusing on the resources that are left and charting a path forward.

“80% of our resources are people, so how do we mobilize this incredible resource we have right now? What are we going to continue to do, what can’t we do anymore, what’s most important for us to do?”

When asked about the university’s plans for growth beyond the deficit, Crow pointed to the president's Four Pillars Framework, highlighting increasing enrolment numbers in particular as a key area.

“Nursing is in high demand, education — humanities! We need the humanities more than ever right now, and we need the social sciences. […] Windsor is a great university; we can open it up. I think 70% of the students come from this region, so how do we tell a story that reaches out to a wider group of students?”

Crow wants the UWindsor community to know that she truly loves her work and is looking forward to continuing to serve and lead.

“I’m passionate about post-secondary education. It had a significant impact on my own life; it changed things for me, and I wouldn’t be where I am and who I am without university education.”

She paused to quickly dab at her eye. “I feel like I’m gonna cry! It’s had a significant impact.”

Open hours with the provost will continue to be held every Friday (excluding Sept. 25 and Oct. 16) from noon to 1 p.m. in the lobby of Assumption Hall until Oct. 30.