News release – Department of National Defence
December 20, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence and Chancellor of the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), announced the appointment of Dr. Jill Scott as the 14th Principal of RMC Kingston. Dr. Scott will officially assume the role on March 4, 2024.
The Principal of RMC is accountable for defining the academic policy and frameworks for the military university, and for the operation of all academic and second language activities of the national institution. The Principal also represents RMC nationally and internationally, working to maintain and further promote the college as an accredited university of academic excellence.
Established in 1876 in Kingston, Ont., RMC is a Canadian military college that offers undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields like social sciences, the humanities, science, and engineering.
Dr. Jill Scott Biography
Prior to her appointment to Royal Military College, Jill Scott served as Provost and Vice-President Academic Affairs, and professor in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ottawa. In this capacity, Dr. Scott was chief academic officer and chief budget officer from 2019-2024, providing leadership in key areas such as equity, diversity and inclusive excellence, antiracism, Indigenous affairs and reconciliation, and mental health and wellness.
From 2013-2019, Dr. Scott served as the inaugural Vice-Provost (Teaching and Learning) at Queen’s University, where she oversaw the implementation of a new academic quality assurance process, led research and new practices in assessing higher-order cognitive skills in undergraduate education, and co-chaired the Provost’s Task Force on Truth and Reconciliation. Dr. Scott assumed additional responsibilities as Interim Associate Vice-Principal (International) in 2018-2019. During her time as Head of the Department of German Language and Literature, she led major reform to academic programming and departmental structures.
At Queen’s University, she was professor in the Departments of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and German Language and Literature, and held cross-appointments to the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies and the Graduate Program in Cultural Studies. Dr. Scott has taught and published widely in the fields of German and Austrian literary studies, forgiveness and conflict resolution, and Indigenous studies. Dr. Scott holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Toronto. She is fluent in English, French and German.
Quotes
“I offer my sincere congratulations to Dr. Jill Scott on her appointment as Principal of the Royal Military College of Canada. I thank the previous Principal, Dr. Harry Kowal, for his commitment and service throughout his nine years as Principal. I also acknowledge the leadership of Interim Principals, Dr. Cécile Malardier-Jugroot and Dr. Phil Bates, who have guided the institution over the past year – and I thank them for their contributions to the College.”
The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence and Chancellor of RMC
“It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome Dr. Jill Scott to this historic institution. I look forward to working with Dr. Scott as we continue to accomplish our mission as the modern, diverse institution it must be to educate, train, and develop the future leaders of the Canadian Armed Forces.”
Brigadier-General Pascal Godbout, Commandant and Vice-Chancellor of RMC
Quick facts
- RMC’s core activity is educating and training junior leaders enrolled in the Regular Officer Training Plan. RMC’s four-pillar undergraduate degree program is composed of military education (leadership and ethos), physical fitness, bilingualism, and academics.
- RMC offers 20 undergraduate programs that include a core curriculum directly connected to the profession of arms. Its core curriculum comprises approximately 30% of the degree requirement with courses that include literature, history, politics, psychology, leadership, and ethics, as well as mathematics and science.
- RMC develops and delivers advanced education that is necessary to prepare officers for their military career through various graduate degree programs such as master’s degrees in Public and Business Administration, master’s and doctoral degrees in War Studies, and graduate-level programs in the Science and Engineering Faculties.
- RMC is a leader in defence research, responding to the defence and security research needs of Canada. RMC’s research activities are inspired by a culture of discovery and innovation that is inquiry-based, leading to the generation, transfer, and sharing of relevant knowledge, with state-of-the-art research facilities such as a nuclear reactor, wind tunnels, an anechoic chamber, an observatory, and a cyber-lab.