On November 11, award-winning broadcast journalist Shelagh Rogers (Artsci’77) will be officially installed as Queen’s University’s 16th Chancellor. Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane announced her appointment in April 2024, following confirmation by University Council. 

“The Queen’s community is looking forward to Chancellor Rogers’s installation ceremony and reception where we will come together to welcome her as the 16th Chancellor of her alma mater,” says Principal Deane. “Her incredible career, wide-ranging experience, and passion for mental health, truth, healing, and reconciliation make her an ideal representative for Queen’s and its values. We are very fortunate to have her serve as our university’s highest officer and ceremonial head, and eagerly await the celebrations on November 11.” 

Chancellor Rogers began her career in broadcast journalism at CFRC, the campus radio station, while studying at Queen’s. Later, she spent 40 years as a CBC radio broadcaster, working on notable programs like Morningside, The Arts Tonight, This Morning, and The Next Chapter. She went on to be recognized with the John Drainie Award for her significant contributions to Canadian broadcasting. 

Beyond her career, Rogers is an advocate for mental health, earning accolades from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the inaugural Margaret Trudeau Award for Mental Health Advocacy. Named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011, she is also dedicated to amplifying Indigenous voices, co-editing book series Speaking My Truth and serving as an Honorary Witness to the testimonies of residential school survivors and their families during national gatherings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada. 

Chancellor Rogers will be installed during the first ceremony of the fall 2024 convocation, allowing her to preside over the following ceremonies and to confer degrees—key parts of a Chancellor’s official duties. 

The installation ceremony will take place from 2:30-4:00 pm on Nov. 11, 2024, and a livestream of the event will be broadcast online. Following the installation, the new Chancellor will be celebrated at a private reception featuring several speakers and a special playlist curated by the Chancellor for the occasion. From 5:30-7:00 pm, CFRC will air an audio-only broadcast of the reception featuring the remarks and music.