The University of New Brunswick’s President & Vice-Chancellor Dr. Paul Mazerolle formally resigned from his post on October 16th, 2025. Serving since 2019, Mazerolle resigned after accepting another offer to serve as president of an international university. A divisive leader, he was praised for guiding the university “through a period of remarkable transformation and resilience” by the Board of Governors, but was also a subject of student and faculty controversy. An accomplished criminologist and university administrator, Mazerolle’s work to navigate the university through COVID-19 and his landmark plan “UNB Towards 2030” were the cornerstones of his administration. The University of New Brunswick is now organizing a search committee to help them identify potential candidates to succeed Mazerolle as president & vice-chancellor.

UNB/Website

Mazerolle’s Legacy

Mazerolle was instrumental in the establishment of UNB’s “UNB Towards 2030” plan which promised to work to ensure that UNB is:

• Recognized internationally for the strength of its research
• Financially and environmentally sustainable, and working toward a carbon-neutral future
• A trusted voice in major discussions and debates across the community
• Celebrated for its transformative educational experiences, innovative programs, and commitment to experiential learning

The plan will double the annual value of UNB’s research grants to $100 million, grow the student population to 15,000, and expand graduate student enrolment to compose 25% of the student body, among other landmark initiatives. Meant to help the university keep pace with a rapidly changing marketplace, this policy partially served to help respond to international student caps and major funding cutbacks that have drained the University of New Brunswick’s coffers over the last few years.

Mazerolle’s establishment of the vice provost model of leadership and implementation of the “One UNB” model of administration introduced major changes to campus governance. This restructuring centralized governance at the university under three provosts and amalgamated many existing administrative functions under their portfolio.

UNB President & Vice-Chancellor Dr. Paul Mazerolle gives a lecture on the New Brunswick cybersecurity ecosystem/UNB Newsroom

Mazerolle furthermore invested significantly in campus infrastructure with his administration being responsible for the development of the Health and Social Innovation Centre in Saint John and the opening of the Alison D. McCain Commons in Fredericton. New capital infrastructure investments of over $200 million, a seven-figure uptick in research grants, a 200 spot increase in UNB’s international ranking, and substantial growth of the University of New Brunswick’s experiential learning program were also watershed moments of Mazerolle’s administration.

Mazerolle’s Controversies

As adept of an administrator as he was, Mazerolle’s time in office was not without its fair share of setbacks and controversies. During his initial inauguration as president & vice-chancellor back in 2019, Mazerolle’s appointment was criticized by faculty for its perceived lack of transparency and for UNB’s failure to actively involve faculty in the selection process. Seen as a closed proceeding, students and faculty were never given the opportunity to meet potential candidates ahead of Mazerolle’s appointment.

A Palestine Solidarity protest site at UNB Saint John where police trespassed several protestors after receiving a complaint from the university/Palestine Solidarity Committee SJ

At the height of the pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses across Canada back in the summer of 2024, the UNB Saint John and Fredericton campuses were the site of several student-led protests against the war in Gaza. Mazerolle’s administration was again the subject of criticism for what many viewed as a lacklustre response to faculty and students’ concerns. Over the summer, UNB received a number of open letters and signed petitions from faculty and students alike condemning the war and calling upon UNB to divest from companies that benefit from Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

A statement was issued by the President’s Office that denied calls for a boycott of Israel and declared that: “As a university … we are not a political entity, and we will refrain from making political statements on this or other matters.” This promise of neutrality however did not stop UNB from having protestors trespassed and reported to the police. UNB’s response was criticized at the time as representative of a crackdown on peaceful protest.

Conclusion

It remains unknown who will fill Dr. Mazerolle’s shoes. There is, however, no doubt that these are big shoes to fill. Janet Hoyt, Chair of the UNB Board of Governors, stated in a letter last week that: “An Acting President will be put in place in time to align with the completion of Dr. Mazerolle’s term in office. The Acting President will serve until such time as the search process for a new president has been completed.” The appointment of a new president & vice-chancellor will be a pivotal moment for the University of New Brunswick moving toward 2030. As UNB looks to expand its international profile and weather the looming recession, whomsoever it deems fit to appoint will prove integral in this undertaking.