Dr. Chris McGrath has over 25 years of higher education leadership experience through which he has developed an unshakeable focus on widening access for individuals and communities to engage fully with the transformational potential of education. He is proud to serve as Vice-President, Students at Niagara College, since February 2024.
Dr. McGrath has held senior roles in public and private post-secondary institutions in Canada and the US. He has held roles in student affairs and services at George Brown College, the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Seneca College, and the University of Toronto Mississauga. He is Associate Faculty at Royal Roads University where he teaches graduate courses in education quality and public accountability, and has taught in graduate education at the University of Toronto and York University. With a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Western University, a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Vermont, and a bachelor’s degree in French studies from the University of Waterloo, Dr. McGrath also holds certifications in Administrative Tribunal Adjudication and in Human Rights from Osgoode Law at York University.
Dr. McGrath’s scholarly interests broadly explore how individuals and organizations perform leadership to advance the public good. His work interrogates intersecting discourses of educational quality and equity, and how they influence how organizations shape strategy, program and accountability in the interest of social and economic change. He is interested in how the intersection of personal morals and professional ethics shapes how leaders exercise power and influence to shape social and structural change in public organizations.
Dr. McGrath has served on the boards of national and local non-profit organizations, including those striving to improve the lives of LGBTQIA+ youth, people living with HIV/AIDS, and youth experiencing mental illness. He is a past-president of the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services, past Chair of the Coordinating Committee of Vice-Presidents, Students with Colleges Ontario, and served as a public appointee with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.
Extraordinary Caring. Every Person. Every Time.
