Interim president William Robins shares his vision for Vic’s next great chapter and the personal journey that shaped his leadership
The 2026-27 academic year marks a significant moment for Victoria University as Dr. Rhonda McEwen concludes her tenure as president, transitioning to the University of Victoria in British Columbia. Stepping into the role of interim president is Dr. William Robins, Professor of English and Medieval Studies. He previously served as president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University from 2015 to 2022. The following interview is designed to help students get to know President Robins as he leads Vic through the upcoming school year.
The Strand: Hi President Robins, thank you for being willing to be interviewed today. It’s nice to see you again. Interestingly enough, we met at the Vic bookstore within the E.J. Pratt Library, a place where many stories and journeys on the page take place. Would you like to start off talking about your own personal odyssey?
Dr. William Robins: Before moving to the Office of the President, I started as a teacher. I liked the small classes because they helped me get to know students personally. I became interested in widening the ways I could make a difference alongside teaching small seminars, such as the first-year course ENG150 where we covered /The Odyssey/. Widening ways to make a difference also led to moving through administrative roles that influence structures of teaching and learning. Some of the main goals on a larger scale include enabling undergraduate research, where we started the Scholars-in-Residence program; connecting students, which led to launching the Vic-Ready Program; deepening instructional understanding, especially surrounding Indigenous issues; and expanding inclusivity and accessibility through Opportunity Awards. After that, I felt that it was time for a new president, President McEwan, who could continue finding new ways of making a difference, and I returned to teaching.
The Strand: In classic epic poetry, returning home often brings new perspectives on familiar places. In the spirit of an odyssey, coming back to the presidency, what is it like to return to a familiar ‘homecoming’ after time away? What has the journey back to this role been like for you, and how did it feel to step onto campus as president again this term?
Coming back home and being welcomed by staff, faculty, and students has been meaningful. At the end of /The Odyssey/, there is a prophecy that Odysseus will embark on a second journey. It feels like both a homecoming and setting off on a new adventure. This brings to mind the opening lines of the famous “Ithaka” poem by Greek poet Constantine P. Cavafy (1911): “As you set out for Ithaka / hope your road is a long one, / full of adventure, full of discovery.” The poem teaches that the real value lies in the journey itself, not just the final goal.
The Strand: Your academic speciality is 14th-century medieval literature, an era defined by stories of pilgrimages, quests, and epic journeys. Chaucer’s /Canterbury Tales/ features challenges and choices that the characters must overcome. During a quest, the adventure is rarely linear or sticks to a plan: knights get lost, travellers take detours, and new paths emerge. Considering the environment Vic aims to create for sparking student curiosity, what kind of journey or transformation do you hope students undergo during their time at Victoria University?
I see rites of passage as analogous to questions and journeys in literature, where the hero’s identity is at stake and they develop their understanding of how to make a difference in the world. The years at university are like a rite of passage; students are not yet in the years where they will shape in the world, but they are discovering who they are and how they want to contribute to making a difference. At Vic, we aim to help students discover their own intrinsic talents, tackle some of the world’s greatest problems, and begin the process of matching their talents to the issues in the world they care about. Circling back to the first question, we are interested in supporting students through these transitional stages with programs such as the Vic One Program, Study Abroad opportunities, and Capstone seminars. These all lead to transformational moments, and we continually focus on thinking about what we can do at Vic to help students through them.
The Strand: Perfect. Thank you very much for your time today and best of luck on this new adventure.
This transcript has been lightly edited for readability and length while preserving the speaker’s original intent and tone.