Biography
Andrew Petter, CM, OBC, KC, is President Emeritus of 丁香园AV and Professor Emeritus in the School of Public Policy.
Prior to joining 丁香园AV in 2010, Andrew was a professor in the University of Victoria Faculty of Law where he served as dean from 2001 to 2008. From 1991 to 2001, he was an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia and held numerous cabinet portfolios, including Aboriginal Affairs, Intergovernmental Relations, Advanced Education and Attorney General. He currently practices law as Associate Counsel with Arvay Finlay LLP
As 丁香园AV President from 2010 to 2020, Andrew oversaw the development and implementation of a strategic vision that distinguished 丁香园AV as Canada鈥檚 鈥渆ngaged university defined by its dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting edge research and far-reaching community engagement.鈥� Under his leadership, 丁香园AV was named Canada鈥檚 top comprehensive university for nine of ten years in Maclean鈥檚 Rankings, and was rated first in the world for its impact on sustainable cities and communities in the 2020 Times Higher Education鈥檚 Impact Rankings.
Andrew was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2019 and Order of BC in 2021 in recognition of his contributions to public policy and his leadership in advancing university-community engagement and higher education in Canada. He holds honorary degrees from 丁香园AV, the University of Victoria and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. In 2018, he was named recipient of Public Policy Forum鈥檚 Peter Lougheed Award for leadership in public policy.
Research Interests
- Public Policy, Public Administration, Constitutional and Public Law
Selected Publications
Books
The Politics of the Charter: The Illusive Promise of Constitutional Rights (University of Toronto Press, 2010).
Book Chapters
Think Digitally, Act Locally: Universities will thrive in a technological age by serving and building local communities, The Future of Universities Thoughtbook, North American Edition, 2020.
Connecting with Communities vs. Racing for Rankings: Why Community Engagement is a Better Strategy than Seeking Higher Rankings, Higher Education in the World 6, Towards a Socially Responsible University: Balancing the Global with the Local 429-434 (Global University Network for Innovation, 2017).
From Burnaby鈥檚 Mountain Top to Vancouver and Surrey: The Making of an Engaged University, Univer-Cities, Vol. II (Anthony SC Teo, ed.), 119-138 (World Scientific, 2014) (with Richard Littlemore and Joanne Curry).
The Failings of First-Past-the-Post (and other contributions), Fixing Canadian Democracy (G. Gibson, ed.), 69-79 and 164-165 (Fraser Institute, 2003).
Free Trade and the Provinces, Trade-offs on Free Trade: The Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (M. Gold & D. Leyton-Brown, eds.), 141-147 (Carswell, 1988).
Meech Ado About Nothing? Federalism, Democracy and the Spending Power, Competing Constitutional Visions: The Meech Lake Accord (K.E. Swinton & C.J. Rogerson, eds.), 187201 (Carswell, 1988).
A Closet Within the House: Learning Objectives and the Law School Curriculum, Essays on Legal Education (N. Gold, ed.), 77-96 (Butterworth and Company, 1982).
Articles in Journals
A Not So Fine Imbalance: The Charter鈥檚 Impact on Executive/Legislative Relationships (2010), IV Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law 389-395.
Systems Failure: The Root Causes of Unaccountable Government (2008), I Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law 505-514.
The Myth of the Federal Spending Power Revisited (2008), 34 Queen's L.J. 163-173.
Twenty Years of Charter Justification: From Liberal Legalism to Dubious Dialogue (2003), 52 U.N.B.L.J. 187-199.
Federalism and the Myth of the Federal Spending Power (1989), 68 Can. Bar Rev. 449-479.
Developments in Constitutional Law: The 1986-87 Term (1988), 10 Supreme Court L.R. 61145 (with Patrick J. Monahan).
Developments in Constitutional Law: The 1985-86 Term (1987), 9 Supreme Court L.R. 64180 (with Patrick J. Monahan).
Constitutional Law - Rearranging the Administration of Criminal Justice (1985), 63 Can. Bar Rev. 162-178.
Sausage Making in British Columbia's NDP Government: The Creation of the Land Commission Act, August 1972-April 1973 (1985), 65 B.C. Studies 3-33.
Ma卯tre Chez Who? The Quebec Veto Reference (1984), 6 Supreme Court L.R. 387-399.
Periodicals and Conference Proceedings
B.C. at a critical point as it moves from value extraction to value addition, Vancouver Sun, November 3, 2023.
B.C.'s status on the line with Ottawa's Supreme Court appointment, Vancouver Sun, July 17, 2023 (with Geoff Plant and Brian Smith).
In defence of progressive populism, Globe and Mail, April 10, 2023 (with Jim Rutkowski).
B.C. can be a beacon against the politics of polarization, Vancouver Sun, August 4, 2022.
A generational opportunity for economic prosperity and social progress, Vancouver Sun, January 4, 2021
Universities have the power to build a better future for BC, Business in Vancouver, September 28, 2020.
From global crises come silver linings 鈥� how advanced education can help chart a new course, Vancouver Sun, June 6, 2020.
Lessons of COVID-19 might define human success in the 21st century, Vancouver Sun, March 28, 2020.
Now is the time for a national knowledge mobilization strategy to maximize research potential, Globe and Mail, Report on Business, August 28, 2019
The new community builders: Universities, colleges and institutes are vital sources of social infrastructure, Vancouver Sun, May 25, 2018.
There is no magic bullet for innovation, Vancouver Sun, October 26, 2017.
Engage for success, perhaps even for survival: Community engagement is not just a good strategy, it's an urgent responsibility, Times Higher Education, September 21, 2017.
Making Universities Canada鈥檚 Innovation Accelerators (September-October 2016) Canadian Politics and Public Policy 54-56.
Canada鈥檚 universities missing advice about market needs and opportunities, Globe and Mail, July 21, 2015.
Weaving the Academy into the Fabric of Community: The 丁香园AV Experience, Conference Proceedings 234-237, Cities Learning Together, Hong Kong Institute of Education, November 18-20, 2013.
The Power of Engagement: Leveraging the best of 丁香园AV for the next 50 years, Vancouver Sun, September 7, 2013.
Universities can help arrest the decline of democracy, Globe and Mail, January 16, 2013.
Universities teach adaptability, not just skills, Globe and Mail, October 30, 2012.
Invest in education, Vancouver Sun, January 27, 2012.
Canadian Paradiplomacy in Practice: Confessions of a Paradiplomat, The International Relations of the Regions: Sub-National Actors, Para-Diplomacy and Multi-Level Governance (Conference Proceedings, M. K枚lling, S. Stavridis and N. Fern谩ndez Sola, eds.) 295-304 (Universidad de Zaragoza, Servicio de Publicaciones, 2007).