‘I’ve been really happy in this position’: Dean Jeremiah Hurley excited to lead faculty for third term

It’s probably fair to say that a lot has been accomplished in the last two terms of Jeremiah Hurley’s tenure as Dean of Social Sciences, from the launch of co-op to the creation of Wilson College.

But Hurley is keen to stress that the success of the Faculty over the past nine years has been down to everyone who works for, and is involved in, the Faculty.

“These achievements are not mine,” said Hurley. “They are achievements of the Faculty—the faculty and staff who have worked hard to advance Faculty priorities.

“The fundamental role of the Dean is to create a context in which others—faculty, staff, and students—can thrive and succeed. One of my highest priorities is to create such an environment.”

As Hurley prepares to start his third term as Social Sciences dean next year, after a six-month leave of absence starting in July 2025, it’s interesting to hear that he never expected to be a dean. After being the department chair in Economics, however, he realized that he could make a difference from a position of leadership.

“I realized that being the dean could be gratifying and that I could help move the Faculty forward,” he said. “And I’ve been really happy in this position.”

But through accepting the invitation to take up a third term, Hurley hopes to provide continuity at a time of leadership change at the university, given the incoming President and Provost, and to be able to see come current initiatives further along, especially as Wilson College will soon welcome its first cohort, and the upcoming major fundraising campaign will begin in 2026.

And although this third term will be a shortened one, at two-and-a-half years, Hurley is keen to ensure that the Faculty’s trust in him is not misplaced, and leave the house in order when he steps down.

“I appreciate that people have confidence in me, but other people will have new ideas and processes they want to put in place and I am sure that will be good for the Faculty,” he said.

“I want to leave the faculty in a good place for the next dean.”

The backdrop to the last couple of years as dean, which no doubt will also continue into the next term, is the financial challenges faced by the Canadian higher-education industry.

“The big red flashing light is the fiscal challenges that the entire sector is facing, and the reduced levers we can use to address it,” he said.

“That generates the need to think creatively and connect with new audiences and think of new initiatives that are consistent with our core values but also address the fiscal gap.”

And it’s that challenge that gets Hurley out of bed every morning: he gets excited about collaboration and coming up with innovative solutions.

Take the upcoming Masters in Public Policy stream in Housing for example, which will attract top graduates while also helping to solve Canada’s housing crisis. Or the planned expansion of co-op options which will make the faculty more attractive to prospective students while providing students with valuable work experience.

It’s that collaborative approach that Hurley hopes to continue in his final term, which will start in January 2026.

In the meantime, Hurley is keen to use his six-month leave to jump back into his research, which focuses on the economics of health and health care systems including public and private roles in health care financing and equity in health systems.

And no doubt he’ll be spending time hiking his favourite trails through the Dundas valley near his home in Hamilton, where he moved to from his native United States in 1987.

And although he feels at home in Hamilton, does he now feel more Canadian than American?

“People ask me that all the time! And the answer is Canadian.”