In memory of Professor Jim Greer

Professor Jim Greer of the Department of Computer Science passed away on June 16, 2018. His obituary was published in The Saskatoon StarPhoenix on June 19. The following messages from Dirk de Boer, acting dean of the College of Arts and Science and Patricia McDougall, the University of Saskatchewan’s Vice-Provost Teaching, Learning and Student Experience, were shared throughout the college.

Dear colleagues,

It is with great sadness that I am writing to let you know that our dear colleague Professor Jim Greer has passed away on Saturday June 16. Many of us know Jim, of course, though his role as the Director of the University Learning Centre and the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning where, as a recipient of a Master Teacher Award (1998) and a Distinguished Graduate Supervisor Award (2005), he led by example. Jim, however, wore many different hats, including this past year that of Chair of the Nominations Committee of University Council, where he used his many contacts in the university to populate the various council committees. Jim also was a member of the Coordinating Committee of Council, and I always appreciated his calm demeanor and thoughtful contributions to the discussion.

Patti McDougall, our Vice-Provost Teaching, Learning and Student Experience, has provided an overview of Jim’s many outstanding contributions to the university, in her message below.

Throughout his time at the U of S, Jim inspired and provided leadership as a teacher, as a researcher, and as an administrator. Jim will be greatly missed by his many friends and colleagues at the U of S.

Dirk de Boer
Acting Dean, College of Arts and Science

Dear colleagues,

It is with deep sadness that I write to let you know that our colleague, Dr. Jim Greer, passed away following a sudden heart attack on Saturday, June 16^th. I know all who had the chance to work with, and know, Jim will share in the grief felt across the university community on this significant loss.

Jim has a stellar and long history with the University of Saskatchewan. He completed his B.Sc. (Mathematics), B.Ed. (Mathematics Education), M.Ed. (Mathematics Education) and B.Sc. (Advanced Certificate in Computational Science) here with us before completing an M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of Texas in 1987. Jim returned to the U of S as a post-doctoral fellow before his appointment into Computer Science as an Assistant Professor in 1989. He was promoted to full professor in 1996. As the recipient of both a Master Teacher Award (1998) and a Distinguished Graduate Supervisor Award (2005), Jim was a role model for many colleagues and students.

Jim has been an active researcher in technology-enhanced learning and artificial intelligence. He has held a number of grants, supervised more than 30 graduate students, and published more than 140 refereed papers.

Jim’s record of administrative service to the University of Saskatchewan is highly distinguished. He served the Department of Computer Science as Head for five years during which he was a committed advocate and strong leader. His committee service to the College of Arts and Science and the University as a whole is nothing short of legendary.

I, along with many others, consider him to be a long-standing and crucial champion of teaching and learning at the U of S. Jim’s leadership over a period of almost 10 years (beginning in 2005) as Director of both the University Learning Centre and the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning created the foundation upon which the University of Saskatchewan has been able to build a robust and innovative teaching and learning mission – well-placed within the contemporary higher education context. Jim offered important mentorship and support to staff, and he was a fierce champion of the work of these centres and their strategic contribution to the institution. Jim has had a tremendous influence on the careers of many staff who consider themselves privileged to have worked within the scope of his influence and leadership.

In the last few years, Jim found new ways to lift up the University of Saskatchewan as a leader in teaching and learning through his work as our Senior Strategist in Learning Analytics. Jim’s work in the areas of big data and early alert is outstanding and leaves a path for us to continue. Some of you may be aware that Jim was successful in positioning the U of S as a founding member of the Bay View Alliance – “… an international network of research universities exploring strategies forcultural change to support and sustain the widespread adoption of instruction methods that lead to better student learning.” Indeed, among other accomplishments Jim was extremely successful in encouraging faculty and other colleagues to move from “interest” to “action” in their Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Through advice and mentorship he showed people what was possible.

At his core, Jim’s professional life was about serving the needs of students and doing everything in his power to ensure student success. This was his mission and this was his passion. He was ever-strategic in his thinking and planning about how to move teaching and learning forward and at the same time he was effective in advancing the work needed. One of my esteemed colleagues noted for me that he thought of Jim as an “optimistic skeptic”. When Jim was involved, it was clear that all ideas were worthy of consideration and he always took the time to carefully and patiently explain why some ideas were better than others. Jim offered his advice freely and always with a view to being helpful and constructive.

There will be a service for Jim on Thursday, 21 June at 3:00pm at the St. Thomas More Chapel, followed by a reception. The details for the service will be forthcoming in Tuesday’s Obituary (Saskatoon Star Phoenix). His family has asked that in lieu of flowers, those who wish to do so may provide a donation to a graduate bursary that will be named in Jim’s honour – the James E. Greer Teaching, Learning, and Technology Graduate Student Bursary. If you would like to make a donation to the bursary, please contact Gift Planning Specialist, Trina Mortson, at trina.mortson@usask.ca.

At an appropriate time in the coming months and alongside Jim’s family, we will also arrange a memorial event at the university so that we can identify ways to honour the life and the work of this fine academic, great colleague and true university citizen. Additional information about this memorial event will follow.

I would like to extend our thanks to Jim’s family for making it possible for him to give so much of himself to the University of Saskatchewan over the last few decades. His contributions have left a rich and meaningful legacy and the work of the many he has influenced will continue in ways that exemplify his passion and spirit. I know colleagues will join me in expressing our deepest condolences to Jim’s family at this difficult and painful time. He will be greatly missed.

Please share this with colleagues in your colleges as you see appropriate.

Patricia McDougall
Vice-Provost Teaching, Learning and Student Experience

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