Dr. Ryder Glass officially took on her role as the new provost and vice president academic on Jan. 1, 2026, after working at the UFV since July 2014. Prior to this, she filled multiple roles at the institution, including the dean of professional development, vice provost, and acting provost. She joined with The Cascade to discuss her love of teaching, becoming the new provost, and her goals for the future.
With a career spanning from education to law, Dr. Ryder Glass shared that in the past, she has worked as a modelling instructor, an elementary school teacher, and a certified mountain biking instructor and coach for several years. She noted that throughout her career, teaching has always been an integral part of her life.
“Teaching is a passion of mine and has been a consistent theme throughout the many career fields I have engaged in.”
Ryder Glass said she is grateful to be working in a position that draws from her past work experience in areas such as law, education, sociology, conflict resolution, and administration. She recalled that she never hesitated to apply for the role of provost after she found out what the job and vision entailed. She really wanted to apply despite it being coined as the most challenging position on campus.
She confided that the hiring process was anything but easy. However, the fact that she was an internal applicant who had prior experience as acting provost twice in her career at UFV made it an easier transition.
“Having been in an acting capacity twice — first, from January 2023 to January 2024 and the second, more recently from July of this year to now, has given me a clear understanding and expectation of the role. Without this experience, I would not have the confidence I now have of stepping into the role.”
She shared that the provost office team, which consists of Nicole Klassen and Melinda Saretzky have helped make the transition period go smoothly, and she is grateful for their support. She also was thankful for the mentorships she received from the vice presidents and UFV President, Dr. James Mandigo, whom she has worked with since he started at UFV in 2019.
“I attribute my confidence [in] taking on the role to Dr. Mandigo. He has put his trust in me to guide directions and make decisions when I may not have felt the confidence to do so without his support and trust … I hope to serve the UFV community in the Provost role in a way that respects his legacy.”
Ryder Glass said the provost is responsible for specific areas such as leadership, strategic planning, academic planning, and student success. She addressed that this cannot be done alone but with a team of seasoned leaders working together to achieve their goals with a high degree of trust. She also shared some of the goals she hopes to achieve.
“My goal initially is to build relationships and trust within the UFV community and determine how I can best support them in their goals and direction. More long term [goals] will be to support the revision of the Integrated Strategic Plan (ISP), the Strategic Enrolment Management Plan (SEM), and support our university priorities of being seen as changemakers, and the development of our One Health initiative.”
Over the next five to 10 years, Ryder Glass wants to continue working at UFV and support students. She also hopes to see UFV continue to develop and grow, following their existing mission and vision to be an innovative, inclusive, diverse, and transformative change maker campus that is led by their core values as an institution and community.
“The university’s core values — Integrity, Inclusivity, Community, and Excellence — guide everything from decision-making to daily interactions. These are not simply guiding statements — they reflect the work we do every day, and they invite all of us to be part of something bigger.”
In closing, Ryder Glass’ advice for students is to not stress over their futures and avoid making hasty decisions. She emphasized that students may feel pressured to have all the answers and figure their lives out after high school, which shouldn’t be the case.
“My advice is [to] enjoy the journey. Universities like UFV provide the environment to do this through engaging classrooms, SUS clubs, research opportunities, social innovation opportunities, recreation, travel, and sport. Your passion will find you. You just have to take the pressure off of yourself and let it happen.”
Interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.