G. Stuart Adam , BJ / 63 , MA / 67

G. Stuart Adam has made an immeasurable contribution to Carleton University. Over his 30 year Carleton career, he has mentored students as a professor, led the School of Journalism and Communication through significant growth, transformed the Faculty of Arts as its dean, and led the university through academic renewal as vice-president (academic). He provided the university with inspiring leadership—and was given the 2010 Founders Award in recognition of his dedication and commitment to the values and advancement of the university.

A varsity tennis and hockey player, Adam edited what was then called The Carleton, the student newspaper, while studying journalism. Following graduation, he worked as a reporter and desk editor for The Toronto Star and as a reporter and editorial writer for The Ottawa Journal before returning to Carleton in 1966 to pursue a Master’s degree in the Institute of Canadian Studies and a PhD from Queen’s.

As faculty member at Carleton, Adam was appointed to several key administrative positions. By the time he retired in 2004, he had spent 25 years in university administration. As director of Carleton’s School of Journalism, Adam oversaw expansion in the range of its programs, including the introduction of the master’s program in journalism and a research program in mass communication studies.

Starting in 1992, Adam served as dean of the Faculty of Arts where he encouraged and then facilitated the creation of the College of the Humanities and the program of First Year Seminars. His term as dean ended in 1996 when he was named chair of the “Working Group on Academic Renewal” that guided the restructuring of the university and lead to the creation of the Faculty of Public Affairs. Adam was appointed vice-president (academic) in 1997 with a mandate from the President to implement the recommendations of the working group. He retired from that position in June 2003.

Although absorbed in administrative life throughout his career, Adam remained engaged in scholarship and teaching. He has written extensively on the philosophy of journalism, journalism education, ethics, and freedom of expression and the Canadian legal system. While on leave from Carleton in 1987-89, he was founding chair of the Centre for Mass Media Studies at the University of Western Ontario and twice in his career he was scholar-in-residence at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is currently professor emeritus of journalism.