Chancellor Mike Durland welcoming graduates during Spring Convocation
There’s a moment at every Saint Mary’s University convocation when the room settles, the energy shifts and all eyes turn forward.
A pause. A smile. “Well…”
And then: “You’ve done it!”
Mike Durland closed every convocation ceremony with great enthusiasm
For graduating students, it’s a moment that lands with meaning. One that signals both an ending and a beginning. And for Chancellor Michael Durland BComm'87 DComm'10, it became a defining part of how he connected with each graduating class.
“The closing gesture was quite involuntary at first,” he says. “I wanted to connect with them, give them a last jolt of energy, give them the sense that they have really arrived.”
As Mike concludes his term as Chancellor, it’s that ability to create meaningful, human moments that has come to define his time in the role.
The moments that matter
When asked what stands out most, Mike doesn’t point to a single milestone or announcement. Instead, he returns to a feeling. “It’s been an amazing experience. It’s actually hard to describe how fulfilling it’s been.” Much of that comes from convocation, the place where his role came to life most visibly and most personally. “You arrive on campus and feel the energy of the students and are reminded of the purpose of the university.”
Celebrating grads on stage at convocation
Over the course of his many ceremonies, he developed a habit of listening closely to valedictorian speeches, seeing them as reflections of something bigger. “They kind of tell the story of the time, for the university and for the students, and it’s often a story about challenges and support, and friendship, and it often reinforces the important, and often deeply personal, role a university plays in student’s life.”
But it was often the quieter, unscripted moments that stayed with him most—meeting families and supporters, hearing snippets of students’ journeys, witnessing pride in its purest form. “For many of them, they’re first-time graduates. There’s a lot of pride, a lot of emotion.” For Mike, these moments reinforced what he sees as the true privilege of the role. “You’re connected to a place that you love, and to all the members of that community in this really wonderful way.”
Coming full circle
Long before he stood on the convocation stage as Chancellor, Mike was a Saint Mary’s student himself. “Saint Mary’s was this amazing time in my life. I really found a love of learning here. I gained a lot of confidence here.” Looking back, he sees that transformation as foundational. “I could not have imagined the life I was about to lead and how much the university prepared me for that.”
It was also at Saint Mary’s where he met his wife, Catherine, something he describes as deeply intertwined with his experience of the university. “When you add it all up, meeting her was the most pivotal moment of my life and we both have very special memories of that time. Saint Mary’s is a constant in those memories.” Returning years later in the role of Chancellor brought that story full circle. “When we go back, it feels like home. It’s this really special place.” That sense of home became a thread throughout his time in the role, something he intentionally reinforces in how he speaks to students, particularly as they graduate.
Giving back with purpose
During his time as Chancellor, the Durland family made a transformative $3-million gift to support graduate research at Saint Mary’s. For Mike, the motivation was deeply personal. “When I look back at my journey, it was a special group of faculty members who really were at the heart of my experience.”
Mike and Catherine Durland met as undergraduate students at the Sobey School of Business
One of those faculty members still stands out vividly. While at Saint Mary’s, he approached professor Jan Bartholdy for a reference to law school, only to be met with a different idea. “He said, ‘I will give you a reference, but only if you apply to Queen’s for your PhD.’” What followed was more than guidance. The two worked together on a paper, and when Mike wasn’t accepted in the first round, Bartholdy took it upon himself to advocate directly, driving to Queen’s University in person to make the case. “He said, ‘You have to take this guy. He’s just a great kid.’”
It’s a moment that has stayed with him, not just because of where it led, but because of what it represented: a professor who saw potential, took the time and changed the trajectory of a student’s life. The gift, he explains, was a way to recognize that special relationship. “It was our attempt to bring back to our amazing faculty a special thanks.”
At the same time, it reflects a broader belief in the role of research and the importance of supporting both faculty and students. “I wanted to find something that would be beneficial to them, to encourage young graduate students to come and be part of their labs and to grow into our next generation of faculty.” Underlying that is a bigger question, and one he continues to think about: “How do we create an environment where all our students can flourish?”
Confidence in the next generation
After years of watching students cross the convocation stage, Mike is clear about what gives him confidence in the next generation. “They are amazing. You definitely walk away a little bit mind-blown.” In particular, he points to a sense of confidence and readiness—something he sees as especially meaningful in today’s world. “There could be a lot of reasons today to not be confident, but yet I think our students have a sense of confidence and readiness that’s truly inspiring.”
He also sees something else: energy. “They have more energy at the end than they had at the beginning of their journeys. They’ve done it.” For Mike, that combination matters. “If you have confidence and you have energy, you have a really good start to a winning formula.”
Advice for what comes next
Mike speaking at an alumni event
For graduates stepping into life beyond Saint Mary’s, Mike offers a perspective shaped by experience. “Many of our graduates feel a lot of pressure—they feel they should know exactly where that next leg of the journey is going to take them. When I left Saint Mary’s, I had no idea where my career would take me, and that was okay. That’s what makes the journey special—you work hard, absorb everything around you and the path eventually reveals itself.”
He often returns to an analogy his mother used. “Just because you have your driver’s license doesn’t mean you know how to drive a car.” The message is clear: learning doesn’t stop at graduation. “Keep educating, keep developing, keep having dreams. The day you graduate from university, you’re nowhere near through your journey. It’s really just begun.”
It’s advice rooted in patience, resilience and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. “Don’t fear failure. If you’re not failing, you’re not trying. That’s how you learn.”
A lasting connection
Ahead of his final convocation as Chancellor, Mike shared that the moment will be a meaningful one. “There’ll be a lot of mixed emotions.”
After years of standing at the front of the stage—welcoming, encouraging and celebrating each graduating class—it’s not just the ceremony he’ll reflect on, but the people behind it. The conversations, the stories, the moments of pride that unfolded between each name called. “You get to see the student’s moment of connection with their family and friends. Sometimes there’s a huge celebration, sometimes it’s more subtle. But there’s a lot of pride, a lot of emotion and you really get a sense of what it means to them.”
That connection, felt in those moments, has come to define his time as Chancellor. It’s something that reaches far beyond the stage, shaped by relationships, shared experiences and grounded in a deep appreciation for what Saint Mary’s represents in people’s lives.
A shared chapter
Throughout his term, Mike has worked closely with Saint Mary’s leadership, including former president Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray and Susan Summerby-Murray, whose presence helped shape the tone of campus life during his time as Chancellor. He has also supported the university through a period of transition, welcoming new president Dr. Michael Khan and the continued evolution of Saint Mary’s.
Being sworn in as Chancellor in 2019
Behind the scenes, he is quick to acknowledge the many people who make the university what it is, from its Board of Governors to faculty, staff and the broader campus community.
That spirit of shared leadership and collective care is something he has both experienced and contributed to, and something that will continue long after his term concludes.
And while he has spent years offering words of encouragement to graduating students, Saint Mary’s now has an opportunity to return the sentiment. For the time, energy and heart he has given to this role, for the moments he helped shape, the connections he strengthened and the community he championed…
Thank you, Mike. You’ve done it.
Mike and his wife, Catherine BComm'87, established the Durland Family Doctoral Convocation Award to support PhD students as they reach this important milestone in their academic journey—reflecting their shared belief in the power of education and student achievement.
As we mark the conclusion of his tenure (2019 – 2026), we invite members of the Saint Mary’s community to honour his contributions and leadership by making a gift to support the Durland Family Doctoral Convocation Award.
Your generosity is a meaningful way to recognize Mike’s lasting impact and to help ensure that future students continue to benefit from the opportunities he has championed. Thank you.
This story was featured in the Spring edition of the Maroon + White alumni magazine. Visit the online magazine to read more alumni stories!
