April 23, 2015 - Western News - University of Western Ontario

PM 41195534
April 23, 2015 / Vol. 51 No. 15
westernnews.ca
Taking
a closer
look
Board sets down
parameters for
compensation review
BY JASON WINDERS
WITH UNIVERSITY SENATE non-confidence votes in
the rear-view mirror, attention now turns to Justice Stephen Goudge and his external review of the university’s
presidential compensation practices. Western’s Board
of Governors requested the review April 1 in its original
statement on President Amit Chakma’s 2014 pay.
In Terms of Reference announced today, the Board
outlined three main areas where they seek answers from
Goudge, including:
Where do we
go from here?
Western President Amit Chakma
survived a non-confidence vote
in his leadership last week.
So, what is the plan to bring a
divided university back together?
INSIDE TODAY.
• Are Western University’s presidential compensation
practices (including, but not limited to, salary, benefits
and post-service provisions) in line with those of peer
institutions?
• Does the Board of Governors have the appropriate
accountability and reporting mechanisms in place
with respect to executive compensation? If not, what
other mechanisms should be in place and/or what
amendments to our current processes might be
appropriate?
• Is a contractual provision that grants a year-long
administrative leave at 100 per cent of salary for
each term in line with university presidents’ contracts
offered by peer institutions? Is a provision that permits
salary to be paid in lieu of taking a leave in line with
presidential contracts offered by peer institutions? In
satisfying the contractual provision for an administrative leave
for a sitting president in each
term, what options are appropriate with respect to such
leaves between terms?
In these terms, the Board
remained true to the original
spark that set off the firestorm
GOUDGE
– the March 27 revelation that
Western’s university president was paid $924,000 (plus
$43,244.88 in taxable benefits) in 2014. That number
made him the fourth-highest paid public servant in
Ontario, and highest paid university president.
Since, the debate spread to other concerns about the
president, as well as the operation of the university. This
review, however, does not concern those latter issues.
“The Board recognizes that Justice Goudge’s review,
which has a specific focus on compensation and the
Board’s processes with respect to compensation, may
not fully respond to some of the concerns raised by the
CLOSER LOOK // CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
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Western News
| April 23, 2015
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Western News
University Senate Debate
President eyes future
after Senate votes down
non-confidence motions
BY JASON WINDERS
WESTERN PRESIDENT AMIT
Chakma, along with Board of Governors Chair Chirag Shah, survived a
pair of non-confidence votes from the
university Senate last week. And now,
drawing inspiration from that vote,
the president says he is determined
to bring a divided university back
together – one meeting at a time.
On April 17, university Senate members voted down separate motions of
non-confidence in Chakma and Shah
at a specially called meeting. Senators
voted 30-49, with five abstentions,
against a motion of non-confidence
in the president, and 20-46, with 21
abstentions, against a motion of nonconfidence in Shah.
The results of the two motions are
non-binding. They will be sent as
advice to the Board for consideration
at its regular meeting today.
The 105-minute debate on the
president featured one of the largest
cross-sections of Senators publicly
discussing a single subject in recent
memory. Nearly two dozen speakers
stood before a packed BMO Financial
Group Auditorium in the Richard Ivey
Building – including five of 22 Senators who called for the meeting – as
well as elected student representatives, bargaining unit heads, deans,
Alumni Association presidents and a
cross-section of faculty and students.
On the Shah question, less than a
dozen speakers addressed the halfemptied auditorium after the Chakma
vote, although both Board appointees to the Senate joined the debate
in defense of the chair.
Neither Chakma nor Shah spoke
following the votes. Shah was not
present for the debate.
However, after more than a week
on his ‘Listening Tour’ of campus, the
president said he feels more optimistic than ever about the possibility of
moving forward.
“I enter this process with a positive
feeling,” Chakma said Tuesday. “The
reason for that feeling came out of
the Senate meetings, especially the
second one (April 17). I was listening
carefully to those who were critical of
me. In some of those statements, I saw
a significant glimmer of hope. I heard
they had the best interest of the university at heart, and there was a desire
after the vote to move forward. That
was important for me to hear.”
On April 10, the president outlined
to Senate a ‘listening tour,’ promising
widespread engagement, including
faculty-by-faculty town halls, direct
consultation with faculty, more regular
engagement with staff and employee
leadership groups, as well as more
connections with students and alumni.
Following the April 17 meeting,
Chakma reached out to some of
his most vocal Senate critics. Two
– Anthropology professor Andrew
Nelson and French Studies professor
Jacques Lamarche, who brought the
non-confidence motion to the floor
– reached out directly to the presi-
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
Members of university Senate vote against a motion of non-confidence
in Western President Amit Chakma during a specially called meeting
April 17.
dent over the weekend. Chakma met
with both professors, one-on-one,
this week.
“Those meetings were constructive. We talked about concrete action
items,” the president said. “So, there
we were – Friday, we had the Senate
vote, and then by Monday morning,
we were talking about what we can do
together to move forward.”
Nelson embraced the opportunity
to expand more directly his dialogue
with the president.
“The controversy over Dr. Chakma’s
salary has sparked a broader discussion of concerns about governance,
transparency and decision-making
practices at Western – concerns which
are broadly held across campus,” Nelson said Wednesday. “Bringing these
issues into the open, and figuring
out how they can be addressed, will
be critical for us to move forward. I
applaud Dr. Chakma’s efforts to reach
out, and I am happy to engage with
him in this process.
“There is an enormous amount of
positive energy in the air right now
– it is very important that we harness
that. We all want to make this a better place to live and work; achieving
that will take a concerted effort from
everyone.”
With the president, Lamarche welcomed the “open and frank discussion, the type of discussion I would
have had with a close colleague.” His
criticisms, centred on the “PR and
politics,” he feels, have come to dominate the debate over the real issues.
“Frankly, I have been surprised.
The connection with him has been
more than I expected,” Lamarche
said Wednesday. “But the hill is steep.
What he is doing is a good start to
engage with us. I am aware all the
issues are not his making directly. So,
the engagement needs to be with
more than him; it needs to be with the
whole central administration. This isn’t
about me and him – this is about the
whole perspective.”
The president called himself
“grateful” for the constructive critics
who have reached out to him.
By next week, Chakma will have
met one-on-one with half a dozen
Senate critics, as well as a handful
of faculty councils and labour organizations, including representatives
from Science, Social Science, Arts &
Humanities, Health Sciences and the
University of Western Ontario Faculty
Association (UWOFA).
Admittedly, some of those meetings have been more successful than
others.
On April 13, the president spoke
to the Science Faculty Council, where
he heard concerns over a range of
issues, including rising tuition and
fees, matching fundraising to university priorities, reduced staff support as
it relates to research, contract faculty
teaching loads and the challenges
facing graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in launching their
careers. On April 15, Chakma met with
the UWOFA executive team to discuss
its concerns, and then with department chairs and Senators from Social
Science, in separate events.
However, on Tuesday, Arts &
Humanities Faculty Council members wrangled over allowing external media into their meeting with
Chakma. The faculty finally had its
candid – and closed – conversation
with the president.
Some common themes emerged
early on, including critiques of the
president and his administration’s
management style, perceived by
some as top-down. The vast majority
of concerns, however, centre on two
main themes – financial resources
and more open reporting and communications between administration
SENATE VOTES // CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
| April 23, 2015
3
4
Western News
| April 23, 2015
Editor’s Letter
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PHOTOS BY PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
L
ast week, on the motions of
non-confidence in Western
President Amit Chakma and
Board of Governors Chair Chirag Shah, we witnessed one of the
most thoughtful, engaging and, yes,
feisty university Senate debates in
recent memory.
When I preach the value of a university setting to outsiders, what was
allowed to happen within those few
hours Friday is what I am trying convey. Outside of a handful of embarrassing audience members hell bent
on drawing attention to themselves
through catcalls and forced guffaws, it
was a near-perfect moment in how we
settle our differences.
Until we actually had to vote, that is.
As you know by now, Senate members voted down separate motions of
non-confidence in Chakma and Shah
at the specially called meeting. Senators voted 30-49 with five abstentions
against a motion of non-confidence
in the president, and 20-46 with 21
abstentions against a motion of nonconfidence in Shah.
But neither of those numbers are
what we heard in the moment.
Questions flooded in Friday night as
the official vote count on the Chakma
motion, released after the meeting,
failed to match up with what people
heard earlier during the meeting.
There were 87 voting Senate members in attendance last week – making
the announced vote count of 39-49-5
(93 members) impossible. Seems the
acting Senate chair announced the
wrong number and those incorrect
numbers were, for some reason, not
corrected in the moment.
Later, the official tally of 30-49-5 was
released.
Now, even that tally has issues as it
still leaves three missing votes. Two of
those are the president and meeting
chair, who did not vote. One is missing.
Maybe one Senator didn’t vote.
Maybe they were overlooked. Maybe
it was the most poorly timed snack
break in Senate history. Who knows?
Certainly not the Senate.
The Shah motion caused confusion
as well. The audience heard the vote
count announced as 24-46 with 21
abstentions. That was almost immediately clarified to 20-46 with 21 abstentions. Seems it matters to the human
ear when you announce something
as ’20 for’ instead of ‘20 in favour.’
At least they managed to find all 87
Senators that time, however.
Three individual head-counters were
used to count both motions. So, we
can be confident in these numbers.
But, how did we fumble this one?
Part of the problem is the representative body clings to antiquated
ways. The Senate votes by raising their
hands. No joke. Each Senator picks
up a white, cardboard name tag at
the beginning of the meeting, holds it
up to vote and then someone counts.
That works when you have a 12-person city council or Senate opinion is
overwhelmingly swinging one way.
But in close votes, it can get confusing. Witness Friday. Secretary of the
Senate Irene Birrell had the hardest
part of the day – counting every waving, fading, hidden, shrouded, antsy
arm in the air.
Earlier in the meeting, Senators had
a chance to fix this, but they turned
down an opportunity for a roll-call vote.
To me, a roll-call vote seemed appropriate as it would have guaranteed an
accurate count, created much-needed
accountability during a debate about
accountability, and allowed us not to
conduct the most important vote in
a generation the same way gradeschoolers ask to go to the bathroom.
But Senators had their reasonings
– one was they feared retribution
because of their vote.
OK, if you’re too worried about
retribution, that’s fine. But you need
to rethink being a Senator. This isn’t
a you-and-the-ballot-box moment
like general elections. Senators are
accountable to constituents, and, as
such, shouldn’t hide when the tough
vote comes.
Even though the numbers game
didn’t impact the outcome, it did signal a need for a change.
There were votes where not only
the results, but margins mattered. By
fumbling the counting in the moment,
the Senate unnecessarily confused
an important process, fed conspiracy
and, perhaps most frustratingly, added
more fuel to the ‘can’t they do anything
right around there’ mentality this controversy has grown outside The Gates.
Despite surviving the votes, Chakma
and Shah need to do a lot of soulsearching. But perhaps the Senate
could also take this opportunity to
review and update its procedures. First
up, let’s start voting like a major institution of higher learning instead of the
Mayberry Town Council. If you don’t
like a roll call, how about some of those
classroom clickers or an electronic solution, maybe even an app? I don’t care.
We just need to make sure we get it
right – the first time, every time.
This isn’t the fault of any one person. It was a high-pressure, stress-filled
moment for those running the show.
But it was a failure of process. Because
when the lights shined brightest, the
debate was marvelous, but the process was an embarrassment.
By a show of hands, who agrees
with me?
Opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of or receive endorsement from Western News or Western University.
Western News
Letters to the Editor
// Letter ignored our real
first-hand experience
Dear Western benefactors, alumni and friends,
In your open letter advertisement (“An open letter from
Western benefactors, alumni and friends,” Western News,
April 16), you write that you “have had the pleasure of seeing first-hand as President Chakma’s vision and ideas have
taken hold.” Congratulations.
However, those of us who work directly on the campus in
research and teaching have also seen his ideas “take hold.”
I can tell you it hasn’t been a pleasure.
We’ve seen, at best, negligence and secrecy and, at
worst, program cuts, chronic underfunding and the constant threat of more of the same for years to come. This
is the real first-hand experience of the faculty, staff and
students who, against the odds, continue to make Western
one of the world’s best universities.
STEVEN BRUHM
ROBERT AND RUTH LUMSDEN PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH
// Moving on, but still doubting
Like many people, I have been following the articles,
letters and comments on the President Chakma scandal.
I am a full professor at Western; I have published three
books with two more currently at press; I have had major
research grants; I have been a professor at four different
universities (Boston, Harvard, Brock and Western); and I
teach/supervise in four undergraduate and five graduate
programs. I am also a winner of the Pleva Award for Excellence in Teaching (2001).
I love my job, love my university and have no reason to
feel any personal bitterness toward the administration.
Yet, like many others, I have been unhappy with President Chakma.
The matter that precipitated the crisis – that of ‘doubledipping’ – is symptomatic of a view at odds with everything universities represent, and part of the “disconnect”
Chakma himself acknowledges has characterized his tenure for the past six years.
Quite simply, a research leave is to support a person so
s/he can read, research, think and come back as a richer
– in an intellectual sense – person. The idea of viewing it
as something one can just cash in for money shows the
president has no interest in the core values and activities of
an academic, and no real interest in learning and growing
intellectually. This attitude might be fine on Wall Street or
Bay Street, but it is not fitting for a university president. It
would be unthinkable for a professor to skip a sabbatical
and simply take the money.
President Chakma has rolled out a classic PR strategy
that includes a ‘100 Day Plan’ and the rhetoric of calling
even his critics “friends.” He claims to have cleared his calendar of all external engagements in order to focus entirely
on listening to those at Western.
Has this been the case?
Last week, Western received a fear-mongering letter
from a Bay Street lawyer Donald Johnson, in support of his
friend Chakma. Johnson believes because he has a meeting with the Ivey Advisory Council every six months, this
puts him “in touch” with the university. But it simply puts
him in touch with the corporate model that made for the
egregious clause in Chakma’s contract in the first place.
Does President Chakma fully understand one of his
problems has been he has been orientated, almost entirely,
toward the external business community?
I have read many of the letters written to the Western
News, The London Free Press and to university Senators.
I am surprised at the vacuous nature of some. Australian
businessman Jack Cowin’s letter (“Stand up, speak out and
support the president,” Western News, April 16) has empty
phrases about “world-class” leadership. I agree with Cowin
that we need a “world-class” leader; but simply to assert a
person is world-class means nothing.
President Chakma’s own admission he has been “disconnected” for the past six years is an acknowledgement
of how poorly he has been doing his job.
Until this point, President Chakma and his friends have
equated the university with the Ivey School of Business and
viewed the university, as Johnson’s letter intimates, as just
a corporate entity. Will President Chakma reinvent himself
and become known for transparency and listening to others?
I cannot help but be somewhat skeptical. But I also recognize that we all need to move forward.
LAURENCE DE LOOZE
PROFESSOR, MODERN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
FELLOW, THE SCHOOL FOR ADVANCED STUDIES IN THE
ARTS AND HUMANITIES
FACULTY SCHOLAR, 2009-11
// Soul searching over,
time to focus on students
The uproar over President Amit Chakma receiving a
remuneration of nearly $1 million as president during 2014
represented a natural reaction.
President Chakma did not commit any fraud or crime.
Although it was legally negotiated, it was unusual – but not
unheard of – in academic settings, nationally and internationally. Usually, people take the leave and are paid during
that period. Not taking leave and then collecting both
regular and leave salary is questionable. Yes, it points to a
flaw in judgment on the part of the negotiating committee
representing the Board.
With his extensive experience in leadership positions
in a number of Canadian Universities, President Chakma
should have known better.
As it stands, the expectation of this uproar varies. Everyone has one, two or more views. Most do not support the
practice. The way forward is also diverse.
On one hand is the contention he signed a legal contract
and is entitled to it. On the other hand is the view he lacks
judgment and that disqualifies him as president. In fact, two
groups – the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) and University of Western Ontario Staff
Association (UWOSA) – formally approved this latter view.
Also, the Senate was given a notice for a special meeting to
discuss the issue. Following spirited speeches this special
meeting rejected the motion of non-confidence against Dr
Chakma by 30 to 49.
Now, what did President Chakma do after the disclosure? First, he promised to return the study leave money
received during 2014 with no conditions attached. Also, he
forgoes similar commitment for 2019. Under most circumstances, this will be the end of the story.
However, from the people at the very top in academia,
much more is expected.
As a follow up, President Chakma offered an unconditional apology to all concerned (“Difficult to express how
truly sorry I am,” Western News, April 9).
Also, he has personally and equivocally apologized to
the academic community for this “mistake” through his
personal statement to the Senate dated April 10.
As I see it, any success must begin with forgiveness.
This is not about President Chakma or any single group
or individual. I am pleased Senate voted against the nonconfidence in the president and Board chair. Most of us
have experienced ups and downs at Western – that is
natural in most large institutions with complex governance.
No single person or group holds the key to the success.
We must direct our focus on the education of our students. We have completed the soul searching. The time
has come for all of us to push in the same direction. I am
confident we will do just that. The alternative is that we
waste our energy, divided.
SHIVA M. SINGH
DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
COMMENTARY POLICY
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encourages lively debate, but reserves the
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on any topic, and may actively pursue a
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would benefit from a dissenting opinion
published simultaneously.
• All submissions become property of Western News for print and online use in perpetuity.
| April 23, 2015
5
6
Western News
| April 23, 2015
University Senate Debate
President’s Senate remarks, April 17
On April 17, Western President Amit Chakma addressed the university Senate prior to
the governing body debating, and then voting down, separate motions of non-confidence in him and Board of Governors’ Chair Chirag Shah, at a specially called meeting.
Senators voted 30-49, with five abstentions, against a motion of non-confidence in the
president and 20-46, with 21 abstentions, against a motion of non-confidence in Shah.
Below is the complete text of Chakma’s remarks.
•••
LET ME BEGIN by expressing my
respect for this Senate, and my appreciation of the dialogue we began last
week. I know we are all working with
the best interests of the university
uppermost in our minds. And I am
grateful the issues surrounding my
compensation were not conflated
with our budget deliberations.
Today, we will discuss and debate
the two motions before you, and we
will make important decisions. These
decisions will have substantive consequences for the future of the university.
To ensure we remain focused on
this business, let me first answer an
important question that may be on
your minds.
I have been asked to comment
publicly on what my intentions are
when my tenure ends as president.
As I indicated in my public statement
of April 1, I am voluntarily refunding
the in-lieu payment I received for the
administrative leave I did not take at
the end of my first contract. I have
also decided not to exercise my right
under my contract to receive payment
in lieu of administrative leave at the
end of my second term.
At the end of my tenure as president,
I intend to return to my first love of
teaching and research as a professor of
chemical engineering, and at that time,
I would use the administrative leave to
prepare for my return to academic life.
Fellow Senators, I have heard you,
and the voices of our community, loud
and clear.
The issues you have raised are real.
I hope through our discussions
today we can begin to shift our collective efforts to begin resolving these
crucial issues together. I am committed to working with you.
I have begun the process of listening, and taking concrete steps to
regain your trust and confidence. Earlier this week, I met with the Council of
the Faculty of Science, and with senior
academic leaders from the Faculty
of Social Science. Next week, I will
be meeting with the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Arts and
Humanities to engage with members
of their respective communities.
I also appreciate the leadership of
UWOFA has expressed its desire to
move forward together by articulating
three concrete action items. I thank
UWOFA for these constructive suggestions.
Fellow Senators, I remain strongly
committed to doing the right thing
and serving the good of this great
institution. We have much work to do,
and I ask for your support.
Our discussions today will lay the
groundwork for renewing our community and set the course for the future
of this academy, its faculty, students,
staff, and future administrations.
Thank you for this opportunity.
I know Western will benefit from
your contributions here today.
Western News
| April 23, 2015
7
University Senate Debate
What concerns me most about the president’s situation
is the larger issue of inequality. The acceptance of
executive opulence by the Board and the president is
simultaneously an acceptance of graduate student
poverty. There are food banks on campus, which is
incredibly incongruous, in light of the Sunshine List.
Responsible leadership includes a moral duty to ensure
workers and their families are not hungry.
Paul St. Pierre
PhD student
How can the president be on a 100-day listening
tour while his supporters tell us all to be quiet? This
is a public institution and its Senators have a duty
not to sweep this under the rug or remain silent,
but rather to debate freely and fully the merits of
the motion. I’ve also heard from many members
who fear retaliation if they speak out. Many were so
afraid of this administration, they didn’t want to risk
being found out. This is symptomatic of a culture of
fear at this university, and it says a lot to me about
the administration of Dr. Chakma.
Alison Hearn
UWOFA president
THE ISSUE I HEAR,
OVER AND OVER
AGAIN, FROM
JUST ABOUT
EVERYONE, IS THE
QUESTION OF THE
BUSINESS MODEL
AND THE TOPDOWN APPROACH
OF PRESIDENT
CHAKMA’S
ADMINISTRATION.
WHAT IS CLEAR,
IS THIS MODEL,
THE MODEL THIS
ADMINISTRATION IS
SUBJECTING US TO,
CREATES DIVISION,
COMPETITION AND,
ULTIMATELY, FEAR.
I BECAME ACTIVELY
AWARE OF THE
POWER OF FEAR
THIS WEEK. MANY
PEOPLE COULD
SIMPLY NOT SPEAK
THEIR MINDS
BECAUSE THEY ARE
SCARED.
Jacques Lamarche
French Studies
8
Western News
| April 23, 2015
Western News
| April 23, 2015
9
University Senate Debate
Dr. Chakma, I forgive you. I forgive you for failing to uphold
the core mission of this university, for failing to support
our teachers, researchers and staff. I forgive you for accepting your contracts here at Western, and your contract
at the University of Waterloo. I forgive you for remaining
silent concerning the results of the post-residency fees
referendum, which expressed overwhelming support for
bringing tuition fee reductions for MA and PhD candidates.
THERE’S NOT
ENOUGH
OBJECTIVE DATA
TO SUPPORT NONCONFIDENCE.
Colleen O’Connor
Brescia University College
Kevin Godbout
Society of Graduate Students president
I’m speaking against this
motion to assert that I believe
we can do better. I believe
very strongly that a vote of
no confidence in this case, is
far from a constructive, if not
destructive, course of action
to take. The president of this
university has made a pledge
to listen to the members of
this community. I believe that
pledge to be genuine. It will
not be an easy conversation
to have. The other option
is one of great uncertainty,
and to me that is highly
concerning.
I regard this as the most painful
duty I’ve ever had to discharge,
but I feel I owe it to the many
colleagues, students and alumni
who have written me over the
last couple of weeks. Forgiveness is easy, especially in the
face of sincere contrition. Second chance is trickier. Second
chance has to be warranted,
justified by circumstances, and I
feel the job of a university president is one, you know, you really
have to get right the first time
around. We can’t be like waffles,
and throw the first term out.
Matt Helfand
University Students’
Council president
POSITIVE DIRECTION IS ABSOLUTELY THE OUTCOME WE WANT FROM THIS. THE
VAST MAJORITY (OF INPUT I’VE RECEIVED) WOULD WARRANT A TSUNAMI OF
EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, CARDS AND CASUAL CONVERSATIONS ABSOLUTELY
IN FAVOUR OF THIS MOTION. THIS MOTION REPRESENTS A REAL CROSSSECTION OF THIS UNIVERSITY – ALL LEVELS, ALL FACULTIES. THIS IS NOT A FEW
DISGRUNTLED FACULTIES; THIS REPRESENTS A BROAD SPECTRUM.
Andrew Nelson
Anthropology professor
If you think we as deans approved of the action of taking additional funding, you are sorely mistaken. I personally
was angry to see this come about. I couldn’t see how the governance has become so detached from the university
to allow this to have occurred in the first place. Having said that, we also need to look clearly beyond the issues. I
can understand we all make mistakes, that the system will betray us and we need to address that. We have a broken
system. We have a university that’s polarizing itself, a university that’s moving to haves and have nots. I cannot vote in
favor of this motion because it speaks as a non-confidence that this university could not bring about the change that
needs to be done and I believe it can be done. Set aside the bad decision. Let’s move forward and deal with creating the
milieu, the collegiality, which is required to build this university further than it is right now.
REST ASSURED, FOLLOW SENATORS, THIS INSTITUTION WILL STILL
STAND AFTER THE EVENTS OF TODAY. BUT HOW STEADY WILL IT BE
– AND WHAT OF THOSE ALUMNI WHO HAVE PLEDGED TO GIVE THEIR
TIME, TALENTS AND TREASURES TO IT? WILL THEY BE AS COMMITTED
IF WE, AS A REPRESENTATIVE BODY OF THIS UNIVERSITY, CHOSE TO ACT
IRRATIONALLY? OUR ASSOCIATION’S STANDING HINGES ON A STRONG,
UNITED ALUMNI BODY SUPPORTING A STRONG, UNITED UNIVERSITY.
Michael Strong
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry dean
John Eberhard
Western Alumni Association president
Western Finance - Year End Deadlines
The University’s year end is Thursday, April 30, 2015. All transactions occurring before year end must be dated April 30, 2015 or earlier to be
included in the 2014/2015 budget year. It is the responsibility of each department to submit its accounting records before the deadlines
listed below. The transactions received before these deadlines will be included in the 2014/2015 budget year.
TRAVEL EXPENSES/TRAVEL ADVANCES
All cheques and cash must be deposited by the central cashier on or
before Thursday April 30, 2015 in order to be processed with an April
date. All deposits made after April 30 will be May dated. In order to
accommodate year end processing, the cashier hours will be extended
as follows: April 29 & 30 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 and 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Travel costs for non-Western employees incurred prior to April 30, 2015
must be submitted no later than Friday, April 24, 2015. Employees must
use the on-line travel expense system. On-line expense reports must
be approved by the final approver by April 30, 2015 to be included in
the 2014/2015 budget year. All outstanding travel advances should be
cleared by that date. Hard copies of on-line expense reports with original
receipts attached must be forwarded to the Travel desk, SSB 6100 by
Monday, May 11, 2015.
PETTY CASH
Expenses incurred prior to April 30, 2015 must be submitted through the
central cashier no later than Friday May 1, 2015 to be processed with an
April date. It is strongly encouraged that petty cash claims be submitted
prior to April 30 where possible to ensure your claim will be processed in
the 2014/2015 budget year. The cashier will be accepting petty cash
reimbursements up to and including May 1, 2015.
PAYROLL INSTRUCTIONS
Regular and vacation pay for part-time employees and any overtime
owed to employees should be paid in April. Financial Services will
accrue payroll from April 19 to 25, 2015.
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE INVOICES
PURCHASING INSTRUCTIONS
All April dated invoices for external customers must be finalized and
printed by 3:00 p.m. on April 30, 2015.
Purchase orders for goods and services received in the 2014/2015
budget year and invoiced before May 1, 2015 must be approved and
released in Mustang Market by April 30, 2015 to be processed
in the 2014/2015 budget year. Purchase orders for goods and
services shipped, received and invoiced after May 1, 2015 will
be committed against the 2015/2016 budget year.
INVENTORIES
The last day for submission of the physical inventory sheets is Tuesday,
May 5, 2015.
INTERDEPARTMENTAL CHARGES
Interdepartmental charges for goods received or services rendered before
April 30, 2015 must be dated April 30, 2015 or prior and journaled no
later than Friday, May 1, 2015. Ensure the Accounting Date on the Journal
Entry Header Panel is changed to April 30, 2015.
Suppliers’ invoices must be in Accounts Payable,
apinvoice@uwo.ca or SSB 6100, no later than May
1, 2015. Invoices received after this date will be
processed in the 2015/2016 budget year.
710 Adelaide Street N., just south of Oxford St.
www.gibbonsparkmontessori.com
CASH RECEIPTS
Chris Brown
School of Graduate
and Postdoctoral Studies
For information or a
personal tour, call
519- 660-8731 or email:
gibbonsparkmontessori
@hotmail.com
Gibbons Park
Montessori School
• Unique Parkland Location
• Toddler and Preschool
• Elementary
• Daily French Classes
• Extended hrs
• SUMMER CAMP
| April 23, 2015
CLOSER LOOK // CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
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Western News
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Western community,” Board members wrote in their introduction to the
terms. “The Board is committed to
a transparent and accountable governance structure that is responsive
to the needs of the institution. To
this end, following Justice Goudge’s
report, we will continue to work with
campus leadership including faculty, staff, students, and alumni to
strengthen and improve campus governance.”
The terms did not define a timetable for the review’s completion.
Although 90 days has been considered a target by many, much of the
timing falls to Goudge, who has yet to
design his process to best answer the
posed questions. Until the university
community knows how Goudge will
go about his review, it will be difficult
to determine how long it will take,
explained University Secretariat Irene
Birrell.
Once finished, Goudge will deliver
the report to the Board chair, who
will release it to the community soon
afterward.
While the findings are non-binding,
both parties have promised to be
responsive to what is discovered.
“We expect that Justice Goudge
will conduct this review in a fair, open
and transparent manner and we will
make his report public following its
submission to the Board,” Board
members wrote. “Upon receipt of
the report, the Board also commits
to responding to any recommenda-
tions Justice Goudge may provide as
part of his review in a comprehensive,
open and timely manner.”
Chakma made similar assurances to
dictate his future based on the judge’s
findings as well.
“The Board of Governors is pleased
the Honourable Stephen Goudge has
agreed to conduct this review,” Board
Chair Chirag Shah said Wednesday
morning “He is highly respected
and we look forward to receiving his
report.”
Goudge earned a BA (Political Science/Economics) from University of
Toronto in 1964, an MSc (Economics)
from the London School of Economics
in 1965 and a law degree from U of T
in 1968. He was called to the Bar of
Ontario in 1970.
He was appointed as a judge of the
Court of Appeal of Ontario in 1996
and retired from the bench in April
2014. Today, he serves as counsel to
Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein
LLP in Toronto.
Goudge is best known to the public
for leading the Inquiry into Pediatric
Forensic Pathology in Ontario in 2008.
During that time, he helped shape the
use of pediatric forensic pathology
related to its practice and use in investigations and criminal proceedings.
Following its completion, he was cited
as a model of how to lead an efficient,
effective, fair and successful public
inquiry. Many of his recommendations
have since been implemented.
SENATE VOTES // CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
and the faculties.
“Based just on the total of our discussions, and the substantive nature
of those conversations,” Chakma said,
“I believe we will continue to make
progress.”
While remaining positive, the president is acutely aware of the challenges
ahead. More than 40 per cent of Senators chose not to support him as he
attempted to stave off a non-confidence vote. Chakma said his darkest
moment came, not during that vote,
but the week prior.
“That first Senate meeting was the
toughest day. Until that moment, I
didn’t know how to react,” the president said. “But then, during and after
that meeting, things started to clear
for me. I listened and I started to sense
some positive vibes. We all had the
best interest of the university at heart.
Through the week, I began to feel
more optimistic. After this week, I feel
much more optimistic.
“‘Courage is grace under pressure,’” Chakma continued, quoting
Ernest Hemingway. “I have been reading some wise people to keep me
going, to help me maintain my composure, my approach.”
There have been a few personal
attacks, Chakma admitted, but the
vast majority of critiques and complaints have been substantive – especially on campus. And the president
wouldn’t expect it any other way.
“People who don’t know me well
might not be able to appreciate this
much, as my past 18-19 years have
been spent in administration. But I
am a faculty member. I am proud to
be a professor. I consider that to be
my vocation,” Chakma said. “I understand how faculty members think,
how they respond to things. When I
am facing my faculty colleagues, I am
facing them as peers.
“In our world, your peers can be
highly critical of your work. You cannot
take that personally. That’s part of the
culture; you accept it.”
Chakma will continue his consultations throughout the summer and
into fall. He hopes to have concrete
plans in place at some point in the fall
semester.
“I will not judge our success simply
on concrete actions taken – although
those are important,” he said. “I will
consider this process a success if I
am able to engage with the community leaders and turn my critics into
partners to get the job done. If they
become genuine partners in moving
this university forward, that is a victory.
The job we need to do will take time
to get done. That is why I am focusing
on getting the support required to do
the right thing.”
During his opening remarks April
17, Chakma did clarify his future intentions regarding administrative leave.
As announced April 1, the president voluntarily refunded the in-lieu
payment he received for the administrative leave he did not take at the
end of his first contract. He also said
will not exercise his contractual payment in lieu of leave at the end of his
second contract. However, he plans
to take administrative leave following
his tenure as president, using the time
to “prepare for my return to academic
life” as a professor of chemical engineering.
In November 2012, the Board reappointed Chakma to a second fiveyear term, ending on June 30, 2019.
Chakma has repeatedly said he
will abide by the decision of Justice
Stephen Goudge and his external
review of the university’s presidential
compensation practices.
Western News
| April 23, 2015
11
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
Protestors gather outside the BMO Financial Group Auditorium in the Richard Ivey Building, prior to a vote on a motion of non-confidence in the university president and Board of
Governors’ chair.
PART-TIME ACADEMIC EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
ANTICIPATED LIMITED-DUTIES (PART-TIME)
APPOINTMENTS
Fall/Winter 2015-2016
The University has a central Website displaying complete advertisements for all vacant
academic positions. The following academic units have anticipated Limited-Duties
vacancies and these anticipated appointments are among those being advertised currently
on the Website at uwo.ca/facultyrelations/. Please review the Website for complete details,
including application requirements and forms, or contact the Faculty, Department, School
or Program directly.
GENERAL NOTES
Fall/Winter 2015-2016
Course Dates (unless otherwise stated in posted notices)
Fall:
Fall/Winter:
Winter:
September 10, 2015 – December 9, 2015
September 10, 2015 - April 6, 2016
January 4, 2016 – April 6, 2016
Above dates include examination periods.
See westerncalendar.uwo.ca/
The calendar description of undergraduate courses offered in the academic units is
available at westerncalendar.uwo.ca. In accordance with the Collective Agreement,
consideration of applicants will include an assessment of previous performance,
experience and qualifications, including qualifications which go beyond the requirements
for the positions. Interested candidates must apply for each course separately, using the
application form available at either uwo.ca/facultyrelations/faculty/academic_positions.
html or from the Faculty/Department, School, or Program offices. In addition to the
application form, candidates should submit a curriculum vitae and evidence of successful
teaching, together with the names and contact information of qualified individuals who
could be contacted about the candidate’s teaching experience and ability, to the contact
name provided in each individual notice.
Please note offerings could be assigned to the workload of full-time faculty or to parttime faculty with First Refusal Rights in accordance with the Collective Agreement, or left
unfilled based on operational/enrolment requirements.
Closing date for applications is May 22, 2015
FACULTY OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES
Classical Studies, English and Writing Studies,
Film Studies, French Studies,
Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy,
Visual Arts, Women’s Studies and Feminist Research
RICHARD IVEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
SCHULICH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE & DENTISTRY
Dentistry, Physiology and Pharmacology
DON WRIGHT FACULTY OF MUSIC
Music Education, Music Research & Composition,
Music Performance Studies
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
Chemical & Biochemical Engineering,
Civil & Environmental Engineering,
Electrical & Computer Engineering,
Mechanical & Materials Engineering
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
Mathematics, Biology, Statistical and Actuarial Sciences,
Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Computer Science
FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing,
School of Communication Sciences & Disorders,
School of Health Studies, School of Kinesiology,
School of Occupational Therapy, School of Physical Therapy
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History,
DAN Management and Organizational Studies,
Political Science, Psychology, Sociology.
Centre for American Studies, Local Government Program,
First Nations Studies, Centre for Transitional Justice
and Post-Conflict Reconstruction
FACULTY OF INFORMATION AND MEDIA STUDIES
While every attempt has been made to ensure the listing of academic units with Limited-Duties
vacancies is accurate, it is advisable for candidates to also check the notice boards in each
academic unit for complete details.
Positions are subject to budget approval. Applicants should have fluent written and
oral communication skills in English. All qualified candidates are encouraged to
apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Western
University is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and
welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, including women, members of
visible minorities, aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities and persons of any
sexual orientation or gender identity.
Note: Recent Western graduates who are foreign nationals may be eligible to work
on campus. Please refer to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website under
Post-Graduation Employment at cic.gc.ca/english/study/index.asp.
12
Western News
| April 23, 2015
Honours
Competition puts student researchers ‘on the clock’
PHOTOS AND STORY
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
CONSIDER IT AN academic
elevator pitch.
Following faculty-specific
preliminary heats, student researchers across campus gathered recently for the annual
3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, an exercise in communication during which students
must translate the significance
of their work to a non-specialist
audience – all before the clock
ticks 180 seconds.
JENNA BUTLER
The competition, hosted by
PhD Computer Science
First place
the School of Graduate and
Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS),
Cancer is not only varied (with more
than 200 distinct variants), but a clever
disease with a host of mechanisms at
its disposal for survival. That means
one drug or one treatment may not be
enough to stop its progress.
Butler has created a computer model
of a general form of cancer that can be
‘treated’ virtually by adding elements
into the simulation.
The simulation allows researchers to
watch the cancer grow from a single cell
to a fully detectable tumour, and then
see what impact treatment combinations have. Thus far, she has tested more
than 120 combinations of treatments by
modelling their combined effects.
Simulations such as this allow
researchers to narrow the field of what
combinations need to be tested in
actual patients – saving time, money
and, most importantly, patients’ lives.
aims to develop academic,
presentation and research
communication skills.
This year, Jenna Butler,
Science; Ryan Armstrong,
Engineering; and Androu
Abdalmalak, Schulich School
of Medicine & Dentistry, took
home top honours. Butler,
who took home the first place,
will represent the university
at 3MT Ontario 2015, hosted
by Western today at the Ivey
Business School.
THE FLORENCE BUCKE
SCIENCE PRIZE LECTURE
The Beneficial Effects of
Meteorite Impact Events
by
DR. GORDON OSINSKI
Department of Earth Sciences and
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Faculty of Science
at
3:30 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015
Physics and Astronomy Building, Room 100
Complimentary Reception to follow in the Atrium.
This lecture will be of general interest and
everyone is welcome to attend.
51
44
65
17
07-Fred Negus_Ad_PENSION_v9.indd 1
2015-01-27 3:33 PM
Western News
| April 23, 2015
13
RYAN ARMSTRONG
PhD, Engineering
Second place
Armstrong is developing virtual
reality surgical simulators that recreate a number of neurosurgical procedures as a platform for surgeons to
practice complex procedures in a safe
environment. In addition to training,
these simulators allow researchers to
create metrics to evaluate surgical
performance.
Armstrong is particularly interested
in patient-specific surgical simulations,
where researchers take actual clinical cases and create virtual scenarios
using medical imaging data.
ANDROU
ABDALMALAK
MSc, Medical Biophysics
and Psychology
Third place
Abdalmalak looks to create an
alternative method of detecting brain
activity in unconscious patients using
functional near-infrared spectroscopy
(fNIR or fNIRS) – or lasers. His alternative would be a more cost-effective,
more portable option to functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
and electroencephalograms (EEG)
currently used by researchers, including Western neuroscientist Adrian
Owen.
Abdalmalak and his team have
conducted an initial experiment on
two healthy subjects, detecting activity in the primary motor cortex. The
team is moving on the supplementary
motor areas and, once the method is
validated on healthy subjects, on to
actual unconscious patients.
14
Western News
| April 23, 2015
// ACADEME
PhD Lectures
Anna Zuschlag, History, Green Berets
and Gay Deceivers: The New Left, The
Vietnam Draft and American Masculinity, 1:30 p.m. April 23, SSC 9420.
Shaun Ramdin, English, Creating Difference: The Legal Production of Race
in American Slavery, Apr. 23.
Adrian Vincent Buensuceso, Biochemistry, Investigating the role of ephrins
and their receptors in mouse folliculogenesis and ovulation, 1:30 p.m. April
23, MSB 384.
Stefanie Attardi, Anatomy and Cell
Biology, Design, Implementation, and
Evaluation of an Online Systemic Human
Anatomy Course with Laboratory, 10
a.m. April 23, MSB 148.
Matthew Scott McCready, Chemistry, Design, Synthesis, and Reactivity of Bimetallic Complexes of
Dimethylplatinum(II) Containing Ditopic
Ligands, 1:30 p.m. April 23 ChB 115.
Lauren Ashley Watson, Biochemistry,
The Epigenetic Regulators ATRX and
CTCF are Required for Mouse Neuroprogenitor Cell Survival and Brain
Development, 1 p.m. April 24, MSB 384.
Afshan Samani, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Privacy in Cooperative Distributed Systems: Modeling and
Protection Framework, 9 p.m. April 24,
TEB 234.
Matthew Meyer, Epidemiology and
Biostatistics, The Impact of Resource
Availability on Patterns of Discharge
to Inpatient Rehabilitation after Stroke
in Ontario, Canada, Apr. 27, MSB 148,
9 a.m.
Christopher Basil Martin, Psychology,
Category-Specific Item Recognition and
the Medial Temporal Lobe, 1 p.m. April
27, SSC 5220.
Yinzi Li, Biology, Molecular identification and characterization of host DEADbox RNA helicase that are associated
with Turnip mosaic virus infection, 10
a.m. April 27, B&GS 0153.
Fatemeh Ferdosian, Chemical and
Biochemical Engineering, Synthesis,
Characterization and Applications of
Lignin-Based Epoxy Resins, 1 p.m. Apr.
29, TEB 434.
Devbratta Thakur, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Power Management
Strategies for a Wind Energy Source in
an Isolated Microgrid and Grid Connected System, 9 a.m. April 30, TEB 234.
Hamed Avari, Mechanical and Materials
Engineering, Response of Endothelial
Cells to Quantified Hemodynamic Shear
Stress, 1 p.m. May 4, SEB 2009B.
Marylynn Steckley, Geography, Agrarian Change and Peasant Prospects in
Haiti, 12 p.m. May 4, SSC 9420.
Tara Crewe, Biology, Improving the Use
of Migration Counts for Wildlife Population Monitoring, 9:30 a.m. NCB 114.
Elise Thorburn, Media Studies, HumanMachinic Assemblages: Technologies,
Bodies, and the Recuperation of Social
Reproduction in the Crisis Era, 1 p.m.
May 6, NCB 293.
// CLASSIFIED
Family Cottage for Rent on the Bruce
Peninsula,­Georgian Bay side. Available
for 3-7 day stays from $375. 3 bedrooms. Includes use of canoe, 2 kayaks
& 2 bikes. Contact Chris 519-649-8081 or
email chris@campusad.ca.
Writing Support Centre
Full-Time Academic Appointments
The Writing Support Centre drop-in centre is closed. Please call for an appointment at 519-661-3655 or visit sdc.uwo.
ca/writing to register for presentations.
Cottage for Rent - 166¹ of waterfront
on Lake Huron, 20 minutes south of
Tobermory. Available 3-7 days from $475
to $1375. 3 bedrooms. Cottage completely renovated in 2014. Use of canoe,
2 kayaks & 4 bikes. Contact Chris 519649-8081 or email chris@campusad.ca.
Psychological Services
Schulich School of
Medicine & Dentistry
Department of Pathology and
Laboratory Medicine
Invites applications for a probationary
(tenure-track) faculty position at the level
of assistant or associate professor in
Viral Evolution. The successful candidate
will be appointed in the Department
of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
in the Schulich School of Medicine &
Dentistry and hold a cross appointment in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Applications will
be accepted until May 1, at which time,
review of candidates will commence.
The position will be filled in summer
2015.
// STUDENT BULLETIN
Student Central In-Person Hours
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
and Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday.
Apply to Graduate
The online application for the Spring
2015 Convocation is now open until
April 30 through your Student Centre.
Tax Receipt Information
T2202As and T4As
T2202As (tuition tax receipts) and T4As
(scholarships, awards and bursaries tax
receipts) for the 2014 tax year are available through your Student Centre (student.uwo.ca). See registrar.uwo.ca for
information on the online tax receipt
services.
Spring Convocation
(June 9-12, 15-17)
Graduates and guests, please check convocation.uwo.ca for Convocation details.
Tickets for the June Convocation will be
available online at the end of May.
Web Registration
Web Registration for summer evening,
distance studies, summer day and intersession is now open through your Student Center (student.uwo.ca).
The Student Development Centre is currently offering drop-in counselling to
help students cope with exam stress until
April 24. The drop-in appointments are
available on Monday, Wednesday and
Thursday afternoons, and Friday mornings. For more information, please call
519-661-3031 or visit WSS room 4112.
Undergraduate Sessional Dates
April 23–30: Final examination period.
April 30: Second term ends for all
faculties except Dentistry, Education,
Law and Medicine. Last day to receive
applications for graduation: Spring Convocation.
May 1: Last day to withdraw an application for graduation: Spring Convocation. Last day to receive admission
applications for Summer Day courses
from students applying for the first time
- all supporting documentation must be
submitted within seven days of this date.
May 4: Summer Evening and Spring/
Summer Distance Studies courses begin.
For more information, please visit us on
the web at studentservices.uwo.ca and
follow us on Twitter @Western_WSS.
// CAREERS
A central website displays advertisements for all vacant academic positions. The following positions are among
those advertised at uwo.ca/facultyrelations/faculty/academic_positions.html
Please review, or contact the faculty,
school or department directly.
Schulich School of
Medicine & Dentistry
Forensic Psychiatrist, Division of
Forensic Psychiatry
Inviting applications for a full-time clinical academic faculty position as a Forensic Psychiatrist at Southwest Centre for
Forensic Mental Health Care, part of
St. Joseph’s Health Care London at the
rank of assistant professor. Candidates
must hold an MD or equivalent and be
eligible for licensure in the Province of
Ontario with certification in Psychiatry
from the Royal College of Physicians
and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), or be
eligible for an academic license from the
Royal College. The position will remain
open until filled; review of applications
will begin on May 20.
Schulich School of
Medicine & Dentistry
Department of Psychiatry Staff
Psychiatrist, Geriatric Psychiatry
Division
Inviting applications for two full-time
clinical academic faculty positions in the
Division of Geriatric Psychiatry (DGP).
Clinical roles are as a staff psychiatrist
at either/both of the London Health
Sciences Centre (LHSC)-Mental Healthcare Program and Parkwood InstituteMental Health Care Program, part of St.
A Liberal Religious
Community
Joseph’s Health Care London. The position will remain open until filled; review
of applications will begin on May 20.
Schulich School of Medicine &
Dentistry - Department of Psychiatry
Medical Director
Prevention & Early Intervention
Program for Psychosis (PEPP)
Inviting applications for a full-time clinical academic faculty position as the
medical director of PEPP at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).
The candidate should be eligible for
an associate professor or full professor
academic rank. Candidates must hold
an MD or equivalent and be eligible for
licensure in the Province of Ontario, with
certification in Psychiatry from the Royal
College of Physicians and Surgeons of
Canada (RCPSC), or be eligible for an
academic license from the Royal College. The position will remain open until
filled; review of applications will begin
on May 20.
All positions are subject to budgetary
approval. Applicants should have fluent
written and oral communication skills
in English. All qualified candidates are
encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will
be given priority. Western is committed
to employment equity and welcomes
applications from all qualified women
and men, including visible minorities,
Aboriginal people and persons with
disabilities.
Place an Ad Today
For Classifieds, call 519-661-2045 or
email advertise@uwo.ca. Rates: Faculty,
staff and students – $15; others and services/commercial ads – $20. Beyond 35
words, add 50 cents per word. Payment
must accompany ads. Submit by 9 a.m.
Thursdays to Western News, Suite 360,
Westminster Hall. No refunds. Visit Classifieds Online at communications.uwo.
ca/com/classifieds_menu.
T. JOHN BRANTON
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER
Your investment portfolios are only
one component of your financial plan
John is a fourth generation Londoner, Western
graduate, active alumni and has provided trusted
wealth management services to Western faculty
and staff since 1984.
557 Clarke Rd (between Oxford & Dundas)
Sundays at 10:45AM including Children’s Program
April 26 - Rev. Linda Thomson - “Cultivating Community”
Congregational and community life can b e a bit of
a wild jumble - how can we find beauty in our midst
Retirement Planning:
ARE YOU ON THE RIGHT PATH?
According to a recent Fidelity report, 71% of pre-retirees
and retirees who work with an advisor have the retirement
they want versus 53% who don’t seek guidance.
For a personal consultation to discuss the
benefits of independent financial advice, call
519-204-4647
Welcome to your London Home
the convenience of Apartment Living!
Blossom Gate offers you varied floorplans in either our existing lowrise and highrise
buildings OR one of our newer highrise buildings - rent varies accordingly.
lounge, indoor bicycle storage, keyless entry
• 2 appliances
• Individual heating & cooling system
• Coin-less laundry facilities
• Free outdoor parking
• On-site management office
• Direct bus to downtown & Western Campus
• On-site variety store
• 1/2 block to shopping centre
Contact me to obtain a copy of this exclusive report. I’m here to help.
Jeffrey Dallner, CFA, Investment Advisor
519 660-3725 • jeffrey.dallner@cibc.ca
www.cibcwg.com/jeffrey-dallner
For Rent
Condo - 3+1 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms,
finished basement, double garage,
central vac, 5 appliances, patio. Quiet,
clean, close to Western, bus route and
shopping. Fully furnished. $1,950/month
includes utilities. Contact Karen at karwillits@yahoo.com.
CIBC Wood Gundy is a division of CIBC World Markets Inc., a subsidiary of CIBC and a Member
of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of
Canada. If you are currently a CIBC Wood Gundy client, please contact your Investment Advisor.
103-625 Kipps Lane (at Adelaide St. N)
519 432-1777
Like us on facebook.com/blossomgate
THE SYMBOL OF QUALITY
Western News
| April 23, 2015
15
Campus Digest
Sewer upgrades to disrupt campus traffic
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
Starting Monday, May 4, sections along Huron Drive and Philip Aziz Avenue will see intermittent closures to roadways due to sewer upgrades in the Huron Flats and South Valley area.
BY JASON WINDERS
STARTING MONDAY, MAY 4, sections along
Huron Drive and Philip Aziz Avenue will see intermittent closures to roadways, pedestrian paths
and the practice fields due to sewer upgrades in
the Huron Flats and South Valley area. The work
is expected to be completed by early September, prior to the start of the new academic year.
Starting May 19, the work will require a complete closure of the roadway adjacent to the
Huron Flats parking lot entrances for six weeks.
Access to Huron Flats Parking Lot, TD Stadium
and South Valley Parking Lot will be maintained
at all times. Pedestrian access will be not be
interrupted between the Recreation Centre and
Huron Flats Parking Lot, however, intermittent
walkway closures will occur on both sides of
Huron Drive throughout construction.
Throughout the construction process,
advanced notice signs and detours will be
posted to help traffic find alternate routes
around road closures.
The upgraded sewer infrastructure will serve
the new academic building for Faculty of Information and Media Studies and Nursing. The
project will also increase capacity and prepare
the area for future development in South Valley.
Along with major sanitary sewer pipe installations, the project includes the addition of a new
sewage pumping station and force main.
This construction project marks the first of
many for the campus this summer. To keep
the community up-to-date on all projects and
service interruptions, Facilities Management
is developing a calendar of events that will be
available online. Visit the Facilities Management’s website or follow its Twitter feed for
updates and service interruptions.
NEWS AND NOTES
Huron University College Principal Stephen
McClatchie will not seek a second term as
principal following the conclusion of his term
on June 30, 2016, Huron officials announced
Thursday.
After almost 15 years as a senior academic
administrator at three different institutions,
McClatchie plans to resume teaching and
research as a full professor at Huron in
2017, following a year of research leave. In
addition, McClatchie will continue working
toward ordination as an Anglican priest.
“As I complete my term, I will continue to
work closely with the campus community to
preserve, strengthen and advance Huron’s
core mission, through the objectives outlined in our Strategic Plan,” he said. “The
remaining months will be busy, as I hope
to bring to fruition many of the initiatives
underway as well as to prepare the ground
for my successor.”
Robarts Clinical Trials Inc., a global academic
clinical research organization with offices in
San Diego, Amsterdam and London, Ont.,
announced last week a relocation to the
Bell Canada Building in downtown London,
effective Jan. 1, 2016.
An operationally and financially independent subsidiary of Western, Robarts Clinical
Trials was established in 1986 at the Robarts
Research Institute and has been part of the
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
since 2007.
Davey Cheng, Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine chair at the Schulich School
of Medicine & Dentistry, is the recipient of
the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society
2015 Gold Medal Award. The highest award
presented by the International Anesthesia
Research Society, it recognizes individuals
who have made significant contributions
to anesthesia in Canada through teaching,
research, professional practice or related
administration and personal leadership.
Western alumnus Gary Conn, BA’92, will take
over as police chief for the Chatham-Kent
Police Services next month. The Sociology graduate spent four years in the Canadian Army before
becoming a London police constable. He joined
the Chatham-Kent
Police Service in
1998.
Conn continued
his education at
CONN
Western, where he
has completed his
Graduate Diploma in Public Administration,
his Masters in Public Administration (PMA)
and an Executive Management Certificate
Program.
Conn, who replaces retiring chief Dennis
Poole, will be sworn in May 22.
The Centre for Research and Education
on Violence Against Women & Children
recently won a top honour in the fourth
annual Avon Global Communications
Awards, which recognize outstanding communications campaigns designed to help
end violence against women. The awards
consist of five categories, and are part of
Avon’s Speak Out Against Violence campaign.
The centre was selected as the winner of
the Innovative Campaign category for its
Make it Our Business Campaign, which uses
videos, webinars, blogs and online modules to provide education and training to
workplaces on recognizing and responding
to domestic violence. Since its inception in
2010, the Make It Our Business Campaign
has provided training to more than 500
Canadian workplaces.
Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing
professor Helene Berman recently received
the Nursing Network on Violence against
Women International 2015 Excellence in
Research Award at the organization’s 20th
conference in Atlanta, Ga. Berman, Health
Sciences associate dean (research), is also
an associate scientist, Division of Children’s
Health & Therapeutics with the Children’s
Health Research Institute.
Berman was honoured as one of the most
articulate, rigorous and innovative researchers in the field of violence against women
and girls. Her body of work has changed
the way we think about girls/young women,
their experiences of war, violence, marginalization and isolation, as well as the
enormous creativity and strength they bring
to dealing with these challenges. She is currently engaged in bringing similar recognition to the challenges and strengths of boys/
young men.
Brendan Fernandes, MFA’05, has been longlisted for the Sobey Art Award, among the
most prestigious honours for young artists
in the country.
Born in Kenya of Indian heritage, Fernandes
immigrated to Canada in the 1990s. He
completed the Independent Study Program of the Whitney Museum of American
Art (2007), earned his BFA (2002) from York
University and MFA (2005) from Western. He
has exhibited internationally and nationally
including exhibitions at The Art Gallery of
Hamilton, The Studio Museum in Harlem,
The Andy Warhol Museum, The Art Gallery
of York University, Manif d’Art: The Quebec
City Biennial, The Third Guangzhou Triennial
and the Western New York Biennial through
The Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
Fernandes was a finalist for the Sobey in
2010, and was on the longlist for the 2013
prize.
This year’s Sobey Award shortlist will be
announced on June 3.
16
Western News
| April 23, 2015
On Campus
Time for staff and faculty to get their game on
BETTER START STRETCHING
now, registration is now open for the
Western Staff & Faculty Fall Games
2015, the intramural-style, multi-sport
league available to all staff and faculty
on campus.
Now in its second year, the league
features seven different sports played
on campus from 4:30-5:30 p.m. every
Thursday for six weeks. There are two
sessions available – May 21-June 25
and July 9-Aug. 13. Individuals will
be split into different teams each
week, so everyone will play with – and
against – a variety of players.
The registration fee is $35 plus HST
for each session.
Visit the intramurals link, shop.westernmustangs.ca and click on Western
Staff & Faculty Games in the list at left.
Registration for session one opens at
8 a.m. Monday, April 27 and closes
11:59 p.m. Thursday, May 14. Registration for session two runs 8 a.m.
Monday, June 15 through 11:59 p.m.
Thursday, July 2.
All abilities of play are welcome,
however, keep in mind this is a fun,
non-competitive league and the convenor will ensure we stick to the rules
of fun and fair play, said Karmen Dowling, Annual Giving officer, and lead
organizer.
Organizers said the non-competitive events are a perfect opportunity
for those who want to be more active
to have something organized, and
conveniently at their place of work.
“Nobody has to be a superstar
at any of the sports,” Dowling said.
“Even if you don’t think you would
be great at, say, flag football, even if
you think there might be too much
running, this is really about having
fun more than being the top scorer.
Anybody can play.”
The schedule of events follows:
SESSION ONE (MAY 21 - JUNE 25)
Thursday, May 21
Badminton
Western Student recreation Centre
(WSRC) – Lower Gyms
Thursday, May 28
Flag Football
Alumni Field
Thursday, June 4
Dodgeball
WSRC – Upper Yellow & Blue Gyms
Thursday, June 11
Softball – 3-Pitch and Ultimate Frisbee
Westminster Diamond and Alumni Field
Thursday, June 18
Volleyball
WSRC – Lower Red and Purple Gyms
SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
Thursday, June 25
7-on-7 Soccer
Mustang Field
Thursday, July 16
Flag Football
Alumni Field
Thursday, July 30
Dodgeball
WSRC – Upper Yellow & Blue Gyms
SESSION TWO (JULY 9 – AUG 13)
Thursday, July 9
Badminton
WSRC – Lower Gyms
Thursday, July 23
7-on-7 Soccer
Mustang Field
Thursday, Aug. 6
Softball – 3-Pitch and Ultimate Frisbee
Westminster Diamond and Alumni Field
Thursday, Aug. 13
Volleyball
WSRC – Lower Red & Purple Gyms