1. No category

April 9, 2015 / Vol. 51 No. 13
PM 41195534
westernnews.ca
In his
own
PRESIDENT DISCUSSES PAY
CONTROVERSY, CRITICISM
AND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD
STORY // PAGES 8-9
Senate calls special meeting on non-confidence in president
BY JASON WINDERS
DEBATE OVER THE handling of
Western President Amit Chakma’s 2014
salary now shifts to the university Senate, as tomorrow’s regularly scheduled
meeting will be augmented by a specially called meeting to discuss a nonconfidence vote in the president. That
meeting can be scheduled for no later
than April 22.
All this comes amid expressed nonconfidence by the institution’s largest
bargaining unit, despite efforts by the
university president and Board of Governors to allow the university to “move
forward.”
Tomorrow, however, the university
Senate takes centre stage.
Chakma, who serves as Senate chair,
plans to make a statement regarding his administrative leave during the
Report of the President (Agenda Item
3). Following that, Health Sciences
Dean Jim Weese, who serves as Senate vice-chair, will lead a question-andanswer session around the statement.
The university Senate meeting will
be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Richard Ivey Building, Room 1100. Note
the change of venue from the Senate’s
recent home in the University Com-
CHANGE OF VENUE
munity Centre. The hefty agenda also
includes discussion on the Campus
Master Plan and 2015-16 University
Operating and Capital Budgets.
On Friday, a request for a special
university Senate meeting was filed
with Irene Birrell, University Secretary.
Senate bylaws allow for a written
request from a minimum of seven
Senators asking to call a special meeting. That request must state the business of the proposed meeting at the
time it is made. Once delivered to the
The university Senate meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Richard Ivey Building,
Room 1100. Note the change of venue from the Senate’s recent home in the University
Community Centre.
University Secretary, inside or outside
the confines of a meeting, the special
meeting must be called within 15 days
of the request’s arrival.
According to the request from 22
faculty members, the meeting will concern: “That the Senate of the University
of Western Ontario has lost confidence
in President Amit Chakma.”
That meeting must be scheduled
for no later than April 22. It will feature
discussion on only that one topic.
During the Enquiries and New
Business (Agenda Item 6) portion of
Friday’s meeting, any Senator could
have called for a ‘notice of motion’
asking for a vote of non-confidence
in the president, Board chair, or both.
That notice would be noted at that
Western’s newspaper of record since 1972
moment, but not voted on immediately, Birrell explained. The motion
would have been forwarded to the
Senate’s Operations/Agenda Committee, chaired by Weese. This committee
would then have determined if motion
was in order, and if it should go on the
agenda of the next meeting, May 8.
However, that procedure is unnecessary now that a special meeting
request has been filed.
This special meeting request caps
off an eventful week leading up to
tomorrow’s meeting.
In a statement issued April 1,
Chakma announced he was voluntarily
refunding his in lieu payment for 2014,
PAY DEBATE // CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS FILE PHOTO
words
2
Western News
| April 9, 2015
upload your photos
Coming Events
APRIL 9–15
#
9 // THURSDAY
STUDY DAYS
April 9 and 10. Final examination period April 11-30.
2015 GRADUATE STUDENT
CONFERENCE
Collaborative Migration and Ethnic
Relations. Evelyn Encalada Grez, migration scholar and activist, Organizing Transnational Love amoung Mexican Migrate Farmworker Women.
8:30 a.m.-6:40 p.m. McKeller Theatre, UCC.
THE SCIENCE OF BEING HUMAN
It’s All Under Control. Faculty members from Psychology share their
insights and research. Scott MacDougall-Shackleton, How Biological
Clocks Make us Tick.
7 p.m. Stevenson Hunt Room, Central Library.
PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY
COLLOQUIUM
Yang Song, Deptartment of Chemistry, Western. Development and Characterization of Novel Materials under
Extreme Conditions using Spectroscopy and Synchrotron Radiation.
1:30 p.m. PAB 100.
10 // FRIDAY
PSYCHOLOGY COLLOQUIUM
Suzanne Bell, DePaul University, Putting Team Composition Research in
Context: How the Mix of Team Members influences Team Effectiveness in
and out of this World.
3 p.m. UCC 41.
11 // SATURDAY
REDEFINING DEMENTIA
SYMPOSIUM
Members of the Rogers Chair of Studies in Journalism and New Information
Technology presents Redefining Dementia: New Insights; Deeper Images;
Fresh Stories. A one-day symposium
for individuals living with dementia
and for the future professionals who
will care for them.
9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. London Public
Library, Masonville Branch.
THE HUME CRONYN
OBSERVATORY PUBLIC NIGHTS
No charge and no reservations are
necessary; come and go as you please
throughout the evening. cronyn.uwo.
ca/.
13 // MONDAY
WESTERN EDUCATION
RESEARCH OFFICE
Fazal Rizvi, University of Melbourne,
Australia, Pedagogical Challenges
and Possibilities of Everyday Cosmopolitanism. RSVP to xwu264@uwo.ca.
2 p.m. FEB 1139.
THE CENTRE FOR PLANETARY
SCIENCE AND EXPLORATION
First annual Space Day at Western.
Celebrates Western’s past contributions to Canada’s space program and
showcases current research of graduate students. Contact cpsz@uwo.ca.
2-5 p.m. PAB Atrium.
ARABIC CONVERSATION GROUP
4:30 p.m. UC 203.
14 // TUESDAY
tag with #westernu
15 // WEDNESDAY
ITALIAN CONVERSATION GROUP
2:30 p.m. UC 117.
TOASTMASTER’S CAMPUS
COMMUNICATORS
Build your confidence in public speaking.
9119.toastmastersclubs.org/.
Contact Donna Moore, dmoore@
uwo.ca or 85159.
12 p.m. UCC 147B.
GERMAN CONVERSATION
GROUP
1:30 p.m. UC 207.
Pizza Hut makes exam
studying easier with
FREE Food!
Receive free Cinnaparts or large Bread Sticks with purchase of a
medium or large Pizza when you order from our
1153 Western Road Pizza Hut location!
Coupon required. Not valid with any other specials. No cash value. One coupon per customer. Offer expires April 30/2015.
Steps from campus …
@westernuniversity
THE DEPARTMENT OF MODERN
LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
La Tertulia. Anyone wishing to speak
Spanish and meet people from differ-
flickr.com/groups/western/
ent Spanish-speaking countries is welcome. Email tertulia@uwo.ca.
4:30 p.m. UC 205.
NOTICE TO JOIN THE ACADEMIC PROCESSION
305th CONVOCATION - SPRING 2015
Spring Convocation takes place Tuesday, June 9 to Friday, June 12 and
Monday, June 15 to Wednesday, June 17 with ceremonies at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Members of Faculty, Senate, the Board of Governors and Emeritus/a Professors/
Archivists/Librarians are invited to take part in the Academic Procession. Full
information on joining the academic procession (including order of ceremony,
honorary degree recipients, assembly and regalia) may be found on the
Senate Website:
uwo.ca/univsec/senate/convocation/index.html
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.
Contact me to obtain a copy of this exclusive report. I’m here to help.
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HONORARY DEGREE NOMINATIONS
The Senate Honorary Degrees Committee will meet in April
to select candidates for honorary degrees to be awarded at
Western’s Autumn convocation scheduled in October. To ensure
that consideration is given to as many worthy candidates as
possible, the Committee invites the submission of nominations
from any member of the university community.
Nomination forms may be downloaded from the following
website: uwo.ca/univsec/senate/convocation/honorary_
degrees.html and submitted electronically to ibirrell@uwo.ca
prior to April 22, 2015, for consideration by the
Honorary Degrees Committee.
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.
For a personal consultation to discuss the
benefits of independent financial advice, call
519-204-4647
Western News
| April 9, 2015
3
Honours
Two students named among 3M Fellows
Nicola Paviglianiti, Health Studies and Italian
Language and Culture
Originally from Calgary, Paviglianiti is a catalyst for change and takes collaborative action
to create inclusive empowering environments
for diverse populations. She recognized a need
to support out-of-province students in postsecondary education and she is the co-founder and
director of Western’s Out of Province Student
Association (OPSA), providing social and academic programming across campus. As a Health
Studies student, she is also actively involved
in random acts of kindness initiatives and is
researching kindness as an innovative, evidencebased means to foster student and community
mental health and wellbeing.
Paviglianiti’s passion for global health led her
to create her own internship with the United
Nations in Thailand in its HIV/AIDS Health Promotion Unit. Through her involvement, she
discovered the value in learning beyond the
textbook, and she now actively incorporates
this into her leadership practices and position
on student council. Paviglianiti eagerly mentors
other students and facilitates opportunities for
them to fully engage in their education, and is
co-chairing Western’s first university-wide Multidisciplinary Research Conference.
Beyond Western, other 3M National Student
Fellowship Award recipients includ: Jason Earl,
Bishop’s College; Emilie McIntosh, St. Lawrence
College; Piper Riley Thompson, Mount Allison
University; Wali Shah, University of Toronto at
Mississauga; Navarana Smith, University of
Victoria; Vrindy Spencer, Quest University;
Karen Young, University of Toronto; and Aniqah
Zowmi, Brock University.
Each winner receives a $5,000 award, registration at the STLHE conference, participation in a
day-long retreat held in Vancouver, B.C., as well
as accommodation and funds toward travel to
the conference.
ADELA TALBOT // WESTERN NEWS
Justine Baek, Biology and Medical Sciences
Baek has demonstrated exceptional perspectives on life, academics and her future. She
fosters a passion for community empowerment
and has worked the past seven years to promote
youth activism and education in her community.
The recipient of Western’s National President’s
Scholarship, Baek founded and co-chaired the
Western Student Research Conference, an experiential learning initiative that grants undergraduate students the opportunity to showcase their
research, exchange ideas and network.
Currently, Baek serves on the Canadian Road
Safety Youth Committee, having presented as a
TEDx speaker, coordinated nationwide conferences, and spoken to launch Ontario’s Provincial
RIDE Assembly. In 2014, she was Head of State
for the Canadian delegation and an elected
Secretary General for the G20 Youth Summit in
Munich, Germany. She now works to inspire a
greater sense of global awareness in Canadian
youth as she helps spearhead the development of Connect, the first official online youth
platform of the United Nations Association of
Canada. She credits her achievements to the
“compassionate support and mentorship of her
supervisors and teachers, her fellow executive
team members and her family.”
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
Western undergraduate students Justine
Baek and Nicola Paviglianiti have been named
among 10 3M National Student Fellowship
Award recipients, 3M Canada and the Society
for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
(STLHE) announced last week.
Introduced in 2012, the 3M National Student
Fellowship Award honours undergraduate students in Canada who have demonstrated qualities of outstanding leadership and who embrace
a vision where the quality of their educational
experience can be enhanced in academia and
beyond.
4
Western News
| April 9, 2015
Editor’s Letter
Western News (ISSNO3168654), a publication of Western University’s Department
of Communications and
Public Affairs, is published
every Thursday throughout
the school year and operates
under a reduced schedule
during December, May, June,
July and August.
An award-winning weekly
newspaper and electronic
news service, Western News
serves as the university’s
newspaper of record. The
publication traces its roots
to The University of Western
Ontario Newsletter, a onepage leaflet-style publication
which debuted on Sept. 23,
1965. The first issue of the
Western News, under founding editor Alan Johnston, was
published on Nov. 16, 1972
replacing the UWO Times
and Western Times. Today,
Western News continues to
provide timely news, information and a forum for discussion of postsecondary issues
in the campus and broader
community.
WE STERN NEWS
WesternNews.ca
Westminster Hall, Suite 360
Western University
London, ON N6A 3K7
Telephone 519 661-2045
Fax 519 661-3921
PUBLISHER
Helen Connell
hconnell@uwo.ca,
519 661-2111 Ext. 85469
EDITOR
Jason Winders
jwinder2@uwo.ca,
519 661-2111 Ext. 85465
R E P O RT E R / P H O T O G R A P H E R
Paul Mayne
pmayne@uwo.ca,
519 661-2111 Ext. 85463
R E P O RT E R / P H O T O G R A P H E R
Adela Talbot
adela.talbot@uwo.ca,
519 661-2111 Ext. 85464
PROD U C TION DESIGNER
Frank Neufeld
fneufeld@uwo.ca,
519 661-2111 Ext. 89334
A D V E RT I S I N G C O O R D I NAT O R ,
O N - C A M P U S A D V E RT I S I N G
Denise Jones
denise@uwo.ca,
advertise@uwo.ca
519 661-2111 Ext. 82045
O F F C A M P U S A D V E RT I S I N G
Chris Amyot, Campus Ad
chris@campusad.ca,
519 434-9990
P O S TA L R E C O V E RY
$50 Canada, $65 United
States, $85 Other
POST OFFICE
Please do not forward.
Return to Western News,
Western University, London,
Ontario N6A 3K7 with new
address when possible.
“Our objective is to report events
as objectively as possible, without
bias or editorial comment.
We hope you will read it and
contribute to it.”
– L.T. Moore,
University Relations
and Information director,
Nov. 16, 1972
FOLLOW
@ We s t e r n E d i t o r
Readership survey about building
stronger campus connections
JASON WINDERS
Western News Editor
T
his isn’t about getting rid of
your print newspaper tomorrow. Promise.
I have conducted a half
dozen or so readership surveys in the
Digital Era. Each stirred the same fear
among traditional readers – the survey
was a not-so-thinly-veiled plot to get
rid of the print newspaper and shift
everything to the Internet. Never so.
And not so today.
Released last week, the Western
News Readership Survey is about getting the university news you want, into
your hands, in whatever ways you
want to receive it. This isn’t about one
platform over another; it’s about making each platform as valuable to you
as possible.
Western News is a university news
service produced by my team, Editorial Services, in the Department of
Communications and Public Affairs for
staff, faculty and students. The news
service includes Western News, a print
product published 36 times a year and
circulated across campus and the city,
and westernnews.ca, an online publication with stories used across various
websites and social media outlets in
the Western family, including the university homepage, as well as various
TALK TO US
Click on and take the Western News
Readership Survey at news.westernu.ca/.
faculty and department websites.
For each product and platform,
our goals remain the same – provide
useful news and information about
the campus; publicize and promote
across campus, and around the world,
the research, accomplishments and
personalities of our community; as
well as offer a forum for the exchange
of ideas and opinions.
Of course, to some of you, we’ll
always remain Western Pravda, an
adorably dated reference to the old
Soviet media propaganda arm. And
that’s OK. I want your thoughts, too.
Results of this readership survey will
be used as part of our ongoing effort
to improve our news service and keep
it as relevant to your lives on campus
as possible. Western News has been
visually tweaked repeatedly over the
last few years, especially as it relates
to how we present the news. But we
haven’t had a serious review of what
we present on a regular basis. That’s
why I am turning to you.
With a new Western News website
launched this year, and a print redesign on the summer horizon, I wanted
to gather data about readership habits, content likes/dislikes, advertising
attitudes, etc., to use across all areas
of the publication.
Keep in mind, this is our first survey
since 2008, so the media landscape
has change quite a bit.
When you get a moment, log
on and take the survey with an eye
Western News has not conducted a readership survey since 2008.
Admittedly, the media landscape has change quite a bit since then –
witness our front page and university homepage from that year.
toward the future.
Let me close by saying something I
don’t get to say enough.
Thank you.
Many campus newspapers have
folded across Canada. We are the last
weekly print newspaper for faculty and
staff, and one of the few remaining
print products, period.
I am thankful of the wonderful support we get from our readers and
advertisers alike. Because of our
advertisers, we sustain the production
and distribution of the print product.
We are bucking the trends in declining print revenues because of you.
Because of our readers, we continue
to be a vibrant part of this campus’
story. Without you agreeing to appear
on our pages and share your stories,
as well as reading what appears on
them, we would be nothing.
MUSTANG MEMORIES
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY
THE JOHN METRAS MUSEUM,
LOCATED IN ALUMNI HALL
In 1935, Western’s track and field team moved up to
senior competition with a world-class athlete leading
the way. Johnny Loaring, pictured at 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, dominated the meet that year, winning
the 100-yard dash, 220-yard low hurdles and 440-yard
on the flat.
In 1936, in Berlin, where as a clear underdog, he
finished second in the 400-metre hurdles, sixth in the
400-metre flat and anchored Canada’s 4x400-metre
relay team to a fourth-place finish. When he returned
to Western that year, he continued his success in
senior competition, setting a record of 49.8 seconds
in the 440-yard before running the anchor leg on
Western’s record-setting mile relay team.
In 1939, he was awarded the Col. Jack Davies Trophy
as Canada’s top track-and-field athlete after scoring 15
of Western’s 17 points in intercollegiate competition.
Loaring was also a star swimmer at Western during the
1930s, helping to lead the team to their first intermediate intercollegiate swimming title in 1938-39 by winning the 50- and 100-yard relays, while also anchoring
the 300- and 200-yard relay teams to second-place
finishes.
isit John Metras Museum at metrasmuseum.ca,
V
on Instagram and Twitter for more photos
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
| April 9, 2015
5
Letters to the Editor
// Here’s to jargon in all its beauty
Western News editor Jason Winders’ column drew my attention for a number of reasons. (“Finding ways to rekindle faith in
Science,” Western News, March 5.) It began by singing the praises
of a Mr. Gladwell, who is apparently king of the counter-intuitive.
Good grief. The man must be at least 500 years late. When I
think of truly great counter-intuitionists of their time, I think Galileo,
Copernicus, Dalton, Darwin, Boltzmann, Schrodinger, Einstein,
Dirac, and so on.
Science is built on counter-intuition. I guess some things old
are always new again. And I am forever grateful science is not a
democracy.
But the item that really caught my eye was Winders’ statement,
“a biologist and a physicist can’t read each other’s work.”
The inference was this was a bad thing. But is it? Do we really
invent jargon to separate ourselves? I think not, really.
So I want to talk a little about mathematics – presumably considered amongst the leaders in jargon.
For those who know it, it is not jargon. It is a beautiful, elegant,
profound and brilliant language, without which we simply could
not understand the mysterious world we live in. And never is this
more apparent than in the worlds of quantum mechanics, General
Relativity, fluid flow and many other areas.
It was not invented as jargon, or a way to hide us from the world
– it is a language, and it has music and poetry and stories to tell.
It also houses the purest, and most profound philosophy known
to humankind. Even today, with our best attempts to translate it
into English, it still holds many secrets. Indeed, it not only holds
secrets, it hides philosophies that defy the greatest thinkers that
have ever lived.
This is particularly acute in the area of quantum physics, which,
thanks to Paul Dirac, is built on the foundations and logic of pure
mathematics and Hilbert spaces. Mathematics understands quantum entanglement, wave-function collapse, the nature of light
and many other areas we can only grope at. This is revealed every
time we have challenged predictions against those of our simple
intuition – it always wins, and we are left even more puzzled and
embarrassed. Translating mathematics into human thought and
language has always been one of the greatest challenges.
The logic of pure mathematics is the purest logic in the world.
It outshines the greatest philosophers, for it is an absolute logic,
not a subjective one.
This language is not just text – it lives, and it is one of the only
microscopes we have into seeing the quantum world. Ironically,
though, to understand it, we often need to retreat into the mind
of a child. For many years,
Physicists referred to Alice in Wonderland to understand the
weirdest aspects of our world – perhaps because a child has a
mind sufficiently malleable they can bypass ‘common sense’?
But you need both the malleable mind and the power of
mathematics.
Without mathematics, it’s just speculation. Of course, we, as scientists, need to live in the real world despite the tendency for us to
be viewed as children in need of protection (unfortunately implied
in the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory), we can function quite
admirably as sensible efficient adults. But when the chance presents, it is nice to go back to those young days when anything was
possible and the conforms of society did not yet bind us.
Pure mathematics was always my best subject, but I moved into
physics because I craved the outdoors. It has been good. I have
worked in many countries and places, literally from pole to pole,
with my science. But I still use this wonderful language.
As a student, I played competitive soccer on a team which was
dominantly pure mathematicians. After each game, every Saturday, we would find a watering hole and drink to our successes or
commiserate our losses (more often than not the latter). At the end
of the evening, we would always make this toast:
“To pure mathematics, and may it never be of value to anyone!”
For it is poetry and music and passion. But ... it is of value.
So, here’s another toast:
“Here’s to Mathematics – the beautiful jargon.”
WAYNE HOCKING
PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY PROFESSOR
// Alumnus questions university direction
As an alumnus, I have more than a passing interest in the affairs
of my beloved alma mater.
Several years ago, under the presidency of Amit Chakma, an
estimated $200,000 was spent on ‘re-branding’ the institution, purportedly to give it more ‘international’ prestige (translate: attract
more students – translate: bring more dollars into the university
kitty). That foolhardy decision was, for me, a clear indication of
where UWO was heading – and the direction was not upward.
Now, thanks to the Sunshine List (the only worthwhile thing the
Ontario Conservative government under Mike Harris ever created), we learn Chakma (described by Board of Governor’s Chair
Chirag Shah as a “... recognized nationally and internationally
as one of the most influential academic leaders in Canada”) has
received almost $1 million in salary for 2014.
Although not in a position to comment on how influential an
academic leader he is, I certainly have no doubt that, as a result
of the current fiasco, Chakma will certainly now be recognized
nationally and internationally. Such a shame – a university with
such great potential, if only it were led by people with integrity
and with a conscience.
FREDERICK R. BALL, PHD’75 (MICROBIOLOGY)
// Time to unify to confront
common challenges
Now that President Amit Chakma has returned the extra stipend paid to him in 2014, let’s move on and speak out against
personal vilification as a means of dealing with the very difficult
funding scenario in the public university system.
It is too easy to find individuals amongst ourselves to blame for
the outcomes of shrinking public sector spending on education
felt throughout the developed world. We could decide to blame
our chairs, deans, provost, president or even premier.
We do face real day-to-day challenges in the current budgetary
scenario, and I am supportive of the University of Western Ontario
Faculty Association (UWOFA) and other university members to
point these out. However, these issues do not generally originate
from the President’s Office.
I expect the president is here to lead with a vision for Western.
Indeed, Dr. Chakma has spoken eloquently on the need for Western to find solutions that lead to less reliance on the shrinking
public purse. Achieving high rankings in some targeted research
areas, partnerships with like-minded and comparable universities
in other countries and reaching out to compete for top international undergraduate students are key goals that he has promoted
in order for Western to get to the next level and thrive as a successful institution. I also truly appreciate his personal commitment
to experiential and international learning experiences by our
Western students.
This is a good time to show our support for Dr. Chakma’s vision
for Western, and to work together to face our common challenges.
SHANTANU BASU
PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
PROFESSOR AND CHAIR
// President, Board responses
are not sufficient
The responses of President Chakma and the Board of Governors to the incredulity that greeted the revelation of the
president’s stunning salary are just more examples of what is badly
wrong with the governance of our university.
President Chakma conceded that not deferring compensation
for a year of administrative leave at the end of his first term to the
end of his second term was a mistake. (“President’s statement on
compensation,” westernu.ca, April 1) Given what has transpired,
perhaps he could have negotiated almost $1 million for two years
of accumulated administrative leave. Without acknowledging any
impropriety whatsoever, President Chakma explained, given the
“concerns” expressed, he was forfeiting both payments.
That will be a substantial financial loss, but not as substantial as
the loss of his salary for the remaining years of his current contract
would be – no more than a strategic solution to a strategic mistake
from the president of our university.
The Board chair explained President Chakma’s initial contract
was intended to pay a salary competitive with peer institutions.
(“Board of Governors’ statement on compensation,” westernu.
ca, April 1.) Do those peer institutions allow their presidents to
double-dip?
The Board perfunctorily recognized the financial sacrifices
of students, appreciated the support of alumni and noted the
dedication of faculty and staff. President Chakma’s contribution to
the university shines, in contrast, because he is “implementing”
a new plan for increasing student retention and graduation rates
and securing more research funding. One would have thought the
responsibility and credit for such improvements would devolve to
the faculty and graduate students who populate the classrooms
and laboratories.
Regrettably, though, the Board will now have to lower its expectations of President Chakma’s ability to energize the fundraising
campaign.
How can the “independent and impartial review” of Justice
Goudge help? Is Justice Goudge going to recommend how
much money President Chakma deserves, or how presidential
compensation should be determined – or both? What, precisely,
is the mandate of Justice Goudge, and how will his review be
conducted? Will it be restricted to the senior administration, or
will it be open to the entire university? How much will it cost? Will
Justice Goudge’s report be made public?
Nobody contests the legality of Dr. Chakma’s remuneration.
So, what are the goals of this review, what is its scope and who will
participate? Not surprisingly, the Board has nothing to say.
This administrative boondoggle is the result of poor judgment
and poor governance. Both are fostered by the insularity and the
secrecy of the decision making of the senior administration of our
university, in particular, the decision making of the Board’s Senior
Operations Committee.
We do not need Justice Goudge to tell us that.
BARRY HOFFMASTER
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY
// Information overload is almost
too much to manage
Common sense is not so common. Health and Rehabilitation
Sciences graduate student Eric Davis said the gap in our knowledge about the HPV vaccine is enormous. (“Research exposes
major gaps in HPV vaccine knowledge,” Western News, March
19.) The question is, who is to blame – the culture, system, public
perception, information sources or the people?
The problem begins with a lack of reliable information sources.
We need tighter regulations on information dissemination. Even
The Toronto Star, which presents information to a large group of
people, just recently retracted their statements about the HPV
vaccine.
How can people be informed if their informants are not?
The Internet contains a plethora of good information, but it
is also riddled with fear mongering and unreliable information.
How can a person know what the real issues are? Apparently, they
cannot.
Over the past few decades, information accessibility has skyrocketed. I believe the amount of information, however, is too
daunting. Ultimately, the people cannot be blamed fully for ignorance. There is so much conflicting information, in the end, people
just ignore it. They choose ignorance over confusion.
Would you not do the same?
LUCA MARESCOTTI
6
Western News
| April 9, 2015
Nobel laureate on ‘Costs of Constraints’
RACHEL LINCOLN //
SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
Nobel Prize-winning economist
Myron Scholes delivered the 6th
annual Western Law Business and
Law Lecture, part of Western Law’s
Torys LLP Corporate and Securities
Law Forum, last week. Originally
from Timmins, raised in Hamilton,
Scholes was awarded the Nobel
Prize in Economic Sciences in 1977
for a method to determine the
value of derivatives. At Western
Law, he spoke on The Costs of
Constraints: Risk Management,
Agency Theory and Asset Prices.
Revisit the lecture at youtu.be/
wolysg479AA.
Research
Professor explores ‘hardened’ exterior of homeless
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
“The more time you spend
in the street environment,
you realize it’s either ‘eat
or be eaten.’ You start to
build up that tough shell.
And when you’re in a really
tough environment, and
you’re someone who’s
heavily traumatized and
vulnerable, one of the things
you tap into is your ability
to put on a façade of being
very tough – because if you
don’t, you’re prey.
- Laura Huey
ON A RECENT trip to Los Angeles, Laura
Huey met a woman who, in the words of the
Western Sociology professor, scared the hell out
of her graduate students.
“She was about 58 years old, grew up around
gangs, had been around gangs her whole life.
She was still somewhat gang-affiliated and she
would cut you, as soon as she would look at you
– that’s how she came across,” Huey said.
“But we connected because I approached
without any judgment. I would laugh with her
about things, and what happened is, she let
her guard down. That’s when she started to talk
about some of the things she had seen and the
effect it had on her,” she continued.
Huey recently published a paper in The Journal of Interpersonal Violence out of that trip to
Los Angeles entitled, There Is No Strength in
Emotions: The Role of Street Enculturation in
Influencing How Victimized Homeless Women
Speak About Violence. The paper is the result
of a qualitative study featuring interviews with
more than 200 homeless women in the southern
California metropolis.
Joined by a handful of graduate students,
Huey made four trips, speaking to women in
shelters, focusing on the Skid Row district. The
project’s focus was resiliency and looking at what
services are available to help homeless women
foster resiliency.
What Huey and her students found was a
group of marginalized, heavily victimized women
who, regardless of services available to them,
self-imposed an image of not only resiliency, but
also extreme toughness.
“I have been studying homeless women in
Chicago and Detroit, and we had a good idea
we would find a pretty traumatized population.
That’s exactly what we found,” Huey said.
“But we also found women used different
coping skills. They don’t have their HMO plan
sending them to the best psychiatrists to deal
with whatever their issues may be, so they find
whatever coping mechanisms are available to
them,” she added.
The ‘hardened’ exterior presented by some
homeless women increased with the amount of
time spent on the street, Huey found. It’s not a
necessarily surprising revelation, but one that
comes with great implications in the provision of
social services, she explained.
“The more time you spend in the street environment, you realize it’s either ‘eat or be eaten.’
You start to build up that tough shell. And when
you’re in a really tough environment, and you’re
someone who’s heavily traumatized and vulnerable, one of the things you tap into is your ability
to put on a façade of being very tough – because
if you don’t, you’re prey. That façade is what you
are initially greeted with,” she said.
When these women seek social services, this
facade poses an obstacle on both sides, Huey
explained. The women – often for good reasons – are reluctant to let down their guard to
counselors who could help. Because they appear
hardened, counselors might not take the time to
get to know the women and create a space in
which they feel comfortable enough to open up.
“When they get to know you and they connect
with you, (the facade) drops. That’s when you
start to see what’s actually going on underneath.
Some of these women get labeled with these
psychological labels like ‘anti-social personality,’
and so on, because they don’t trust anyone. But if
you expect somebody’s going to open up to you
right away, you’re crazy,” Huey explained.
“You have to understand: If you are coming
from a place of privilege and they are not, how
you ask the questions and what your demeanor
is could probably shut people down. They’re not
going to think you can relate to them.”
The implications of her findings apply to how
we approach and try to understand the problems
of disenfranchised women, she went on. Though
there may be a tendency to assign blame or
assume these women are not being forthright
with social service providers, there needs to be
a renewed and concentrated focus on creating
spaces in which women feel comfortable and safe
to let their guard down.
“Maybe they won’t tell you their problems
because you’re too judgmental, or you don’t
think about how you come across, and you’re not
cognoscent of how to bond and create empathy,” Huey speculated.
“We think that because these women are
accessing services, the trade off is they should
give us what we ask for. Sometimes, they’ve
trusted people who have gossiped about them,
misused information they had given and sometimes the distrust is based on past experiences
where they felt they got burned,” she continued.
“At the end of the day, this is about empathy
and thinking about how we connect to other people. You need to think about what image you’re
presenting and how you’re connecting. You need
to train people to think about those things.”
Western News
| April 9, 2015
7
Research
Project taps into biomass’ potential
B Y PA U L M AY N E
WITH THE WORLD’S energy
sector constantly facing challenges,
Western researcher Hugo de Lasa is
working toward one solution for the
beleaguered industry – a process of
transforming agricultural waste into
clean energy and valuable by-products.
“The problem is in areas where
there is a lot of agricultural activity,
such as wood processing, where you
have wood waste or biomass,” de
Lasa said. “When you process natural products – wood, coffee or rice
– you create this incredible amount
of waste. What do you do with it? In
Costa Rica, normally this waste was
disposed in the fields, or thrown in the
river. You have a problem.”
With coffee beans, for example,
only 20 per cent of the plant is harvested. The remaining is waste.
So, what to do with that waste? de
Lasa wants to put it to work.
Biomass materials include plant
materials, residues from forest industries, by-products from wood manufacturing, agricultural waste products
and even peels from citrus fruits.
Energy from biomass continues to
be underutilized, de Lasa said, and
represents a tremendous opportunity
for industry and individuals to take
control of energy production costs
and environmental impacts.
The Chemical and Biochemical
Engineering professor is working with
London-based KMW Energy Inc. on
his project. The company engineers
bioenergy systems to produce heat
and energy for as sawmills, hospitals,
schools, pulp and paper mills, power
utility plants and greenhouses.
In tandem, the academic-corporate partnership aims to improve
significantly the biomass conversion
process, making it not only more
economically competitive, but also,
by reducing mono-nitrogen oxides
(NOx) emissions, meet increasingly
tougher environmental regulations.
de Lasa’s idea is for a new Integrated CO2 Gasification + Chemical
Combustion Looping (CO2G+CLC)
process could help agricultural communities with a source of clean energy,
biochar (a soil supplement) and concentrated CO2 for optimizing photosynthesis in greenhouse operations.
“(KMW’s) strength is in building
systems for combustion gasification
of biomass,” de Lasa said. “We are
trying to see if there is an intersection
of what we think, and the equipment
they manufacture, and if it could be
adapted to this innovative process. To
go from the outcome of this project
to implementing, this is where KMW
comes in.”
Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY, comprised of 450 scientists, engineers and technicians
looking at clean energy technologies,
is also part of the de Lasa’s project.
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering professor Hugo de Lasa hopes his latest research project may lead to
more efficient and environmentally sound processes in the conversion of renewable resources.
Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council of Canada recently
funded the project with a Strategic
Project Grant, providing $370,950 over
three years.
“As researchers, we are always trying to come up with innovations; we
are always trying to connect ourselves
to issues that require implementation, with a focus on industrial needs,
a focus on financial viability,” de Lasa
said. “That’s the way these things are
going to permeate and become successful.”
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.
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CASH RECEIPTS
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Western News
| April 9, 2015
On Campus
BY JASON WINDERS
W
estern President Amit Chakma
finds himself in the midst of
the most trying weeks of his
administration – facing criticism about his contract and pay, and
now hearing larger questions about
his ability to lead the university. Just
yesterday, a handful of Senate members called for a special meeting to
discuss a motion of non-confidence
in the president.
Outside a prepared statement,
Chakma’s voice has been absent from
the growing debate, which has played
out for nearly two weeks. But now,
on the eve of what may be his most
contentious Senate meeting to date,
Chakma is answering questions about
the pay controversy, his reaction to the
criticism and how to move forward.
“The last two weeks have been
very difficult for me and for my family,” Chakma said Wednesday morning. “We could understand the criticism of the payment, but we were not
prepared for the personal attacks. It
caused us to reflect on our priorities
as a family.”
On March 27, Western figures
showed the 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. That
number sparked an almost immediate
reaction from the campus community.
“I did anticipate some criticism,
which is typical when the ‘Sunshine
List’ comes out,” Chakma said. “But I
did not anticipate the intensity, or the
extent of the criticism.”
As the days went on, the outrage seemed to gain momentum. It
spanned the gamut – from simple
social media snark, to official statements from university bargaining
bodies, to an anonymously started
online petition of non-confidence in
the president and Board of Governors
Chair Chirag Shah, which garnered
more than 5,700 signatures in two
weeks.
“Once I understood why people
were reacting, I was no longer surprised that it was gaining momentum,” Chakma said.
Soon afterward, the criticism went
beyond pay – critics were now using
the pay situation as a springboard
for complaints about other subjects,
like public administration salaries,
Chakma’s leadership style, university
priorities and budgets, etc. The president noticed the shift in tone almost
immediately.
“Yes, it became clear to me that the
anger people felt was not only about
the money,” he continued. “It was as
much, or more, about a number of
other issues people have about my
leadership, and the direction in which
the university is headed. It caused
other issues to surface.”
Chakma’s number was somewhat
deceiving as his annual base salary
remained at $440,000. However, Western made a ‘double-payment’ to the
president in lieu of a one-year administrative leave included in his first
five-year contract, which concluded
June 2014. The board re-appointed
Chakma to a second five-year term
extending to June 30, 2019. That contract also called for a year administrative leave or payment in lieu of that
leave.
In a statement issued April 1, the
president announced he was voluntarily refunding his in lieu payment
for 2014, as well as foregoing his contractually specified payment in lieu of
Western News
In his
PAY DEBATE // CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
own
words
SHAWN SIMPSON // SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
8
PRESIDENT DISCUSSES PAY
CONTROVERSY, CRITICISM
AND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD
“There are competing demands on any university president, from issues that
are externally focused, and those that are internally focused. I became so
focused on those external matters – fundraising, for example – that I was not
staying on top of concerns being raised on our campus. I was disconnected. I
need to focus much more of my time on understanding the issues our campus
community is facing.”
- Amit Chakma
administrative leave at the end of his
second term. The move, the president
wrote, was “as a demonstration of
my commitment to Western and to
address the concerns that many have
expressed.”
Some critics have admitted Chakma’s pay was contractually specified
and that anger should be directed,
at least somewhat, at the Board for
offering such a deal in the first place.
In brief, Chakma was entitled to the
money. But returning the money was
the only option, the president said.
In fact, the president stressed, he
should have never taken it in the first
place.
“Under the circumstances, my wife
and I felt that giving the money back
was the right – the only – thing for us
to do. But I need to make many more
changes, if I am to win back the trust of
the campus community,” he said. “In
retrospect, I should not have taken the
money, but carried forward my administrative leave to the end of my term,
which is the way administrative leaves
of this nature are usually taken.”
Despite the refund, pressure from
two of Western’s largest bargaining
units continues to mount.
On April 2, the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association
(UWOFA), which represents more than
1,600 faculty members, voted 94 per
cent in favour of a non-confidence
resolution concerning Chakma and
Shah. Today, the University of Western
Ontario Staff Association (UWOSA),
which represents 1,000 staff working
in faculties and administrative units
across campus, is conducting a nonconfidence vote at its Annual General
Meeting.
Alison Hearn, UWOFA president,
said the president’s “decision to forgo
the extra money doesn’t change the
underlying problems.”
And Chakma, perhaps surprisingly,
agrees with Hearn.
“Those critics are right,” he said.
“There are competing demands on
any university president, from issues
that are externally focused, and those
that are internally focused. I became
so focused on those external matters
– fundraising, for example – that I was
not staying on top of concerns being
raised on our campus.
“I was disconnected. I need to focus
much more of my time on understanding the issues our campus community
is facing.”
On Friday, Chakma will stand before
the Senate, as he usually does as chair,
but under maybe the most trying circumstance of his tenure as president.
The president plans to make a statement regarding his administrative
leave during the Report of the President (Agenda Item 3). Following that,
Health Sciences Dean Jim Weese,
who serves as Senate vice-chair, will
lead a question-and-answer session
around the statement.
Senators should expect a contrite
president, if his answers were any
indication.
“First and foremost, I want to take
the opportunity to apologize to the
Western community for the difficulties
my decision has created for the community,” Chakma said. “It is difficult
to express how truly sorry I am for the
lack of judgement I showed. I also
want to acknowledge the many concerns that have surfaced during the
past week, and outline actions I intend
to take to address some of these concerns. It will be equally important for
me to listen and take to heart what my
critics have to say.”
On April 1, the Board announced an
“independent and impartial review of
the university’s presidential compensation practices,” led by the Honourable Stephen T. Goudge, former Justice of the Court of Appeal of Ontario.
Chakma welcomed the move.
“It was important to me the inquiry
into my contract be independent,
impartial and transparent,” he said.
“So, I was pleased someone as
respected as Honorable Goudge has
agreed to take on the review.”
The president was concerned how
the last few weeks will impact fundraising. Will donors be swayed by the trying events in the moment, or will they
separate one man in one moment
from the entire legacy of the university?
“Anytime there is instability and turmoil,
it has to impact fundraising in the near
term,” Chakma said. “If we can come out
of this as a community united with a strong
sense of purpose and direction, over time
we’ll overcome any fundraising challenge.”
In his statement last week, Chakma
talked about “moving forward,” a process
that, at least currently, seems monumental.
But, the president said, “moving forward”
is imparitive to the future of the university.
“The process of ‘moving forward’ from
this moment begins with broad level consultation and engagement with the Western community,” he said. “In my President’s
Report to Senate on Friday, I’ll be sharing
some ideas I have on how I can do a better
job of focusing my attention on the priorities of the campus community. I will plan to
truly listen to what our campus community
has to say.”
With his new contract, Chakma is only
halfway through his tenure – plenty of time
to shape a legacy. But when he thinks
think about legacy, and how these last few
weeks reflect on it, what concerns does the
president have?
“When I was appointed in 2009, I promised to give my heart and soul and all of my
energy to serve Western. I’ll continue to do
so until my tenure ends,” he said. “We’ll
have achieved many things by then; many
will remain works in progress to be picked
up by my successor. I remain very optimistic
about Western’s future and what our faculty,
students and staff can accomplish.”
as well as foregoing his contractually
specified payment in lieu of administrative leave at the end of his second term.
The move, the president wrote, was “as
a demonstration of my commitment to
Western and to address the concerns
that many have expressed.”
On March 27, Western figures
showed the 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.
Chakma’s number was somewhat
deceiving as his annual base salary
remained at $440,000. However, Western made a ‘double-payment’ to the
president in lieu of a one-year administrative leave inclusion in his first five-year
contract, which concluded June 2014.
The board re-appointed Chakma to a
second five-year term extending to June
30, 2019. That contract also called for a
one-year administrative leave or payment in lieu of that leave.
In a separate statement, also issued
April 1, Western’s Board of Governors
announced an “independent and
impartial review of the university’s presidential compensation practices.” Led
by the Honourable Stephen T. Goudge,
former Justice of the Court of Appeal
of Ontario, no details of the review’s
timetable or parameters have been
announced.
“In this time of fiscal uncertainty and
restraint in the postsecondary education sector, Western’s Board of Governors is highly sensitive to the concerns
expressed by members of the Western
community and the wider public,” said
Chirag Shah, Board of Governors chair,
in the statement. “Accordingly, we have
asked former Court of Appeal Justice
Stephen T. Goudge to conduct a full, fair,
and transparent review of the issue.”
In addition to the review announcement, the Board used its statement to
reaffirm confidence in the leadership of
Chakma.
Despite the moves, pressure from
two of Western’s largest bargaining units
continues to mount.
On April 2, the University of Western
Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA),
which represents more than 1,600 faculty
members, voted 94 per cent in favour (54
per cent of members represented) of a
non-confidence resolution concerning
Chakma and Shah.
“Faculty have clearly lost confidence
in Dr. Chakma’s and Mr. Shah’s ability to
lead our university,” said Alison Hearn,
UWOFA president. “There’s something
deeply wrong when a university president earns close to $1 million while
student debt is rising, class sizes are
increasing and staff are facing cuts.
“President Chakma’s decision to
forgo the extra money doesn’t change
the underlying problems. The Board’s
initial response was that nothing wrong
had occurred. We’ve said all along that
this is not about the money. It’s about
poor judgment and skewed priorities,
and the deep disconnect between the
senior leadership and the realities on
the ground.”
Today, the University of Western
Ontario Staff Association (UWOSA),
which represents 1,000 staff working in
faculties and administrative units across
campus, is conducting a non-confidence
vote at its Annual General Meeting.
Other staff and student representative
bodies are staying out of the fray, thus
far. The Professional and Managerial
Association (PMA) membership, along
with both major student groups, the
Society of Graduate Students (SOGS)
and University Students’ Council (USC),
have no plans to comment on the issue
in advance of the Senate.
| April 9, 2015
9
PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT ON COMPENSATION, APRIL 1
Dear colleagues and members of the broader Western University community:
My employment contract with Western, executed in 2009, provided for payment in lieu of one year
of administrative leave at the end of my five-year term. When I was reappointed, for the sake of
continuity, I received payment in lieu of the administrative leave.
Although contractually sanctioned, in hindsight, I should have carried over my administrative leave
to the end of my current term.
Today, Western’s Board of Governors retained the Honourable
Stephen T. Goudge to conduct an independent and impartial
review of my compensation. I am confident that Justice Goudge
will complete a full and fair examination and I will wholeheartedly
cooperate. I look forward to his findings and intend to abide by his
recommendations.
In the interim, as a demonstration of my commitment to Western
CHAKMA
and to address the concerns that many have expressed, I have
decided voluntarily to refund the in lieu payment to the University.
I have also decided not to exercise my right under the contract to receive payment in lieu of
administrative leave at the end of my second term.
I hope the above actions will allow us to move forward.
Amit Chakma
President & Vice-Chancellor
BOARD OF GOVERNORS’ STATEMENT ON COMPENSATION, APRIL 1
Today, Western University’s Board of Governors announced an independent and impartial review of
the university’s presidential compensation practices by the Honourable Stephen T. Goudge, former
Justice of the Court of Appeal of Ontario.
Since the provincial government’s public sector salary disclosure
on March 27, there has been significant attention regarding the
compensation received by Western University President Amit
Chakma last year.
Chirag Shah, Chair, Western University Board of Governors: “In
this time of fiscal uncertainty and restraint in the post-secondary
education sector, Western’s Board of Governors is highly sensitive to
the concerns expressed by members of the Western community and
the wider public.
SHAH
Accordingly, we have asked former Court of Appeal Justice Stephen
T. Goudge to conduct a full, fair, and transparent review of the issue.”
The Board maintains Dr. Chakma’s contract was negotiated in good faith in the spring of 2009 to
provide a competitive compensation package in line with peer institutions. Nonetheless, the Board
is committed to implementing the recommendations that come forward from Justice Goudge.
The Board has every confidence in the leadership of Dr. Chakma. His leadership is internationally
recognized. During his first six years as president, and with the support of dedicated faculty, staff,
students, alumni and community partners, he has achieved significant progress in enhancing
Western’s academic reputation by:
• Implementing a new strategic plan, Achieving Excellence on the World Stage, that maps out
an ambitious plan for the future;
• Achieving one of the highest student retention rates and graduation rates in Canada, as well
as a 94 per cent employment rate within two-years after graduation;
• Surpassing international enrolment targets to more than 10 per cent of the undergraduate
student population;
• Attracting more than $240-million in research funding annually; and
• Raising $528 million toward our $750-million fundraising campaign, which has raised $83
million in student awards.
The Board is keenly aware of the financial sacrifices that many students make in order to attend
Western and expresses a deep appreciation of the faculty and staff who are dedicated to providing
the very best in teaching and research, as well as to alumni for their support.
While committed to ensuring a swift resolution to Justice Goudge’s review, the Board does not
intend to comment further until his findings and recommendations have been delivered.
MEET STEPHEN T. GOUDGE
On April 1, Western’s Board of Governors announced an “independent and impartial review of
the university’s presidential compensation practices,” led by the Honourable Stephen T. Goudge,
former Justice of the Court of Appeal of Ontario.
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.
Until he was appointed to the bench, he practiced general litigation,
including civil and commercial, administrative, labour and charter
litigation at Gowling, Strathy & Henderson in Toronto. From 197486, he lectured on labour law and native rights at U of T. In 1989, he
served as Counsel to the Office of the Premier of Ontario.
Goudge was appointed as a judge of the Court of Appeal of Ontario
GOUDGE
in 1996. He 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.
10
Western News
| April 9, 2015
Internationalization
Boarding Pass program takes flight
B Y PA U L M AY N E
FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED in
an international learning experience,
Western promises to be at the ready
to lend a financial hand – to the tune
of $1,000.
The International Learning Award
– or Boarding Pass, as it has become
known – will be available to all fulltime, second-year main campus students planning an international learning experience in their third year of
study. If they maintain a cumulative
80 per cent average, with a full-time
course load at the end of second year,
they will automatically be eligible for
$1,000.
“Although other universities have
often had awards for study-abroads,
they don’t tend to be as ‘across the
board’ as this one is going to be,” said
Julie McMullin, vice-provost (International).
That ‘across the board’ could mean
up to 5,200 students – Western’s firstyear enrolment numbers – taking
advantage of the program. Admittedly, it could be “quite a big ticket
item,” McMullin said. Expectations
are that between 30-40 per cent of
students will take advantage of the
program.
For those students, the International Learning Award looks to tear
down the financial barrier.
Offer packets that went out to per-
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
spective 2015-16 students included a
Boarding Pass.
“Having the boarding pass in all our
offers allows students to start thinking
about Western as a place where you
can get your international experience
in a way they haven’t thought of in the
past,” McMullin said. “It gets students
to start thinking about what they want
to do before they even get here.”
The award is applicable to Western-approved learning experiences,
including academic exchange, summer study abroad, international field
courses, internships, Alternative
Spring Break or other university-led
experiences.
“We’re very flexible in terms of the
opportunities that will be eligible,”
McMullin said. “We’re looking to
develop many more international
opportunities that are faculty-led
abroad, making sure we have enough
opportunities for the students to
engage with.”
Western President Amit Chakma, a
strong proponent of students being
part an international study experience, praised for the new program.
“International experiences help students develop confidence, leadership
skills and a sense of global citizenship,” Chakma said. “These kinds of
learning opportunities are often lifechanging experiences. They broaden
students’ perspective by expanding
their awareness and understanding of
different cultures, historical contexts
and belief systems.”
McMullin has already heard positive
feedback on the program – from her
own daughter, Emma.
“She applied to Western this year,
was accepted, and got her Boarding
Pass in the mail,” she said. “Even
before she got it, she said, ‘Mom,
some students were getting their
offers and they’re saying Western’s
giving me a Boarding Pass.’ So that’s
really great to hear the excitement.
Also, the overwhelming response
from faculty, deans and academic colleagues has been really extraordinary.”
BOOK YOUR FLIGHT
Learn more about the International Learning
Award program – or Boarding Pass, as it has
become known – visit uwo.ca/international.
Western News
Research
A little sweat tamps
down cigarette cravings
SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
A study by Health Sciences professor Harry Prapavessis, above, along with graduate students Amelia Tritter
and Lyndsay Fitzgeorge, showed exercise – when paired with smoking cessation aids like nicotine lozenges
– can substantially reduce cigarette cravings.
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
IF YOU’RE TRYING to quit smoking, ditch the pack and
hit the gym.
This advice comes out of a new study by Western
researchers, which shows exercise – when paired with
smoking cessation aids like nicotine lozenges – can substantially reduce cigarette cravings.
“For individuals trying to refrain from picking up a
cigarette, if you want to maximize craving relief, do both
treatments – the lozenge and exercise – together. That’s
the best bang for your buck,” said Harry Prapavessis, who
teaches in the Faculty of Health Sciences and is the director of Western’s Exercise & Health Physiology Laboratory.
Prapavessis, along with former graduate students Amelia Tritter and Lyndsay Fitzgeorge, recently published a
paper in Psychopharmacology, an international journal
that covers the broad topic of how drugs affect behaviour.
Their findings showed exercise provides a substantial boost
to craving reduction when paired with pharmacological
efforts to quit smoking.
Working with 30 habitual smokers, Prapavessis and his
team asked participants to stop smoking the night before
arriving at his lab. The smokers were randomly divided into
two groups, with one group receiving a nicotine lozenge
to help curb cravings and the other receiving the lozenge
while also engaging in moderate bouts of exercise.
Study participants who received the lozenge alone
reduced their cravings by 30 per cent, while participants
who combined nicotine lozenges with exercise reduced
cravings by 45 per cent.
‘We know the lozenge provides craving relief. And we
know exercise, on its own, provides craving relief. But we
found exercise could provide 10-15 per cent extra in craving relief with the lozenge,” Prapavessis said.
“This was the first time we’ve been able to show the
benefits of these two types of treatments – together. We’re
not advocating that exercise should replace the lozenge.
We’re trying to find complementary treatments that might
maximize craving benefits,” he explained.
Study participants engaged in moderate to intense exercise for relatively short periods of time, Prapavessis noted.
This would constitute something most anyone could do for
10-15 minutes at a time. The intensity doesn’t need to be
extreme, just enough to increase the heart rate.
“The intensity of exercise plays a role. Low-level intensity
doesn’t produce the same kind of relief as moderate or
vigorous exercise,” he added.
“We advocate for moderate – it makes you break into a
light sweat and you start to have a bit more difficulty carrying on an active conversation. There’s no added value if
you go to the extreme level. ”
While the benefits of exercise in smoking cessation
efforts have been proven, Prapavessis is still working to
understand the physiological reasons behind the effect.
Even so, he wants to see advocates of exercise in the medical and health communities when dealing with smokers.
“That’s part of the problem. We have to find ways of getting this information out there, through the proper channels. We could have doctors or pharmaceutical companies
giving out lozenges and saying, ‘Have you tried them with
exercise?’ What exercise can do for health is unbelievable.
That’s not new – but these findings are new,” he said.
Tobacco use kills more than five million people per
year and smoking is the world’s single most preventable
cause of death. Prapavessis is working with health professionals and pharmaceutical companies now, sending his
paper along and working to get its findings into the public
sphere.
| April 9, 2015
11
12
Western News
| April 9, 2015
Congratulations
to Western’s Best
2015
Distinguished
University
Professor
Awards
This award is Western’s
highest recognition of
a faculty member and
acknowledges sustained
excellence in scholarship
over a substantial career
at Western.
Mary Crossan
Ivey Business School
Lecture: Leading with Character
Jeff Dixon
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Lecture: Lessons Learned from Unraveling
the Complex Network of Purinergic Signaling
in Bone
Campus community members are invited to the public
lectures being presented by this year’s recipients of the
Distinguished University Professorship Award. Plan to attend
and help recognize the scholarly contributions of these
outstanding Western faculty.
Tsun-Kong Sham
Faculty of Science
Lecture: The Interplay of Photons and
Electrons: Tracking the Behavior of Materials
with Synchrotron Light
Public lectures:
Tuesday, April 28
Lectures at 4 p.m., room 1R40
Arts & Humanities Building
Lecture session will be followed by a reception in the Atrium, International and Graduate Affairs Building. rsvp@uwo.ca
2015
Faculty
Scholar
Awards
This award recognizes the
significant achievements
of faculty members in
teaching and/or research.
Recipients are considered
all-around scholars.
Western University
is pleased to honour
and congratulate our
award-winning faculty
members for their
excellence in research,
exceptional teaching and
commitment to service.
Lisa Archibald
Communications
Sciences and
Disorders
A. Kim Clark
Anthropology
Timothy Conley
Economics
Alison Conway
English and Writing
Studies
Lina Dagnino
Physiology and
Pharmacology
Zhifeng Ding
Chemistry
David Edgell
Biochemistry
Paul Gribble
Psychology
David Heinrichs
Microbiology and
Immunology
Elizabeth Anne
Kinsella
Occupational
Therapy
Jason Neyers
Law
Sean Shieh
Earth Sciences
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR AWARDS AND BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS.
Western News
| April 9, 2015
13
Student Life
Students take action on move-out day mess
cent off food orders on their patio for the month
of May. The Ceeps will also help promote the
collection days in advance by advertising on
their signs in the washrooms and on the marquee outside.
If all goes well this year, the plan is for the
junk collection days to become an annual event.
Helfand said he would like to see the program
expanded to more locations across the city in
the future.
Because they started promoting the event
early – many students are in exam mode and
wouldn’t otherwise be thinking of move-out
plans – Helfand hopes to have a good turnout.
“It’s very hard to say what it’s going to be since
it’s a pilot,” he said. “But I do think students will
be willing to walk a couple blocks to do the conscientious thing.”
BY JULIAN UZIELLI
EVERY APRIL 30, the streets of London’s student neighbourhoods are transformed into garbage dumps. That’s because unwanted furniture,
appliances, clothing and other assorted junk is
left behind in front of vacated rental houses.
You can practically set your clock by it.
Now, Western’s student government says
they’re fed up with the yearly trash-heap tradition. This year, they’re going to do something
about it.
The solution? Western’s Move-out Clean-up,
a two-day junk collection initiative taking place
this year on April 28 and 29 and organized by the
University Students’ Council (USC).
The USC is encouraging students to drop off
unwanted small appliances, clothing, e-waste
(such as TVs, phones and other electronics) and
non-perishable food at the parking lot of The
Ceeps, 671 Richmond St. The donations will be
collected by Goodwill, the City of London and
the London Food Bank. Furniture will not be
collected.
The idea of reducing student move-out junk
has been important to USC President Matt
Helfand since before his election. He said it all
started two years ago, when he was in fourth
year.
“I looked around during the move-out days,
and I noticed how much garbage was being
thrown out that was not being appropriately put
in the trash,” he said.
So Helfand “took to Twitter,” and before long,
the now-defunct Metro London newspaper
picked up the story, and put him on the front
page the next day.
“It showed me this is something people are
SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
concerned about and notice,” Helfand said.
The majority of the costs of the event are
being covered by a grant from Awesome London, an organization that gives out $1,000 grants
to fund ideas that would make London better.
Helfand said the grant was approved last year,
and most of the money is going toward promotional literature and labour costs.
Before now, there has never been a concerted
effort to address this problem, Helfand said.
“There’s really not a lot of incentive or information provided to students on how to recycle
properly,” he said. “I figured what we need is a
one-stop shop for this to provide that information to students.”
Helfand wasn’t the only one who noticed the
junk piling up. When the USC contacted The
Ceeps with the idea late last year, manager Colin
Tattersall said he was happy to help.
“When the students leave, there’s obviously
a ton left behind on the streets, all around Richmond and up by the university,” Tattersall said.
“Anything that also helps the community is a
great thing to do.”
Tattersall said for students who drop off donations, The Ceeps is offering coupons for 20 per
MOVE-OUT CLEAN-UP
Western’s Move-out Clean-up, a two-day junk collection
initiative, will be held April 28 and 29, organized by
the University Students’ Council (USC). The USC is
encouraging students to drop off items at The Ceeps,
671 Richmond St. What can be dropped off?
• Non-perishable canned or dried food;
• Small appliances, like toasters, toaster ovens and
blenders;
• E-waste, old electronics that no longer work, such as
TVs, computer monitors and cell phones;
• Any kind of clothing or shoes; and
• Linens, blankets and other fabrics.
14
Western News
| April 9, 2015
// ACADEME
PhD Lectures
Stephen K. Li, Microbiology and Immunology, The E26 Transformation Specific
Transcription Factors PU.1, Spi-B, and
Spi-C Regulate Transcriptional Activation and Repression of Nfkb1 to Control
B Cell Development and Function, 1
p.m. April 13, MSB 384.
Melanie Kok, Neuroscience, Exploring
the Structural and Functional Organization of the Dorsal Zone of Auditory
Cortex in Hearing and Deafness, 9:30
a.m. April 13, SSC 9420.
Jianping Ma, Electrical and Computer
Engineering, Methods and Systems for
Fault Disgnosis in Nuclear Power Plants,
9 a.m. April 14, CMLP 60A.
Bharat Punjabi, Geography, Claims of
the City? Rights of the Countryside?
Politics of Water Contestation in the
Mumbai-Thane Region of India, 9 a.m.
April 14, SSC 9420.
Ahmad Kamal, Library and Information Science, Contentious information:
Accounts of knowledge production, circulation and consumption in transitional
Egypt, 1 p.m. April 15, NCB 293.
Apply to Graduate
Web Registration
Undergraduate Sessional Dates
Full-Time Academic Appointments
The online application for the Spring
2015 Convocation is open until April 30
through your Student Center. Tickets for
the Spring Convocation will be released
starting at the end of May. convocation.
uwo.ca.
Web Registration for summer evening,
distance studies, summer day and intersession is now open through your Student Center (student.uwo.ca).
April 2015 Exam Schedule
The Writing Support Centre offers many
presentations for undergraduate and
graduate students, including a drop-in
centre in The D.B. Weldon Library (next
to Quote’s Café) from 2-7 p.m. MondayThursday and 12-3 p.m. Saturdays, as
well as individual appointments. The
drop-in centre will be closed as of Thursday, April 9. Please call for an appointment at 519-661-3655 or visit their website to register for presentations at sdc.
uwo.ca/writing.
April 9–10: Study days.
April 11–30: 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.
Schulich School of Medicine &
Dentistry – Department of Surgery
Academic Paediatric Urologic
Surgeon
Seeking a full-time clinical academic
paediatric urologic surgeon at the rank
of assistant, associate or full professor
to join the current pediatric urologist.
Applications will be accepted until the
position is filled. Review of applications
will begin after July 1.
The final April exam schedule is available. Visit registrar.uwo.ca/examinations
for information.
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 beginning
May 26.
Writing Support Centre
Psychological Services
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 (starting April 10). For more
information, please call 519-661-3031 or
visit WSS room 4112.
// CLASSIFIED
For Rent
Elegant furnished downtown apartment, adult building overlooking Harris
Park, 2 bed, 2 bath, A/C, parking, suitable for faculty or staff. Available for
long-term starting May 1. Inquire by
email to skidmore@uwo.ca.
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
• Direct bus to downtown & Western Campus
• On-site variety store
• 1/2 block to shopping centre
• Coin-less laundry facilities
• Free outdoor parking
• On-site management office
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.
// 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.
103-625 Kipps Lane (at Adelaide St. N)
519 432-1777
Like us on facebook.com/blossomgate
THE SYMBOL OF QUALITY
51
44
65
17
07-Fred Negus_Ad_PENSION_v9.indd 1
// 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.
Are you retired or retiring soon?
Find out all your options.
Jorge Emillio Rosés Labrada, French
Studies, The Mako language: Vitality,
Grammar and Classification, April 15.
Fatima Farida Ebrahim, English, Turning to Food: Religious Contact and Conversion in Early Modern Drama, April 15.
For more information, please visit us on
the web at studentservices.uwo.ca and
follow us on Twitter @Western_WSS.
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.
2015-01-27 3:33 PM
Contact Robert (Rob) Michaud, PFP,
Financial Planner today.
519-494-5017
robert.michaud@rbc.com
Fully mobile and flexible hours
to meet your needs.
‘Serving London & area with
sound financial planning.’
Royal Mutual Fund Inc.
Western News
| April 9, 2015
15
Campus Digest
Ivey team well-suited for menswear case victory
BY JASON WINDERS
IDEAS ON HOW to guide a legendary local menswear retailer into
the future took centre stage as the
Ivey Business School hosted its annual
Business 1220E Case Competition.
A six-member team comprised of
Richard Wang, Alex Wu, Amy Xu, Eva
Xu, Willie Zhou and Morgan Zhuo
took home top honours in the competition. Two teams were named as
runners-up, including one comprised
of Adam Rifai, Jue Wei Li, Aamir
Hoodbhoy and Dimos Kallouppis and
another comprised of Gordon Sun,
Muiz Ashiq Ali, Sharvil Medhekar and
Ajith Sukumar.
A total of 36 teams entered the
competition.
The Business 1220E Case Competition is well-known among firstyear students at Western. Created by
Ivey faculty in 1978, the competition
is completely voluntary. Interested
students form groups and have the
opportunity to develop and hone
their presentation skills during the
competition.
This year, the case was titled, David
E. White Clothiers, written by Business
1220E lecturer Scott Lin.
According to the case, the president of the prominent menswear retail
company, David White, was considering what strategic growth options to
choose for his business. The company,
entering its 32nd year of operations,
has established a loyal local following,
but sales growth had been declining
over time. The menswear and apparel
industry has experienced tremendous
change throughout the years. David
must analyze his company’s options
and begin making some important
decisions.
Assuming the decision-maker’s
role, the student teams applied their
problem-solving tools and skills to a
general management case chosen for
the competition and presented their
analyses, decisions and action plans
to a panel of judges, which included
Mark Vandenbosch, Ivey, Programs
associated dean; David E. White,
founder and owner, David E. White
Clothiers; and Karin Adams, Towers
Watson senior consultant, executive
compensation.
NEWS AND NOTES
Western’s new Graduate Diploma
in Accounting, in combination
with the prerequisite accounting streams in Western’s Business
Management and Organizational
Studies (BMOS) undergraduate
program, has received Chartered
Professional Accountants (CPA)
accreditation. The first cohort
of eligible BMOS graduates is
expected to enter the Graduate
Diploma in Accounting program
in May 2016.
Accreditation by the Chartered
Professional Accountants of
Ontario (CPA Ontario) under the
National CPA Recognition and
Accreditation Standards allows
graduates to enter directly into
Capstone One of the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA
PEP).
“CPA accreditation provides our
graduates with a head start as
they work toward the CPA designation,” said Ann Bigelow,
CPA, CA and acting chair of DAN
Management and Organizational
Studies. “We take a lot of pride
in the successes of our graduates
and we’re pleased to be able to
provide them with the opportunity to begin rewarding careers as
qualified CPAs even sooner than
they thought possible.”
Students graduating from the
BMOS undergraduate degree
alone will continue to enter the
CPA PEP at Core 1.
A new undergraduate-led journal out of Huron University College promises to publish “radical
and original student research on
a variety of topics, with the aim
of helping students participate
in our wider academic research
community.” Launched this week,
Liberated Arts is an academic collaboration between students, faculty and staff at the Western affili-
SPACE DAY @ WESTERN
Featuring
Michael Vergalla, Moon Express Inc.
Fly me to the Moon
SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
A six-member team comprised of, front row, from left, Eva Xu, Amy Xu and Morgan Zhuo, back row, from
left, Richard Wang, Willie Zhou and Alex Wu took home top honours as the Ivey Business School hosted its
annual Business 1220E Case Competition.
ate, and plans to be interdisciplinary in scope and perspective. The
debut issue of the open-access
journal lives up to that pledge
by featuring stories on a range
of subjects, including Lorraine
Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun,
British women in espionage and
the lyrical stylings of Gord Downie
of The Tragically Hip.
Visit Liberated Arts at ir.lib.uwo.
ca/lajur/.
April 13
2-5 p.m.
PAB 100
PRESENTATIONS:
Mapping Martian craters - Lunar Meteorites
Rover navigation on Mars - Crater detection and image analysis
Lidar studies of the atmosphere over the arctic
Plaque unveiling honouring Western alumnus and
the “father” of Canada’s space program, John H Chapman
Multidisciplinary poster presentation
Reception
16
Western News
| April 9, 2015
Student Life
USC Appeal Board overturns
presidential election
“It was spurring that we
would have this close
an election and that
our Appeals Board
faced the ultimate
challenge. We’re
looking very closely at
election policies going
forward. My biggest
concern right now is
that people have faith
in the USC as a body
that can represent
them.”
- Matt Helfand
Current University Students’
Council president
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
FOLLOWING A NINE-DAY deliberation period, the University Students’ Council (USC) Appeal Board
overruled the USC’s recent executive
election results, disqualifying incoming presidential candidate, fourthyear Political Science student Jack
Litchfield, and his team. The ruling
means Sophie Helpard, a third-year
Political Science student at Huron
University College, becoms the next
USC president.
“Team Litchfield won the election
by 32 votes, but a series of allegations
were made saying they violated the
rules, leading the (elections) committee to give them 30/31 demerit
points – 31 is an automatic disqualification,” said Matt Helfand, current
USC president.
“This was the closest election we’ve
ever had,” he added.
Helfand noted Team Litchfield’s
demerit points were a result of a series
of violations of the USC’s thorough,
perhaps “over-prescriptive,” elec-
tion policy. The broken rules included
wearing campaign materials in the
USC office; campaigning once the
voting period started; and unsolicited
distribution of campaign materials.
“Our Elections Committee worked
for three weeks and did a thorough
job to determine how many demerit
points to give. Team Sophie was dissatisfied and took this to the Appeal
Board,” he explained.
The appeal took place in an open
hearing the last weekend of March. It
was a three-hour hearing that heard
from Team Sophie and Team Litchfield, as well as the USC’s Elections
Committee.
The Appeal Board was given two
weeks to give a written decision, Helfand said, and the final word, released
Tuesday night, indicated there should
have been an increase in demerit
points assigned to Team Litchfield
on the basis that they trespassed on
an off-campus residence when campaigning. This resulted in a higher
demerit point assignment, and therefore, disqualification, making Team
Sophie the de facto winner of the
election.
Team Sophie released a statement
following the decision:
“We would like to thank the
Appeals Board for their diligent work
in considering our appeal. This appeal
was submitted to ensure that the
value of fairness was upheld during
these elections, and that the future of
the USC would not be overshadowed
with a question mark of the legitimacy
of the election.”
The overturning of election results
wasn’t the only first for the USC this
year, Helfand noted. The Appeals
Board, in and of itself, is a first.
“At the beginning of my term, we
realized we didn’t have an appeals
process. If an appeal came, in any
case like the elections committee, it
would have gone directly to the USC
executive. This is a problem – it’s like
(Stephen) Harper adjudicating Elections Canada,” Helfand explained.
As a result, the USC implemented
a new bylaw calling for an Appeal
Board, a body comprised of a group
of students selected by a committee
of council members and representatives from the board of directors.
Many of the students are Western Law
students, Helfand said, who can bring
a critical, legal eye to the process.
“On the one hand, we were lucky
to have this. On the other hand, we
were expecting this to get maybe a
couple club appeals this year, before
it got off the ground. But the very first
thing to happen was this (election
overturning). I’m still very surprised,”
he continued.
“It was spurring that we would have
this close an election and that our
Appeals Board faced the ultimate
challenge. We’re looking very closely
at election policies going forward.
My biggest concern right now is that
people have faith in the USC as a
body that can represent them.”