All tied up Western’s soccer teams tied Laurier in Saturday’s action at Mustang Field. >> Pg. 7
thegazette
TODAY high 26 low 15
Sorry to disappoint you, Matt since 1906
WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • FOUNDED 1906
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
TOMORROW high 27 low 15 VOLUME 108, ISSUE 03
>> WALK OFF THE EARTH PLAYS O-WEEK
Kyle Porter • GAZETTE
WALK OFF THE O-WEEK HANGOVER. Headlining Western’s O-Week was Walk off the Earth, who played on UC Hill on Saturday night. For a gallery of the night and other O-Week scenes, go to westerngazette.ca/multimedia/photography.
Board releases update Amy O’Kruk NEWS EDITOR @AmyAtGazette
Western’s chair of the Board of Governors released an update last Wednesday outlining the board’s actions since last April’s public backlash to the University’s presidential compensation practices and the Board’s governance. Board chair Chirag Shah revealed that the governance review task force, a committee charged with reviewing the board’s processes and procedures, aims to present its final recommendations at the board’s upcoming November meeting during an open session. “We had to put an appropriate timeline to this,” Shah said. “I did not want the process to be extending a year or longer … We have a board retreat towards the end of September where we want to have an update from this committee.” The task force will have three areas of focus: the board’s relationships and communications with the larger community; the structure of the board and its delegation of authority; and the role of the board and the board members. “We had a deliberation … taking
in light some of the commentaries that were received over the April and May period and that formulated into what we felt were the three most compelling issues for our committee to handle,” Shah said. According to Kristin Hoffmann, president of the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association, the board has been ambiguous on the community leaders it’ll be approaching to address concerns on campus. “I think from our perspective it’s really important that they talk to faculty, librarians and archivists who are the academic mission of the university,” she said. “If this review doesn’t take those perspectives adequately into account then it may not lead to meaningful transformation.” Struck last June, the 10-member task force is made up of faculty, students, staff and board alumni. Matthew Wilson, a City of London board appointee, is chair of the task force and Brian Timney, a professor and former dean of Social Science, is vice-chair. To produce its recommendations, the committee members will be reviewing documents and consulting with external bodies,
especially the chair and vice-chair who will meet with deans and other key stakeholders in the Western community and in London. Shah’s update also details other upcoming or available assessments, like President Chakma’s consultation report. Two other committees will be evaluating other areas of Western. The provost’s task force will review the university’s budget model and the Senate has created an ad hoc committee to further review decision-making practices at Western. Finally, an independent review of presidential contract and approval processes by former Justice Stephen Goudge is expected in the early fall. Shah said he’s a strong believer in Western’s board system. “I’m looking forward to what direction we can adopt best practices … but I wouldn’t define ourselves as having weaknesses in past boards,” Shah said. “I think they’ve served the institution quite well and allowed Western to achieve the successes that it has to date.” A website has been created with further information on the task force and suggestions and ideas can also be sent to the task force at board-governance-review@uwo.ca.
Western to sponsor Syrian refugee family Hamza Tariq BREAKING NEWS EDITOR @HamzaAtGazette
Western’s Faculty of Social Science is collaborating with a local charity to raise funds to sponsor a Syrian refugee family to relocate to London. The faculty, in partnership with London Cross Cultural Learner Centre, aims to raise $30,000 for a G5 private sponsorship application. The primary objective is to sponsor a family of five refugees to London. Funds collected beyond the target amount of $30,000 will go towards sponsorship applications for more refugee families. According to Lama Kaysi, president of the Western Arab Students Association, there has been a massive call of action to help Syrian refugees since photos of drowned toddler Aylan Kurdi went viral and now the Western community is also stepping up and responding to the humanitarian crisis. “I completely support the private sponsorship initiative that is being undertaken by Western,” she said. “It not only helps Syrian
families remove themselves from their current dangerous living situations ... but it also allows the citizens of London to participate and witness the tangible results of their contributions and essentially be a part of the solution to this devastating global crisis.” Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, more than four million refugees have fled the country. Canada has accepted slightly over 1,000 refugees this year after pledging to provide asylum to 10,000 Syrian refugees earlier in January. Donations to the university’s aid effort can be made via cheque or online, under the “Western Social Science Refugee Sponsorship” fund. London Mayor Matt Brown is also working with a number of local community groups to sponsor and settle several Syrian refugee families in London. According to the London Free Press, city residents have contributed more than $41,000 in four days towards the mayor’s sponsorship effort.