As I have watched the controversy surrounding Western President Amit Chakma’s pay play out, I am disappointed – and becoming embarrassed and angered – with the treatment of our president by a disgruntled minority.
President Chakma deserves to be spared the fate of serving as a lightning rod for the dissatisfaction that exists among some toward the Ontario postsecondary education system.
To be quite honest, Western is fortunate to have Amit on the terms it has.
This university has world-class ambitions, many of them initiated by President Chakma. To be world class, we must attract – and retain – world-class talent. And to attract world-class talent, we must provide world-class compensation.
A number of precedents were in existence when President Chakma’s contract was put together. This was not some strange connotation, some clandestine secret deal, as it is being made out to be. This was a high-level negotiation for a high-profile position that would play an important role at Western, across Canada and around the world.
I have had conversations with a number of university leaders. To each, I expressed my support for the institution, its vision and, most importantly, its president.
I call on likeminded Western faculty, staff and students – and especially on likeminded alumni, donors and friends – to stand up, speak out and get behind this president at a time when he needs to know his friends and supporters far outweigh a vocal minority.
Jack Cowin
BA’64, LLD’00