In addition to university operations, the economic downturn has started to impact research opportunities at The University of Western Ontario.
Presenting his 2008 annual report, Ted Hewitt, Vice President (Research & International Relations) told Senate at the Dec. 5 meeting there has been a decline in industry contracts for research in 2007-08.
“For Western, the value of contract research has fallen,” he says, adding this decline has been offset by increases in clinical trials at Robarts Research Institute and the Lawson Health Research Institute.
The total contract research for Western in 2006-07, excluding Robarts and Lawson, was about $13.1 million. In 2007-08, the contracts decreased to about $10.5 million.
Hewitt says this may spell bad news for the faculties of Engineering and Science and other industry-related areas at the university.
“Whether this is an early indication of a general downturn remains to be seen,” he says.
“We are seeing less activity and we are seeing more companies calling to either delay or to cancel contracts that had been put in place because of the economic situation.”
Companies often approach universities to solve problems they are experiencing, he says. The trickle-down effect of fewer research contracts will mean less opportunity for students to make industry contacts and less engagement between faculties and industry partners.
Although these contracts provide real-life problems and scenarios for students to solve, Hewitt expects the decline to have a minimal financial impact, as it accounts for about 10 per cent of overall research income.
With the economic uncertainty, Western Provost & Vice President (Academic) Fred Longstaffe says faculty deans and chairs have been advised to only hire for “mission critical” positions.
Longstaffe says faculties are asked to make only the essential expenditures for the current fiscal year.
As for the forecast for the next two fiscal years (2009-10 and 2010-11), Longstaffe says the Initial Budgetary Adjustment will “likely be a few per cent higher than was originally planned.”
“It went from three to five per cent and that’s increasingly looking like that will be necessary,” he says. “We are still watching the markets with a great interest.”
Longstaffe will present a recommendation to Senate on university endowment payouts in January.
Senate elections
Nominations for positions on Senate open Jan. 8 for terms starting July 1.
The deadline for nominations for faculty, administrative staff, graduate student and undergraduate student ‘academic’ constituency closes at 4 p.m. on Jan. 22. Nominations for the undergraduate student ‘at large’ constituency close at 4 p.m. Jan. 26.
Following the close of the nominations, the names of nominees will be posted on the elections website and outside the University Secretariat, Stevenson-Lawson Building Room 290. Elections will be held in February.
Full information is available at www.uwo.ca/univsec/election.
New programs
Senate approved the introduction of a Green Process Engineering program in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, effective September 2009.
Similarily, the Richard Ivey School of Business and Huron University College, Faculty of Arts and Social Science, received the go ahead from Senate to introduce a combined degree program.
Effective September 2009, students enrolled in this program will receive a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts with an Honors Specialization in Global Development Studies or Globalization Studies or Global Culture Studies.
Beginning in September 2009, the Faculty of Health Sciences will offer an Honors Specialization in Kinesiology – Sport Management, following Senate’s approval of the new program.
Kings’ University College received Senate approval to introduce several new programs, including Honors Specialization and Major modules in Continental Philosophy, and Philosophy and Religion, a Major in Thanatology and a minor in Catholic Studies, all effective September 2009.
Senate approved a double PhD program between the Universidade Estadual de Campinas in Sao Paulo, Brazil and the Faculty of Engineering at Western. As well, a double PhD program in Engineering between Politecnico di Milano in Milan, Italy and Western has been approved.
New scholarships
Senate recommended several new awards and scholarships, including:
Michael Bean Society of Actuaries’ Undergraduate Scholarship – For a full-time undergraduate student with the highest academic average in first year, entering second year of an Honors Specialization module of Actuarial Sciences. Valued at $1,000.
Rural Community Student Nursing Bursary – For a full-time student enrolled in any year of the Bachelor of Nursing program demonstrating financial need. Preference will be given to a student whose home residence is in a rural area more than an hour outside London. Valued at $500 for two students in 2008-09 and $500 for one student 2009-10 to 2010-11 inclusively.
Nicolaas and Regina Veenboer Foundation Ontario Graduate Scholarships – For three full-time graduate students holding an Ontario Graduate Scholarship or an Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology and is based on academic achievement and research merit. Valued at $15,000 each and effective for the 2008-09 academic year only.