Western’s Senate met June 19, passing a number of new programs, including a new combined program with the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
The following are briefs from that meeting:
New Programs
Senate members passed a number of new programs, including:
• A new combined program with the University of Auckland (New Zealand) will be introduced this September to enhance the international focus of Western Law.
This combined degree will allow Western students to earn a JD from Western and an LLM from Auckland, by attending Auckland for an exchange term and the remainder of the New Zealand academic year in the LLM program.
Similarly, Auckland LLM students will be able to complement their law degree by earning a Western LLM by attending Western on an exchange.
• An Honors Specialization in Kinesiology – Fitness and Exercise Prescription, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree, will be introduced in the Faculty of Health Sciences in September, 2010.
Exercise and Fitness has become a major focus for prevention and defense in dealing with a multitude of health, wellness and disease issues around the world. This module is designed to better prepare those students who want to become more knowledgeable and competitive as exercise and fitness specialists.
• An Honors Specialization in Kinesiology – Physical Education for Teaching, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree, will be introduced in the Faculty of Health Sciences in September, 2010.
Approximately 25 per cent of Western’s Kinesiology students indicate interest in pursuing a teaching profession. This module is designed to better prepare these students for the curriculum in Faculties of Education and their future professional teaching career, which will require a working knowledge in a variety of subject areas.
• A Major in Physical Geography, leading to a BA or BSc degree, will be introduced in the Faculty of Social Science this September.
The new major provides a concentration in physical geography, which deals with the physical and biological science components of the discipline, such as climatology, geomorphology and biogeography.
• A new combined honors degree, leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Economics and Honors Business Administration, will be introduced by the Faculty of Social Science and the Richard Ivey School of Business, effective this September.
This is part of a broad redesign of undergraduate offerings by the Department of Economics. The Economics/Ivey combined degree program will further enhance the department’s undergraduate offerings by allowing students to combine the study of business and economics in a five-year degree program.
This proposal is also part of a plan by the Richard Ivey School of Business to develop a diverse set of combined degree programs. The combined Economics/Ivey program will bring students with strong economics training into the HBA program.
Scholarships and Awards
• Paul Akira Ohashi Summit Award (Faculty of Music, Theory and Composition)
To be awarded annually to a full-time undergraduate fourth-year student in Theory and Composition at the Don Wright Faculty of Music who has exhibited high academic achievement and community involvement.
This award, valued at $1,000, was established through Foundation Western by Robert and Margaret Ohashi, family and friends, and Highstreet Asset Management in memory of Paul Akira Ohashi (Bachelor of Music, Honors Theory & Composition with Distinction ’02 and Bachelor of Arts, Honors Kinesiology with Distinction ’03).
• Ken Chu Master of Public Administration International Scholarships (School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Public Administration)
To be awarded annually to full-time international students from China who are enrolled in the Master of Public Administration program (School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies), based on academic achievement. These six scholarships, valued at $33,333 each (max. two per year) were established through the generosity of the Chu Family.
• Kenneth A. Harris Vascular Surgery Award (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, MD Program)
To be awarded annually to an undergraduate Doctor of Medicine (MD) program student at the completion of his/her fourth year who has excelled in Vascular Surgery during the clerkship rotation and/or the four years of undergraduate medical education.
Valued at $1,000, the award was established through Foundation Western by the Division of Vascular Surgery to honour Dr. Ken Harris and his commitment to vascular surgery and the Schulich community.
*Christopher Mathew Dixon LIS Memorial Scholarship (School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Library and Information Science)
To be awarded to a graduate student with a minimum 78% average in the Library and Information Science program. The student must demonstrate ongoing active involvement in community services outside of his/her academic studies.
Valued at $750, the award was established by Sandra Miller (MA, LIS ’01) in memory of her husband, Christopher Dixon (MA, LIS ’00), who was a PhD student in LIS at the time of his death.
New Program Name
Senate has approved the naming of the Dr. David S. H. Chu Public Administration Program in China, in the Local Government Program of the Department of Political Science, effective following Board of Governors approval June 23.
In 2007, the Chu Family donated two million to Western through Mission Hills (China) Ltd. The gift has been allocated as follows:
• International Student Centre – $1,000,000 expendable to support the construction of an International Student Centre housed in the new Student Support Services Building at Western.
• Public Administration program in China – $300,000 expendable to support the costs associated with a non-credit enrichment experience for Public Administration students at selected Chinese universities and local-government officials.
• Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) Scholarships – $200,000 expendable in support of international scholarships for Chinese students to attend the MPA Program at Western.
• Faculty Fellowships in Public Administration – $200,000 expendable to support a fellowship for a member of a Chinese School of Public Administration. Each fellowship is valued at $50,000.
• Collaborative Chinese and Canadian Local Public Administration Research – $100,000 expendable to support research projects between Western’s Local Government Program and academics at Chinese Universities on the subject of local political participation in China and Canada.
• Administrative Support – $200,000 expendable to assist with the MPA scholarships; arrangements for visiting academics; and coordination of travel and meetings for collaborative research.
New Fellowship
Senate has approved that the Ken Chu Faculty Fellowship in Public Administration be created in the Local Government Program of the Department of Political Science, effective July 1.
The Ken Chu Faculty Fellowship in Public Administration will be made available to a member of the Chinese School of Public Administration for each of four years beginning in 2009. Each fellowship, valued at $50,000, will assist with the costs of salary support, research, travel and accommodation and living expenses.
Ken Chu is the Vice-Chairman of Mission Hills Group. He holds a BA ’96, ACS from Western. In October 2007, he received an honorary LLD from Western.
Classroom and Communal Space
The current construction and subsequent renovations at Western provide a special opportunity to visit the current classroom inventory and make recommendations for future classroom design.
The recently adopted Campus Master Plan addresses aspects of classroom planning with emphasis on the use of the centre of campus, design of flexible space, barrier-free accessibility, safety and security, and sustainability.
To convert these principles into action, the Provost directed an ad hoc committee to develop a set of principles that would guide in the creation of future classrooms. The intended audience includes faculty, staff and students affected by projects involving construction and/or renovations of classrooms.
Key principles for future classroom design include growth, interactive learning, accessibility and sustainability, among others.