Looking ahead, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Fred Longstaffe says strong undergraduate programs, internationalization and new revenue growth will be areas of concentration to build a strong cultural framework for the university.
“As many know, Western is well known for the quality of its undergraduate program. It’s an important part of our mission and we have to make sure to continue to focus on delivering high quality undergraduate education in everything that we do,” says Longstaffe, addressing Senate for the last time as provost.
Longstaffe steps away from the position at the end of the month. Janice Deakin assumes the role Aug. 1.
For some time Western has set a first-year entry class target of 4,350 students. Last year, the goal of adding 100 international students was pursued. While all of the spots weren’t filled – about 25 – the rest are being allotted to domestic students.
First-year numbers will also grow again due to the success of the Biological and Medical Sciences program. With an average confirmation rate of about 25 per cent over the last number of years, Longstaffe says this year’s confirmation rate jumped to 30 per cent.
“This program attracts some of the best students and has one of the highest entering standards.”
An additional 234 students will enter the program above what was projected.
“We are working with the deans to ensure the resources are in place to help us deliver the education we promised there.
John Doerksen, Vice-Provost (Academic Programs and Students) [Registrar], says while this year’s incoming class is projected at 4,750, students can still expect a quality education.
“The academic experience of the incoming students in the Biological and Medical Sciences program will not be compromised. Infrastructure in the Faculty of Science is sufficient to accommodate the larger incoming class, and more teaching resources are being made available,” says Doerksen.
While final grades of incoming students will not be available for several weeks, the entering
grade average is likely to rise approximately 0.2 per cent over last year, bringing it to nearly 87 per cent.
“The quality of our academic programs and the richness of the student experience outside the classroom distinguish Western, and the whole university community can take pride in a job very well done. Western clearly remains a destination of choice.”
Doerksen adds Western remains committed to the first-year course guarantee, as well as the residence guarantee.
With fall first-year numbers more than 4,700, Longstaffe questioned whether further increases were in order. Western normally gets an average nine-per-cent share of provincial post-secondary funding. Longstaffe says a simple calculation suggests continuing to receive this share points to first-year numbers closer to 4,900.
“I’m not suggesting to Senate that we should purposely pursue a class of 4,900, but I do think this is one of the challenges we are going to have to address in the coming years – and in the next four-year plan – what size do we want our first-year class to be and what are the implications of whatever size that we chose.”
If the university seeks to increase first-year numbers, Longstaffe says boosting international students should be at the top of the list. He says there’s a reason why international numbers are low at Western.
“We responded to fill the spaces during the double cohort with cutting back on our efforts in the internationalization area, and we simply didn’t pick that ball up after we were done,” says Longstaffe. What we’ve come to realize is admitting international students to Western is an important part of curricular and educational investment in all of our students.”
With expected revenue growth hovering around three per cent – and expenses exceeding that – Longstaffe says this potential shortfall needs to be addressed.
“We have to find ways to increase revenue streams that come to our university, but they have to make sense and meet the academic mission of the university,” he says.
BUILDING TIME
With the construction of the Wind Engineering, Energy and Environment Dome (WindEEE) at The University of Western Ontario’s Advanced Manufacturing Park set to begin this fall, the university will also add a 10,000-square-foot academic support facility for faculty, students and staff associated with WindEEE.
In addition, a new 30,000-square-foot Family Medicine Building for the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry has been approved and is expected to be built on the Westminster site of campus. No date has been set for construction.
HAITTIAN STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
The Haitian Student Scholarship is a new four-year continuing award, available to a full-time degree student who has been hurt financially by this year’s earthquake.
The recipient must meet Western admission requirements; be a Haitian citizen or landed immigrant who has been in Canada for no longer than two years prior to the start of the study period; be admitted as a full-time student at main campus in a degree program or graduate program; be impacted financially by the earthquake; and must maintain full-time status and satisfactory academic standing each year.
Recipients will receive full tuition, including ancillary and other compulsory fees, as well as up to $10,000 towards the first-year residence and meal plan costs. After first year, the scholarship will cover full domestic or international tuition and ancillary fees only.
Preference will be given to a student entering first-year, but upper-year students may apply for the tuition-only component.
WESTERN FELLOWS
To further the objectives of Western’s Visiting University Scholar’s Program (VUSP), visiting scholars invited to the university, who intend to remain in residence for at least one week will receive the designation of “Western Fellow” during their stay.
Since its inception in 2007, Western’s VUSP has invited nearly 40 distinguished academics, helping to further objectives to internationalize teaching and research.
This designation will provide enhanced recognition to visiting scholars and increase program awareness.
HUMANITARIAN AWARD
Many faculty, staff and students are engaged in efforts to improve the quality of life for individuals and groups around the world. The University of Western Ontario Humanitarian Award has been established with a $5,000 stipend to support humanitarian efforts as chosen by the recipient.
The annual award will recognize activities with international impact.
ELECTRONIC PhD THESES
A pilot project making electronic submission of PhD theses available on a voluntary basis begins August 1. Current practices for MA theses remain unchanged.
Electronic submission allows students to submit their work without physically printing and delivering the thesis, saving time and money. Also, students do not have to be in London to submit their work.