Fuss On The Bus

City of London Budget 2013

Sasha Madhavji — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:29:09 +0000

The City of London has begun its Budget 2013 deliberation process. For the third year in a row, Council has set a 0% target. Civic Administration has tabled a budget at 2.5% and the City needs your feedback on which services to maintain, enhance, or reduce in order to move toward 0%. These decisions will determine how the City will fund and support the economic, social and environmental quality of life.

During the 2013 Budget Process, Civic Administration has tabled $16.8 million worth of service changes in its attempt to achieve the 0% target. These changes include cuts to programs and projects, and increased user fees.

Service changes have been categorized in two ways: those required to arrive at a 2.5% tax levy (submitted) and those required to push closer to a 0% tax levy (for Council’s consideration).

To get involved in the Budget Process, you may participate in the upcoming Public Participation Meeting on February 13. All meetings will be streamed live, and the Draft Budget 2013 is available online. Operating and Capital Budgets are set to be approved on February 28.

For more information, please visit www.london.ca/budget.

Western’s Exam Policy

USC Publications — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 20:49:28 +0000

Exam season is here and with it arrives stress, all nighters, and far too much time at Western’s libraries. It also causes many students to question whether Western’s exam policies are fair. Currently, many students view the University’s definition of a conflict as being very narrow. There are two major types of conflicts under the current policies. The first is the most obvious, two (or more) exams scheduled on the same day at the same time. The second type of conflict is three exams in twenty-three hours. Many students question the fairness of this second type of conflict. The policy is designed to prevent students from having to write 3 consecutive exams, but does not prevent students from having two exams in one day or even four exams in two days. The administration says that due to Western’s modular degree structure there is simply no way to schedule all of the exams if students have a maximum of only one exam per day. In the administration’s defense the current policies seem to align with those used by most other large Canadian Universities. Of the Universities I researched I was only able to find two institutions that deviated greatly from the three in twenty-three standard.

At The University of Waterloo a student who has two back-to-back exams, whether in the same day or spanning two days (eg. Monday night and Tuesday morning), qualifies to have one of the exams rescheduled. Waterloo schedules four, two and a half hour examination time slots per day, compared to three, four-hour time slots at Western. This policy does not prevent Waterloo students from writing more than one exam in a day, but it does guarantee that no student will have more than five hours of exams in one day (compared to eight hours at Western) and students will always have at minimum a three hour break between exams.

McGill uses the three in twenty-three standard but goes farther to also include four exams in two days and five exams in three days as conflicts. Personally, I have never had four exams in two days, but I have heard of people who have been faced with this challenge. I do not think there is really any excuse for this and the University should be making accommodations for these students. There is no way that students are going to be performing their best work by the end of a four exam in two-day marathon. This will not only reflect poorly on the student’s transcript but also on the University and “Canada’s best student experience”.

If Western students were asked today which policy they would prefer to have implemented at Western it is quite obvious that they would choose the Waterloo policy. The problem I see with this policy is that it would require a complete overhaul of Western’s examination system and as a result I don’t see the Senate implementing this change with any sort of urgency. I am not trying to discourage student advocates from pushing for changes that would make Western’s exam regulations closer reflect Waterloo’s; I do truly believe that in the future Western needs to implement exam policies like those used by Waterloo if Western wishes to remain “Canada’s best student experience”. In my opinion students should advocate for the implementation of policies similar to those used by McGill as the first step in a complete overhaul of Western’s exam policies.

Written by: Kent Sullivan, Affiliate Senator

Mustangs Basketball Set to Tip-Off the 2012-13 Campaign

Sasha Madhavji — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 18:53:57 +0000

November is upon us and in the OUA that means that basketball is back. Both the men’s and women’s teams at Western are ready to begin the 2012-13 campaign with new and returning faces.

On the men’s side, CIS leading scorer Ryan Barbeau has graduated and signed a pro contract to play in Germany, leaving the Mustangs without one of their top offensive threats in the country. Third-year forward Peter Scholtes looked impressive in the pre-season and will be counted on to be one of the team’s top scorers. Scholtes has already proven he can score consistently at the CIS level, averaging 16 points per game last season.

Toronto’s Jermaine Bernard begins his second season running the point. The front court will post a much needed presence this season with the return of London native Adam Jespersen, a University of Hawaii transfer, who missed last season because of a hand injury. Now recovered 100%, look for him to be a dominant force inside the paint. Beside Jespersen will be Fort Eerie native Jack Daneyko. Danekyo, standing at 6’5”, is a rangy forward who can make shots from outside the paint and give the Mustangs another scoring threat.

Western, led by seventh-year coach Brad Campbell, opens up their season at Alumni Hall with back to back games against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Carleton Ravens.

This season, the women’s team is preparing for a long run en route to the CIS Final 8. Led by second-year coach Brian Cheng, the Western women are primed for a breakout season. The Mustangs are led by perennial OUA All-Star Jenny Vaughn. Vaughn has the ability to score from anywhere on the floor, and Western will look to her scoring touch and leadership to carry them through the OUA season.

Vaughn is flanked by some talented veterans, including third-year forward and former Junior National Team member Laura Dally. Dally and Vaughn teamed up this past May in the OUA All-Star classic, leading the West team to victory by a score of 87-84 over the East.

For tickets visit www.westernmustangs.ca or call the Western Student Rec Centre at 519-661-3090.

Written by: Tony von Richter, Mustang Athletics Communications and Media Relations Manager

The Prorogation of Provincial Government – What Does it Mean for Western?

Sasha Madhavji — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 18:46:44 +0000

Earlier this month, Ontarians received some surprising news. The Hon. Dalton McGuinty, leader of the Provincial Liberal Party, resigned from his position as the Premier of Ontario. In addition, he requested that the Lieutenant-Governor prorogue the Ontario Legislature, which is composed of all the Members of Provincial Parliament. The Lieutenant-Governor approved this request, and as a result the Ontario Legislature cannot meet or pass any laws or policies until further notice. So what does this mean for Western? The Ontario provincial government plays a large role in our university from approving tuition frameworks, to creating new programs, to assessing quality. As a result, the prorogation does indeed have a significant impact on students at Western.

Assessing the quality of universities is a large priority of the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities, and during the summer the Ministry demanded that every university submit a Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA) outlining its three main priorities, vision, and mandate. Western’s SMA can be found here. This document was due by the end of September, and the Ministry has stated that no new programs can be approved by the Ontario Legislature until the review of all SMAs is complete. Unfortunately, due to the prorogation of the Ontario Legislature, the SMA review process has been stalled, effectively limiting Western’s ability to mount new programs for the next academic year, until parliament resumes.

Tuition frameworks also need to be approved by the Ontario Legislature, and this must be done in a timely fashion in order to inform prospective and current students of the fees they must pay to attend university. Unfortunately, the prorogation of the Ontario Legislature means that Western’s tuition frameworks cannot be approved, and the delay of this process again places our university in a difficult position of uncertainty.

For these reasons, it is clear that the prorogation of the Ontario Legislature is not something that is happening outside of the “Western bubble”, and therefore is of no relevance to us; rather, it has great ramifications for each and every student at this institution. In addition, if the political landscape changes due to another provincial election down the road, we may see even more changes at the provincial governmental level that will significantly affect how our universities operate in the future.

Written by: Ali Damji, Health Science, Medicine, and Dentistry Senator

USC Encourages Students to Speak Up for a Better London

Sasha Madhavji — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 18:39:10 +0000

The USC has been busy this year forging connections with a number of active citizen groups in London and preparing a campaign to gain student feedback on their London experiences.

USC has been in talks with Emerging Leaders, a nonprofit organization that focuses on the retention, development and engagement of emerging talent as a means towards a more vibrant, inclusive and dynamic London community. The USC is excited to announce that all Western undergraduate students will receive a free membership to the organization. This will allow students to join advocacy committees and gain access to a variety of events and networking opportunities with local community leaders. For more information on Emerging Leaders, please visit www.emergingleaders.ca.

The USC is also now a non-voting member of the London Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) and was host to an informal meet and greet with the LYAC councilors this past October. The LYAC is comprised of thirteen youth councilors between the ages of 16 and 24 and its mission is to bring the concerns of youth to City Council and to the greater London community. Some of the themes LYAC will be exploring this year include arts and culture, youth engagement in municipal politics, the environment, transportation, and economic growth. The USC will also be working with LYAC to gain more student feedback on municipal policies to increase Western’s voice in city affairs.

Finally, in early November, USC launched ReThink Students, a campaign aimed at gaining student feedback on London life. The goals of this campaign are to address why 85% of students choose to leave London after graduation, discover areas where students feel the city require improvement, and determine what USC can do to improve student experiences in London. The campaign includes a formal survey as well as hosting a number of events and open forums throughout the month of November. More details can be found on the USC website.

Written by: Monica Kozycz, Municipal Affairs Commissioner

What’s New in Social Science? October Edition

USC Publications — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 22:35:35 +0000

Since spring of 2012 some changes have occurred in the Faculty of Social Science and their programs. Here, we provide you with a brief summary of these changes:

New Modules

The Department of Geography introduced a Specialization in Geography program last April. It is similar to the Honours Specialization in Geography module, but slightly less intense in terms of competitiveness and mark cut-offs.

Additionally, this year marks the introduction of an Honours Specialization in Neuroscience, which is offered by the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry and the Faculty of Social Science, under the Psychology Department. The module in comprised of an even mix of Biomedical Science and Psychology courses, and is intended for students wishing to pursue graduate studies in Neuroscience.

Revisions

Along with the introduction of the aforementioned new modules, the Faculty of Social Science has seen some revisions to many of its courses. These are listed below:

Major in Sociology
Major in Criminology
Major in Sociology of Health and Aging
Honours Specialization in International Relations
Honours Specialization in Criminology.

Students currently enrolled in these programs, as well as those interested in them, are advised to check the Western Academic Calendar 2012 for more information or contact Academic Counselling at the faculty.

Where is our Weekend?

USC Publications — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 22:32:56 +0000

Last April, a Toronto Star Education reporter, Louise Brown, cited Western as the only university in Ontario in which students write both mid-year and final examinations on weekends, including nights on weekends. Unlike Western, most other Canadian universities schedule their students’ exams either on Saturday or on Sunday – but not both days. Should UWO students lobby for Western to change its weekend examination policy?

http ://www .londoncommunitynews .com /2011/04/saturday -night -plans -for -some -students -a -weekend -exam /

A few points of consideration:

Student Finances

Are weekend examinations interfering with your part-time job?

For the thousands of Western students who hold part-time jobs in London, Western’s exam policy can be an impediment to a healthy bottom line. Students who have to take off work on weekends to write their exams are quickly realizing that weekend examinations can be not only be exhausting – they can be costly.

Transportation

How do you get to that weekend exam?

Getting from Exam A to Exam B is a little harder on weekends. Most off-campus students are familiar with the LTC’s restricted and somewhat erratic weekend bus schedule. In the event that the bus is late, or worse, if the bus doesn’t come at all, students are still expected to arrive at their exam on time.

Exam Conflicts

Will fewer weekend exams push all my other exams closer together?

Removing exams from one weekend night or a full weekend day may create more exam conflicts. But how many conflicts are created depends on how Western administrators choose to rework the exam schedule. If other, similar-sized Canadian universities can handle no Sunday exams or no weekend-nighttime exams, it is a good indication that Western can do the same. After all, both Ryerson and Toronto accommodate their students by renting extra space during exam time (see article).

Should Western students ‘take back’ the weekend? Or should weekend examinations receive a passing grade? In either case, Western’s unique exam policy deserves your consideration.

Follow the Fees

USC Publications — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 22:30:29 +0000

Every year a Western student pays around $638 to the University Students’ Council (USC). Have you ever wondered why a student government uses that much money? Sometimes the name of the USC can be deceiving because it does a lot more than advocate for students to the University via a student government. A large portion of that money goes into student life programming and the funding of office staff to facilitate the operations during the year. The USC is a large corporation which runs several businesses in order to make the student experience more convenient at Western. The USC runs two restaurants (The Wave and Spoke), a movie theatre, a print shop, a custom clothing store, a Western clothing store (the Purple Store) and student support services – and this is not even naming all of them. On top of that, your USC fee provides you with a bus pass, health and dental insurance.

While these are all amazing things, there is a question that has to be asked: why does the USC, a student government, provide all of these services rather than the university itself? Without these services there would be a definite void in the student experience. The USC mission statement says that our goal is to ‘enhance the student experience’ – there is a difference between enhancing the student experience, and filling the void that a university is not taking responsibility for.

Just food for thought.

Exciting Opportunity for MOS Students

USC Publications — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 22:16:10 +0000

MOS 3390B: International Commerce Mission, is intended for King’s MOS students, although other students can apply, but they will be notified of space availability. Taught in English by Prof. Sergio Janczak, the course provides fifteen students with the opportunity to spend a little less than two weeks in France, as part of the course experience. The course will begin as a seminar starting January 11^th, every Friday, until February 14^th, 2013.

Following that, students will journey to France. It is estimated that the trip will cost $1850 (flight, meals, lodging, spending money, and tour costs), however, students will be eligible to receive a $1,000 King’s University College International Study Award, reducing the cost to $850. Additionally, there will be efforts to obtain corporate sponsors and grants to assist students with the financially.

Throughout the trip, students will be visiting various companies, non-governmental organizations, and universities in France, with free time for touring will be available as well. At the end of the course, students will be expected to hand in a report on the international mission (minimum 3000 words).

Applications for admission into the course are open until November 20^th, 2012, and available from the Academic Programs Secretary, Ms. Lydia Li, or online at the Student Opportunities website within the King’s EBM Department web pages.

Information sessions are available for students interested in this course at the following dates: Friday, October 19, 12:30-1:30PM and Tuesday, November 6, 7:30 – 8:30 PM, both in Room SA060. For more information on the course, contact Lydia Li at lli252@uwo.ca or at 519-433-3491, Ext 4447.

Welcome

USC Publications — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 22:07:47 +0000

Who are we? We are the Undergraduate Student Senators and Board of Governors representatives who form the Student Caucus on Governance, and we represent YOU. Our group acts as your voice when it comes to lobbying for the issues you care about most. This year there are 10 Senators at Large, who represent all undergraduate students at Western, 4 Faculty Senators and 2 Affiliate Senators that speak for the voice of students to administration. We participate in important meetings where decisions are made that affect your everyday student experience, and we aim to ensure that the issues that matter most to students are fought for. This year, some of our focuses will include:

- Per-credit tuition

- Looking at changing weekend exam schedules

- Implementing a fall break

- A greater focus on mental health issues and support services

If you wish to learn more about the University Senate or Student Caucus On Governance (SCOG) check back on this site for more information.

We are always looking to hear your opinion, if you have a concern or an idea to improve your life at Western feel free to contact us by e-mail. Our contact information can be found on the Western USC website at http://westernusc.ca/.