Newspaper Columns
from the Londoner
Columns : Previous .|. INDEX .|. Next
 Feeling
good about Western and its growing role around the globe
Recently I
dropped in to pay a visit with Paul Davenport, the president of the University
of Western Ontario.
It was
Faculty Day for 5,000 first-year students to tour the campus and hear from the
student volunteers about the exciting days ahead. Movies and football games were
balanced with Shinerama for Cystic Fibrosis and the Terry Fox run for cancer.
Things have
sure changed since I was a student at UWO; the young people on the whole are
taller, healthier, better looking with eager smiles from ear to ear. Darn it, they
are probably a lot smarter than their parents, too.
There is a
rainbow of colours and cultural diversity blending into the purple and white
school colours of Western.
Last June,
the frosh were still in their local high schools but now are in university,
many living away from home for the first time.
Me, with my
clip board and the students with their back packs, lap tops, cell phones and a
hot cup of Timmys in hand; they were ready to take on the world.
The large
signs of ‘Welcome’ on the beautiful stone, ivy-covered buildings made you feel
right at home.
Dr.
Davenport spoke with pride about the people of the school, where 25,000 full-time
students, 4,000 part-time and 4,000 grad students make up the student body.
There are first
year programs in arts, science, health sciences, social sciences, engineering, administrative
and commercial studies, information and media studies and music to choose from.
Programs can be accessed on the web at www.welcome.uwo.ca.
Internship
work programs, along with dual degrees in business and law, engineering and medicine
offer up diverse, all-encompassing career opportunities.
The
university staff and student volunteers work very hard to welcome the new
students on campus. Because of this effort the retention rates are among the
highest in the country. The staff and faculty act as positive role models
serving on hundreds of community boards in the city.
The
financial impact of Western on London comes in at about $1 billion annually. International
research and development by faculty and students enables graduates to seek out
opportunities from around the globe.
Western
students and faculty are globally involved too, according to the Alumni
Gazette. Students travel to Tanzania in Africa to help fight the AIDS pandemic,
where every day 8,000 Africans die.
Western
graduates join forces under the United Nations World Food Program to deliver
food rations to millions of Iraqis amid the chaos of war. Western is leading a
new initiative to train more nurses and doctors in Rwanda in Central Africa.
Dr.
Davenport feels confident the number of first-year students will remain
constant at 6,000. Many first choice applicants with 80 per cent plus averages
have chosen Western and its affiliates, King’s, Huron and Brescia.
His vision
of Western is it will continue to be one of North America’s outstanding
universities, known internationally for the excellence of its students, faculty
and support staff. People working together effectively and supporting one
another in achieving personal and university objectives is the raison d’etre.
For 125
years Western has been at the forefront of educating our youth. I felt good about
my visit to Western. I am sure the students will bring about positive change in
London, Canada and the world at large.
Columns : Previous .|. INDEX .|. Next
|
Newspaper Columns