Engage Western 2015: Communities in Conversation will invite members from the London & Middlesex communities and students, staff, faculty and alumni from Western to dialogue about the student experience in London & Middlesex and the role that the university plays in promoting the social, economic and cultural well-being of our surrounding communities.
The agenda for the day is as follows:
9:00am – 9:30am – Registration and Welcome (opening remarks at 9:20am)
9:30am – 10:45am – Student Panel on The Student Experience in London/Middlesex
11:00am – 12:30pm – Provocations and Table Dialogue
12:30pm – 1:15pm – Lunch (to be provided)
1:15pm – 3:00 pm - Connecting Voices, Connecting Communities Forum
3:00pm - Event Close
More Details about the Events
The Provocations are intended to be an interactive dialogue between an expert guest speaker from either the community or Western on issues relevant to the relationship between community and university. The provoker will provide the audience with "food for thought" and will then invite the audience to dialogue together towards solutions or ideas about that issue.
Provocation Topics and Speakers:
The Disengaged Campus: Fact or Myth?
Keith Marnoch (Communications, Western University)
Student Talent Retention in London: Whose Responsibility is it?
Amir Farahi (The London Institute)
Do our Graduates' Skills Match Current Labour Market Demands?
Peggy Sattler (MPP, London West)
Connecting Voices, Connecting Communities forum is an event in which attendees of Engage Western can submit questions or statements about community-university engagement to be tackled by a group of individuals who have been invited to represent the London & Middlesex community as well as the university. The goal of Connecting Voices, Connecting Communities is to allow a safe space to celebrate our achievements as partners, recognize the potential that exists when we work together, and to identify where we can all do more to be better partners and better neighbours. We hope that this will allow connections to be made, new initiatives to be struck, and that we, together, recognize our collective responsibility to work towards the social, economic and cultural well-being of our community.
As they register for the event, participants of Engage Western will be able to submit some questions to bring to the forum in advance, and there will be space for questions to be taken ad hoc from the audience.
As you submit your questions, here are some ideas for topics that can be discussed at this forum: Community Engaged Learning, Community-Based Knowledge, Research for Policy or Social Change, Neighbourhood Relations and “Good Neighbours”, Communications between Community and University, International Students at Western & Internationalization, Leadership and Governance, Student Retention in London & Middlesex, Business/Industry Relations & Recruitment, Economic Development, Indigenous Education, The Student Experience (of Western and London/Middlesex), Theory vs. Practice, Western’s Strategic Plan, Collaboration and Partnership, Access to Special Events and Services, and anything that our community members deem as important to bring to the discussion.
Have a question or comment to submit following registration? Do so by emailing engagewestern@uwo.ca with the subject heading "Connecting Voices, Connecting Communities".
