Month in review: May 30, 2012

Student employees charged at YEP
The annual Year End Party on the Laurier campus did not go without a hitch.
On the night of April 21, 14 students, who were employed by the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union were charged by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in violation of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act (PSISA).

Students were found to working in security positions without proper licensing. At the time of the interview, Mike McMahon, general manager if WLUSU, was unsure if the union would be fined.

WLUSU has stated that they will give legal aid to the charged employees.

School of Business and Economics hires new dean
On April 30, Wilfrid Laurier University announced that Micheál Kelly was chosen as the new dean of the school of business and economics (SBE).

Deb MacLatchy, vice-president: academic and provost at Laurier, said the skills he has demonstrated with his contributions to the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, as well as his work for various innovation advisory boards, makes him an ideal leader for SBE initiatives and fundraising.

Kelly hopes to be able to build onto Laurier’s community with his contact networks, and help give it the recognition it deserves.

Creating a community for women in science
April 16 marked an important day for women working in science and mathematical fields in the Waterloo region, as the Wilfrid Laurier University senate approved the development of The Centre for Women in Sciences.

The centre will open in the fall and connect women in the community with faculty members in science and mentors in the area.

Institutions have already shown support for the centre and students also look forward to being a part of it.

The university will fund the centre as it begins, and government grants as well as external funding will also help supplement the centre.

Anthropology department to be reduced to a program
The anthropology department at Wilfrid Laurier University may soon be facing some major cuts.

Anthropology professors declined to make a comment about the nature of the issue, which was discussed at the Faculty of Arts meeting on April 20, 2012.

Students that have declared a single anthropology major will be able to complete their majors, but in the future it will only be offered as a double major.

While losing the department has upset many professors and students, the program will still be available in a reduced form, and required course offerings will be ensured.

– All compiled by Yvonne Lemieux