sealPrinciples


In support of Western's Mission and Vision, the University community supports the following mutually dependent principles:

Excellence

We aspire in our teaching and research to academic excellence which is recognized nationally and internationally. We set high standards for the recruitment and performance of our faculty, staff, and students.

Selectivity

We will identify our academic strengths and build on them with selective allocation of resources.

Education for Leadership

We are committed to a culture of achievement which ensures that Western graduates are prepared to become leaders of their society. We seek to create an environment in which students are grounded in the values and responsibilities of the scholarly life.

Academic Freedom

We will protect the right of all in our academic community to speak and write freely. We expect all who study, teach, and do research at Western to uphold the highest ideals of scholarly responsibility.

Western's People

We value and support all who work and study at Western and seek to create an environment in which they can aspire to excellence and succeed. The realization of our academic objectives depends on Western's people.

Diversity

As part of our commitment to excellence, we seek to recognize and remove the obstacles faced by traditionally under-represented groups in order to facilitate their access to and advancement at Western. We respect and celebrate the diversity of people who make up our community.

Societal Responsibility

Through our teaching, research and service to the community, we aspire to play a significant role in improving the quality of life and fostering economic development in London and this region, in the Province of Ontario, in Canada, and abroad.

Accountability

We are accountable to our students and the general public for the quality of our teaching, research, and service to the community and for the effective use of our resources.

Autonomy

We will protect Western's autonomy so that the University, through the Senate and Board, can identify academic priorities and set directions in support of its Mission.

Innovation

We are committed to fostering an environment that encourages creativity and risk-taking on the part of faculty, staff, and students and that is responsive to new academic opportunities in areas of potential excellence.

Partnerships

We seek cooperative relationships with other academic institutions, businesses, charitable organizations, and governments to enhance and support the educational and research opportunities available at Western, and to bring mutual benefit to the University and its partners.

Openness

We are committed to an environment of fairness, broad participation, and openness in which information is widely shared and the processes for decision-making are understood and respected.
***UWO, "Leadership in Learning", November 1995***