Western University President Amit Chakma announced that he will not be seeking another term, he will be stepping down as president by June of 2019.
Amit Chakma may not have had the greatest track record with some students. He was mainly known for his decision to move back Westerns Homecoming celebration to a later date when most students had midterms and the weather was colder. Amit Chakma made this decision for safety purposes as Homecoming resulted in a unsanctioned, unsafe street party years prior. Students rebelled this decision by hosting there own “Phoco” on the date it was originally held.
Westerns President also came under fire in 2015 when information regarding his nearly $1 million a year salary. Chakma originally had been making $493k before receiving the large pay bonus due to not taking a leave of absence. Many felt this was unfair and unwarranted. Chakma later apologized and returned the money which was something he did not have to do.
Other students argue that this hate is undeserved. Jehan Batliwalla is a business and engineering student at Western. He says that Chakma was a very good president. “Being here at Western for five years now, I had no problems with Chakma, he was a good leader, he showed his face at a lot of different student events, this showed how much he cared for his students.” Says Jehan.
While many students complain about his decision with Homecoming and his salary there are many who appreciate the things he did to help the school. The search for the new President to replace him has started and the main thing students are hoping for is someone who truly cares about Western Students.
