Office of the President 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4 T 519.253.3000 (ext.2000) F 519.971.7070 www.uwindsor.ca University of Windsor Student Alliance CAW Student Centre University of Windsor March 4, 2014 To the UWSA, The University of Windsor is one of the most important universities in Canada. We are recognized for the diversity of our student population, our welcoming of international students, and our location in a community and part of the world that is undergoing significant change in response to global forces. Collectively, our student population is a reflection of the diversity in our world. As stated in your own constitution, the UWSA represents the voices of all full-time undergraduate students. You play a vital role in shaping the student experience at our University. In that regard, the goals of the UWSA and of the University of Windsor are the same – to make the University of Windsor a university that you will value while you are a student, and that will enrich you for a lifetime. As the voice of students, you are a partner with the University of Windsor in the desire to see a university be a place where you can learn about difficult challenges in the world and where hard and sometimes uncomfortable issues can be debated. The referendum process that is now underway on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction (BDS) issue has raised serious questions about the operations of the UWSA. Specifically, I have received many well-documented and detailed complaints about the processes used by the UWSA throughout the referendum. It is the University’s expectation that complaints such as these are being taken seriously by the UWSA. The University has begun its own investigation, and the outcome of that investigation will be communicated to all students as part of the University of Windsor’s desire to ensure that every student’s rights and privileges are being respected. I am aware that the UWSA Council will be meeting on Thursday, March 13, and that the report of the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) will be brought to the Council as a final step in the referendum process. I am requesting that you defer the receipt of that report and the finalization of the referendum process until the UWSA and the University have completed their investigations. Should you choose not to defer the tabling of the CRO report, and the complaints are proven to be valid, the University of Windsor will have to consider its options. While we fully respect the autonomy of student organizations, the University must insist that the actions of the UWSA are taken in accordance with appropriate processes. The University cannot allow student organizations to compromise the University’s commitment to provide a welcoming learning and living environment for each and every student on our campus. I trust that you will be amenable to my request. I commit to working through our review of the complaints as quickly as we can, and to sharing our findings with the UWSA and with all students. Sincerely, Alan Wildeman President and Vice-Chancellor