Western University offers protesters 7 terms to end encampments, but they come with conditions

Western University's president announced a list of steps the institution is willing to take in return for the dismantling of a pro-Palestinian protest encampment that's been in place on the university's campus since May 1.

In a letter posted to a Western community blog Wednesday, Alan Shepard committed to seven steps, few of which concede the main demands set out by protest organizers, and all of which are contingent on the encampment being permanently dismantled.

The announcement followed a third meeting between the two sides, Shepard said. A meeting was held the day before with students saying they were not satisfied with Western's response.

At the time of publication, the protest group, which calls itself the Western Divestment Coalition, had not responded to the university's proposal. 

Similar to other university student protest groups across Canada, the coalition is demanding Western stop investing in companies with ties to Israel's military operations, cut ties with Israeli universities, and agree to amnesty for students involved in the protest. 

Divestment

In response to the most direct demand of protest organizers, Shepard said divestment would accomplish close to nothing, as the university's assets are pooled into funds managed externally. He also notes that last year, Western joined a United Nations-sponsored investment group that works to make responsible financial choices.

Protest organizers claim Western has approximately $15 million in investments tied to military contracts and $33.6 million invested in companies that are involved with Israel's military actions in Gaza, figures Western has not commented on.

"Many experts have argued that [divestment] would have limited to no impact on the issues at hand – while at the same time requiring organizations like universities to dismantle their entire investment model to address a very small percentage of assets," Shepard wrote.

The university's president also distanced Western's investment strategies with political or social issues, stressing that "as an institution of higher learning, [Western's] role is to make room for the broadest range of views."

Shepard said in his statement, Western's academic partnerships, even with Israeli universities, won't be cut.

"We will not hold academic colleagues accountable for the decisions of their government," he wrote.

"What we can do, however, is review our institutional agreements as they relate to international academic partnerships to confirm those collaborations are consistent with Western's principles."

Disclosure

In response to demands that the university disclose investments in companies and funds that have direct or indirect ties to Israel, Shepard pointed to the university's publicly available investment disclosure page.

He also pointed to a plan set in motion in 2022 to re-think the school's investment plan.

"In other words, the current approved investment strategy is mid-stream. Opening it up now would most certainly put our entire investment strategy – and by extension our portfolios' performance – at risk," he wrote.

Still, Shepard said feedback on investments is still possible during this process. He proposed meeting with a select group of students from the coalition, before the start of the academic year, to provide more transparency, as well as to create a way for the community to provide feedback on investment decisions. 

Amnesty

Students have also demanded amnesty, fearful their protest could impact their academic future. That demand would be honoured by university officials, according to Shepard, however it came with conditions. 

"Our goal is to end this unlawful encampment safely and soon. We are seeking a peaceful resolution, and we hope to continue engaging with our students to do so," he wrote. "Any individual who chooses not to respect the bounds of peaceful and lawful protest cannot be guaranteed amnesty."

In past blog posts, university officials have listed examples of unlawful protests. Those things include pitching tents, protesting past 9:00 p.m., sleeping on campus overnight, and affixing banners and posters to university property.

Later in the letter, Shepard also characterized the encampment as "unlawful," and said protesters have crossed the line several times by threatening visitors to campus and making staff feel unsafe. 

Proposed action

After responding to the main demands of protesters, Shepard's letter outlined seven steps the university would take on the condition that the encampment be dismantled permanently and convocation ceremonies not be disrupted.

Those steps are as follows, and as written by Shepard.

1. "Set a meeting between 3-4 student coalition representatives and member(s) of Western's senior leadership team and Western's Investment Team to discuss the University's investment policy and demonstrate continued commitment to transparency."
2. "Continue our ongoing investment reporting and commitment to transparency."
3. "Implement a process for expression of concerns from Western community members around responsible investing."
4. "Develop an educational speaker series on a regional and political perspectives of Israel and Palestine for the 2024-2025 academic year."
5. "Create a Provost's Committee to develop and recommend a framework for Western's international partnerships grounded in human rights considerations and our values."
6. Increase Global Students and Scholars at Risk Program financial support by up to $200,000 per year for students displaced by war, including Palestinian students."
7. "Utilize central communications channels to feature stories of students impacted by war, beginning with students impacted by the war in Palestine and Israel."

Shepard wrote at the end of his message, Western continues to be committed to communication and collaboration with the students and is ready to hear their ideas.

CBC News has reached out to Western for an interview but did not hear back at the time of publication. Previous requests since the protests began four weeks ago have gone unanswered.