The outrage over Western University President Amit Chakma's nearly $1-million payout continues.
Fifth year student and PHD Candidate Tyler Turek protested outside the president's office on Wednesday, collecting donations for the campus food bank, a place he says many students are forced to turn to.
In 2014, Amit Chakma was paid double his regular salary. In his five year contract Chakma was entitled to a paid year off. He chose to work and take a payout instead, banking a total of $924,000.
"I can't justify borrowing more money to pay for my degree when I know it's just going to go in his pocket, or towards branding, or some public relations stunt that does not benefit the quality of teaching or research at this institution," Turek tells BlackburnNews.com. "We can argue that yes, it was written in the contract, but I say that contract should not have been written in the first place. It should be up to students and professors to have an input in how the direction of the university is managed. What is on paper, what is on the web site is not what I have experienced and I can probably say that sentiment is widespread."
Turek says morale at the school is low and he believes many faculty members are afraid of speaking out against what is being called a massive mismanagement of taxpayers' money.
Chakma has yet to speak publicly since the Sunshine List, detailing public servants who make over $100,000 annually, was released last week. He is scheduled to appear at an alumni event in Los Angeles in a few weeks.
The president is the highest paid public servant in London.
"They are shutting their blinds and pretending the problem doesn't exist," notes Turek. "They are burying their heads in the sand and that does not solve problems. That is not strategic leadership. From my perspective it's disappointing leadership."
Soon after the salary was revealed an on-line petition surfaced calling for a non-confidence vote in the Chair of the Board of Governors Chirag Shah and Western University's President Amit Chakma at the next meeting on April 10.
The petition has since collected over 5,000 signatures.
