Political Science
1151 Richmond Street, Social Science Centre, Room 4154 N6A 5C2 London, ON, Canada

Help create a bold future for Western. If you had to choose the key issues for our researchers, scholars and artists to focus on, what would they be? Share your ideas here: https://strategicplan.uwo.ca/theme-energizing-research.html

Be kind, be a listener, and be a friend - let’s promise to always be here for each other. This #BellLetsTalk Day, let’s make sure everyone knows where to g...o when they need help, and who to turn to for support. Know how to help yourself and others. On Campus: Western Health and Wellness provides same-day crisis counselling and bookable mental health counselling appointments. Call (519) 661-3030 to book an appointment. Housing at Western offers free counselling services to students who live in a main campus residence. You can book an appointment by emailing [email protected]. Off-Campus: CMHA Middlesex Crisis Services is a 24/7 crisis service you can walk-in, phone, or web chat to receive support. Call 519-433-2023 or 1.866.933.2023, visit Reachout247.ca or walk through their doors at 648 Huron St., London, ON 24/7 to receive immediate crisis assessment, intervention, stabilization and links to community resources. Good2Talk is a free, confidential 24/7 mental health helpline for post-secondary students. Call 1.866.925.5454 or text "GOOD2TALKON" to 686868. First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line is a 24-hour culturally relevant telephone crisis intervention counselling. Call 1.888.242.3310. Other ways to stay well: Check out uwo.ca/se/digital to find out about all the virtual supports available for students. Join a digital fitness class with Western Campus Recreation to stay active. Visit learn2thrive.uwo.ca to read stories from your peers going through the same things you are. Follow Western Student Experience on Instagram @westernustudentexperience for a series of posts encouraging the Western community to reach out and talk about mental health and ways that you can support others. Every action counts.

Political Science student Mahati Mundluru is ready to bake things up on Season 4 of The Great Canadian Baking Show. We wish you the best of luck!

After consultation with numerous campus leaders, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to delay in-person instruction to Feb. 21, following Readin...g Week. Virtual classes are going ahead as planned, starting Jan. 11. Some clinical learning in health sciences and medicine and in a small number of approved non-health related programs will begin in person on Monday as well, but these are very limited. Additional information will be forthcoming from your Faculties. Health officials are asking us all to limit travel as much as possible. If you can stay where you are for now, we encourage that. For those returning to campus and to London, limit your contacts find a buddy or roommate and stick with them only. Physically distance and wear a mask whenever possible, download the COVID Alert mobile app, and get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms. COVID Alert mobile app: https://www.canada.ca//coronavirus-diseas/covid-alert.html Western COVID-19 testing centre: https://www.uwo.ca/coronavirus/testing.html We know this is hard right now. We also know the pandemic will end. Vaccines are starting to roll out. Please stay hopeful. Thank you for continuing to do the right thing prioritizing the health and safety of each other and our community. Be safe and be well. Alan Shepard President Read the full, detailed update from President Shepard on the our COVID-19 website: https://www.uwo.ca/coronavirus/presidents-updates/

Dear Western Students, Faculty and Staff, What a year this has been. The pandemic has challenged us in ways nobody could have predicted.... Thank you to each and every one of you for your flexibility, understanding and perseverance during these extraordinary times. The winter break is quickly approaching. A time to truly pause, recharge, and safely enjoy the holidays with the ones we love. I’m writing to let you know that the University will close for the holidays a little earlier than originally planned. Western will close on Tuesday, December 22, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. after the last exam has been written and will reopen Monday, January 4, 2021. With the approval of Senate, we have also decided to extend the holiday break for students. Classes will now resume on January 11, 2021. I have heard from many of you that this has been a particularly trying year. Assignments, labs, essays and exams have left you feeling more than a little worn out. We hope this extra time off will allow you to rest and recover a little longer, coming back stronger and ready to take on the winter term. Students in professional programs should consult their home Faculties for more information on activities that will start January 4. This will mean a shorter final exam period from April 14 to April 30. We will work closely with each Faculty to mitigate additional stressors at the end of the term. We are also working with the deans to encourage instructors to be flexible in helping you finish your term strong. To adapt their teaching and learning strategies to focus on the most important elements of course work. To our faculty and staff you have been working tirelessly for many months. The long hours, working weekends, and going above and beyond to help ensure the safest and highest quality learning and research environment possible has not gone unnoticed. Thank you for all your efforts. I know balancing work and home life during these uncertain times has not been easy. With this in mind, we are offering all Western employees two flex days to use between January 4 and May 31, 2021. We will also be closing campus on Friday, July 2, creating an extra-long weekend to kick off the start of summer holidays. For some, your summer vacation was disrupted due to the pandemic. You may wish to work with your supervisor to extend your December holiday into January by using your vacation or flex days. We hope this extra time off will give you and your families some flexibility as you continue to navigate the pandemic. I want to end by encouraging all of you to think about your well-being now, throughout the holidays and into the winter term. Please, never feel alone in this. Students, we have supports for you if you need them. I encourage you to access our workshops, counselling and peer-to-peer supports. Faculty and staff, Western's Employee and Family Assistance Program can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This holiday break is important. Please, take the time to take care of yourself. Be well and be safe. Alan Shepard President and Vice-Chancellor

Don't miss Virtual Fall Preview Day! All future Mustangs, friends and family are invited to our one-day virtual event. Meet professors, chat with students,... and ask your questions! November 15 , 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Eastern Time Register now

Hosted by the University Students’ Council, Western’s virtual Remembrance Day ceremony will be broadcast live Wednesday, Nov. 11, 10:45 to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom. A...dvance registration is required. https://www.uwo.ca/remembrance-day.html The City of London’s Remembrance Day ceremony will take place at the London Cenotaph in Victoria Park Wednesday, Nov. 11. Due to the pandemic, spectators are discouraged from attending, however the ceremony will be streamed live on Rogers TV and CTV London at 10:45 a.m. City residents are encouraged to stand outside residences and businesses to publicly observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. https://london.ca/governm/calendar/remembrance-day-ceremony

Aidan Link & Wiley De Paiva, student leaders of the UWO Political Science Association at #westernu alongside other Canadians and peers, turned to digital platforms to ring in the U.S. election with cross-border stakes and to discuss what the U.S. election means to them | National Newswatch

OLIP is a paid, 10-month, nonpartisan internship programme that provides Members of Provincial Parliament with qualified intern assistants. The Programme has five aspects: MPP placements, study tours, academic research paper, meetings with politicians and individuals of interest, and committee work. The Programme provides recent graduates with exposure to the world of Ontario politics, the opportunity to connect with individuals across a wide variety of career paths, and a unique and immersive skill building work experience at Queen’s Park. The programme is open to any graduating student, graduate, and undergraduate students. There will be a virtual information session on November 18th at 5:00-6:30pm via Zoom. Email [email protected] or visit www.olipinterns.ca for more details.