President
President's Biography
Dr. Alan Shepard is Western’s eleventh President & Vice-Chancellor. A proponent of organic transformational change within public universities, Shepard has led teams creating several entrepreneurship focused incubators, university-to-industry partnerships, and other efforts to broaden the scope of undergraduate and graduate opportunities. Inspired by his own experience as a first-generation student,he is committed to an inclusive model of education and (read more)
Speaking Requests
To request President Shepard to speak at or attend your event, please complete the Save the Date Request form to determine if the President is available on the date of your event. Once the President's attendance at your event has been confirmed, the President's Engagement Coordinator will be in touch to request further information.
Organizational Chart
Western University, home to more than 42,000 students, employs 1,432 full-time faculty and 2,789 full-time staff. The Board of Governors is responsible for the overall management of the University, including financial matters, and the Senate is responsible for the academic policy of the University.
Presidents Emeriti
Since its founding in 1878, Western University has had 10 Presidents & Vice-Chancellors, the first being Nathaniel Chamney James (1908-1914). Prior to 1908, the Principals of Western’s founding college, Huron College (now Huron University College) acted as University President. Today, Presidents are appointed for five-year renewable terms.
Western's History
Founded on March 7, 1878 by Bishop Isaac Hellmuth (1817–1901) ‘The Western University of London Ontario’ opened its doors to students for the first time in 1881. Four faculties – Arts, Divinity, Law and Medicine were there at Western's inception. In 1916, the current campus was purchased from the Kingsmill family, and in 1923 the university was renamed The University of Western Ontario.
