WATERLOO — The Wilfrid Laurier University board of governors has an extra serving of controversy on its plate at next week's meeting.

Dozens of Laurier students concerned about cuts proposed in a controversial program review will stage a silent protest in the quad starting at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 26.

At 1 p.m., students will attend the board meeting where members will consider approving measures in a report on the review, called integrated planning and resource management. The meeting, open to the public, could last five hours.

Also on the agenda is a presentation by a group opposed to the removal of $400,000 in high-tech equipment from a prestigious Laurier centre for Parkinson's disease research and treatment. This is unrelated to the program review.

The review suggests possibly chopping 18 academic programs or courses, such as the religious studies PhD, health administration bachelor of arts honours, and media studies. Laurier is also considering shutting the Robert Langen Art Gallery and withdrawing operating funds for the Wilfrid Laurier University Press.

The review "does not share those priorities held valuable by the student community, and it does not act in accordance with the spirit of the Wilfrid Laurier University Act of 1973," says a petition launched by Laurier students at change.org.

More than 300 people have signed it as of Thursday morning.

Protesters are asked to wear Laurier's colours, purple and gold, according to Laurier Student Voices, the group organizing the protest.

"We are not seeking to harm the good name of our university," the group says on a Facebook page. "We will demonstrate quietly; we will let our presence be known in numbers, not noise.

"We will speak about Wilfrid Laurier University in a positive manner in person, on social media, and when communicating with third parties; we are demonstrating because we care about our institution and want to see it maintain the level of excellence it has already achieved and to set a course for academic improvement in a responsible manner."

Although the review was not launched to cut costs, Laurier is now tight for money and looking to trim $10 million, representing a five per cent budget cut, for the next fiscal year starting May 1.

Members of a grassroots group protesting the removal of equipment from the Sun Life Financial Movement Disorders Research and Rehabilitation Centre will also address the board of governors meeting, held in the senate and board chamber just off of University Avenue.

David Smith, a group member who has Parkinson's, said the group hopes to convince Laurier to return the equipment, which is used for world-famous Parkinson's research and exercise programs. The group collected almost 700 signatures on a petition.

"It is not our committee's intention to be disruptive, we are just ordinary everyday citizens that have the misfortune to be seriously challenged by Parkinson's," Smith said in an email to The Record.

However, he continued, the centre's "internationally acclaimed innovative exercise and research program is of such value and importance to the Parkinson's community that we just cannot stand by and see it curtailed without insisting that we have an opportunity to fairly and properly present our case."

The equipment removed from the centre will now be used for research into autism, soccer dribbling and dance. The equipment is owned by Laurier. It was bought with $2 million received in 2007 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the university.

Six centre researchers received the money, which was earmarked for Parkinson's research. Now, some of the researchers are branching into other fields, while centre director Quincy Almeida remains focused on Parkinson's. Space at the centre has also been redistributed.

Laurier said the foundation supported the plan to redistribute the equipment among all of the grant applicants.

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"The actions recently taken by the university to redistribute space and equipment originate in a dispute among faculty members over the sharing of these resources that were initially obtained by co-operation among them in an infrastructure grant," Laurier said in a statement.

"Confidential personnel issues limit what the university can say about the matter. However, the university has invested considerable time and effort into mediation and dispute resolution. Resolution has failed, it is clear that co-operation is not happening and the university has reallocated the university-owned space and equipment in a manner that is fair to all parties concerned, including faculty members, students, research partners, and research participants."

Laurier said the centre still has 80 per cent of its original equipment and the changes are "not expected to significantly impact" research.

"The university regrets that interpersonal conflicts have prevented the development of a highly collaborative and synergistic platform for research. The university now expects faculty members to individually optimize their research programs and to collaborate where possible and productive."

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- $10 million in cuts eyed for Wilfrid Laurier University's budget

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