Western University president Amit Chakma emerged from a pivotal senate vote Friday intact but wounded with a significant number of faculty calling for him to resign.

Just under half the senate stood behind Chakma despite questions about his leadership and pay that vaulted the school into controversy.

But they did not do so without misgivings. Among 49 senators who opposed a non-confidence motion, the highly visible dean of its medical school, Michael Strong, is angry Chakma took double pay last year and deeply concerned the university had become a divisive place where money disproportionately flows to those researching science, technology, engineering and mathematics, while others go without.

“We share in the anger and frustration,” Strong said. “We have a broken system. A university that is moving into haves and have nots.”

Even stronger concerns were raised by the 30 senators who voted for the non-confidence motion and five more who abstained — a group a faculty leader says included deans.

How can Chakma seek funding at Queen’s Park when he’s become the public face of wasteful spending, asked Chris Brown, a classical studies professor. How can Chakma preside over a coming convocation of students where each receives a diploma?

“Are we going to ask our students to kneel before a man who has become a symbol of greed and entitlement?” Brown said.

Kevin Godbout, president of the Society of Graduate Students, said Chakma’s supporters shouldn’t consider the vote as an endorsement of his leadership.

“I don’t think the (failed motion) says there’s confidence in the president. It just says there is not non-confidence.”

What Chakma thought of the debate, the result or his future isn’t known. As soon as the meeting at the Ivey School of Business ended, he left through a side door away from faculty, staff and teachers and toward a waiting elevator, not even turning when a television reporter asked if he had “anything to say.” “Nothing,” Chakma said. “No.”

But with so many senators voting against him or abstaining, Chakma may not have enough support to stay, associate professor Mark McDayter said.

“He might possibly want to think about the kind of moral suasion he now has over this university and the type of support he has going forward.”

The head of the school’s faculty association thinks he should resign.

“The right thing for Dr. Chakma to do now would be to step aside on his own volition,” said Alison Hearn, president of the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association.

For the good of Western, Chakma should announce as soon as possible if he intends to stay or go, Hearn said.

Chakma has refused to be interviewed by media since March 27, when his pay deal turned up in Ontario’s Sunshine List for 2014: He was paid $967,000, half of that his normal pay, and the other half for not taking a paid leave in 2015. A similar deal inked in 2013 would allow double pay in 2019.

His two deals were approved by a select elite of Western’s board — several board members not in the inner circle say they weren’t told Chakma could double dip.

After the first week of uproar, Chakma said he’d “refund” extra pay and not take a second double dose of pay in 2019 — but that wasn’t the whole story.

At the start of the senate meeting, Chakma laid out his plans: When his tenure as president ends, he’ll take paid leave, in essence, getting later the pay he’s giving up now: His contracts entitles him to two full years of pay. Chakma said he’d then return to being a professor.

Chakma was the first senator to speak at the meeting and his comments were brief as he clarified he did intend to get paid leave after his tenure, but in the meantime, he wanted to find solutions together.

“I am committed to working with you,” he said.

The senate also voted down a non-confidence motion for board chair Chirag Shah: 46 opposed the motion, 20 supported it and a big number — 21 — abstained.

The debate on Shah took sharp turns. Strong initially stood up and said he would vote non-confidence.

“This may cost me my job at the end of the day,” he said.

But after others argued that Shah was being made a scapegoat for board decisions, some of which came before his tenure. Strong reversed himself.

Shah didn’t attend the meeting.

There was drama even before the votes in Chakma and Shah about how votes should be tallied — the traditional way is by a show of hands.

Faculty argued that Chakma’s administration had created a culture of fear that left many afraid to voice dissent for fear of reprisal.

“I’ve heard from people who won’t speak out because they are afraid,” language professor Jacques Lamarche said.

A motion to hold the Chakma vote by secret ballot fell two votes short.

That led to a backlash led by the president of the university student council, Matt Helfand, who called for a recorded vote, and accused senators of hiding behind anonymity.

“Otherwise, you are abdicating your duty,” Helfand said.

But his push for a recorded vote lost by a large margin.

Somehow, the senate screwed up the pivotal vote on Chakma, with acting chair Jim Weese announcing 39 votes of non-confidence, a number Western PR later said was incorrect — the right figure was 30.

Just after the incorrect vote was announced, an audience member stood and shouted “What do we say?” with others yelling, “Resign! Resign!”

Faculty after the meeting said they were upset because security searched their bags and confiscated signs from protesters.

The non-confidence vote was the first observers can recall occurring in a major Ontario university.

jonathan.sher@sunmedia.ca

Twitter.com/JSHERatLFPress

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CHRONOLOGY

March 27

Chakma’s $967,000 double pay for 2014 revealed by mandatory Ontario disclosure law. A second deal allows him double pay in 2019.

Board chair defends deal as not uncommon but Free Press reports other major universities don’t do it.

April 1

Free Press reports Chakma cashed in a paid leave year in 2009, when he left the University of Waterloo for Western, and raked in $972,000.

Chakma says he’ll return half the money and not double dip again.

April 2

Ontario NDP calls for a ban on double-pay for post-secondary execs.

April 9

Chakma says he showed poor judgment accepting double pay.

Board hires retired justice to do review but has kept secret what the nature or scope of the review will be.

April 10

Chakma pleads for second chance in the Senate as faculty push for a non-confidence vote. Some in audience turn their backs to him.

April 17

Senate defeats non-confidence motion in Chakma but 42% oppose him or abstain. Faculty head later calls on him to resign.

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WHAT THEY SAID

“The job of university president... You need to get it right the first time. We can’t be like waffles where you throw the first term out.”

— Professor Chris Brown argues it’s not enough for Chakma to say he’ll correct first-term mistakes

“A PR machine is at work... Just like a politician desperately trying to hold on to power.”

— Language professor Jacques Lamarche describe how Western brass and big-dollar benefactors have responded to the crisis at the school

“A tsunami in favour of this (non-confidence) motion.”

— Anthropology professor Andrew Nelson

“How can the president be on a 100-day listening tour when his supporters all tell us to be quiet?”

— Alison Hearn, president of the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association

“If you think we approved of (Chakma) taking the extra money, you are wrong... I personally was angry.”

— Michael Strong, dean of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western

“It’s lazy of us to make a scapegoat of Dr. Chakma.”

— Thomas Sutherland, graduate student in chemistry

“Listen to all of us, not just the privileged few.”

— Health Sciences professor Dan Belliveau

“(Chakma’s provided) measured and thoughtful leadership at his most vulnerable juncture.”

— Charmaine Dean, dean of science

“Do not divide and demoralize your membership.”

— John Eberhard, president of Western’s alumni association

“There’s not enough objective data to support non-confidence.”

— Colleen O’Connor, Brescia University College representative

“The discussions on social media...are still overwhelmingly critical of the priorities of this university that rewards high-level administrators rather than the teachers and the researchers.”

— Kevin Godbout, president of the society of graduate students

“He made an honest mistake in his judgment. He needs to take a look at his leadership and it needs to change, but don’t we owe him the opportunity to make that change?”

— Melanie Molnar, staff member in the faculty of education

“The fact that in a group with so many administrators, that the vote was so close, shows there are still very serious unresolved issues... I don’t think the question of Chakma’s confidence has been resolved.”

— Professor Samuel Trosow