Talk:University of Western Ontario

Requested move 9 October 2023

 * The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: Not moved. estar8806 (talk) ★ 18:46, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

University of Western Ontario → Western University (Canada) – WP:COMMONNAME. RS coverages consistently refers to the university as either Western or Western University. NM 02:19, 9 October 2023 (UTC)


 * I do not agree this should be changed. UWO is the proper name of the university in the opinion of many alumni despite the marketing push to the contrary in recent years. Jmc511 (talk) 20:46, 9 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Support. It has become pretty colloquially known as "Western", so the suggested makes sense. As well, much like the Stanford University wiki, Wikipedia entries do not necessarily go by the full 'official' or 'proper' title (see Official names) User:R.schneider101 22:49, 9 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Oppose. It was already known as "Western" long before this marketing tactic. I think we've indulged them enough by mentioning the branded name in the text. Adam Bishop (talk) 22:53, 9 October 2023 (UTC)


 * Oppose. Just a branding name. The full name is still used and is much clearer. -- Necrothesp (talk) 12:31, 10 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Oppose, especially if we consider WP:NATURAL. See, for example, Queen's University at Kingston, not Queen's University (Canada). 162 etc. (talk) 16:07, 10 October 2023 (UTC)
 * Oppose. per above and WP:NATDIS. However, I disagree with the dismissal of this move simply because its branding. Branding or not, a look through Google News, and "reliable sources" like Maclean's, The Times Higher Ed, ARWU, QS, and Canadian Encyclopedia, all show "Western University" is the more commonly used name compared to "University of Western Ontario" (which broadly speaking is the criteria, per WP:UCRN). But again, the current UWO name is preferable, seeing as how the branded name would require disambiguation. Leventio (talk) 01:21, 11 October 2023 (UTC)
 * LOL – London is not even in Western Ontario. The vast majority of the land mass of Ontario is to the west of Western University – and north of it too, but that's besides the point. The name might make more sense if the University was in Sarnia or Windsor. Actually Western University seems like a better name, as in, it's in North America which is part of the Western world. But I get it. Any place west of Toronto / the Golden Horseshoe is "Western Ontario" and any place west of New York City is "Western US". Of course the closing administrator can give my comments all of the policy-based weight they deserve. – wbm1058 (talk) 14:17, 11 October 2023 (UTC)
 * It was in western Ontario when it was founded in 1878, since most of what is now northern Ontario was still part of the Northwest Territories. And you deciphered the branding strategy - now international students can say they studied at "a western university" that is actually called Western University. Adam Bishop (talk) 16:42, 11 October 2023 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.