The University of Windsor will confer degrees on more than 800 graduating students during two sessions of its 104th Convocation ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 17, in the St. Denis Centre.

Reid Bigland, president of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Canada, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree and will address Convocation at the 10 a.m. session. Gordon Giffin, 19th US Ambassador to Canada, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree and will address Convocation at the 3 p.m. session.

Bigland was appointed chair, president and CEO of FCA Canada in July 2006, where he is currently responsible for the company’s entire Canadian commercial operations and legal entity. In June 2011, he was named senior vice president for U.S. sales, responsible for the company’s dealer relations; order facilitations; incentives, and field operations. In addition, Bigland was named head of Alfa Romeo Brand for North America in August 2014. He is also a member of the corporate group executive council, its highest management-level decision-making body, and the board of directors.

Prior to his current roles, Bigland served as president of Ram Truck Brands, and as president of Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation.

Giffin served as the 19th U.S. Ambassador to Canada from 1997 to 2001. As chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Ottawa, he managed U.S. interests in the largest bilateral trading relationship in the context of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and received the Superior Honor Award from the Department of State for negotiating a pre-clearance agreement. He also served as legislative director and chief counsel to U.S. Senator Sam Nunn in Washington D.C. from 1975 to 1979.

Giffin was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and grew up in Montreal and Toronto. He returned to the U.S. to attend Duke University. He is currently chair of Dentons’ U.S. Public Policy and Regulation practice, and is a co-chair of Dentons’ global energy sector team.

The Fall Convocation schedule begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, when degrees will be conferred on graduating classes (including graduate studies) in the faculties of engineering, nursing, science, and inter-faculty programs.

At the 3 p.m. session, degrees will be conferred on graduating classes in the faculties of arts, humanities and social sciences; business; education; human kinetics; and law.

This month’s “Meet the Provost” event will take place Monday, October 19, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. near the Tim Hortons outlet in the Odette Building.

The event, which will be held at various locations on campus over the course of the year, is an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students from anywhere on campus to share ideas, suggestions, success stories, and challenges with provost Douglas Kneale one-on-one.

“I’m looking forward to meeting people where they live on campus,” Dr. Kneale says. “This month, it’s Odette, which, like so many places here, is a real crossroads of activity, and this is a great opportunity for me to learn more about people’s experiences, goals, achievements, and efforts there and elsewhere at UWindsor.”

He says he also hopes people will bring forward suggestions and concerns: “I always carry a suggestion box, so you can speak to me in person, or just leave me a message.”

A conference October 30 will explore the challenges that foreign fighters present to contemporary conflicts and the laws of armed conflict. The Transnational Law and Justice Network is sponsoring the free public event along with the Red Cross.

The International Humanitarian Law conference will bring together experts and academics for panel discussions of the legal framework governing foreign fighters and issues of prosecution.

It will run noon to 5 p.m. at Canterbury College, 2500 University Avenue West. Find a full agenda and online registration on the website of Canadian Red Cross.

Everybody deserves a dedicated fan. The Campus Bookstore wants to help its clients find theirs. It is offering a 20 percent discount on Logiix brand retro fans October 15 as its True Savings Thursday special.

The fans are powered by a USB connection and provide powerful cooling on any desktop. Available in black or brushed bronze with a diameter of six or eight inches, the fans boast 180 degrees of oscillation, anti-slip rubber pads and a five-foot long cord.