Speaking with Western News - a university publication - the president of Western University said he's sorry.

Dr. Amit Chakma also conceded in the interview published Thursday that he never should have accepted a double payment of his salary, which added up to about $967,000 for 2014.

The apology comes following the announcement last week that he is returning the nearly half-a-million dollars he received in lieu of a one year sabbatical.

He says he will also forgo the next double payment he's entitled to in his contract.

Chakma added that he was not prepared for personal attacks, and that the experience has caused his family to reflect on their priorities.

He told Western News, "I did anticipate some criticism...but I did not anticipate the intensity, or the extent of the criticism."

Chakma added, “I was disconnected. I need to focus much more of my time on understanding the issues our campus community is facing.”

The information comes as unionized staff are busy with a campaign to urge the university's senate to hold a vote of non-confidence in Chakma's leadership as well as that of the chair of the Board of Governors.

Protest planned for Friday

A demonstration is expected ahead of the meeting of the Western University Senate on Friday, where Chakma is expected to speak.

Dave Blocker, president of PSAC Local 610, which represents graduate teaching assistants at Western, said in a statement, “While class sizes increase, funding for research declines and many departments face severe cutbacks, the Board of Governors somehow saw fit to arrange this sweetheart deal that contributes little to the university’s core mission of teaching and research.”

An online petition of non-confidence in Chakma and the chair of the university's Board of Governors, Chirag Shah, has grown to more than 5,700 signatures.

Meanwhile, members of the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association have also voted 94 per cent in favour of non-confidence in the pair.

Association president Alison Hearn says, "What the money represents...is the disconnect between the Board of Governors in making the deal and Dr. Chakma in taking the deal then cashing out the deal at the same time as these budget cuts are being forced on everybody else. It represents a kind of tone deafness on his part and on the part of the Board of Governors."

Even if the senate endorses a non-confidence motion, it would still be up to the Board of Governors to choose whether or not to act on the recommendation.