Waterloo gets nod in New York Times

The University of Waterloo has caught the attention of no less than the New York Times, with an article published February 3 with the title "Once BlackBerry Focused, a Campus Widens its View."

The piece, by Ian Austen, covers all the bases one would expect: Research In Motion, co-operative education, the university's Intellectual Property policy, the Research + Technology Park, spin-offs, and the recent wave of successful student startups like Pebble and BufferBox.

Austen doesn't bury the lede, either: "The University of Waterloo, in a city that people outside Canada would struggle to find on a map, is one of the world's best technology schools."

Not a bad bit of publicity, that.

 

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Provost nominating committee seeks members

The Secretariat is preparing to constitute the nominating committee to identify the next vice-president, academic & provost.

Nominations are now open for staff and faculty seats on the nominating committee, whose terms of reference are outlined in policy 48.

The following seats are available:

• A senator of professorial rank from each Faculty, elected by a vote within that Faculty.

At least three nominators are required in each case. The full list of eligible faculty senators is conveniently printed on the nomination form (PDF).

• Two regular faculty members, elected from and by the faculty-at-large of the University.
• Two staff members, elected by and from the regular staff of the University.
  

Completed nomination forms are to be sent to the Chief Returning Officer in the Secretariat (Needles Hall Room 3060) by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 15. Elections will follow if necessary.

According to Policy 48, the committee is to invite nominations "by whatever means it considers appropriate, from any person or group," advertise the position in Canada, and establish criteria against which nominations and applications may be measured.

The committee will then "consider all names placed before it and will develop a short list of candidates as its first step in proceeding towards a recommendation," inviting the candidates to meet with the committee and/or other persons or groups the committee deems appropriate.

"After screening candidates, the committee shall select the person it regards as most suitable for the position, and shall submit its recommendation for the appointment of that candidate to the Senate," the policy continues. "If the results indicate that the candidate is unacceptable to a majority of the Senate, the nominating committee shall resume its screening activities. If the Senate approves the recommendation it shall be forwarded to the President. Upon receiving the report from the nominating committee and the recommendation of the Senate, the President shall recommend an appointment to the Board of Governors."

All such discussions will be carried out in confidence.

The nominating committee's full membership is as follows:

• The President or the President's delegate, who shall chair the committee.
  
• A senator of professorial rank from each Faculty, elected by a vote within that Faculty.
  
• Two regular faculty members, elected from and by the faculty-at-large of the University.
  
• One undergraduate student, appointed by the Federation of Students.
  
• One graduate student, appointed by the Graduate Student Association.
  
• Two staff members, elected by and from the regular staff of the University.
  
• One Board member, appointed by the Board of Governors.
  
• One faculty member from and appointed by the Federated & Affiliated Colleges.

 

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Board of Governors meets today

The university's board of governors meets at 1:30 p.m. today.

The major decision item in the meeting's open session is the setting of 2013/2013 residence fees. Fees are set to rise in the Student Villages, UW Place, Columbia Lake Villages, and Minota Hagey (VeloCity) by 2.5 per cent.

The governors will also get an update on the 2012-2013 Operating Budget and insight into planning for the 2013-2014 budget from Vice-President, Academic & Provost Geoff McBoyle.

Other presenters include President & Vice Chancellor Feridun Hamdullahpur, who will deliver his Report of the President, Dean of Mathematics Ian Goulden, and Professor Ian Munro of the School of Computer Science, who will be giving the governors a glimpse into the research he is currently conducting.

Governors will also hear from the Audit Committee, the Building & Properties Committee, the Finance & Investment Committee, and the Pension & Benefits Committee as they give their reports for information.

Meeting locations for board of governors meetings are often a moving target. This month, the meeting will be held in Room 3142 of the Centre for Environmental & Information Technology (CEIT).

 

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Coniglio named AVP Academic

"I am pleased to announce that Professor Mario Coniglio, Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies), Faculty of Science, has been appointed Associate Vice-President, Academic," says a memo from Vice-President, Academic & Provost Geoff McBoyle.

Coniglio's (right) term is for an initial three-year period, effective immediately.

The Associate Vice-President, Academic acts as an advisor to the Vice-President, Academic & Provost on Interdisciplinary Programs, and is also chair of the Interdisciplinary Programs Board. The position is responsible for the implementation and co-ordination of academic department and undergraduate program review and is also responsible for the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and the Centre for Extended Learning.

"I am grateful to Mario for stepping into the role as such short notice," the provost's memo continues. "I am sure that Mario will be an excellent addition to UW's administrative team.

 

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