Daily Bulletin, Wednesday, January 11, 1995

STAFF POLICY:  The revision of UW's Policy 18, the document that deals with
hiring, promotion, discipline and (if necessary) layoffs of staff, is
about ready to go.  

A draft of the revised policy was available on campus last fall, and in a 
lively open meeting, the staff relations committee heard from dozens of 
staff members interested in a proposed change to the way UW looks after 
individuals whose jobs are being eliminated.  The committee went away to 
work on more revisions after that open meeting and hearing other comments 
and suggestions.  

The final product is expected to be made public next week.  Department 
heads have been invited to a meeting Tuesday afternoon to be told what the 
new Policy 18 looks like, and it will be available campus-wide on Wednesday.

CO-OP JOBS:  Bruce Lumsden, director of the co-op education and career
services department, sends a report on co-op student employment for the
winter 1995 term, just underway.  "Generally," he says, "it appears that 
the current economic upswing is being reflected in the employment figures.
As of January 6, the overall employment rate was 90% compared to 83%
at a similar time last year. This still means that approximately 325 
students are still seeking employment for this term. The majority of these 
are junior students entering their first co-op work experience."

Lumsden goes on: "While we are optimistic that the employment rates for 
this term will be over 95%, it means that our staff as well as the students, 
faculty, friends, family, alumni, etc., all need to be diligent in following 
up every lead.  Every day there is further demonstration of the volatility 
of the economy: plant layoffs versus lower unemployment rates, companies
closing while new ones open up.  So while the overall figures appear
better, we still have this term to finish up while at the same time
preparing for a similar volume in the spring when the competition is even
greater.

"Our lines are open!"

ON THE SKI TRAILS:  The Outers Club has announced a "ski buy-back"
program again this year.  "One can own a brand new pair of skis for the 
winter for $50," says Fabrice Jaubert, one of the club's organizers.
The idea is that you put down a deposit by this Friday and get your
ski gear from the club; at the end of the season you return it in 
acceptably good condition and get most of your money back.  Jaubert
can be reached at ext. 4655, or e-mail fjaubert@watcgl, to make the
arrangements.

The club is planning to run weekly cross-country ski outings this winter, 
weather permitting. The first such outing is this Sunday. For more 
adventurous souls, a weekend-long winter camping trip is planned, where 
participants sleep in Quincees (snow huts).  Regular Outers Club meetings
are held Mondays at 7 p.m. in Environmental Studies 1 room 350.  
Electronic information can be found through UWinfo: look in the
"alphabetical list" of departments and groups for the Outers Club.

RAISE A GLASS today to the memory of John A. Macdonald, first prime
minister of Canada, born in Glasgow on this date in 1815 -- five months
before the Battle of Waterloo.  "Macdonald was a shrewd and ingenious
politician who had great faith in the future of Canada," the Canadian
Encyclopedia tells me.

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
888-4567 ext. 3004      credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca