University of Waterloo

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Wednesday, June 7, 1995

New vice-president is named

The new vice-president (university research) will be Carolyn Hansson, who comes to UW next January 1. She is currently head of the department of materials and metallurgical engineering at Queen's University.

Hansson is described as a world-class researcher on concrete and related materials, and is a "principal investigator" for a federal centre of excellence, Concrete Canada, and a provincial one, the Ontario Centre for Materials Research. The research work she is now doing at Queen's will move to Waterloo with her; besides vice-president, she'll be a tenured professor in the mechanical engineering department.

The new appointee is a council member for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and of the National Materials Advisory Board in the United States. Before her time at Queen's, she worked in industry, academe and research in the United States, Britain, and Denmark.

Hansson will be the first woman vice-president in UW's history. The position of VP (university research) was created by a revision of UW Policy 68 to replace the post of "dean of research". Gary Waller, the present dean of research, will stay in office for the rest of 1995.

Appointment of the new VP was approved by the UW board of governors in a confidential session last night. Hansson had been recommended by a search committee chaired by the provost, Jim Kalbfleisch; her name was endorsed by the university senate on Monday.

Also from the board meeting

Three of UW's deans will serve new terms in office. The board of governors approved reappointment of Brian Hendley, dean of arts; Pat Rowe, dean of graduate studies; and Bob Norman, dean of applied health sciences. (I see that in yesterday's Daily Bulletin I referred to AHS as "applied health studies", a mistake I've made before. My apologies.)

The board approved UW's 1995-96 budget without much debate. The budget provides for a small surplus, to cancel the 1994-95 deficit, and a general 1 per cent cut in departments' spending. Staff members will not have to take any unpaid "Rae days" in the year that's just begun; faculty members will have five, down from last year's six.

The former "Campus Centre" officially has a new name; it's now the Student Life Centre, as the board gave its okay to that proposal. Board approval was also given to the choice of an architect for the planned Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering: "Shore Tilbe Irwin and partners in Association with Stephen Teeple, Architect, and Joseph Somfay, Architect".

Proposed changes to health plan

Staff and faculty members have received a letter and brochure from the pension and benefits committee, explaining a proposal for overhauling the "extended health" plan that's a major feature of employment benefits at UW. The most obvious change is that the plan would pay for prescription drugs through a "pay-direct card", rather than the reimbursement system that's in use at present. There would be no "deductible", but the insurance plan would cover only 80 per cent of drug costs, with the individual responsible for the other 20 per cent.

A different payment structure is also suggested for paramedical services such as chiropractic; for semi-private hospital rooms; and for out-of-Canada insurance for retirees (there's no suggested change to the protection offered to active faculty and staff travelling outside the country).

Public meetings to explain the proposal, and hear what people think, will be held June 16 (8:30 a.m. and 12 noon) and June 22 (8:30 a.m.) in Needles Hall room 3001.

Statement about street party

Wilfrid Laurier University yesterday issued a brief statement about the disciplinary aftermath of that April 22 end-of-exams party on and around Ezra Street, at which more than 40 people, ,many of them WLU studsents, were charged with various offences:
Wilfrid Laurier University has concluded its disciplinary hearings of students involved in the events on Ezra Avenue on the night of April 22-23. Two cases are pending. All proceedings took place under the Wilfrid Laurier University Statement of Discipline and Conduct as set out in the WLU Student Handbook and the university calendar. Penalties ranged from suspension from the university to disciplinary probation with additional sanction. Two students were exonerated. Those cited with only liquor violations, and consequently heard by the dean of students disciplinary panel, have been placed on probation until May 31, 1996.

Tomorrow is the election

Ontario goes to the polls tomorrow. This morning's Gazette includes some questions and answers to the major-party candidates in Waterloo North riding, concentrating on their views about university financing, tuition fees and tenure.

In southern Ontario, the polls are open tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The law requires that anyone intending to vote must be allowed three clear hours to do so -- which means that if your working hours take you past 5 p.m. tomorrow, the boss has to let you leave early if you wish, or come in late.

Briefly, on Ian Blake's birthday

A delegation from the Ontario ministry of labour is at UW today to find out more about the accessibility centre in the Dana Porter Library, as a possible model for making other libraries in the province more accessible to people with disabilities.

As Environment Week continues, a bicycle workshop and potluck lunch are taking place in the Environmental Studies courtyard (11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with live music).

Midnight Sun III, UW's entry in this summer's Sunrayce for solar cars, will be unveiled today at 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Raytheon Canada, 400 Phillip Street.

Concordia University has announced the appointment of Archie Sherbourne as its dean of engineering and computer science, for a five-year term to begin September 1. Sherbourne, now a faculty member in civil engineering at UW, was dean of engineering here from 1966 to 1974.

The Federation of Students is seeking to hire a coordinator for Green Spirit Day, one of the big events of orientation week, which sends new students out for a morning of environmental work and getting to know the community. Applications are due today. Details: Lynne Sosnowski, ext. 6338.

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca

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