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University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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Wednesday, April 3, 1996

Different from any other night

Today is the 14th day of Nisan in the Jewish year 5756 -- in other words, it's a full moon night and the first night of Passover, festival of freedom.

If the snowflakes clear, watchers of the skies tonight will see something unusual about that full moon: a total eclipse starting at 6:26 p.m. and lasting until about 8:00. Just by coincidence, UW's astronomy group has an open house at the observatory, as it does on the first Wednesday night of every month; tours start at 8 p.m.

Building will be postponed

Construction of UW's long-awaited Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering is some time off, the board of governors was told yesterday in a brief report from its building and properties committee:

It is apparent that because of the capital cutbacks in [the Ministry of Education and Training] this project is unlikely to proceed; a stay has been put on the architectural work. What is being discussed with MET and Labour Minister, Elizabeth Witmer, is that the project be postponed for three years -- which would keep the project viable and allow UW time to raise the $13.5M that it must contribute to the project.

Also at yesterday's board meeting, approval was given to 1996-97 tuition fee increases, and to the new levels for the Student Services Fee. Rough estimates of that fee are quoted in today's Gazette, but here are the exact fees, as of May 1: full-time undergraduates, $82.28 per term; part-time undergrads, $24.68; full-time graduate students, $72.62 per term; part-time grads, $21.79.

Faculty association annual meeting

The faculty association will hold its annual general meeting today in Physics room 145. At 1:30 comes the annual meeting of the "unincorporated" association, the new group that's seeking to be certified as a union. The agenda for that meeting includes elections of 1996-97 directors, and a report from the president, Ian Macdonald, who's unopposed for reelection to that office. In his written report, Macdonald talks about the UW grievance procedure, membership dues, salary negotiations and other matters. A key paragraph:

The card signing process is going well. As of the time that I am writing this, approximately three-quarters of the faculty and librarians have been canvassed and we hope to contact most of those not canvassed in the next couple of weeks.

Then at 3 p.m. comes the annual meeting of the "incorporated" faculty association, the one that has existed for years. The agenda there chiefly includes committee reports, on matters from pensions to academic freedom and tenure.

Policies of interest to staff

Two documents are printed in today's Gazette and are also available through UWinfo (under "Secretariat") for staff who may be interested:

Guidelines for bereavement leave
Proposed revision to Policy 18, Section VIII, dealing with a return to work after extended sick leave or long-term disability

Vacancy on parking committee

The staff association is looking for a representative on the traffic and parking appeal board. See page 2 of today's Gazette -- more information from Sharon Lamont, chair of the staff association nominating committee, sljlamon@library.

Also happening today

An Easter buffet for lunch at the Laurel Room ($10.95 plus tax; reservations ext. 3196).
A children's performance of "Cinderella" in the Humanities Theatre at 1:30 -- watch for school buses. (Tonight at 9, PBS presents a much more adult version of the same story, Rossini's "La Cenerentola".)
The end-of-term banquet, talent show and dance at Conrad Grebel College.

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

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