Daily Bulletin

University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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Friday, February 14, 1997

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Sit-ins on three campuses

There they are -- some of the students who were, at last report, still occupying the president's office at the University of Toronto, in protest against this year's increase in tuition fees. The photo is borrowed from the Web page of U of T's student newspaper, The Varsity. A sit-in also began earlier this week at the president's office at York University.

And the University of Guelph joined the list yesterday morning, just in time for the occupation to coincide with winter convocation ceremonies. The demonstrators on the fourth floor of Guelph's University Centre are demanding a freeze on tuition fees for 1997, and "That president Rozanski publicly denounce the 10% discretionary tuition increase imposed by the provincial government at a press conference."

In a statement on February 7, two days after the government announced this year's fee increases, U of G president Mordechai Rozanski did say he was "disappointed":

Governments must assume a fair share of responsibility for our universities. The minister has not only ignored the advice of his own advisory panel on postsecondary education by continuing to fund Ontario universities at the lowest level in Canada, he is forcing universities to make up the critical shortfall in operating revenues through tuition. I regret that we will be required to raise tuition, but the combined announcements on grants and fees give us no flexibility and severely restricts our options.

Renovations and moves in ECH

Renovations and upgrades are expected to begin Monday on the sections of East Campus Hall occupied by the finance department (that's the new name for "financial services" and the budgets office) and the purchasing department.

The heating, ventilation and air conditioning system will be upgraded and fluorescent lighting replaced in conjunction with a number of architectural improvements to create new offices, says university architect Dan Parent. Work should be completed by late March or April.

In the meantime, there are some relocations. Most finance staff will be temporarily moved to the lower level of ECH. A major exception is the people in accounts payable, who (like Elvis) are leaving the building and will surface in Math and Computer. Most accounts payable staff will be in MC 4035, with the exception of Francine Prosser, travel clerk, who will be in MC 2062, and Doug McTavish, cheque requests, who will occupy MC 2056. Everybody's keeping the same phone numbers they've had all along. Cheques normally picked up in ECH will be available for pickup in MC 4035.

Purchasing department staff will move to the old dance department space in the back of ECH until the dust clears.

Day of lace and chocolate

Well, yes, it's Valentine's Day. So here's to your love, and mine, and everybody's -- remembering that pairing off heartwise, like the birds who supposedly mated on Valentine's Day in Chaucer's time, isn't for everybody; love is where you find it.

If you are doing the romance thing today, though, you might want to be doing it at the University Club, which has a $9.95 buffet at lunchtime for lovebirds and others who like lasagna and beef bourgignonne. Reservations: ext. 3801. And you can "say I Love You with a personalized shirt or mousepad this Valentine's Day" and get a discount at Graphics Express in South Campus Hall.

There will be plenty of parties tonight, including a Valentine pub at the Bombshelter in the Student Life Centre. The big Valentine event at UW, though -- "big" meaning pricy and elegant -- will be "an evening of wine, writers and song" sponsored by The New Quarterly and held at the Button Factory arts centre down on Regina Street. Entertainment consists of readings on romantic themes by three authors, among them Waterloo's own (well, Wellesley's own) Jane Urquhart. There will be music, wine, "sweets and savories", and door prizes. Tickets are $40 with a subscription to TNQ, $25 without -- information, ext. 2837. The party starts at 7:00.

Going into a quiet week

The campus goes into diaspora tonight, as "reading week" begins for most faculties -- or a shorter two-day "break", Monday and Tuesday, for the faculties of engineering and mathematics. If you're doing anything unusual and interesting for the mid-February week, the Gazette and Daily Bulletin might be interested in hearing about it; please drop me a note.

Still, there are a few activities of note:

Information systems and technology holds an open house this morning (10:00, Davis Centre room 1302) about the Business 1999 systems projects.
The teaching resource office has one of its brown-bag workshops for teaching assistants from 12 noon to 1:30 today, in Engineering I room 3522. Topic: "Dealing with Disruptive or Intimidating Behaviour". Information: ext. 3132.
The drama department's production of "The Children's Hour" continues tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. in the Theatre of the Arts.

Oh, and sports. The hockey Warriors host Laurentian at 7:30 tonight at the Columbia Icefield. The basketball Warriors will play at Guelph tomorrow afternoon. The Athena indoor hockey team will be taking part in a weekend-long tournament in Toronto. The track and field teams will compete this afternoon at Western. And the swimming teams, both men and women, are off to Laurentian in Sudbury for the provincial finals. That's about the extent of it.

A hint of good news

Federal finance minister Paul Martin is to bring down a budget on Tuesday. CBC Newsworld is reporting today that he could announce more money to support post-secondary education and research. In a speech in Ottawa yesterday, prime minister Jean Chrétien "hinted the budget will include a program to fight child poverty and offer more money for universities, teaching hospitals, investments in technologies, research and development", CBC says. The Toronto Star today says the emphasis will be on infrastructure for research, including university laboratories.

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY
February 14, 1963: The first lecture in the new Theatre of the Arts is given by George Grant of McMaster University. February 14, 1975: The staff association announces that it has enrolled more than 50 per cent of eligible staff as members -- enough to give it official recognition by the university.

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