Daily Bulletin

Tuesday, November 18, 1997

University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Yesterday's Bulletin | Previous days | UWevents | UWinfo home page

First where it really matters

The special "universities" issue of Maclean's hit campus yesterday, and there on page 60 is something we hadn't heard this time yesterday: the magazine has found UW to be the "best overall" university in Canada in its "reputational" survey.

That gives some perspective for the earlier news that Waterloo had fallen from second to fourth in the numerical ranking of "comprehensive" universities. The top ranking in the reputational survey keeps UW's streak going -- this university has come out tops each year since the honour was introduced in 1992.

"Editors solicited the opinion of more than 3,500 high-school guidance counsellors, university academics and chief executive officers across Canada," the magazine notes. "A school's reputation with its own graduates through alumni donations" was also considered. The result: UW "best overall", British Columbia second, Toronto third and McMaster fourth.

UW also came first in two sub-categories ("most innovative" and "leaders of tomorrow") and fourth in another sub-category ("highest quality"), behind Queen's, McGill and Toronto. "I'm delighted," said a statement from UW president James Downey. "That I take as a judgment on the output of the institution, particularly on its graduates, whereas the rankings are based on input indicators."

The president added: "Reputation mainly rests on the judgment that 3,500 informed people are making about the quality of the education provided by the institution as demonstrated mainly by its graduates and its research. We're mindful and appreciative of the compliment and the vote of confidence that are implicit in that reputation ranking, and we'll continue to do all in our power to be worthy of it."

Staff comment on pay and benefits

Members of UW's staff association -- and others too -- are being asked for their opinions about salaries, job security, the dental plan, early retirement and other issues in a survey circulated by the association. "The information collected will be used to shape compensation focus and direction for the UWSA compensation negotiators who are also members of the UWSA executive," says Stephen Sempson of applied health sciences, who chairs the communications committee for the association.

The survey asks, for example, what importance staff attach to "maintaining the number of current staff positions", introducing early retirement at full pension, and introducing a vision care benefit. "Past surveys have indicated," another question notes, "that staff believe that the current salary system does not adequately reward long term service if you stay at one job. Outline a new salary system that rewards a new university employee and a staff member with 6 years of experience who stays in their job."

The survey is primarily being made available on the Web, but anyone who wants a paper copy can get one by calling Barb Yantha, the association's office manager, at ext. 3566.

The association's lighter side

The staff association isn't all about compensation and flex benefits. As part of UW's 40th anniversary celebrations, the group is sponsoring an evening of entertainment on Saturday night with Dan Needles, playwright, and Michael Jones, musician and writer. The show has been announced since early summer, but some tickets are still available.

Both performers are grandsons of Ira Needles, one of UW's founders, and "have a wonderful sense of humour and are born raconteurs", said association president Karen LeDrew. Ira Needles was the first chairman of UW's board of governors from 1956 to 1966 and chancellor from 1966 to 1975. "They love to tell stories about how they would tease their grandfather about his big cars. On one occasion, Dan asked Ira, 'How come you drive those big gas guzzling cars, anyway?' Ira replied, 'Because I'm rich and I can afford it.'"

Dan Needles's plays have been compared to the works of James Herriot and W. O. Mitchell, while Jones's music scores have been compared to compositions by Chopin and Debussy:

In 1989, a book based on Needles's first three plays on Walt Wingfield was nominated for the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour. Wingfield, a fictitious ex-stockbroker turned farmer, recounts his humorous adventures in weekly letters to the editor. The character has become Ontario's favourite failed farmer as a result of the four plays. Needles also wrote "Perils of Persephone", a comedy about nuclear waste that premiered at the Blyth Festival in 1989, and later toured, including a stop at UW.
Jones was nominated for a Juno Award in the category of Best Instrumental Artist in 1991. In 1983, he released "Pianoscapes" and since then has 11 other recordings and has performed in Canada, the United States, Japan and Korea. As well, a collection of his essays, Creating an Imaginative Life, received the 1996 Books to Live By Award of Excellence from Body Mind and Spirit magazine.

Their performance, entitled "Pianoscapes and Landscapes", starts at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Theatre of the Arts. Tickets cost $15 and are available at the Humanities box office, 888-4908.

What do staff do, anyway?

A slide show about the work of staff at Waterloo, which mesmerized members of the board of governors late in October, is now available on the Web. It was created by the two staff representatives on the board -- Sharon Adams of psychology and Barry Scott of the research office.

Says Adams: "This Power Point display includes photos and script and was intended to provide an understanding of the roles and diversity of UW staff to the board of governors members, particularly our external appointees. Given the comments following the presentation, I believe we achieved our purpose of putting a face to our 1,859 staff, presenting a group of outstanding contributors to the university's academic and research mission, and the pride and commitment of Waterloo staff."

Schedules available tomorrow

Winter term schedules and fee statements for undergraduate students will be available for pickup starting tomorrow, says the registrar's office. Carmen Roecker, records and systems coordinator, says full-time on-campus students who will be back here in the winter can pick up their documents from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at these locations:

Applied health sciences: lobby of Matthews Hall, Wednesday only. Beginning Thursday, November 20, go to department offices (health studies and gerontology, BMH 2304; kinesiology, BMH 3023A; recreation and leisure studies, BMH 2213).
Arts, environmental studies, mathematics: registrar's office, Needles Hall.
Engineering: first year, Carl Pollock Hall 1320D; year 4 chemical, Engineering 1 room 2509; year 4 civil, E2 room 2333; year 4 electrical, Davis Centre room 2597G; year 4 geological, E2 room 2304; year 4 mechanical, E2 room 2328B; year 4 systems design, DC room 2599.
Science: Earth Sciences and Chemistry room 253 (except optometry students, who should check their mailboxes).
Students registered with St. Jerome's or Renison College can pick up their schedules at their respective colleges.
Schedules for all independent studies students, part-time students, and co-op students returning to campus after the fall work term are being mailed.

And this note: "To avoid lineups in January, students can pay by cheque or money order at any time using the drop box in the cashiers' office, Needles Hall, or pay by cash, cheque, money order or Interac at the cashiers' office. Cheques post-dated to January 1, 1998, will be accepted."

Now these final notes

Some news is at hand from the Waterloo Invitational curling tournament held on Sunday, with men's and women's teams from six universities participating. McMaster won on the women's side, with UW's Athenas beating them in the final game to squeak out with the silver medal. For the men, UW lost the gold medal game to Western and ended up in third place. "This is the strongest field at the Invitational in several years," says Waterloo coach Dean Palmer, "and shows a lot of promise for some exciting play in January and February."

A one-hour training session on the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, or WHMIS, is scheduled for today at 2 p.m., or Thursday at the same hour, in Davis Centre room 1304. The session leads to the certification that students, staff and faculty must have before they can get close to laboratory work.

A play being performed at Resurrection College tonight tells the story of Jean Donovan, one of four North American women killed in El Salvador in 1980. "Points of Arrival" is presented by Still Point Theatre, based in Chicago, and comes to UW sponsored by the chaplains' association and the University Catholic Community. "This is a chance to celebrate the life of a person who worked for peace and justice," says Melinda Szilva, associate chaplain at St. Jerome's College. And a news release adds: "The play illustrates that although human beings are flawed and imperfect, they are nevertheless capable of great acts of faith and courage." Tickets are $5, students $2, and the performance starts at 7:30. (Don't know where Resurrection is? On Westmount Road, right across from Renison College.)

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY November 18, 1965: Jack Brown is appointed to the new position of secretary of the board of governors; Bruce Gellatly gets the new title of "comptroller".

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca -- (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
Comments to the editor | About the Bulletin | Yesterday's Bulletin
Copyright © 1997 University of Waterloo