Daily Bulletin

Thursday, October 30, 1997

UW spent $270 million last year

Sources of UW's 1996-97 income Ontario operating grants $105,314,000 Tuition fees $48,884,000 Other fees $9,797,000 (student services, co-op fee, etc.) Sales and services (mostly through ancillary enterprises) $50,338,000 Grants and contracts (other than Ontario operating grant) $47,184,000 Donations $9,104,000 (including in-kind donations of $1.3 million Investment income $6,633,000 Life insurance reserve $4,452,000 (a one-time transfer)

It was a year of shrinkage at UW, what with the retirement of more than 300 people last summer and a drop in research grants. Total spending had been $292.7 million in the previous year.

Around two-thirds of UW's money moves through the "operating fund", which pays for teaching and UW's general operations. Spending there was $171.2 million last year, including $140.1 million for the salaries and benefits of faculty, staff and teaching assistants. The general fund would have shown a small deficit, except that UW was able to lay its hands on a $4.5 million life insurance reserve that had previously been on deposit elsewhere, and use it to balance the 1996-97 budget and help pay off the debts of previous years, caused mostly by early retirement allowances in 1995-96.

Besides the operating fund, UW's total spending included some $46.3 million on research projects; $39.4 million in business done by the ancillary enterprises (food, bookstore, residences); and smaller amounts of money in capital and trust funds.

At the end of the fiscal year, on April 30, UW had $22.8 million in the bank. The total value of the university's funds (assets minus liabilities) was $66.5 million.

The year's spending in the computer science department was $5,388,000, making it the largest academic department by that measure; electrical and computer engineering was a close second, with biology third. A few other expense items plucked from here and there in the financial statement include $7.9 million for library operations; $627,000 for fire and liability insurance; $4.8 million for the co-op department. Total spending on library materials was $4.7 million; on utilities, $5.7 million.

Villagers get a place to play

Some last-minute work will allow the laundry room to open next week, and after installation of surveillance cameras, computers will be set up in the Internet Cafe. Project coordinator Daniel Shipp says it's the first time surveillance cameras have been used in Village One to help ensure personal safety, as well as prevent theft and vandalism of equipment.

Phase one of the Village renovations will be completely finished by the end of November. "So far, we're within (the $1,211,000) budget for phase one," said Shipp.

The UW board of governors gave its approval Tuesday to the $3,852,007 budget for phase two of the project, which will be jointly funded by the departments of housing and food services. Construction is expected to begin by late February on the rooftop to create a lobby linking the great hall and housing offices with residence life services. The main part of phase two will get under way in April, after the end of exams, with the construction of a new central kitchen and bakery, open concept servery, grill, cafe and dining room, as well as group study and video games rooms, multi-purpose/seminar room, and elevator, lobby and stairway.

New elsewhere on campus: St. Jerome's College had an opening party yesterday afternoon for the new Second Cup Coffee Company outlet, operated by Beaver Foods in the college's Community Centre. And renovations should be starting today in the copy centre in the Dana Porter Library. "Duplicating services might be interrupted," says David Brock of graphic services, advising customers to consider using one of the six other copy centres around campus.

The teachers are still walking

In a news release issued yesterday, Eric Breugst of the secondary school liaison staff in the registrar's office, notes that "Many senior high school students who plan to attend university in the fall of 1998 may have concerns about obtaining information about universities and, potentially, how the application process may be affected. We are aware of these concerns and would like students to know that we have many opportunities available for them to ask questions and find out more about the University of Waterloo."

His answer: "First and foremost, students are invited to come and tour the UW campus on weekdays, either in the morning or the afternoon. On Wednesdays and Fridays, activities begin at 10 a.m. and allow students not only to tour our campus and residences, but to sit in on program information sessions, selected lectures and to speak with liaison staff and academic advisors about opportunities at UW. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays tours commence at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., but if demand warrants, other tour times will be made available when staff resources make it possible. Students are encouraged to contact our Visitors Centre at (519) 888-4567, ext. 3614 to arrange a visit, but if the lines are busy, students are more than welcome to simply show up at our Visitors Centre and we will try to accommodate their interests as best we can."

Students who can't come for a tour, or who have already visited the campus and have questions about programs, admissions requirements, residence and student life are welcome to contact members of UW's liaison staff by telephone or e-mail, he said.

The current dispute also places in jeopardy the plans for next week's school visits from UW liaison staff. Still scheduled are University Information Programs planned for November 3 to 6 in the counties of Bruce, Grey, Wellington, Huron and Perth and Waterloo Region. A further announcement about the visits will be made later, Breugst said.

The teachers' strike over planned changes to how Ontario education is governed and financed is in its fourth day, and lawyers for the provincial government are expected to be in court shortly asking for an injunction to end it.

Tell me what's a-happening

In India, and among Indians around the world, today is the Festival of Lights -- celebrated rather like a combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas. One web page explains: "Diwali is held in memory of mythological stories which say that the evil demons were slain by many God incarnations. For example, in northern India, Hindus and Sikhs celebrate Diwali for God Rada killing Ravine and Sikhs also celebrate Diwali because their sixth Guru, Guru Hargobindji returned from a great victory; in southern India for God Krishna killing Narakasura -- and in eastern India to honor Goddess Kali destroying Bakasura. All over the country we celebrate Diwali for good conquering the evil."

An international forum on work, study, internship and volunteer opportunities in other countries runs from 11:00 to 2:00 in the multipurpose room of the Student Life Centre.

A seminar on "Usability Issues for WWW Sites" begins at 3:00 in room 1302 of the Davis Centre. The speaker is Tammy te Winkel of Convivia Interaction Design.

The department of anthropology and classical studies will present this year's Anthropology Silver Medal for Academic Excellence, and other awards, at 3:30 in Arts Lecture room 116. The lecture accompanying the presentations will be "The Archaeology of Performance: The Case of the Circus", by Paul Bouissac of Victoria College.

The school of architecture presents the next in this term's series of Arriscraft Lectures tonight. James Timberlake of Philadelphia will speak (8 p.m., "green room" of Environmental Studies II) on "Ending the Dependency on Style: The Art of Building".

Tomorrow morning at 9:30, the accountancy school presents a talk on "Trends in Asynchronous Network Learning", by Robert Jensen of Trinity University. He'll speak in Environmental Studies I room 132.

CAR

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