Daily Bulletin

Co-op computer system revived

A total of 2,169 students are taking part in the interview process, the co-op department says, out of 3,011 students scheduled to be on a work term in the fall. (The other 900 students will be returning to previous jobs, or finding employment in other ways.) Employer interviews for the fall will begin June 1.

Meanwhile, work is continuing for a whole new computer system for the co-op job process. UW people and staff from Academic Software, the firm that's providing the basic software, have a big meeting next week to review "screen the next week to review the screen designs and flow, the development of the scheduling system and preparation for the testing phase", says Rick Roach in the co-op and career services department.

He describes what's on the way: "Generally speaking, students will use the Web to post their resume, search jobs, apply to jobs, view their job applications and interviews, rank jobs and view the co-op history. Employers can do everything they do now but will have the ability to use the Web to post jobs, search applications, view resumes, select interview candidates, rank and view hiring history."

The system will also deal with all the administrative and data processing that takes place in CECS, such as working out interview schedules and cranking out reports. "Information will be stored with each placement record allowing students and employers to enter evaluations of the work term," Roach adds.

A 'day' for grade 8 girls

"A Day with a Difference" is usually a fall event, but the 1997 one was postponed because of the Ontario teachers' strike, says its chief organizer, former engineering dean Bill Lennox. More than 300 girls are expected to attend.

They'll meet in the Engineering Lecture Hall and start the day with a keynote talk by Olympic gymnast Yvonne Toussek. Then they head out for four workshops chosen from about 20 that will each be offered several times. Some are led by people from UW -- Bill Bear of engineering computing talks about computer graphics, optometry students tell what they do -- and some present outside professionals, including a physician, a massage therapist, a pilot from Canadian Forces Base Trenton, and three electronics professionals.

The event is co-sponsored by the Waterloo Region District School Board and the Waterloo County Women Teachers' Association.

Local volunteers are wanted

• "Friends", listing 011-153: Some children benefit greatly from a special one-one relationship with a trained, caring volunteer. Volunteers meet weekly with a child during school hours and assist them in developing self-esteem and social skills. Training is starting now to prepare volunteers for September. This is an extremely rewarding opportunity for someone who enjoys spending time with children.
• Citizens Concerned about Crime against Children, listing 023-1760: Looking for Board members. A volunteer with an accounting background, preferably a CA, is needed to be the Treasurer and provide financial guidance to the agency. A volunteer who is able to take notes at the meetings and produce minutes is also needed to act as secretary to the Board. These volunteers will join a well established working Board of Directors.
• Creative convenor, listing 042-2299: A volunteer with an interest in food management would be perfect for this short-term opportunity. Meals on Wheels is planning a golf tournament for July 25, 1998 and they need a volunteer with a knowledge of food services and food safety to plan a meal for 200 golfers. This position involves planning the meal, securing food donations and organizing volunteers for preparation, serving, clean-up and other tasks that may arise. This assistance will be greatly appreciated and will take 2-3 hours a week now and half days during the week prior to the event.

Women in math, and more

Roger Downer, a long-time biology professor at UW and vice-president (university relations) from 1989 to 1996, has been named the next president of the University of Limerick, Ireland. Since taking early retirement from UW, Downer has headed the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand.

About two dozen people are at the Ron Eydt Village conference centre today and tomorrow for a meeting of the National Orientation Directors Association, hosted by the Federation of Students.

The teaching resource office presents a brown-bag workshop on "Assessing Your Students: Issues of Fairness", at 12 noon today in Math and Computer room 5158. It's aimed chiefly at teaching assistants.

Wilfrid Laurier University is running a big furniture sale today (for WLU people only) and tomorrow (for everybody), selling off more than 1,000 appliances and other items from the apartment building at 50 University Place that it recently purchased. The sale runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the University Stadium gymnasium on Seagram Drive.

The career development seminar series continues on Monday with two events: "Gain the Competitive Edge, Know the Employer" at 12:30 and "Interview Skills, Preparing for Questions" at 2:30. Both events take place in Needles Hall room 1020.

Pauline O'Neill, who was in charge of research grants and international programs in UW's office of research, has left Waterloo -- headed for the west coast, I'm told. "We have decided to split her portfolio," says the vice-president (university research), Carolyn Hansson. "Liz Vinnicombe will take over responsibility for the research grants, and I am in the process of trying to define a job description to fit the profile of the Director of International Programs as per the Fifth Decade Report."

The board of governors at the University of Western Ontario approved 1998 fee increases last night. In most undergraduate fields of study, the hike is the standard 10 per cent, but there are some striking exceptions. For example, fees will go up 20 per cent in engineering; 5 per cent in law; 106 per cent in medicine; 58 per cent in dentistry. Western officials say they intend to bring in a guaranteed loan program, in cooperation with the Bank of Nova Scotia, which will make sure no student is kept out of university because of cost.

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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