Daily Bulletin

Another year as 'best overall'

Givings surpass the goal "You did it!" says a happygram from the United Way campaign office on campus. "We hit the target!" Yes indeed, says Winston Cherry, co-chair of the campaign at UW. "We had to report our final total to the United Way today," he said Friday night, and when the math was done, the number was $135,238, just a hair over the $135,000 target that had been set in early October. "Thank you to all the many people who have contributed," says Cherry, noting that "final" is a relative thing -- gifts and pledges in support of the United Way's 50 local agencies will still be happily accepted.

As it's done annually since 1992, UW took the #1 spot in all four categories of the "reputational" survey -- "highest quality," "most innovative," "leaders of tomorrow" and "best overall". In the numerical rankings, based on such data as student-faculty ratios and library holdings, UW moved up one place to third this year, behind Simon Fraser and Guelph. This group of universities are those the magazine describes as having a significant amount of research activity and a wide range of programs, including professional degrees at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

"We're particularly pleased to be ranked so highly in the reputation part of the survey," said Jim Kalbfleisch, UW's provost. "It indicates Waterloo is highly thought of by the people we're trying to serve in communities across Canada." The reputational rankings are based on a survey of more than 3,500 high-school guidance counselors, university academics and chief executive officers across the country.

"Given our level of funding, we're also pleased to be ranked where we are in our comprehensive category," Kalbfleisch said. He pointed out that many of the rankings' measurements are driven by funding levels, and Ontario universities receive the lowest level of government funding in the country. "Clearly, it is the quality of Waterloo's students, faculty, staff and alumni that results in our excellent Maclean's ranking each year."

While ranking Simon Fraser first in the "comprehensive" category, the magazine put the University of Toronto first in the "medical-doctoral" category again this year, and New Brunswick's Mount Allison University first among "primarily undergraduate" institutions.

Still to come are the "national" reputational rankings, covering all three groups. UW has been "best overall" year after year in those rankings as well.

UW team wins programming contest

Report from Hamilton The bad news: McMaster University is coping with a meningitis scare. The good news: there won't be a strike by teaching assistants at Mac, as a tentative agreement was reached Friday, the deadline day. The bad news: It's snowing in Hamilton this morning. . . .

"The battle was hard-fought among the top six teams, with many lead changes," says Gordon Cormack, UW computer science professor and coach of Waterloo's two teams. There were 93 three-person teams altogether in Saturday's competition.

Second place was taken by a team from Carnegie Mellon, and those were the only two teams to solve all six problems in the five-hour contest. UW's B team, made up of Graeme Kemkes, Donny Cheung and Jeff Shute, also did well, coming in fifth. A University of Toronto team was third, Case Western Reserve fourth and McGill sixth. Another Carnegie Mellon team was seventh and another Toronto team was eighth.

The top three teams advance to the finals of the competition in Eindhoven, Netherlands, in April.

Basketball victory, football defeat

I haven't received scores from the Naismith games yet, but can report that the Warriors defeated Winnipeg handily on Friday night, got past Wilfrid Laurier on Saturday night, and beat Brock in a squeaker yesterday afternoon. "They pulled it out in the dying seconds," one fan told me.

The football Warriors were less successful, as their season came to an end Saturday with a 47-41 defeat by the Western Mustangs in the Yates Cup game representing the Ontario University Athletics championship.

Saturday's game "had just about every conceivable element", the Star said yesterday, citing "comebacks, momentum shifts, more than 1,000 yards of net offence and 88 points on the scoreboard". Western led 29-0 late in the first half, and though the Warriors made a terrific comeback, scoring 21 points in the next eight minutes, it wasn't quite enough.

Among other sports events on the weekend, the Warrior figure skaters came second among nine teams in the Queen's University Invitational.

Sikh students offer lunch; and more

It's free -- that's the essential feature of a langar, which is an important part of Sikh observances, I'm told:

This community kitchen is meant for providing food to all devotees and visitors. It is a symbol of equality, fraternity and brotherhood. It is here that the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, the kings and the beggars, all share the same food sitting together in one row. This kitchen is run by the common contributions of the Sikhs. . . .

It is a sin for a Sikh to question a man's faith and creed before offering him a seat in the community kitchen. It is open to all human beings of all nationalities.

Co-op students get the news at 3 p.m., when the co-op department will post job match results for the winter term. Those who are employed will be rejoicing; those who aren't should head for "continuous process" meetings to find out what they do next as the employment cycle continues. Arts, accounting and math students in that situation should meet at 4:30 in Arts Lecture room 116; AHS, ES and science students, at 4:30 in Biology I room 271; first-year engineering students, at 4:30 in Davis Centre room 1350; upper-year engineering students, at 5:30 in Davis Centre room 1350.

Mardy Fraser of the kinesiology department is the noontime speaker today at the Kitchener Public Library's downtown branch. Topic: "Ergonomics in Industry".

The UW senate will meet at 7:30 tonight in Needles Hall room 3001. Among the agenda items: a report from the university librarian, a presentation by the department of anthropology and classical studies, and a proposal for changes to Policy 40 to give students a larger role in the appointment of chairs for academic departments.

An information session about part-time study at UW will run from 7 to 8:30 tonight at the distance and continuing education office at 156 Columbia Street.

The bookstore is announcing "select overstock of computer books" today, with books priced at $5 apiece and "buy three and get the fourth free!"

Winter term schedules available

The registrar's office says most such students can get their documents on the second floor of Needles Hall, but there are some exceptions. Engineering students get their documents from department offices; optometry students, from their mailboxes in the Optometry building; students based at Renison and St. Jerome's, from their colleges. If you are a part-time student or an independent studies student, your schedule and fee statement will be mailed to you.

Winter fees need to be paid before the end of the fall term. As of today, the cashiers' office in Needles Hall will accept post-dated cheques dated no later than December 23. "A copy of the OSAP Notice of Assessment or a copy of the letter confirming a scholarship or bursary is acceptable for a fee arrangement."

The best way to pay fees? "Send a cheque for the full amount listed on your fee statement along with both copies of your fee statement. . . . We are sorry that we do not accept Visa and/or MasterCard for payment of tuition." The Cashier's Office on the first floor of NH is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for those who want to pay fees by debit card (Interac).

Those who pay fees before December 15 will get their receipts and validation stickers by mail if you pay before December 15. "If you are a full-time student and you submit your payment after December 15, you can pick up your receipt and validation stickers on campus. If you are a part-time student, your receipt and validation stickers will be mailed."

And more: "If you applied for Ontario Student Assistance Program funds by October 15, you will have the OSAP Notice of Assessment in sufficient time to arrange fees by mail by December 23. The Notice of Assessment confirms the amount of OSAP assistance. Enclose a copy of this form with the fee statement. Signing the promissory note on the fee statement and returning it before December 23 will satisfy your registration requirements until you are able to pick up your OSAP loan documents. If you apply for OSAP after October 15, we cannot guarantee that your Notice of Assessment will be produced in time to arrange fees by mail. Late fees will not be waived if you apply late for OSAP."

Tuition fee payment must be received by December 23. Late fees will be assessed starting January 4, 1999. "Late fees will not be waived if you delay selecting courses until January." Late fees begin at $50 for full-time students ($20 for part-time students) in the first week of January and rise week by week.

The final registration deadline is January 29, when all fees, including accumulated late fees, are due. A withdrawal service charge of $50 will hit all students who withdraw during the first three weeks of term.

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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