Daily Bulletin

Heavy talk about UW's identity

Wrong Right

The meeting was called by Martin Van Nierop, director of information and public affairs, to talk about "the issues surrounding consistent and appropriate use" of the logo. It's now seen on everything from letters and brochures to trucks and the dramatic new signs at UW's campus entrances. But there are still plenty of places it isn't being used, and some where it's being used wrong. Dianne Keller, designer in UW's graphics department, said she sometimes has to explain to customers that doing what they want to do on a piece of printing will violate the visual identity guidelines that are available both in printed form and on UWinfo.

The problem is that the "guidelines" aren't firm rules, graphics director Linda Norton pointed out. So the meeting spent some time discussing how well "guidelines" work in an organization as decentralized as this university. "Unless it's mandated, I don't think we're going to get there," said Don Kasta, director of distance and continuing education. "Decrees don't work in this organization," registrar Ken Lavigne countered.

Still, Lavigne made a strong plea for people to use the logo and use it right. He described the image Waterloo is developing, across Canada and beyond, for quality, innovation, relevance and openness: "By using the University of Waterloo mark consistently, aggressively, in all publications, we all plug into the power of our reputation!"

He added that the logo has to be used with "common sense and creativity": there are places where it just won't work, and times when exceptions to the rules are appropriate. The meeting was reminded several times that the athletics department recently developed a graphic image of its own for the Warriors, and that the church colleges feel a pull between sharing the UW image and presenting an independent image of their own.

"One strong look builds recognition," said Tina Roberts, UW's director of student recruitment and a strong supporter of giving everything that emanates from UW a uniform look. She and Lavigne both spoke about the "positioning statement" that was developed when the new student recruitment publications were being put together. The statement explains the message that the publications are trying to deliver about UW to the target market -- teenagers, in that case -- and provides the basis for both content and graphic design.

Developing a more general, campus-wide positioning statement would be a good basis for expanded guidelines about the use of the logo and UW's graphic look in general, several people at the meeting said. A small committee was sent off to work on a draft. "There needs to be some support from on high," Roberts noted, and it was agreed that approval from UW's top management will eventually be needed.

Poster made a big impression

David Johnston notes Fragments about UW's president-to-be: He's the co-host of "The Editors", a weekly show on PBS television and CBC Newsworld. I said in Wednesday's Bulletin that he is president of the Board of Overseers of Harvard University; in fact, his term on the overseers ended a few months ago. When he visits UW, he'll be particularly keen to visit "my friend" James Downey, the current president. Said Johnston: "I use his joke file regularly!" Johnston about McGill University, where he's been since 1979: "The ghosts speak to me here." He cited such greats from the past as Sir William Osler, Ernest Rutherford, and Frank Scott. Johnston "started life as the son of a hardware store owner in the steel and rail town of Sault Ste. Marie", the K-W Record noted yesterday; he "married his high school sweetheart" and "remembers with warmth his high school football coach and history teacher".

The poster was distributed on campus a few weeks ago. It is being mailed out even as we speak to High School Arts departments across Ontario, with brochures and other promotional materials from each of the member departments (Drama, Fine Arts, Music, Centre for Cultural Management, FAPA option). Funds for the initiative came from the FAPA Option Office, the Dean of Arts and the members.

The response to the image and the initiative has been very positive, with one sour note: many of the posters got more than a little mangled in the process of being delivered on-campus. A few enterprising souls have phoned for a replacements, but I would like to get the word out to the whole campus that a clean copy suitable for hanging and admiring is available simply for the asking.

Replacements, delivered in mailing tubes this time, can be acquired from either Rhonda Ryman ext. 2748 or myself ext. 3685.

Local volunteers are wanted

Library Links for Life needs volunteers. Be part of an exciting new project that brings the joy of reading to children in home day care settings and community programs. If you love reading, like story-telling and have experience working with children, this could be what you have been waiting for. Use your excellent communication skills to inspire others to discover books and library services.

It is better to build children than to mend adults . . . is the philosophy at the Learning Disabilities Association of K-W. Buddies are needed to help 6-12 year olds with learning disabilities participate in a Saturday morning recreation program. Volunteers with a positive attitude and a love of children are required to assist them in crafts, gym and other activities. Buddies like you could help to bolster the self-esteem of one of these children.

Supervise swim sessions during family swim time, Friday mornings at the Rotary Centre. This volunteer must be independent, mature and have the ability to swim well, as there is no other supervision. Reliable, responsible volunteers please call.

For more information, call the VAC at 742-8610.

Now, the Thanksgiving long weekend

Monday, October 12, is a holiday, and UW offices and most services will be closed. The Computing Help and Information Place will be closed all weekend, from tonight at 5 until Tuesday morning at 8. Over the weekend, says a memo from information systems and technology,

If you notice an outage of the campus computer network or any major IST-maintained computing facility during this period, you can report it by telephoning the IST HelpDesk at 888-4357. If the outage has a severe impact on the University computing environment and the appropriate facility-support personnel can be contacted, the problem will be addressed; otherwise, it will be pursued Tuesday morning.

Some key services continue as always:

• UW police: on duty 24 hours, 888-4911.
• Student Life Centre: open 24 hours, turnkey desk 888-4434.
• Maintenance emergencies: phone ext. 3793, 24 hours a day.

This weekend also brings the Oktoberfest hockey tournament hosted by UW's Warriors and the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks; games start today at 4:30 at both the Columbia Icefield and the Waterloo Recreation Complex, and continue Saturday and Sunday, with the championship game happening at the Rec Complex at 3:00 Sunday afternoon.

Several other varsity teams are in action over the weekend; the football Warriors host the McMaster Marauders at University Stadium at 2:00 on Saturday.

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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