Daily Bulletin

Performance appraisals due soon

Performance appraisals are mandatory for all ongoing staff at UW, notes Alfrieda Swainston, salary administration manager for human resources. "If the performance appraisal is not done, there will be no salary increase," she adds.

If that were not motivation enough, there are other benefits to the process of performance evaluation. The goal, she says, is "to provide confidential, constructive feedback to staff members regarding their performance in relation to the requirements of their job description, as well as identifying areas of success, the need for improvement, if necessary, and opportunities for job enhancement.

"The information contained in annual reviews should not come as a surprise to staff members, but rather, should be a confirmation of informal feedback received throughout the year."

The form has not been significantly changed from last year, with evaluation based on five core areas as well as a number of supplemental areas that can be tailored to the specifics of a position. However, "we have made it more easily accessed," says Swainston. "The website includes instructions on how to download the guidelines and form onto individual systems for completion." Paper copies are available from Margaret Letter, ext. 6645, for managers who do not have website access.

The deadline for the return of performance appraisals to human resources is March 15. Questions or concerns can be directed to Swainston at ext. 2950.

St. Paul's offers Middle East trip

Leaders of the tour, which runs from April 22 to May 7, will be Peter Frick, assistant professor of religious studies at St. Paul's, and William Klassen, former principal of the college, who has led many study tours to the Middle East during the last three decades.

The tour has two themes. One will explore religious and historical developments in the period 200 BC to AD 200 through visits to archaeological sites. The second theme will focus on today's ethical issues, including the place of women, the definition of justice, and the value of human rights. Meetings with Middle East scholars, clerics, and political observers will be part of the experience.

Everyone is welcome to take the tour, on a credit or non-credit basis. Students will be able to take the course for 0.5 credits by registering in RS 369B. Transfer credit can be arranged with other degree-granting institutions.

The estimated $3,500 fee includes costs of texts, air and bus transportation, entry to sites, excursion guides, and accommodation in hotels, study centres, or hospices. Meals, health insurance, and other side trips are extra. A deposit of $300 must be paid to register, with the full amount due by March 15.

For more information, phone 885-1460, ext. 214, or 744-9924, or send email to pfrick@watarts.uwaterloo.ca or wklassen@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca.

Here's a chance to grow

Starting this week, mini-courses are offered to help staff balance their lives, navigate change, improve customer service and deal with multiple priorities. The first, "Achieving Work and Personal Life Balance", runs on Thursday, February 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. "Personal Strategies for Navigating Change" is scheduled for Wednesday, March 17, from 8:30 a.m. to noon; "Advanced Customer Service" will be held two half-days, April 27 and 29 from 8:30 a.m. to noon; and "Managing Multiple Priorities" is a half-day session on the morning of Tuesday, May 11.

The "Frontline Leadership" personal development program will run again with a sries of modules designed for managers and supervisors. "It begins with fundamental supervisory skills and then builds specific leadership skills such as managing individual performance." Each session is a half-day in length, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with the schedule as follows:

• The Basic Principles, Thursday, February 25
• Proactive Listening, Tuesday, March 9
• Dealing with Emotional Behaviour, Wednesday, March 24
• Giving Constructive Feedback, Thursday, April 1
• Recognizing Positive Results, Tuesday, April 13

Bright yellow fliers containing course descriptions and registration forms have been sent out across campus. If you've misplaced yours or need more information, contact Carolyn Vincent at ext. 2078.

As reading week begins

The show goes on in the co-op department, regardless of reading week. "Co-op and graduating student employer interviews for students participating in the interview process will take place" during the week for students in all faculties, reports Olaf Naese, communications and public relations administrator for CECS.

Friday, February 26, is the deadline for nominations for the award for distinguished teaching by a registered student at UW. Sponsored by the teaching resources office and the graduate studies office, the award is "open to all registered students who have a formal teaching role (e.g., teaching assistant, laboratory demonstrator, sessional lecturer)" at UW or its federated and affiliated university/colleges. For more information, contact TRACE at ext. 3132.

World Wetlands Day is being celebrated at UW tomorrow to mark the signing of the Convention of Wetlands in Ramsar, Iran, recognizing the conservation and sustainable use of these resources. On the agenda: at 10 a.m., a workshop on "The Environmental Bill of Rights and the Environmental Registry"; from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., displays from industry, business and government; and at 1 p.m. the keynote presentation by environmentalist and singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. These events take place in the Humanities Theatre, Hagey Hall, and are open to the public. For more information, contact Barry Warner, director of the UW Wetlands Research Centre, ext. 3607.

There's still time to register for tomorrow's ACM-style programming contest in which teams of up to three people will answer 8 or 9 questions in five hours. The contact person is Gordon Cormack who can be found at gvcormack@uwaterloo.ca.

Updated brochures advertising UW's standing in the Maclean's Magazine rankings are now available from Nancy Heide, community relations coordinator, ext. 3276. "The brochure is in full colour with lots of photos and highlights UW as being #1 in reputation for the seventh year in a row," she reports.

And we don't often receive letters to the editor, but this one arrived recently from Joanne Martin, who left UW three years ago "to follow my husband's career to Australia" and is still a regular reader of the Daily Bulletin: "Today I feel I must comment on your lead story 'UW Ranks First Among Applicants'. In your story this success has been attributed to several things. As to the quality of education, there is no doubt! The quality of recruitment publications and high school presentations? They are excellent. But come on! The real reason people choose Waterloo is because of the fine job that is being done in the Department of Cooperative Education and Career Services! Isn't it time the rest of the university recognized that?"

Barbara Elve
bmelve@uwaterloo.ca

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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