Daily Bulletin

First social work degrees tomorrow

The new one-year post-degree program has been well received, says Joanne Turner, its director. According to a release from the UW news bureau, 85 per cent of the recent graduates are already working in their desired field -- many of them recruited by agencies and having a choice of two or three employment offers.

"That has not happened in graduate social work for many years," says Turner. She cites two reasons for the high employment rate. First, the local agencies like the three-semester practicum, where students work with them three days a week from September to June. In fact, some of the students were hired by the agency where they had done their practical training because they were already considered part of the professional staff.

And second: the Ontario government recently decided to allocate major funding to replenish the child welfare system. This opened up many new positions, making the province's Children's Aid Societies the major source of employment for this year's graduates.

"The second cohort is only into the fourth week of the first term and we've already had a number of inquiries into employment possibilities for them," Turner said.

She said the new BSW is a logical extension of Renison's traditional undergraduate "social development studies" program, a good transition for graduates who want to go on in social work. It also appeals to people who have been working in social agencies but don't have a social work degree -- most often (for example at Wilfrid Laurier University) earned over a longer period than Renison's single year. "The condensed program is more realistic for people with careers and families."

Unlike most BSW programs in the province, Renison's one-year program requires an undergraduate degree, some pre-requisite courses and a very intensive practicum. It provides students with the academic qualifications to become members of the Ontario College of Certified Social Workers or the Ontario Association of Professional Social Workers.

Science holds open house The science faculty will hold an open house tomorrow as it does each year on the day of fall convocation. The event is aimed mostly at public school students and their parents. Presentations, demonstrations and hands-on learning will take place in buildings throughout the science faculty, says Michael Hunt, communications officer in science. All are welcome; admission is free. Participants can park in any lot around campus and then follow the signs to the "greeting area" near the Earth Sciences and Chemistry building, he said. One feature of the open house is the popular "Chemistry Spectacular" show twice at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Also: "Visit the Biology greenhouse, or try your hand at the Circus of Physics. Engineering Science Quest program has a room of activities including computer animated robots. Check out the Earth Sciences drill rig, which is used to study our groundwater resources. The Earth Sciences Museum has a variety of activities including a timely demonstration of earthquake activity by geological engineers. Free mineral specimens will be given out by the geologist on a walkabout where you will learn how to read the rocks." For the hungry, a barbecue lunch will be available. More information: phone ext. 4631.

Other events of convocation

Convocation will also see the graduation of nearly 900 students, as well as the awarding of four honorary degrees and two alumni gold medals. A total of 896 undergraduate and graduate students will receive degrees and diplomas. Ceremonies, in the Physical Activities Complex, begin at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Becoming distinguished professor emeritus are Don Irish and John Moffat, both long-time chemistry professors. Moffat is a physical chemist who retired in 1996 after 35 years on the Waterloo faculty. Irish was a faculty member even longer: when he retired July 1, 1996, he was the last remaining staff or faculty member who had been on the payroll since the day the university was founded, 39 years earlier.

At the convocation ceremonies, one honorary degree recipient will be prominent actor William Needles, a son of UW founder Ira Needles. A leading member of the Stratford Festival's first acting company in 1953 and educator in academic theatre, Needles will receive a Doctor of Laws degree. He will deliver the convocation address at the morning ceremony for applied health sciences and arts graduates.

Also at the morning ceremony, Grace Schmidt, a local librarian instrumental in preserving and celebrating the history and culture of Waterloo County, will receive a Doctor of Laws degree.

The afternoon ceremony, for graduates in the other faculties, will see honorary degrees awarded to Larry Bourne, a faculty member in geography and planning at the University of Toronto, and Stephen Cook, a faculty member in computer science at Toronto. Bourne, one of the leading geographers in North America, will receive a Doctor of Environmental Studies degree and will give the afternoon convocation address. Cook, a world-renowned theoretical computer scientist, will receive a Doctor of Mathematics degree.

Alumni gold medal winners this year, to be honoured in the morning and afternoon respectively, are Cameron Shelley, PhD in philosophy, and Dean Palmer, Master of Applied Science in chemical engineering.

After each convocation, there will be an informal reception "for all convocation graduates, their guests, and all convocation participants" in the great hall of the Student Life Centre.

Presidents press for funding news

"Most universities have now reached the limit of their capacity," says the letter, addressed to Dianne Cunningham, minister of training, colleges and universities. "We must not betray our current students -- and those we admit in the future -- by admitting more than we can responsibly accommodate and provide with a quality education."

University enrolment grew 6.6 per cent from last year to this year, and the pressure isn't letting up, the presidents' letter says:

It is now 47 months until the "double cohort" arrives, and the "fast-trackers" from the old curriculum are only 35 months away. To be ready for this enrolment increase, serious planning within a clear funding framework is crucial. Providing more classrooms, laboratories, libraries and student services, recruiting faculty to teach additional students and planning for program changes all require lead time. To sustain current enrolments and permit additional enrolments for September 2000 (with offers of admission beginning in March 2000), financial parameters must be known by December 1999. For enrolment increases for September 2001 and beyond, a reliable funding framework must be in place by May 2000.

A task force on campus "capacity", set up by government and the Council of Ontario Universities, is expected to report to Cunningham in mid-November, and presidents are hoping to meet with the minister then.

The talk of the campus

On the other side of the world, it's also showery in Adelaide, South Australia, where the Aurora 101 solar car, built by a non-profit group from Melbourne, has won the World Solar Challenge race, crossing the continent north-to-south in 41 hours and six minutes. A car from Queen's University, Kingston, was just 27 minutes behind it. Canadian Press reports this morning that "A second Canadian team in the race, Midnight Sun from the University of Waterloo, was not expected to finish until Sunday or Monday. It was running 24th out of 40 starters in the race and its last reported position was still some 700 kilometres from Adelaide."

A notice from the UW graphics department: "All graphics outlets will now be closing on Fridays at 4:25 p.m. Exception: Pixel Pub, Student Life Centre, will be open Fridays until 5:00."

The Kiwanis Travelogue series continues with a presentation tonight at 8:00 in the Humanities Theatre. Tickets are $5.50, kids $3.50.

A reception and dinner honouring Helga Mills, recently retired as principal of St. Paul's United College, take place Sunday afternoon -- the reception at St. Paul's, the dinner in South Campus Hall.

Then at 8 p.m. Sunday, a workshop at St. Paul's will address the theory that "men are from Mars, women are from Venus." Student chaplain Sandra McCarl will show a video (featuring John Gray, author of the book by that name) and lead discussion: "Unless you take the necessary steps before dating, men will feel restricted in their ability to give while women are restricted in their ability to receive. . . . By having greater insight into how differently men and women approach dating, you will move on to more confidence during the dating process."

Hokus Pick, described as "Canada's best Christian band", will play Federation Hall on Sunday afternoon, along with three other local bands. The event starts at 4 p.m.; tickets are $2 at the door.

Help wanted: "The local chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society is looking for a volunteer with management ability. . . . Join a team of volunteers with Nutrition for Learning to help cook, serve food, clean up, shop, as well as interact and read with children. . . .Warm, caring volunteers are needed at Hildegard Marsden Co-op Day Nursery to help with the many babies." The Volunteer Action Centre at 742-8610 has more information about these needs and many other volunteer opportunities.

Sports this weekend: The football Warriors will host Guelph at 2:00 Saturday at University Stadium; it's their last home game of the season. Also Saturday afternoon, there will be games in several sports at the north campus fields: men's rugby (vs. Guelph) at 1:00, women's soccer (vs. Brock) also at 1:00, men's soccer (also vs. Brock) at 3:00, and women's rugby (vs. York) at 4:00. Sunday, the field hockey team faces Queen's at 10:15 a.m. and Carleton at 1:45 p.m., both games at University Stadium.

Away from campus, the Warriors travel far and wide: the men's basketball team to a tournament at Alberta, the women's basketball team to Winnipeg, the hockey team to Brock (Friday) and Ryerson (Saturday), the squash team for a tournament at Brock, the swimmers to Sudbury for a meet at Laurentian, the women's volleyball team to Queen's. The cross-country team has the most modest travel plans: Laurier plays host to this weekend's invitational.

The university secretariat sends word of two new members of the UW senate, acclaimed after a recent election process. Joining senate for a term through April 30, 2000, is Heather Carnahan of kinesiology, representing faculty in applied health sciences. Joining senate for a term through April 30, 2000, is David Matthews of statistics and actuarial science, representing faculty in mathematics.

The next on-campus blood donor clinic will run Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Student Life Centre. "If you knew you could save a life would you?" a flyer asks, urging people to save time by making an appointment (at the turnkey desk in the SLC) to come and give blood. "Don't leave it up to someone else," the flyer adds.

CAR

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca | (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
| Yesterday's Bulletin
Copyright © 1999 University of Waterloo