Daily Bulletin

Need a WatCard? This fellow was smart enough to get his at Student Life 101 in August. But you can still get yours, at the WatCard office on the lower level of the Student Life Centre. New students should bring a fee statement or schedule, plus a driver's licence or passport by way of identification. Returning students who need a replacement card will have to pay a fee of $20 plus GST (total $21.40). The office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 4:30. Money can be added to WatCards at the WatCard office, food services outlets, graphics copy centres, or the Student Life Centre turnkey desk.

Courses on the Web multiply

"From Buddhism to environmental microbiology, this new generation of courses is not a fad, but a natural fit in a computerized world," writes Mary-Lou Schagena. "Web-format courses come alive with FM-quality audio, web cam video images and slides with simultaneous keyboard input from the students to enhance learning through the integration of technology.

"User-friendly, the online courses let students take part in tutorials and monitor their understanding of course material through built-in quizzes. Students may be required to work together on joint assignments or projects online by taking part in structured discussions through web-based conferencing."

Online education was the cover story in the September 6 issue of Maclean's magazine, which included comments from UW president David Johnston.

Waterloo doesn't actually have many credit courses taught completely online, but the web is being adopted fast by teachers in UW's 250-course distance education program, which traditionally depends on audiotaped lectures. Says Don Kasta, director of distance and continuing education: "In addition to the interaction with other students, the web courses provide much quicker feedback on assignments and this enables students to track their progress much easier. As well, it enables us to use the rich resources of the Internet to supplement the material in the courses."

A web page from the distance education office lists six fully online courses offered this term (including Accounting 131, with "online field trips" and participation in "the Canadian stock market simulation game") and twelve for winter 2000.

Schagena notes: "Moving beyond correspondence, which was a one-way transmission, online courses let students keep in touch with instructors and fellow online/on-campus students through E-mail, electronic bulletin boards or chat rooms."

"The best part of the course is definitely the interaction with other students," says Linda McAusland, a UW student, of her distance-learning experience. "My group members live in Prince Edward Island and Ottawa, and are involved in different businesses and have different perspectives. Also, it is quite interesting to get the perspective of the on-campus students. As a distance education student, I don't feel so isolated."

One program at UW that's fully web-based is a master's degree in "management of technology", offered by the department of management sciences.

Also offered on the web, though not for university credit, is a cluster of computing skills courses mounted by the continuing education office and the US-based company Education To Go.

And scores of on-campus courses use the Web to communicate assignments, administrative information and background material. The teaching resource office maintains a list of course web pages that's constantly growing.

Today . . . and tomorrow The "Go high tech, stay local" information technology career fair winds up today in the Davis Centre. Local companies say they're looking for students (for both co-op and permanent jobs) in such fields as computer and electrical engineering, software, and technical support. Artist Medrie MacPhee will be on campus today to give a lecture (1:30, East Campus Hall room 1219) and attend the opening of her exhibition "Flight in the Variable Zone" in the Artspace Gallery in ECH, starting at 5 p.m. The department of statistics and actuarial science sponsors a seminar at 3:30 in Math and Computer room 6091A: Alex Whitmore of McGill University will speak on "Inferring Degradation from Marker and Survival Data". UW's joint health and safety committee will meet tomorrow at 9 a.m. in Needles Hall room 3001. Agenda items include smoking areas, safety inspections, fire and injury reports, a review of orientation activities, and a poster pointing out the workplace implications of perfume.

VP (research) is up for review

Hansson, pictured at right, was named vice-president (university research) as of January 1, 1996; she was previously a mechanical engineering professor at Queen's.

The university secretariat sends this notice about the procedure that starts now: "Nominations are requested for the following seats on the Nominating Committee (at least three nominators are required in each case): One Senator of professorial rank elected by and from each Faculty. One staff member elected by and from the regular staff in the Office of Research.

"Nominations should be sent to the Chief Returning Officer, University Secretariat, Needles Hall, Room 3060, no later than 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 6. An election will follow if necessary. Nomination forms are available from the Secretariat, extension 6125."

There's also a position on the nominating committee for a representative chosen by the staff association. Charlene Schumm, past president of the association, sends a notice: "The Staff Association Nominating Committee is seeking applications for a Staff representative on the Vice-President, University Research Search Committee. We want to encourage all staff to consider this opportunity and submit their application. For consideration, by September 23, 1999, please forward the following information to Charlene Schumm, Office of the Registrar, NH 2017 (or by email to cschumm@admmail.uwaterloo.ca): Name, department, extension, email address, years of service at UW, any relevant information, and indicate why you wish to represent Staff on this committee. The confidential information that you provide is a key factor in the final selection of the Staff representative by the Nominating Committee. Individuals interested in providing representation who are not currently members of the University of Waterloo Staff Association may join by contacting Barb Yantha (Ext. 3566 or staffasc@mc1adm)."

Warriors welcome their young fans

Bob Copeland, marketing officer in the athletics department, says the club provides "a fun way to reach out and communicate with young people in our community, from children of UW staff to the community at large".

Club membership costs $5 and provides "an impressive package of benefits" including a (temporary) Warrior tattoo, a twice-a-year newsletter and an "official membership card". There's also a tangible benefit: two free adult tickets to a Warrior football, basketball or hockey game, "so that a child's parents can bring them to a game without cost to the family." Adult tickets to those sports are normally $7 apiece; children get in free. (Admission to other events -- such as the women's rugby game against Western at 4:00 this afternoon at Columbia Field -- is free for everybody.)

Kids also receive free coupons and offers from the Club's sponsors, which include Domino's Pizza, Subway, Zuby's, McGinnis Front Row, and Rogers Television. "This program was very attractive to our sponsors, and they jumped at the chance to become involved," said Copeland.

The club also ties in to the existing Team Up program, which sends UW student athletes to speak at local schools on such topics as sportsmanship, goal-setting and "keys to success".

Registration forms for the Warrior Kids' Club are available from the athletics department (phone ext. 5689) or from the sponsors.

Professors campaign for funding

Says CAUT president Bill Graham: "As a share of the economy, federal cash transfers for post-secondary education are now at their lowest level in over 30 years." He said rising tuition fees, increased student debt loads, declining faculty numbers, and less government support for research are jeopardizing the quality and accessibility of post-secondary education in Canada.

Graham warned that the ability of government to repair the damage done to the college and university system could be compromised if Ottawa announces major tax cuts in the next budget. "The magnitude of tax cuts promoted by many in the business community would completely wipe out the looming budget surplus," said Graham. "Major tax cuts now would starve the federal government of the resources it needs to repair the damage done to education and to prepare Canadians for the next century."

CAUT past president Bill Bruneau added that as public funding has declined, university and college administrators have increasingly turned to the private sector to make up the shortfall. He called that "a development that poses a risk to academic freedom. As academics and researchers, we are well aware that corporate funding can compromise the independence and integrity of universities and the work we do. Corporate grants and academic freedom can easily conflict. Private funding is simply no substitute for core public funding."

CAUT treasurer Shirley Mills said that public funding cuts are threatening the quality and accessibility of post-secondary education. "Ottawa dealt with the deficit in large part by shifting costs onto students and their families," said Mills. "Student fees now make up almost one-fifth of total university revenue, an increase of 30% over the past five years. Public funding has fallen over 13%."

Graham said one consequence of federal cutbacks is increasing disparities in fees and funding between the provinces. "Ottawa and the provinces need to work together to develop a national post-secondary education system that would establish common principles across the country," he said. "These principles should include accessibility, comprehensiveness, public administration, and the protection of academic freedom."

In exchange for agreeing to these principles, he's suggesting that provinces receive increased cash transfers. CAUT is proposing the fund be set and maintained at 0.5% of Canada's gross domestic product. That formula would require Ottawa to increase cash transfers by about $2.7 billion. "Given the importance of post-secondary education for the economic and social well-being of Canadians, an investment of one half of one per cent of our national wealth is hardly unreasonable," said Graham.

As part of its campaign, CAUT is organizing a conference in October on the growing influence of commercial interests over universities and colleges, to be followed in November by a national lobby in Ottawa.

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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