Daily Bulletin

It's Groundhog Day, and when Waterloo Waldo hopped out of his hole near Laurel Creek a little before 8 this morning he saw -- well, you know what he saw, which means you know the long-range forecast. Comments from his neighbour Simon the Troll are not available. Other groundhogs are at work today in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (pictured is Punxsutawney Phil) and, of course, Wiarton, Ontario.

Policy 18 on line The newly revised Policy 18, UW's rules on staff employment, is now available on line, as promised yesterday. It can be found through the university secretariat's web site.

Board will discuss enrolment growth

The context is a rapidly growing demand for higher education in Ontario, and the short-term urgency of the "double cohort" when changes in the province's high school curriculum dump two years' worth of graduates onto campuses at once in 2003.

The Council of Ontario Universities sums up the problem like this:

"Demand for full-time university enrolment will likely increase by approximately 25% to 40% by the end of the next decade. Much of this increase will occur in the next five years, in large part due to the double cohort of high school graduates that will result from secondary school reform. Participation rates among 18- to 24-year-olds could grow from 22% to 25% as more people seek to attend university. Between 11,000 and 13,000 new faculty will be needed to meet increased enrolment demand, offset faculty retirements, and lower the student/faculty ratio, which is now 21% higher than the average of the other nine provinces."

The last board of governors meeting, in November, heard from UW president David Johnston on the subject: he said that universities are very prepared to expand their capacity, "but it's on condition that there be full-cost funding for each new student." The way universities are financed at present, extra students shoehorned into classrooms don't bring any government funding at all -- and tuition fees alone fall far short of covering the cost of a student's education.

More than two months since that meeting, the Ontario government still hasn't said what the level of university funding for 2000-01 will be, let alone given a long-term commitment.

Kalbfleisch also spoke at the November meeting about the possibility of enrolment expansion. Within a few years, he said, UW could realistically grow by 15 or 20 per cent, but only if the government will pay the cost.

The province is currently reviewing universities' requests for money to build new buildings, and Kalbfleisch noted that "the bids we put in are conditional on satisfactory operating funds."

Today's meeting of the board of governors will start at 2:30 in Needles Hall room 3001.

Other agenda items include a presentation from the faculty of engineering; an update on the current year's budget; approval of residence fees for next year; the design for construction of Mackenzie King Village, the 320-bed residence to be built between Village I and Ron Eydt Village; and various other matters.

A confidential session comes at the end, as usual at board meetings, but its agenda doesn't indicate anything from the building and properties committee -- which might mean that there's no big news yet about a possible tenant for the north campus research park.

After the meeting, board members have been invited to a dinner at the University Club "in honour of the many dedicated and hard-working student leaders who contribute their time and energy to improving the quality of student life at the University of Waterloo". The invitation came from Christine Cheng, president of the Federation of Students, and Catharine Scott, associate provost (human resources and student services).

UW not joining in national protest

Waterloo's Federation of Students and Graduate Student Association are not CFS affiliates and won't be taking part in today's protests, but student leaders here are in sympathy with much of what CFS has to say, according to Fed president Christine Cheng.

She notes that the UW Federation belongs to the rival Canadian Alliance of Student Associations rather than to CFS. "CASA and CFS do agree," says Cheng, "that billions are needed to restore funding to the Canada Health and Social Transfer. This is a common goal for students from Vancouver to St. John's."

There have been rumours lately that their wish might come true, as federal finance minister Paul Martin gets ready to bring down a budget later this month. But extra money in the CHST is more likely to be earmarked for health care than for post-secondary education, its other main component. The Globe and Mail reports this morning that Martin is planning a one-time cash transfer to the provinces as part of the CHST.

Says Cheng: "The Federation of Students will continue to lobby for the restoration of funds, as well as other initiatives through CASA's Education Builds a Nation campaign." She lists them:

• $4 billion restoration of CHST
• Lowering interest rates on federal student loans from prime plus 5% (fixed), prime plus 2.5% (floating), to prime plus 2% (fixed), prime plus 1% (floating)
• Elimination of inter-provincial differential tuition fees
• Elimination of Goods and Services Tax on textbooks

At the faculty of education at Queen's University, UW math teaching option student Greg Macdougall is among the organizers of a teach-in starting at noon today. "By taking positive action," he says, "future teachers of our education system would be improving their own education while at the same time making a statement against the funding cuts to all levels of education."

Daytime on a busy Wednesday

In other matters . . . the personal safety advisory committee meets at 9:00 this morning in Needles Hall room 3043.

The retail services department is hosting an Apple Demo Day at Techworx in the Student Life Centre today from 10:00 to 3:30. Faculty, staff and students are welcome to chat with Apple specialist Curtis Eisenberg, "who will be on hand to demonstrate some of Apple's latest offerings".

Today's noon hour concert at Conrad Grebel College is "A Concert of French Song": Tannis Sprott, soprano, and Mark McDowell on harpsichord, clavichord and piano. The music starts at 12:30 in Grebel's chapel, and admission is free.

John Wetmore of IBM Canada visits a Toronto day care centre that's using IBM technology

John Wetmore, president of IBM Canada Ltd., will be at UW this afternoon to give a seminar sponsored by the InfraNet Project. His topic: "The Adaptive Economy -- Connecting Communities, People and Business". Wetmore predicts "a million times more bandwidth" in the near future, and "will discuss the opportunities this will open up for business, for people and for the Canadian economy. He will also share his insight into some of the exciting new technologies that IBM has in its research labs." His talk starts at 1 p.m. in Davis Centre room 1302.

Today brings the winter Job Fair at Bingemans Conference Centre in Kitchener. Organizers -- including the career centres at UW and three other post-secondary institutions -- promise "over 150 recruiting employers at a single location", there to talk about "permanent, contract, summer, co-op and part-time jobs". Things run from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. "What is it? An opportunity to meet employers who are currently hiring; to investigate career options and current jobs; to offer your resume to several employers; to present your skills and qualifications in person." Buses will leave UW's Student Life Centre every half hour, starting at 9:30, and return to UW (via Wilfrid Laurier University) starting at 11:00.

The first Wednesday of every month brings a cancer control seminar in UW's faculty of applied health sciences. Speaking today: Jennifer Frood, graduate student in health studies and gerontology, on "Population Surveys: How to Use $5 to Get 76% Response Rates". The event starts at 12:30 in Matthews Hall room 3119.

A motel room is the site of the "Suburban Motel" cycle by playwright George Walker. Two of the plays from that cycle are the drama department's winter production, opening tonight in Studio 180 in the Humanities building. The performance starts at 8:00; tickets are $10, students $8. Erin Kell is Denise in "Problem Child", one of the two plays.

Co-op students are invited to a session being held by the Federation of Students today, starting at 4:30 in Student Life Centre room 2134. Says Veronica Chau, vice-president (education) of the Feds: "The co-op department is looking at restructuring first rounds and second rounds to make the process easier for students and employers . . . restructuring first rounds from its current form, as a six-week period with one ranking day at the end, to a series of one-week periods with a ranking day on each Friday." More information will be offered today, and students' views are welcome, she says.

An information session will be held today (Davis Centre 1302, starting at 5 p.m.) "where you can find out more about research in computer science, and why you should consider graduate studies in computer science".

What's not happening: a reading by novelist Thomas King, at St. Jerome's University, has been cancelled.

And tonight and coming soon

Angela Bischoff and Tooker Gomberg, environmentalists in residence this week in the department of environment and resource studies, will speak at 7:00 tonight in Environmental Studies II room 284. "They will discuss techniques of successful activism and their bicycle tour of North America and Asia in search of inspiring green activities."

"This Friday," says a note from Pat Cunningham in the development office, "is the deadline for registering for the Hagey Bonspiel." That's the annual fun-and-curling event for faculty, staff and hangers-on, to be held this year on February 26 at the Ayr Curling Club. "We still have excellent spots left for the 9 a.m. draw," says Cunningham. "No experience required! Contact me at ext. 5413 for information."

And James Brice, manager of the University Club, says there are a few tickets available for a special event this Saturday night: dinner at the Club, followed by Bill Cosby live at the Centre in the Square. The price is $99; Brice can be reached at ext. 3500.

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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