Daily Bulletin

Applications 'steady' for September

High school students applying to Ontario universities (OUAC February figures)

The Ontario Universities Application Centre says a total of 58,624 Ontario students have applied for university admission this year, compared to 57,199 last year. That's an increase of about 2.5 per cent. And total applications are up 6.6 per cent. "Figures are relatively firm and complete," says OUAC -- unlike the figures for students from other provinces and those not arriving direct from high school, which will be trickling in for weeks yet.

"In comparison with the Ontario system totals, Waterloo is experiencing a steady-state 1.7% increase in applications," says a memo from Peter Burroughs, this university's director of admissions. His charts show a total of 17,283 students who gave Waterloo as a first, second, third or later choice of university.

"In the very important first choice category," says Burroughs, "we are slightly down from last year." The drop, to 6,038 first-choice applications, is 1.2 per cent, after two years of big increases (8.1 per cent and 12.2 per cent). "This is a levelling off -- a temporary one," he comments, pointing out that the number of 18-year-olds in Ontario is expected to keep growing.

Arts, mathematics and science "are experiencing strong gains, particularly given the increases in these faculties last year", he says. "The 6.7% increase in Science is impressive. . . . The Faculties of Applied Health Sciences and Environmental Studies are showing a marked decrease in applications in almost all programs while Engineering has a less significant decrease of 2.9%."

Even within the faculties, there are variations: health studies up and kinesiology down, computer engineering up and chemical engineering down.

UW is aiming for a first-year class of 4,120 full-time students, the biggest target ever but still significantly smaller than the first-year class of 1999. Last year's target, 4,010 students (not counting those in the English language program in the math faculty), was swept aside by an unexpectedly high rate of acceptances, and Waterloo ended up with 4,608 first-year students.

'This copy centre has closed,' says the sign in Village I. The "document centre", operated by UW's graphics department since the Village core was renovated last year, just wasn't doing enough business to pay for itself, says Colette Nevin, marketing manager for graphics. "Self-service copiers, access to the Polaris account printing service and a photo finishing drop box will remain," she says. Students who need printing will have to try other graphics locations.

Shad program seeks bright teens

"Canada's future depends on developing our brightest young talent in science, technology and innovation," says Johnson, in charge of publicity for the Shad Valley summer program. "If you know a 'star' student in grades 11, 12 or OAC who would like a chance to explore their options as a part of that challenging future, tell them about the Shad Valley program.

"Shad, a University of Waterloo partner, offers a unique summer learning enrichment and internship program for the best and brightest senior high school students at nine campuses across Canada, plus one in Scotland. UW is committed to motivating today's talented youth, and is one of Shad's host campuses."

She notes that Shad Valley alumni call their unforgettable summer "the experience of a lifetime," and reflect on it as a pivotal experience that changes the way they view their talents and abilities, and how they see the world and their place in it. More than 85 per cent of Shads go on to university, many of them in engineering. This year, almost 20 per cent of UW engineering program entrance scholarships were awarded to Shad alumni.

Says Johnson: "There's still time to apply for the summer 2000 program. UW can't guarantee that an application will be successful, but we know that for the 525 students selected to participate in next summer's program, it will be an incredible, enriching experience!" More information is available from the Shad Valley web site or at 884-8844.

Prof pushes for basic income -- condensed from this week's Gazette

Now retired from the department of environment and resource studies, Lerner is hoping to kick-start the debate with a "primer" on the subject which she co-authored with Canadian studies director and economics professor Bob Needham, and Charles Clark, professor of economics at St. John's University, New York. Basic Income: Economic Security for All Canadians, a softcover text published by Between the Lines Press, Toronto, retails for $16.95 -- a price she hopes will make the text accessible to a wide general readership.

Lerner describes the current state of work as one of fundamental change "resulting from globalization and rapid technological advances". The impact is evident, she says, in the closing of factories, the disappearance of bank tellers, and the demands by employers for a "flexible" workforce -- offering "part-time, temporary, and contract positions, with inadequate pay levels, few if any benefits and no security."

The challenge for society, she says, is how to respond "to a world in which fewer humans are needed for wages to manufacture goods and provide services."

A current trend -- "to stigmatize people who can't make a living wage through no fault of their own" -- she characterizes as "cruel and immoral". What basic income offers is a trade-off, "a floor that gives security to people so they can build a life and a livelihood" in a world where such stability is no longer provided through employment.

She defines basic income as "ideally a sufficient amount to live decently provided to every Canadian citizen." The payment would be more than just a cheque in the mail, acting as "a keystone of basic economic security, embedded in a social context that assures universal access to decent housing, health care and education as well as varied opportunities to contribute to community, social and material well-being."

Last month, Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark offered a plan to combat poverty in which he proposed a similar model, a guaranteed annual income. There's growing interest and support for the program in Europe, New Zealand, and Australia, says Lerner, who notes that both the Netherlands and Sweden are close to implementing a basic income.

The book examines the details of how such a system could be applied to Canada. "The biggest obstacles are cultural attitudes -- the work ethic," says Lerner. People can't believe that things are changing to the extent that they are, and see basic income as a giveaway rather than an underpinning and foundation for people's lives. "People have to throw off the idea they only exist to fulfil corporate goals."

A study conducted in Manitoba by the federal and provincial governments in the 1970s suggested that most people who received a basic income supplement would choose to work as well. "In a world of increasingly scarce paid work, it would spread around what work there is," suggests Lerner, who believes having a basic income would eliminate the current imbalance of labour in which some people work "incredible amounts of overtime while others are underemployed".

Talk and action on a Thursday

The career development seminar series continues, with two sessions today on interview skills: "The Basics" at 1:30 and "Preparing for Questions" at 2:30, both in Needles Hall room 1020.

Valentine's Day is near, and the folks at Federation Hall are making the most of it with a "Love Pub" tonight (Boys 'n' Girls Night, admission $2). "Be your own Cupid," the advertising says. "When you get to Fed Hall, choose a balloon to speak for you. Red, Looking for love. Black, Back off, baby! Green, Horny toad. Yellow, Taken, but friendly. Pink, Single, looking to mingle." (Graphic at left is from Animated GIF Archive.)

The workshop series on "urban living and environmental change" continues tonight with a session on "Building connections for urban environmental planing, management and decision-making", starting at 7 p.m. at the Adult Learning Centre, 185 King Street South. Speakers include Gordon Nelson, director of UW's Heritage Resources Centre, and graduate student Beth Dempster of the school of planning.

The drama department's production of "Suburban Motel" continues tonight; showtime is 8:00 tonight through Saturday in Studio 180, the little theatre in the Humanities building.

In the Humanities Theatre itself, tonight brings another performance of "The Great School Crisis of '99", touring from the Blyth Festival. The show is "a funny satirical monologue by Ted Johns, which highlights the changes in educations made by Bill 160". The performance starts at 7:30; the Humanities box office has tickets.

Finally, news from the registrar's office: "I am pleased to announce the appointment of Kerry Mahoney to the position of Assistant Registrar," says a memo from registrar Ken Lavigne. "Kerry is being seconded from the department of Co-operative Education and Career Services until summer 2001. She will join us right away on Monday, February 14. Kerry is a UW arts grad ('87) and holds a master's degree from the University of Calgary. She is currently the training and development officer in CECS and has been at UW since 1987." Mahoney will be assistant registrar in charge of arts, environmental studies and independent studies.

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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