Daily Bulletin

Wasn't that sculpture blue last time I looked? But the artwork at the southwest corner of the Math and Computer building (by Armand Buzbuzian, 1977) was definitely pink yesterday. "I would say," said someone who took a close look, "the hue is suspiciously similar to that of a certain tie."

Budget helps students, researchers

He provided "a much-needed boost for Canada's universities", according to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, which had urged Martin to put more funding into the Canada Health and Social Transfer, and wasn't disappointed. The increase is $2.5 billion over the next four years. The CHST is currently running at $14.5 billion a year. An AUCC news release last night said the association association "is pleased the government will inject additional cash into transfers to allow the provinces to tackle the pressing needs of universities and colleges".

"Our members will now look to provincial governments to use this increase to enhance the core operating budgets of Canadian universities," said Robert J. Giroux, president of AUCC. "Strong universities are crucial to the new knowledge society. In the past few years, the federal government has made substantial strategic investments in research and student assistance. Today begins the process of increased investment in the fundamental health of our institutions through the transfers."

Maybe so. Said CBC Newsworld last night:

There's no guarantee the money will go to either health care or education, that's up to the provinces. One observer said Martin was using the $2.5 billion "to buy a little peace" with the provinces. They'll spend it how they want.

Universities and researchers will also get some federal funding directly. Another $900 million will be poured into the funding for 21st Century research chairs, to be established at universities across the country. The total number of chairs, announced at 1,200 last year, will now be 2,000.

In addition, Ottawa will add $900 million to the endowment fund of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, almost doubling the $1 billion with which CFI was created three years ago. A new Genome Canada project will be established, to the tune of $160 million. And there's specific funding for "artificial intelligence and advanced robotics ($20 million this year), geosciences, climate change research, and "sustainable technology", and $100 million a year for the next two years to help provide government services over the Internet and create Canadian content on-line.

The AUCC said it was "very pleased" by these developments. "This is concrete evidence of the government’s continuing focus on research and innovation," Giroux said. "The research chairs program will strengthen the ability of universities to attract, develop and retain researchers of international calibre."

The budget also had something for students and parents, with a promise to increase the tax exemption on scholarship income. The figure has been $500 for more than twenty years -- since the days when $500 was a year's tuition fees. Now the first $3,000 of scholarship income will be tax-free. It's a change that university leaders and student groups have been urging. (The increase is effective for the 2000 tax year, meaning that it doesn't help students who are filling out their 1999 tax returns this month.)

And there was a promise of funds for "infrastructure" -- upgrading roads, bridges and buildings. The AUCC instantly said universities would like to be eligible for a share of that funding.

Lecture today on urban hot spots

"Hot Cities or Cool Places: The Effect of Urbanization on our Environment" is the topic for Luvall, currently on leave from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Centre and spending this term at UW as part of the Canada Trust/Walter Bean Visiting Professorship in the Environment.

Luvall is an expert on the phenomenon of "urban heat islands" and ways of cooling down cities by using vegetation and other planning strategies. His research involves using remote sensing to model the thermal responses of major cities and forest canopies. The aerial photo at left shows the heat radiated by Kitchener-Waterloo (top left), Cambridge (bottom) and Guelph.

"A city doesn't live in isolation from the surrounding environment," Luvall says, noting that urban growth can also influence rainfall patterns. "Better understanding of urbanization's impact on weather will be a valuable policy tool for development," he adds. "Even if you can't control weather, good urban planning makes a tremendous difference, and you have control over that."

Simple things such as tree-lined medians lower temperatures noticeably because even partial shading can result in an area being 40 per cent cooler. Other measures include paving with light-coloured concrete instead of asphalt and substituting light coloured roofing material for asphalt-based composites.

A native of Huntsville, Alabama, educated at Southern Illinois University and the University of Georgia, Luvall is widely recognized for his research and has served on several international committees. At present, he is working closely with the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic organizing committee to revitalize the city by planting greenways and installing highly reflective surface materials.

Today's talk by Luvall, which starts at 4 p.m. in the Humanities Theatre, is open to the public at no charge but seating is limited. To reserve a seat, call 888-4973.

Profs predict shortage of faculty

"Ontario's incoming university students are in for a shock over the next few years," says an OCUFA news release, "as they enter their programs and find out there won't be enough professors to teach them, unless this government moves quickly to address the shortage of qualified faculty."

OCUFA president Deborah Flynn made the "crisis" prediction as she spoke earlier this month to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs of the Ontario legislature, which was holding its usual pre-budget hearings.

"It could be a nightmare," said Flynn. "A PricewaterhouseCoopers study projects an increased enrolment of 90,000 students entering the university system over the next 10 years. There are already 2,000 fewer professors in the system than there were in 1991. Add to that, an astounding one-third of faculty are between 55 and 64 years of age, and are scheduled to retire just as student enrolment begins to crest."

"Just how does the government intend to address this pending crisis?" asked Flynn, according to OCUFA's news release. "We need at least 11,000 to 13,000 new professors. Within the next few years Ontario universities will be competing for university faculty and librarians with universities across Canada and the United States. The government needs to implement programs now that will help us to retain current graduate students so that they can become the university professors of the future. We need additional funding to ensure that we are competitive when it comes to retaining current, and hiring additional, faculty."

The research capacity of Ontario's universities is also threatened by a shortage of faculty, she said. "Given the reliance of our knowledge based economy on university research, this shortage of university based research inevitably will have an impact on the economic and social development of Ontario."

OCUFA also expressed concerns about the government's funding policies for postsecondary education, and their "negative impact on the accessibility and affordability of university education". Said Flynn: "The government has committed itself to creating a world-class university system. If this is to be something more than just rhetoric it must ensure that it moves immediately to provide the resources and policies required to meet this objective."

What's the buzz? Today's notes

The pension and benefits committee is holding another of its morning-long meetings today in Needles Hall. Among the agenda items: "Discussion of Possible Pension Plan Improvements".

A "commemoration service" will be held this morning for David Wright, chair of the UW department of history, who died February 10. The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Fireside Lounge in Sweeney Hall, St. Jerome's University.

Sandra Pupatello, Member of Provincial Parliament for Windsor West, will visit UW today, sponsored by the Young Liberals. She'll speak at 4 p.m. (Student Life Centre room 2134) on "Women in Politics".

This afternoon, the University Club will unveil its new logo. A wine and cheese reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Club lounge will celebrate the occasion.

Opening today in the UW art gallery in the Modern Languages building is an exhibition of work by two recent graduates of the fine arts department, Dana Holst and Darlene Cole. The show continues through March 31.

A blood donor clinic continues today (and Wednesday and Thursday) in the Student Life Centre. A sign-up sheet for appointments is available at the turnkey desk.

The Hindi Movie Club "is back in full effect", organizers say, "and is going to bring you an awesome lineup of blockbuster films this term. We begin with truly one of the greatest films ever released in Bollywood." (Yes, Bollywood, as in the Hollywood of Bombay.) Tonight's film is "Dilwale Dulhania le Jayenge", which will be shown at 9:15 tonight in Davis Centre room 1304 -- admission $2.

Tomorrow, the career development seminar series resumes, after a reading week pause. Tomorrow's session is on career research, and will run from 10:30 to 12:30 in Needles Hall room 1020.

Tomorrow also brings a visit by Thomas King, novelist (Truth and Bright Water) and comic (CBC radio's "Dead Dog Cafe"). He'll read from his work starting at 4 p.m. tomorrow in the common room at St. Jerome's University.

And tomorrow in the evening, the Jewish studies distinguished guest lecture series presents Irving Abella of York University, speaking on "The Untold History of Canadian Jewry" (8 p.m., Needles Hall room 3001).

The 2000-01 undergraduate calendar hit my desk yesterday: a solid, inch-thick, old-fashioned printed volume, although its content is also available on the Web. The cover uses the same photomontage as last year's edition, but with a golden-yellow background. The book is out just in time for preregistration for the fall and winter terms, March 6-10.

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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