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Monday, January 31, 2000

  • Computing specialist is mourned
  • Coffee shop planned in library
  • Employers hear noon-hour talks
  • Dean of science committee is at work
  • One misty, moisty morning

Computing specialist is mourned

Ron Press, a long-time member of UW's staff and a mainstay of the department of information systems and technology, died early Friday after suffering a heart attack at work on Thursday afternoon.

"I am proud to have called Ron my friend," writes Manfred Grisebach, also of IST, who visited Press at Grand River Hospital early on Thursday evening. "He will be dearly missed."

Press came to IST -- which was then the department of computing services -- in August 1970, initially as a computer operator in the Red Room. Most recently he was a systems integration specialist in IST's systems group.

Ron Press was unmarried; his family are in St. Mary's, Ontario, and visitation at the Sass Funeral Home in St. Mary's will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today. The funeral service is scheduled for tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.

Coffee shop planned in library

A coffee shop is to be opened on the main (second) floor of the Dana Porter Library, says an announcement from Mary Stanley in the library office. She said Friday that "A group of staff members from the Library and Food Services are working together on plans to introduce a coffee shop."

The coffee shop will be close to the copy shop: Stanley says its location will be directly opposite Graphics Express, operated by UW's graphics department. "Adjacent to the coffee shop," she writes, "will be a newly furnished seating/study area. This area will have a mix of seating types including table and chairs as well as some comfortable club chairs. The area will function as a study space as well as a spot for people to drink their beverages, etc.

"We hope to have the shop up and running in April."

Why? "The idea of a coffee shop in Dana Porter comes from students. They want to be able to have a beverage or snack without having to pack up all their belongings and leave the building. Presently, students working in the Davis Library have easy access to a Food Services outlet within the building, but those studying in Porter do not enjoy the same advantage.

[Starbucks] "Students also told us that Porter is an intimidating rather than welcoming place. Again, the idea of a coffee shop was raised as part of a larger plan to enhance the atmosphere at Porter.

"This is not an idea unique to UW. In fact, many academic libraries throughout North America have installed coffee shops in their libraries with great success. Closer to home, Western opened a coffee shop, 'Quotes', in their main library last fall." Pictured at right is the new coffee shop in the Robarts Library at the University of Toronto (photo from The Varsity).

Employers hear noon-hour talks

Employers coming to campus to interview students for co-op jobs this term have again been invited to take an educational lunch break in Needles Hall.

The co-op department's "Chew on This" series gets going tomorrow, and each Tuesday and Thursday during the main co-op interview period someone from one of UW's six faculties or the department of co-operative education and career services will speak on a topic intended to be of interest to employers.

The lunch meetings, organized by CECS associate director Cathy Jenkins, provide employers with an opportunity to learn about some "exciting and innovative" teaching and research activities of faculty members or get the scoop on what's planned for improving recruiting methods at UW. Here are the topics for this term:

Dean of science committee is at work

John Thompson, UW's dean of science since 1990, is coming to the end of his term, and so a nominating committee is at work. The committee "is now in place and has held its first meeting", says an announcement from the university secretariat:
Faculty, staff and students in the faculty of science are invited to discuss questions concerning the Deanship with any member of the Nominating Committee (identified below). If you prefer to respond in writing, your submission should be directed to Emily Barnes, the Committee Secretary (by mail, c/o University Secretariat, Needles Hall; via e-mail, to ebarnes@secretariat; or fax 888-6337) not later than Friday, February 25th. In either case, your comments will be held in confidence within the Committee.
These are the members of the committee:
Jim Kalbfleisch (4766), Chair (jgk@nh3adm.uwaterloo.ca)
David Blowes (4878), Earth Sciences (blowes@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca)
John Flanagan (3176), Optometry (jgflanag@quark.uwaterloo.ca)
Robin Jones (3428), staff member, Faculty-at-large (rhjones@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca)
Angela Kyveris (6210), graduate student, Optometry (akyveris@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca)
Robert Mann (6285), Physics (rbmann@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca)
Carol Peterson (3194), Biology (cpeterson@scimail.uwaterloo.ca)
Matthew Pippo, undergraduate student, Hons. Physics (mrpippo@scimail.uwaterloo.ca)
Jim Sloan (4401), Chemistry (sloanj@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca)
Paul Socken (2426), external member, French/Jewish Studies (psocken@watarts.uwaterloo.ca)
Graham Strong (6330), Optometry (gstrong@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca)
Pam Van Allen (2064), staff member, Dean's Office (pam@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca)
Under UW's Policy 45, the committee's job is to "invite nominations, by whatever means it considers appropriate, from any person or group; it will advertise the position, internally and externally; and it will establish criteria against which nominations and applications may be measured.

"The committee will consider all names placed before it and will develop a short list of candidates as its first step in proceeding towards a recommendation. These candidates will be invited to meet with the committee and/or with such other persons and/or groups as it may determine. After screening candidates, the committee shall select the person it regards as most suitable for the position, and shall submit its recommendation for the appointment of that candidate to the regular faculty members of the Faculty. If the committee feels that two or more of the candidates are well qualified, it may choose to submit the choice between these to the members of the Faculty. . . .

"The results of the ballot shall be made known to the nominating committee. If the Committee concludes that no candidate is acceptable it shall resume its screening activities. Otherwise, the nominating committee shall recommend the appointment of a candidate to the President. . . .

"Upon receiving the report of the nominating committee and the recommendation of the Senate, the President shall recommend an appointment to the Board of Governors."

One misty, moisty morning -- Mother Goose

Is it just me, or is there not much happening today? It couldn't be midterm season already, could it? Later in the week things will be busier, what with FASS, the drama department's production of "Suburban Motel", the UW board of governors meeting Wednesday, a gala dinner in honour of student achievers, the launch of a research chair specializing in African lakes, and, as they say, "much, much more".

Today, though, attention is turned to the first floor of Needles Hall, where employer interviews for spring term jobs will begin.

And in the Student Life Centre, on this last day of January, the periodic Imaginus Poster Sale begins; it'll run through Friday (8 to 8 Monday to Thursday, 8 to 5 on Friday).

Here's a note of interest: "Join the most exclusive club on campus! Grad House affiliate memberships are now on sale, $10 a term. Must be 19 years old. For more information contact Rose Vogt, ext. 6015, or mail gsa-mgr@watserv1."

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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