Daily Bulletin

For some 15 years, Marilyn Woods has been working for the UW Shop during convocation. The satellite business -- set up in the Physical Activities Complex -- offers grads and their families roses and other items to help make the day special and to remember their days at UW. "It's always fun," says Woods.

Three more convocation ceremonies

Along the way, the university will also present honorary degrees, medals and other forms of recognition, both to its own (including a Distinguished Teacher Award tomorrow) and to prominent visitors. And although every student is the star of the show to his or her special audience, here are some of the public highlights of the remaining ceremonies this week.

Convocation is held in the main gym of the Physical Activities Complex.

Today at 2 p.m., faculty of science:

• Honorary degrees to Gordon Ruskell (professor of ocular anatomy at the City University, London) and Daniel Livingstone (Duke University zoology professor). Livingstone will give the convocation address.
• Distinguished professor emeritus status to Emil Frind (earth sciences) and Geoffrey Power (biology).
• Awards for Excellence in Research to George Dixon (department of biology) and Michel Gingras (department of physics).
• Alumni gold medal to Tracey Campbell (biochemistry).
• Valedictory address by Andrew Klein, receiving an honours science degree with a biology option, on behalf of the graduating class.
• Distinguished Teaching by a Registered Student award to James Benson, graduating with a master's degree in physics.
• W. B. Pearson Medals to Brendan McConkey (biology), Lixin Shen (chemistry), Min Zhang (earth sciences), Olanrewaju Oriowo (optometry), and Mark Olfert (physics).

Doing double duty Three of the people who will be honoured at convocation tomorrow will give talks about their work today (Friday): George Box of Wisconsin, "Past, Present and Future of Statistics", 10:30 a.m., Math and Computer room 5158. Paul Van Oorschot of Entrust Technologies, "Public-Key Technology: Storming the World in 25 Short Years", 2:30 p.m., Davis Centre room 1351. Henry Baltes, Physical Electronic Laboratory, Zürich, "From Research to Commercialization: Microsystem Technology Transfer", 2:30 p.m., Davis Centre room 1304.

• Honorary degree to George Box (University of Wisconsin professor of statistics), who will give the convocation address.
• Distinguished teacher award to Brian Forrest (department of pure mathematics).
• Alumni gold medal to Trevor Jamieson (computer science, software engineering option).
• J. W. Graham Medal in Computing and Innovation to alumnus Paul Van Oorschot.
• Alumni gold medal to William Jamieson (computer science, software engineering option) as the top BMath graduate this year.
• Samuel Eckler Medal for the highest standing in actuarial science to Michael Symonds.
• Valedictory address by Anil Sabharwal, receiving a BMath in computer science, on behalf of the graduating class.

• Honorary degree to Henry Baltes (professor of physical electronics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich).
• Distinguished professor emeritus status to Jiri Vlach (retired from the electrical and computer engineering department) and Michael Yovanovich (mechanical engineering).
• Governor General's Silver Medal and alumni gold medal to Landy Toth of mechanical engineering as the top graduating student from the faculty.

Talking about health insurance

Premiums for the health plan (which come straight out of the university budget) have gone up by 32 per cent this year, provost Jim Kalbfleisch told the board of governors last week. That's on top of a 20 per cent increase last year. For the dental plan, the increase has been smaller, but still hefty compared to the 10 per cent boost that the provost thinks might be "manageable".

Something needs to be done during the current fiscal year, which started May 1, Kalbfleisch told the board. "As an interim step, we have renewed for only eight months," with an eye to putting in some cost control measures by next January 1. The extended health care plan -- which pays for prescriptions, nursing care, physiotherapy and many other services -- is managed by Great West Life, and the dental plan by ManuLife Financial.

The committee discussed the problem at a meeting in late May, and heard background information from two experts. According to the minutes, the committee was told that prescription drugs account for 65 per cent of costs in the health plan; 7 per cent of the money goes for semi-private hospital rooms, and "paramedical" expenses, such as chiropractors, psychologists and masseurs, 16 per cent. UW's experience is "way above the norm" for massage bills, the committee was also told.

As for the dental plan, it has "seen a significant increase in orthodontic claims together with more 'intelligent billing' by dentists."

The general idea of UW's benefits program is to provide coverage for "catastrophic" costs: "First-dollar coverage is contrary to the philosophy," the minutes say. That's why individual staff and faculty pay a share of their prescription bills, for example, up to $104 each year for an individual or $208 for a family.

The minutes indicate that the committee gave some attention to the idea of "flex benefits", by which employees could choose the benefits they expect to need most rather than everybody being covered by every benefit program. Today's meeting is to continue discussions of how to keep costs under control "and, with hope, identify a short list of changes to be considered".

Ontario news Provincial government will pay for more spaces in faculties of education -- news release University of Guelph approves the sale of its rural Cruickston property -- news release College system ready for a major shakeup -- Toronto Star story

UW will offer licence plates

Queen's is among universities that already offer licence plates with the institution's logo

Says MacIntyre: "It's an excellent opportunity to promote the University of Waterloo across the province, and for members of the UW community to show their support. Moreover, since we have decided to contribute the royalties earned on plate sales to a student bursary fund, there is a direct benefit to our students."

He said the first batch of regular-series UW plates will be manufactured this summer, just in time for September sales on campus in the UW Shop. Orders for personalized plates -- also available starting in September -- will be handled through the ministry of transportation. In addition, Ontario drivers will now have the option of transferring existing plates to UW graphic plates when their vehicle registration comes up for renewal.

The talk of the campus

Why isn't James Downey (left), former UW president and currently filling in for the vice-president (university relations), on campus this convocation day? Because he's in Ottawa for a similar ceremony at Carleton University, where he was an English professor early in his academic career, then served as dean of arts, and was president pro tem for a year (1979). Downey is receiving an honorary degree from Carleton this morning, "in recognition of extraordinary service to higher education in Canada".

Today is the last day of interviews in the regular cycle for co-op students seeking fall term jobs. Ranking forms will be along on Tuesday, and students should learn on June 26 what jobs they've been matched with.

The morning is sunny, which will be a relief to the people at UW's four child care centres. They're holding their fourth annual "fun morning" on the Village green, across the ring road from the Physical Activities Complex. The party runs from 9:30 to 11:00, with guest performer Ronno.

The biology department will honour the winners of two awards today as the science convocation takes place. Chenhong Zhang, a graduate student, is the winner of the first E. B. Dumbroff Award in Plant Sciences, which is presented to the author of an outstanding MSc or PhD thesis in plant sciences. Zhang won the award for her master's thesis. The award is named after Erwin Dumbroff, plant physiologist who retired from the biology department in 1996. The other departmental prize -- the Jonathan R. Matthews Memorial Award -- will be given to Tracey Campbell for her academic achievement in undergraduate studies. The $500 scholarship is named after Jonathan Matthews, who earned a PhD in 1976. He was a post-doctoral fellow when he died in a car accident.

Today's the last day for the exhibition of artworks by graduating students from the fine arts department, which has graced the art gallery in the Modern Languages building since the end of March.

The Contemporary School of Dance has booked the Humanities Theatre for the weekend, with performances Saturday night at 7:00 and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Judi Carter writes from the faculty of applied health sciences: "I am one of the local bridge community organizing an ACBL sanctioned tournament the weekend of June 24-25 which will take place at Ron Eydt Village. On the Saturday we are having a special novice duplicate game for people new to duplicate bridge, and/or less experienced bridge players. Paid up members of the ACBL (American Contract Bridge League) are aware of the tournament but people in the general UW community are not as we don't usually publicize these events. Everyone is welcome to attend. People can play in the event and if anyone wants to see what duplicate bridge is all about, they are welcome too." For more information, she can be reached at jdcarter@healthy.

The Waterloo International Soccer Tournament is taking place this weekend at various fields around the city, and Steve Breen of UW's information systems and technology department will be a busy fellow as tournament chairman. "This is our 28th annual," he writes, "with 126 teams and 18 players per team plus parents and family. Teams are coming from Windsor to Ottawa and north to Sudbury and places in between. Profits go to helping kids' soccer." Spectators are especially welcome (free) at the championship games on Sunday afternoon at Bechtel Park.

Yet another note about spare-time activities comes from Brian Dietrich of the design and construction section in the plant operations department. Dietrich serves as vice-president of the local Kinsmen Club, and writes that the K-W club along with Kinsmen from Preston (Cambridge) are planning a Community Event for Victoria Park, Kitchener, on Sunday, July 9: a duck race. There are, he says, "25,000 little ducks entered to win 11 prizes, with the grand prize being a JEEP TJ 2000 (yellow of course). Tickets are available for $5 each, with all proceeds going to K-W Habilitation Services and other Kinsmen supported causes in the local community." There will be events from noon to 4 p.m., with the actual race starting at 2:00 that afternoon.

Tomorrow brings "a day in Niagara's Wine Region" for the Waterloo Alumni at the Head of the Lake, which is to say those from Hamilton and the surrounding area. It's the latest of several special events organized by enthusiasts there, who are surveying fellow alumni on-line to see what they'd like to do next.

And with wine, finally, comes cheese -- which for some reason is featured on this week's menu from the food services department: "Cheeses enhance other flavours and make meals more satisfying as well as adding eye appeal to every dish. . . . Over the past 20 years, the average Canadian has gone from eating 4.5 kg of cheese per year, to 10.6 kg. By putting more cheese dishes on your menu, you're filling a strong and growing appetite!"

CAR

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca | (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
| Yesterday's Bulletin
Copyright © 2000 University of Waterloo