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Friday, March 31, 2000

$100,000 salaries in 1999
Heavy drinking 'a significant concern'
Ambiguous look at the campus
On the last day of classes

The last 'casual' cheques
Today is payday, not just for monthly-paid staff and faculty but also for people on the "casual" payroll. The human resources department has an important message for that "casual" group:
"Employees paid on casual earnings, who have not yet filled in a Direct Deposit authorization, must bring banking information when picking up paycheques in Human Resources this afternoon. It must be completed (with a void cheque attached) and given to Boyanka Martinez, Human Resources, GSC as soon as possible to ensure uninterrupted earnings.
"Today is the last pay date where cheques will be issued for ongoing casual employees. Please note that the Direct Deposit form can be printed from the Web."

$100,000 salaries in 1999

UW issued its annual list yesterday of employees who were paid more than $100,000 for the previous year. The 1999 list, published each year as required by Ontario law, includes 150 people.

The top names on the list are pretty much the same, and in the same order, as they were for 1998. It's still headed by James Downey, who was president of the university through May 31, 1999, and since then has been on the payroll as a professor in the department of English.

David Johnston, who became president June 1 and so wasn't on the UW payroll for all of 1999, comes in ninth on the list.

The number of names has gone up to 150 from last year's figure of 104, largely because the annual salary increase for faculty members pushed many people just over the reportable level. Of the 150 salaries above $100,000, 37 are less than $102,000. New on the list this year are the principal of Renison College, the president of Conrad Grebel College, and the secretary of the university.

Here are the top dozen names (figures are to the nearest dollar):

James Downey president to May 31, $215,000 (plus $390 in taxable benefits)
Jim Kalbfleisch, vice-president (academic) and provost, $172,333
Alan George, dean of mathematics, $167,091
Ian Lithgow, vice-president (university relations), $146,675
Doug Letson, president of St. Jerome's University until June 30, then professor of English at St. Jerome's, $146,219
James Melvin, professor of economics, $145,626
Phelim Boyle, professor of accounting, $142,392
Gary Waller, associate provost (academic and student affairs), $134,811
David Johnston, president from June 1, $131,250 (plus $15,092 in taxable benefits)
Michael Higgins, president of St. Jerome's University from July 1, $130,889
Carolyn Hansson, vice-president (university research), $127,727
John Thompson, dean of science, $122,515

Besides the two men who served as president, the two presidents of St. Jerome's, and UW's three vice-presidents, the list includes all the deans, the four associate provosts, five other administrators, two other church college heads, and 125 faculty members. A full list for UW should be available this morning from the UW news bureau Web page, and will appear in next week's Gazette.

Also of interest

WLU ranks high in funding 'crapshoot'
Elmira Maple Syrup Festival
Daylight saving begins this weekend

Heavy drinking 'a significant concern' -- a news release from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Heavy drinking among university students is a significant cause for concern according to the first national survey of alcohol and other drug use.

"Although the number of times per week that students drink is not particularly high, the amount they drink at one time is a significant concern," says Louis Gliksman of the University of Western Ontario, the lead researcher for the study.

Gliksman went on to say that heavy drinking for this age group could result in a number of problems including broken relationships, academic difficulties, accidents (related to driving and otherwise) and legal and administrative problems, which could affect the students' futures.

The Canadian Campus Survey was conducted in the fall of 1998. The data represents responses from 7,800 undergraduate students in 16 universities across Canada. This survey focuses on student alcohol and other drug use, alcohol problems, consequences of alcohol consumption, and the contextual characteristics of drinking occasions. The survey also addresses student mental health, sexual activity, victimization, academic and non-academic activities, and campus attitudes, beliefs and norms.

Overall, the most influential factors related to substance use were the kind of housing in which the students lived, their gender and the region of the country in which the university is located.

Survey results related to alcohol consumption show:

62.7% of students reported 5 or more drinks on a single occasion and 34.8% reported drinking 8 or more drinks on a single occasion at least once since the beginning of the school year, that is, since September.
On average, students reported consuming 5 or more drinks about twice per month and 8 or more drinks about once a month since September.
Students reported the highest level of consumption when the reason for drinking was to get drunk (8.9 drinks),followed by to celebrate or at a party (5.7 drinks each), to forget their worries (5.5 drinks) and to feel good (5.4 drinks).
Students reported that since September, the most frequent drinking consequences they experienced were having a hangover (37.6%), regretting their actions (12.6%), memory loss (11.2%), missing classes due to a hangover (10.5%) and missing classes due to drinking (7.3%).
During the period since September, universities in Québec (88.3%) and the Atlantic (87.2%) had the highest rates of student alcohol users, while universities in Ontario reported the lowest rates of alcohol users (76.6%).
Students in university residences were most likely to have reported having had 5 or more and 8 or more drinks per occasion at least once since September (70.4% and 44.2%, respectively) than students in other types of housing.

Study results about other types of drug use showed:

47% of students reported using cannabis at some point in their lives and 28.7% used cannabis during the previous 12 months.
Students living on-campus or off-campus without family reported higher rates of cannabis use both during the previous 12 months (35.8% and 31.2% versus 24.7%) than students living with their family.
Students in Québec had the highest rates of cannabis use (35.6%) and students in the Prairies had the lowest rates of use (24.1%) in the past 12 months.
10.2% of students used illicit drugs, other than cannabis, during the previous 12 months.
Students living with their parents or other family members had the lowest rate of illicit drug use other than cannabis in the past 12 months (7.4%) than did students living in university housing (13.9%) or off campus without family (12.5%).
Students living in British Columbia had the highest rate of illicit drug use other than cannabis in the past 12 months (14.3%). Students in the Atlantic had the lowest rate (5.9%).
12.1% of students reported daily cigarette smoking, and 10.4% reported occasional smoking. (This is compared to 28.6% of the general population who smoke.)
2.3% of students reported using at least one of the five illicit drugs (heroin, methamphetamines, powdered cocaine, anabolic steroids, and a general other group) by injection during their lifetime.

The study also found that 30% of students reported some current impaired mental health. Women were significantly more likely to report impaired mental health than men (35.2% versus 23.6%). The percentage reporting impaired mental health decreased as year of study increased,from 34% of first year students to 26.1% of fourth year students.

Ambiguous look at the campus

For those who appreciate ambiguity, enjoy the enigmatic, or are not vexed by the vague, UW Graphics has a contest for you.

Graphics is looking for obscure images to feature in the Vague Visuals contest held each month on its Web site to test participants' knowledge of the campus.

The department is looking for "vague" photos "that capture elements of the campus. Your image can be of people, buildings, furniture, or anything that features the current visual aspects of the University of Waterloo." To date, the vague visuals appearing in the Web contest have featured everything from a snapdragon and a windshield wiper to a collision of protons.

Photo contest entries should consist of a good quality duplicate of a photograph. Entries will not be returned. One submission per person will be accepted, and must include a written description. Do not send negatives or electronic images.

The top two entries selected will be displayed in the Vague Visuals contest in May and June, with first prize of $75 and runner-up of $25 credited to the winners' WatCards.

Entries must be mailed to Colette Nevin, UW Graphics, GSC 228 by 4:30 p.m. on April 7. Winners will be notified the week of April 10. Questions can be directed to cenevin@uwaterloo.ca.

End-of-term concerts
Offered this weekend by the ensembles of the UW and Conrad Grebel College music department:
"An Evening of Jazz" by the UW Stage Band, tonight at 8:00 in the Grebel great hall; tickets $8, students $5.
"Small Groups, Big Sound!" by the Instrumental Chamber Ensembles, Saturday at 2:30 in the Grebel chapel; admission free.
"A Serenade to Music" by the UW Choir, Saturday at 8 p.m. in St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Queen Street, Kitchener; tickets $8, students $5.
"Dancing and Singing" by the UW Chamber Choir, Sunday at 8 p.m. in the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Water Street, Kitchener; tickets $8, students $5.

On the last day of classes

At least, that's what today is in two of the six faculties. For students in engineering and mathematics, winter term lectures end today. For those in the other faculties, classes continue through next Tuesday. And then it's the dread examination season, April 7 through 20.

The day will bring end-of-term celebrations -- some official and some just passionate. Among the special events: the annual Dean's List reception in the faculty of arts, at which students who achieved high standing in arts during 1999 will be honoured. It takes place in the Festival Room, South Campus Hall, from 4 to 6 p.m. today.

Most of this term's undergraduate students are graduating at June convocation, are heading off on co-op work terms for the spring, or are making their own summer plans and will be back here in September. A few students, for one reason or another, will register for spring term courses, and here's a reminder that spring term fees are payable no later than Monday, May 1.

Spring term students will also be needing to buy textbooks, and are invited to use the Express Books service offered by the UW bookstore. On-line orders for spring books are being accepted starting today.

The registrar's office notes that it now has two printable forms available on its web site -- one for students who want to change their addresses on file, one for students preparing to graduate at spring or fall convocation ceremonies.

The university's daily bank deposit will be a little larger today than it usually is. Among the cheques is one dated today -- the last day of the Ontario government's fiscal year -- for a little matter of $31,210,000, representing the provincial SuperBuild contribution to construction of two new buildings at UW and renovation of two others. Usually government grants arrive by electronic transfer, but this time it was old-fashioned paper. I asked David Peters, UW's manager of investments and insurance, what he does with a cheque for that much money. Answer: keep it in the safe from its arrival until the date it's payable, March 31. And then? "Just take it to the bank."

The philosophy department offers a colloquium this afternoon by Dan Merrill of Oberlin College (3:30, Humanities room 334). Topic: "How Augustus de Morgan Invented Boolean Algebra".

A free talk about Mary Baker Eddy, author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and the the founder of the Christian Science movement, will be offered at 4:00 this afternoon in room 221 at St. Jerome's University. Everyone is welcome. And no, in spite of what it said in this week's Gazette, Eddy herself will not be the speaker: she died in 1910.

NuMus has a concert tonight in the Theatre of the Arts (8:00) and promises "three highly acclaimed composers . . . two world premieres and a fresh look at a revitalized piece." Descriptions of the works include "poetry and movement . . . a mix of actual sounds recorded live . . . text taken from a radio interview . . . the diversity of contemporary musical media". The vocal ensemble "Mirror Image" will be joined by other singers and a pair of percussionists. Tickets for the concert are $20 general admission, $12 students and seniors.

The series of three one-act plays being performed under the title "Super Puppets" continues tonight and tomorrow night at 8:00 in Studio 180 in the Humanities building. Donations for Anselma House will be accepted at the door.

Sunday afternoon brings the installation of Graham Brown as principal of St. Paul's United College. He arrived from Queen's University last fall as successor to Helga Mills, who retired, and he will be formally installed at ceremonies to be held in the college's MacKirdy Hall at 2:30. A reception follows.

A Polish festival, "Folklorama 2000", is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 2:30 in the Humanities Theatre.

Finally, here's an advance note that the English Language Proficiency Examination will be offered, for those who still need to pass it, on Thursday, April 6, at 7 p.m. in the Physical Activities Complex.

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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