Dispute settled, physicist returns to U of T

Daily Bulletin

Planner-in-residence at UW this fall is Marilou McPhedran, a lawyer, member of the Order of Canada, national board chair of the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund, and participant in many other public causes, especially in the area of health. She brings her experience of the Equal Rights Amendment, the Friends of Women's College Hospital, the Healthy City Toronto program, and other activities to UW's school of planning.

Five 'major thrust areas' for research

"Waterloo's overall research goal," says the ten-page document, "is to be a global leader in the development and implementation of a knowledge-based society in the 21st Century." Then it lists several specific goals -- for example, UW seeks to "increase the impact of research on public decision-making" and "develop a passion for research at an early stage by involving undergraduates in research activities".

Most of the document is taken up with announcing and elaborating on five "major thrust areas for research and research training". The five are information technology; environment; health; materials and systems; and innovation, society and culture.

The first four are almost identical with the "strengths" that UW listed two years ago in documents submitted in 1998 to the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The "innovation, society and culture" theme is new:

Progress -- whether material or cultural -- requires an understanding of the human condition and an insight into how people create and react to change and innovation. . . . One key part of the University's mission is the study of those cultural forces and social pressures that provide the context for, and the content of, technological change.

Here are some of the new things UW will introduce in the next few years, according to the "Strategic Research Plan":

• An Institute for Health Informatics, "a platform for creating and disseminating scientific knowledge in all areas of health sciences, wellness and medical research".
• "An inter-disciplinary thin film laboratory that is unique to Canada in its breadth and scale".
• Research focused on "the preservation and replacement of Canada's $3 trillion worth of infrastructure".
• A High Magnetic Field Laboratory "of international calibre".
• Expanded research in the faculty of arts "on the factors influencing entrepreneurship, and more generally, creativity", with an "Interactivity Centre" to "research the cultural and social impact of technological innovations on human knowledge and understanding".
• Research on "optical and other networks" building on existing work in wireless communications, and research on "data and text management and data mining with emphasis on multimedia, object-oriented, structured (relational) and unstructured (internet) data and text repositories".
• Environmental research concentrating in the areas of water treatment and supply, ecosystems, atmospheric quality, and "building sustainable communities".

Written by a committee that started its work in 1998, the plan was approved by the Senate Research Council in August. It's particularly designed to give a background for UW's involvement in the Canada Research Chairs program that will pay for new research-oriented faculty members.

Tonight's meeting of the UW senate begins at 4:30 in Needles Hall room 3001. Other agenda items include a report on fall enrolment, the usual deans' reports about new faculty appointments, and a presentation from the faculty of arts.

Sports Football: UW 41, Toronto 10 Women's rugby: UW 67, Windsor 0 Women's soccer: UW 3, Guelph 1 Men's soccer: UW 2, Guelph 2

Grads call for some improvements -- by Barbara Hallett

The first move to fill that gap was made last spring when 380 graduate student surveys were mailed by the graduate studies office to both master's and PhD students graduating at the spring convocation, as well as to those who had dropped out of graduate programs before completion.

"Results are still trickling in," says Sivak, with a total of 137 responses, or about 36 per cent, returned so far. While the numbers to date are not enough to be statistically significant, especially for some smaller departments, he has already observed some trends which suggest the need for improvements.

The grad office itself is one example. "There are some areas where we'll have to do a better job," he noted, particularly in registration procedures and scholarship information.

Other areas grad students were asked to evaluate as part of the anonymous survey include their experience with supervision, comprehensive examinations, research, financial support, teaching assistantships, their departments, and the Graduate Student Association, as well as their employment experience since leaving UW.

The need for such a survey was mentioned in the "Building on Accomplishment" plan approved by the university in 1997. Sivak implemented the survey with the support of his predecessor, Pat Rowe, following a study of how other universities were evaluating the quality of the graduate student experience, and with input from UW faculty members.

"In an age of accountability," said Sivak, "we need to allow students to comment on the supervisory process, which up to now has not been evaluated at all. The information gained from the surveys will be provided to the Ontario Council of Graduate Studies, as well as to faculties, departments and other groups being assessed."

That will be done "when statistics are sufficient to be viable -- and protect the anonymity of the respondents." Sivak hopes the responses from the fall term survey will provide those numbers. By sending out the forms just before convocation, the intent is to give grad students adequate time to reflect on the questions.

While "change is not going to happen overnight, it's important that both students and faculty are aware that the process has started. I don't think you have to have results before there are benefits. When it's known there will be an accounting, it makes a difference."

Wanted: staff for committee meetings

"As both vacancies are the result of resignations, the terms of office begin as soon as possible," says Paul McKone, past president of the association and chair of the staff nominating committee. "Deadlines for applications have been set for September 29."

The details:

The UWSA Nominating Committee is seeking applications for a staff representative on the University of Waterloo Pensions and Benefits Committee. This position involves a three-year term of office commencing immediately.

The Pensions and Benefits Committee consists of staff, faculty, retirees, senior administrators and Board members who administer the pension plan and benefit packages offered to employees. In this capacity, the staff representative will have input to numerous issues including (but not limited to) the following: the creation and enforcement of rules and regulations for the efficient administration of the plan; resolution of questions concerning the plan and the eligibility of any person to participate in the plan; computation of the amount of benefits or other payments; recommending changes in pension and benefits plans to keep them current with respect to other universities and major employers; making policy decisions relevant to the administration of of established benefits plans and to periodically adjust plans as required to comply with legislation, changes in medical fee schedules and insurance rates; creation of new categories of employees; and recommending overall investment policy with respect to the needs of the fund in order to meet the costs of pensions and benefits on the advice of the consulting actuary and investment counsel.

The UWSA Nominating Committee is seeking applications for a staff representative on the University of Waterloo Staff Training and Development Committee. This position involves a two-year term of office, commencing immediately.

The Staff Training and Development Committee consists of five active members, including two staff representatives, one senior administrator, a resource person from Human Resources, with the Associate Provost (Human Resources and Student Services) as the Chair. This committee is responsible for assessing the needs for staff development and, not limiting the scope of its activities, this includes orientation, supervisory training, management development, personal development, etc. The Committee initiates programs in accordance with its assessment, and evaluates their effectiveness.

Says the notice: "We encourage all interested staff members from across campus to consider this opportunity and submit an application. Individuals who are not members of the University of Waterloo Staff Association may join by contacting Barb Yantha (extension 3566, or email at staffasc@mc1adm)."

Clubs; recreation programs; scholarships

The beginning-of-term Imaginus poster sale in the Student Life Centre begins today and continues through Friday (9 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday).

The department of statistics and actuarial science presents a talk today by Hwashin Shin of Queen's University, who will speak on "Optimal Designs for Orientation Models" (10:30 a.m., Math and Computer room 6091A).

The Centre for Behavioural Research and Program Evaluation presents a talk today on "Telephone Quitlines: Evidence for a Successful Model", as part of its series of noon-hour cancer seminars. The speakers (at 12:30 in Matthews Hall room 3119) are Scott McIntosh and Kathi Burton of the University of Rochester.

Bill Ralph of the department of mathematics at Brock University will speak today under the title "Mathematics Meets Multimedia", presenting a new software package called "Journey Through Calculus". The talk begins at 3 p.m. in Math and Computer room 1078.

A presentation about graduate scholarships in the faculty of engineering and faculty of science is scheduled for 3:30 today in Davis Centre room 1302. "Undergraduate and graduate students interested in applying for graduate scholarships should attend," says Elaine Garner of the graduate studies office. A similar session aimed at the faculties of arts and applied health sciences will be held tomorrow, also at 3:30 but this time in Needles Hall room 3001.

Presidents of student clubs should attend a meeting at 4:30 today in the great hall of the Student Life Centre, in preparation for Clubs Days tomorrow and Wednesday, says Ryan Eagles of the Federation of Students.

The Jewish Students Association will hold a picnic in the park -- Waterloo Park, "area 2", to be specific -- at 5:30 today. UW students can meet at the turnkey desk at the Student Life Centre at 5:15 to head down to the park together.

Buddhist meditation will be held Monday evenings at 7:00, starting tonight, in Wesley Chapel, St. Paul's United College. Beginners are welcome, says the organizer, Windsor Viney of the philosophy department (wgviney@uwaterloo.ca).

Co-op students who are going out on work terms in the winter should pick up their "master copy co-op record" in Needles Hall tomorrow. They'll be available at the paging desk starting at 10 a.m. "Students will need their student card as identification," the co-op department notes.

And tomorrow is registration day for instructional programs in the campus recreation program, from squash to lifeguarding. Details are available on the web, but briefly: pick up a ticket at the "red north" corner of the Physical Activities Complex tomorrow between 8:15 and 11:00, then register in PAC room 2039 at the time indicated on the ticket.

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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