Daily Bulletin

Remote view: Bruce Lumsden, director of co-op education and career services, presents a plaque of recognition via video to Cisco Systems of Ottawa as thanks for the donation of videoconferencing equipment to the department. Gathered for the occasion, and seen on the donated equipment, are a number of UW co-op students on work term at the company together with Charles Eagan (middle row, centre) Cisco's director of engineering. The equipment, installed in the CECS interview area, will make it easier for employers and students to communicate visually as well as by voice when time constraints or distances prevent on-campus interviewing. Until now, videoconference interviews had to be done with borrowed equipment.

Renison opens British door into teaching

The British partner is the College of St. Mark & St. John, which is already linked with Renison through the international organization of Anglican colleges. Located in Plymouth on the south coast, it’s an affiliate of the nearby University of Exeter.

A news release describes the plan as "a post-graduate program especially designed for UW students who wish to qualify as primary teaching specialists. The program, scheduled to run from the end of August 2001 until April 2002, is specifically designed to enable successful graduates to secure QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) in the UK and to apply for admission to the College of Teachers in Ontario."

Renison says 10 to 15 students will be accepted into the program. More from the news release:

"This new program, developed in co-operation with Renison College, is a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PCGE) program specifically designed for students who wish to qualify for admission to the Ontario College of Teachers. In the United Kingdom the PCGE Primary designation enables graduates to teach children aged 5-11 years. In Ontario, graduates of this program would be able to apply to the College of Teachers to be certified to teach at the Primary/Junior level.

"At the end of the program, successful graduates will be eligible for Qualified Teacher Status, a designation recognized throughout the United Kingdom, in European Community countries, and in most Commonwealth countries.

"Applicants must possess an undergraduate degree."

Application forms are available at Renison and must be submitted by April 27. Staff from the College of St. Mark & St. John "will conduct personal interviews with qualified applicants" at Renison in May.

The year’s program will begin with a one-week intensive orientation session at Renison in late August. The remaining instruction will take place in Plymouth. Practice teaching will take place in schools in and around Plymouth, and graduation comes in April 2002.

Cost of the program: a tuition fee of #6000 ($13,000), plus housing, airfare and other costs. "Ontario students who are eligible for OSAP funding may apply to OSAP for funding for academic programs offered outside the province."

More information is available from the registrar’s office at Renison, 884-4404 ext. 627.

Grad student winners are named

Top award winners:

• Environment -- oral: Jeremy Steffler, chemical engineering; poster: Andrew Millward, geography;
• Health research -- oral: Jeannette Byrne, kinesiology; poster: Vivian Choh, optometry;
• Information technology -- oral: Celine Latulipe, computer science; poster: Zohreh Azimifar, systems design engineering;
• Materials and systems -- oral: Caroline Karlgard, chemical engineering; poster: Karima Murji, chemical engineering/biology;
• Innovation, society and culture -- oral: Julie Smith, psychology; poster: Arif Mehmood, civil engineering.

Local volunteers are wanted

National Volunteer Week is scheduled for April 22-28, this year with the theme "Celebrating Youth Volunteers", and it's no secret that hundreds of the young volunteers in K-W are UW students, involved in everything from Big Sisters to church-based charitable work.

UW staff and faculty volunteer too, playing a large role in minor sports in Kitchener-Waterloo, not to mention the symphony orchestra and service organizations.

Here are some of the Volunteer Centre's current listings:

• "K-W Boccia Club in inviting volunteers to help with a one-day boccia tournament on Saturday, April 28, at Albert McCormick Arena in Waterloo. Boccia is similar to lawn bowling and this tournament is for athletes with a disability. Volunteers have the opportunity to be linesmen, scorekeepers and timers. Several volunteers who are comfortable using a stopwatch would be most helpful."
• "Assist young offenders who are involved in the John Howard Society's Alternative Measures Program. This position requires 4-8 hours per month and involves working with a team of staff and volunteers, reviewing a case, and meeting with the offender (12-15 years old) and parents to discuss and decide on alternative measures. The youth then signs a contract to complete tasks making up for the offense. Creative, tolerant, non-judgmental volunteers, 19 years of age or older, with excellent communication and problem solving skills would be perfect."
• "Waterloo Region Eating Disorders Coalition is inviting goal-oriented volunteers who are sensitive to body image issues to join their team. Visionary, enthusiastic individuals can make a difference with this young, growing charitable organization by joining the board of directors. Special event planners are also required and will assist in planning community events, conferences and workshops for community professionals. In addition, volunteers with strong communication skills are needed to help develop resources about eating disorders."

The talk of the campus

Construction of UW's long-awaited centre-campus building, the Centre for Environmental and Information Technologies, is getting nearer, and that means the present use of its site must come to an end. The last day of operation for parking lot B1 will be Friday, April 20, says parking manager Elaine Carpenter. "Visitors should be directed to use Lot H or D as the alternate attendant lots. They also have the option of using lot M at $3 per entry or lot C at $2 per entry. We will be posting a notice at the parking lot as well to let people know of the closing date."

In the lower level of the Student Life Centre just now there's a mountain of books, for sale at a quarter apiece. John Jongerius, manager of the Federation of Students used book store there, explains: "On Saturday we picked up eleven skids of books from the annual Canadian Federation of University Women book sale. We (Used Book Store, Butch Shantz and staff of Central Stores with the co-operation of Ann Simpson and staff of SLC) do this as a labour of love, as these books would have ended up in landfill. These books are now available for 25 cents each, 24 hours a day, for the next ten days."

The computer store will hold the last of this season's "Lunch and Learn" sessions today -- free food, and a presentation from Apple Canada about its new MacOS X and PowerBook G4.

The senate research council will meet at 1:00 in Needles Hall room 3004. Agenda items include the Canada Research Chairs (to which UW still hasn't announced any appointments) and procedures for the "Excellence in Research Awards". For the rest of this year, the council's agenda includes scheduled reviews of four research centres: Molecular Beams and Laser Chemistry, Biotechnology, Heritage Resources, and Trenchless Technologies.

The arts faculty council will meet at 3:30 in Humanities room 373. Agenda items include "Dean's report: Enrolment fuzzies."

Tomorrow at 12 noon, Peter Burroughs, UW's director of admissions, will give a talk about "a UW perspective" on the arrival of the so-called double cohort, as two years' worth of high school students graduate at the same time. I understand that this talk, which is sponsored by the Employee Assistance Program, is angled towards parents of teenagers, and others who are concerned about curriculum and admissions. "There will be a question and answer period," says the EAP flyer. "Relevant handouts will be provided." The talk will be given in Davis Centre room 1302.

As we approach the Easter weekend, the University Club will offer an Easter buffet on Thursday, with 11:30 and 1:30 seatings. The menu includes "grilled chicken with a raspberry and chipotle sauce", sole florentine, and "baked ham with a grainy mustard and maple glaze". Reservations: ext. 3801.

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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