Daily Bulletin

Still more snow is falling this morning, and the white stuff blankets the campus -- though it probably isn't really 6,999 millimetres deep at the north campus weather station, as a flaky sensor has been claiming. Barb Elve of the information and public affairs office caught this view yesterday morning near the Chemistry-Biology link.

Committee will raise scholarship issue

"There is a desperate need for something in the form of scholarship grids to be implemented," says Ian Williams, the kinesiology professor who has chaired the committee for many years. He'll be presenting the issue when the senate meets on January 15.

Williams noted that the committee hasn't made a recommendation about such "grids", which are in use at a number of Ontario universities. Its report to senate does mention them, citing an "interest" in grids, "prompted by survey results that often cite 'lack of an adequate scholarship' as the main reason for students not attending the University of Waterloo."

Beyond question, says the report, a system of guaranteed scholarships would be expensive, with annual spending of $3 million to $5 million a year. "Waterloo currently spends approximately $750,000 on entrance scholarships." Spending that kind of money would require an endowment of perhaps $50 to $80 million, not an easy sum for UW to find.

Says Williams: "I will bring it back to the committee. This is too important just to say, 'that will be difficult'."

An appendix to the report lists the entrance scholarships that were awarded in September 2000, including 49 in applied health sciences (at $1,000 apiece), 98 in arts (average $1,150), 116 in engineering (average $3,000), 41 in environmental studies ($1,000), 79 in mathematics (average $2,675), and 9 in science ($1,950). A further 41 scholarships averaging $2,800 were awarded to students in "any faculty".

Besides scholarships, which are based on marks, UW handed out 661 entrance bursaries of $3,000 apiece, based on need, the committee report says. That represents 15.4 per cent of the 4,305 first-year students who arrived this September.

Colloquium explores health and air quality -- from the UW news bureau

The series of five international colloquiums is aimed at providing a clearer understanding of the public health implications of research on health effects related to air quality, said John Shortreed, professor emeritus of civil engineering and a member of UW's Institute for Risk Research.

As part of the linked series, the first annual colloquium, "Health and Air Quality 2001: Interpreting Science for Decision-Makers", will be held January 29-30 at the Ottawa Congress Centre. "Our goal is to bring together scientists, policy makers, and stakeholders to share perspectives on the implications of health effects research for policy decisions on particulate matter and to understand uncertainties based on a comprehensive debate of the issues," Shortreed said.

He added that epidemiological research carried out over the past 20 years provides a foundation for policy decisions to protect public health from long term exposure to airborne particulate matter. "The prime focus is not the detailed discussion of the results of studies, but to relate findings to public health issues and identify future research studies and directions that will aid policy-makers."

At the colloquium, presentations and discussions will focus on these questions: What is known about the health effects of air quality? What is not known? What is the range of uncertainty? Which health effects are significant for policy options? Based on a structured debate, what is the interpretation of the available science? What feasible research should be done? Short-term? Longer-term?

The colloquium papers, including the summary document, will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.

Student seats open on UW senate

Elections (terms from May 1, 2001 to April 30, 2003):

• One student elected by and from the full-time undergraduate students in each of the following Faculties: Engineering and Mathematics.
• One student elected by and from UW full-time undergraduate students.

• One student elected by and from the full-time undergraduate students in each of the following Faculties: Applied Health Sciences, Arts and Environmental Studies/Independent Studies.
• One student elected by and from UW full-time undergraduate students.

Student Senators who will be stepping down as of April 30, 2001, are Sarah Havard, Applied Health Sciences; Richard Banton, Arts; Ian Tien, Engineering; Jonathan Orazietti, Environmental Studies/Independent Studies; Daniel Mader, Mathematics; Ryan Stammers, at-large; Robin Stewart, at-large.

Elections will be conducted electronically; the polls will be open from 6:00 p.m., Friday, February 9 to 7:00 p.m., Friday, February 16.

The first weekend of the term

Worship services are back on the regular schedule at UW's church colleges. The University Catholic Community, at St. Jerome's University, celebrates Epiphany this week with Mass at 5 p.m. Saturday and 9:30, 11:30 and 7 p.m. on Sunday. (Weekday noon Masses will resume for the season next Tuesday.) Anglican services at Renison College resume with Holy Communion at 10:30 on Sunday morning.

Sports this weekend: The hockey Warriors host Wilfrid Laurier's Golden Hawks at the Columbia Icefield, Sunday at 2 p.m. Away from campus, the track and field team is at the Western Invitational for the day Saturday; the basketball teams play at WLU on Saturday (women at 12 noon, men at 2 p.m.).

"Last term," says a note from the co-op education and career services department, "many of the graduating students didn't know that there was a job information session available to them on what kind of services they have as graduating students." Let that not happen again: here's word for students who are on the last lap of their undergraduate careers that a job information session will be held Monday afternoon. It runs from 3:30 to 4:30 in the Humanities Theatre. Topics will include web site registration, job interviews and the application process, employer information sessions, important dates and deadlines, career development seminars and workshops, and the job fair.

Word from the human resources department: "The Bridging the Gap Retirement Training Program will be offering two 6-week sessions beginning January 30 and April 17 respectively. The sessions are held at the Rockway Centre, 1405 King Street East in Kitchener, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The cost is $45 per person or $75 per couple. If you are interested in registering for either of these sessions, please contact Wendy Fifield at the Rockway Centre, 741-2507."

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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