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Midnight Sun update: UW's solar car team led the field at the first checkpoint of the American Solar Challenge race. Follow the team's progress as it travels Route 66.

Photo by Barbara Elve The bare branches of a chestnut tree, growing out of a raised planter near the rock garden, illustrate the effects of drought and disease, as well as the stresses of the urban environment on campus trees.

Campus trees are in crisis -- by Barbara Elve

Droughts of the past few years have weakened many trees, making them susceptible to insects and disease, say UW grounds foremen Jerry Hutten and Les Van Dongen, who oversee the trees on campus.

Although last summer was wet -- 588.4 mm between April 1 and October 31 -- rainfall levels for 1998 (312.5 mm) and 1999 (470.9 mm) were well below the average of 572.1 mm for that period. So far this year, rainfall has been less than average.

Dutch elm disease -- which nearly wiped out the elm population several decades ago -- has resurfaced, attacking elms of all ages on the North Campus.

Nearly a dozen red maples scattered around the university grounds are struggling. Pale, undersized leaves can be spotted on the drought-sensitive trees, which were planted early in the history of the campus.

Austrian pines, also planted as part of early landscape efforts, are being hit by diplodia blight, which causes defoliation and a general decline.

And mountain ash, which can be found at UW Place, are looking "like someone has taken a propane torch to the bark and leaves" -- the victims of fire blight.

Adding to the drought problem are the stresses of the urban landscape and the tendency of landscapers to create pockets of plantings of a single species.

In an urban setting, trees suffer from reduced moisture levels because they are surrounded by hard surfaces. Roots receive less oxygen due to soil compaction, and root space is often cramped as a result of surrounding pavement and buildings. As well, paved surfaces magnify the heat and there is little undergrowth to cool things down.

Not only do studies show that biodiversity is healthier for plants; monocultural environments make it easier for disease to spread.

Ground crews are responding to the crisis by attempting to improve the vigour of trees -- especially the most vulnerable newly-established trees -- by watering, says Hutten, a strategy that is both time-consuming and labour-intensive. A special wand is used to deliver water directly to the roots.

More attention is also being paid to selecting the right tree for the right environment, he adds, instead of planting for purely aesthetic reasons. While native species tend to be hardier, that's not always the case. The ginkgo -- an Asian species which may have grown here in prehistoric times -- is particularly resistant to air pollution.

Some 16 trees measuring up to eight or nine inches in diameter were transplanted this spring to make way for construction of new buildings, and few new trees will be planted until those projects are completed and conditions on campus improve.

As for the rest of us, says Hutten, we can give the root space of trees a wide berth to avoid further compacting of the soil. "Respect the trees," he adds.

Online course selection begins this week Spring term undergraduate students should select their Winter 2002 courses through the QUEST online process between July 18-24, 2001. This new class enrolment process uses an appointment system; upper year students will go first. Says the registrar's office: "You'll be given an appointment -- a time frame of approximately 4 to 5 hours -- to let you know when you can select your classes. Prior to your appointment time you'll need to plan your schedule using the information provided to you in the class enrolment instructions. "To find out when your appointment time is, visit QUEST on July 16 or 17, 2001, and login using your UWuserid and password. If you don't know your UWuserid or password you'll be able to look it up on the QUEST site...." General information sessions have been scheduled to acquaint students, faculty and staff with course selection using QUEST. They'll take place in DC 1350 today and tomorrow at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. On a related note: the registrar's office sends a "reminder to students who will be using an override form to enrol in classes that are otherwise unavailable to them. Please hand in the completed override form to the registrar's office before your scheduled appointment."

Teachers get advice about conflict

So says a "teaching tips" sheet developed by UW's teaching resources and continuing education office, as the result of a workshop last term on conflict management for teachers. "No matter how hard we work at preventing conflicts, they are a part of life," explains teaching assistant Geneviève Desmarais of TRACE, "and instructors, from the most entertaining to the most challenging, have encountered them at times. Though as instructors, we prepare ourselves to transmit knowledge, we receive very little guidance regarding how to cope with distracting, upset, or angry students."

She summarizes some of the advice that came out: "When conflicts do arise in your classroom, don't ignore them. Most classroom conflicts concern distracting student behaviour, such as talking, and are easy to cope with. Move around the classroom to create some dynamics and keep the students' attention on you, make eye contact with the distracting students, or pause during your lecture. . . . If the behaviour persists or degenerates, you may consider verbally addressing the class or asking the disruptive students to leave.

"Sometimes classroom conflicts depart from mere distractions and escalate into authority challenges. The key to getting through these public confrontations is to avoid taking the challenge personally. You should try to relax and keep calm, and keep your voice sounding clear and firm instead of defensive or sarcastic. Acknowledge the value of the student's opinion, and maybe suggest discussing the matter privately at a later time.

"Many of the conflicts we encounter as instructors will occur in private, for example over a grade complaint. The key goals here are to maintain professionalism, and to focus on the issues at hand, not the person."

Her summary was published in the May issue of the TRACE newsletter Teaching Matters. The full tip sheet on conflict management is available on the web. Among its suggestions:

• "On the first day, establish your credibility by giving some background information about your experience with the subject matter by outlining your experience as a student, your research, etc. Show that you are focused and prepared. Keep this up throughout the term by coming to lectures prepared and sharing your goals for each lecture with your students. Organization, enthusiasm, solid knowledge of the content, and fairness all help to build and maintain credibility."
• "Students work better when they believe that instructors care about them; therefore, try to reduce anonymity and use the students' names whenever possible."
• "Do not worry about being right all the time or about having the answer to every possible question. This leads too easily to defensiveness, which generally builds conflict instead of preventing it."
• "Make eye contact. Students tend to stop their distracting behaviour if you are paying direct attention to them."
• " If you are comfortable with it, a mild embarrassment can be an effective way to draw attention to a student's distracting behaviour. For example, if a student walks in late, the instructor can question them on the material before they have a chance to sit down. One tip is to show a hint of humour so the rest of the class does not become hostile towards you."
• "If a student is being very disruptive, and you feel there is no other recourse, you are within your rights to ask students to leave the room. One gauge here is the effect of the disruption on the rest of the class."
• "If for any reason you feel the rest of the class is in danger, do not hesitate to call the campus police."
• "When arguments heat up, keep your door open. This gives a chance for neutral, outside observers to witness the event. Leaving the door open protects both the student and the instructor."

Monday notes

Tomorrow evening the University of Waterloo Choir will perform Music From Stage and Screen at the Theatre of the Arts. The program includes medleys from the musicals Oliver, Brigadoon, and Les Misérables as well as songs from various Disney movies, and a solo baritone performance -- Omnia Sol Temperat from Carmina Burana by veteran UW chorister Fred Chapman. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for seniors, students and children.

The City of Waterloo's volunteer services department is recruiting for the following opportunities:

• One volunteer is needed to help serve coffee and cookies to "Friday Flick" video participants at the Adult Recreation Centre through July and August
• A volunteer gardener is needed for two hours per week to help with the care and maintenance of flowerbeds at the home of a Waterloo senior
• Kitchen assistants are needed to help on Fridays at the Adult Recreation Centre beginning July 20th

Avvey Peters

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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