They were the footprints of a gigantic something-or-other, and they've been spotted a number of places on campus already, including the Porter Library information desk (left, with Amy Chan on duty while Dana Porter and Gerry Hagey look down from the wall). Whose feet made the marks? We'll find out at halftime of tonight's Warrior basketball game, I'm told, when the athletics department presents its new mascot.

'The decision has not been made'

That's not exactly the choice, said provost Amit Chakma, replying to the comment during a well-attended meeting of department chairs and other key people held in South Campus Hall. He said that if planning is done carefully, growth can reduce the extent to which UW is underfunded, and can make it possible to do exciting new things with a quality that will make Waterloo one of the world's leading universities.

"We can have our cake and eat it too," president David Johnston agreed. However, he added that "the decision has not been made" about whether to increase enrolment as a way of stabilizing UW's finances.

A few missing keystrokes made nonsense out of a sentence in yesterday's Bulletin, as I was writing about provost Amit Chakma's remarks to the board of governors on Tuesday. Here's what the paragraph should have said: Chakma also noted that while UW needs to streamline some activities ("programs are trying to do too many things"), there are also new departures "driven by the strategic position of the university", such as the software engineering and math-and-business programs that began this year.

Deans' council is talking actively about such issues, he said, and the deans have been asked to bring plans for what kind of "smart growth" would be possible in their faculties.

Chakma noted that one proposed academic program would add about 100 students a year -- 400 altogether, when it's in full operation -- to UW's size. It would cost an estimated $2 million a year to operate, but would bring $4.5 million a year into the university.

That's the sort of thing he means when he speaks of "diversifying the revenue stream", finding ways to bring money into the university beyond the existing government grants and regular student fees.

Chakma and Johnston emphasized that when UW raises fees, or starts new self-supporting programs, it will be essential to have generous student financial aid as part of the plan, so that students who are qualified but couldn't afford to pay the going rate will still be able to come to Waterloo.

The provost also noted that "diversifying" UW's income includes increasing the amount of revenue -- currently about 3 per cent of the total -- that comes from alumni and other private sector supporters. "We all need to believe in it," he told yesterday's meeting, "and we all need to work for it."

Plenty of other things were said at yesterday afternoon's meeting, and I'll report on more of them in the Bulletin early next week. The meeting was called by Johnston and Chakma to brief the university's leaders on how things are going and what the next challenges are. They've given similar messages to the senate and board of governors in the past few weeks, and will hold a campus-wide "town hall meeting" on December 4 to tell the same story.

United Way reaches its goal

Tricia Corrin, temporary staff member running the United Way office, said what put the campaign over the top was the proceeds from last week's "Wacky Hair Day". She didn't have a final dollar figure for the event, but was able to say that it had pushed the total from $147,059 to more than the $150,000 level.

Special events get special attention, but they account for less than 10 per cent of the money that's raised at UW for the United Way. Most of the funds come from individual gifts and pledges, and as of October 31 those gifts had come from 466 staff and faculty members, 97 retirees and 14 graduate students.

The UW campaign is a workplace branch of the Kitchener-Waterloo and Area United Way, which is seeking to raise $5,060,000 this year to support more than 50 local charities and agencies. "Whether your gift is $5 or $50,000," says the United Way web site, "every day your contribution is making a difference in the lives of people in this community." Agencies that spend a share of the funds include the Head Injury Association, the K-W Multicultural Centre, St. John Ambulance and the Elizabeth Fry Society.

Chandrika Anjaria of the information systems and technology department, co-chair of UW's campaign, stresses that although October is past and the goal has been reached, the United Way still welcomes money. "We'll receive money until the end of December," she said. "Every little bit helps. Our reporting date to United Way is November 9."

RIM founder Mike Lazaridis will share his insights about wireless technologies at a special seminar to be held at UW on Wednesday, November 7, and be transmitted live via satellite and webcast. Lazaridis will speak about the future of his company and industry at the fifth annual Visionary Seminar of the Office for Partnerships for Advanced Skills, starting at 11:30 in the Humanities Theatre. Admission is free, no tickets required.

Water Network launched today

Local Member of Parliament Andrew Telegdi will be here to say a few words on behalf of federal industry minister Brian Tobin at the opening ceremonies. Organizers had hoped Tobin himself would come to UW for the launch, but he's not available today. Other federal government officials, representatives from universities and water researchers will also be present.

Says a news release: "This new network is truly a national, comprehensive effort that incorporates both groundwater and surface water research and includes government, industry and university stakeholders. Across Canada, 175 researchers will be studying key areas of research related to Canada's clean water resources."

The launch begins at 11:00 in the Davis Centre. Ceremonies will be followed by a laboratory tour.

Centre opens to study downtowns -- from the UW news bureau

It's a project dedicated to increasing knowledge and improving the quality of core areas in the cities of Waterloo Region and in middle-sized cities across Ontario and Canada.

The centre is a partnership between the faculty of environmental studies (including the school of architecture, school of planning, department of geography and department of environment and resource studies), the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and a large number of other organizations representing business, social services and the community.

The centre receives its primary funding -- $600,000 over three years -- from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through the Community/University Research Alliance program.

While the collaborative research program has been running for several months, based at UW, it had all along been intended that the centre should have an off-campus location in an urban core. With the generous support of the CORA Group, the centre has been provided with the main street space in Kitchener, said Rick Haldenby, director of the school of architecture. "The former Toronto-Dominion Bank (pictured above) is a wonderful piece of modern architecture that has been vacant for more than a decade," he said. It has been renovated to provide office, meeting and exhibition space for the centre and other activities. The second floor will become a studio and work space for graduate students.

"The establishment of the centre is not only a unique and promising example of collaboration between the university and the community, it also makes a tangible contribution to revitalizing the core area by bringing the university downtown," Haldenby said.

Hot basketball action The sports highlight of University of Waterloo's Homecoming 2001 is the 34th Annual Naismith Classic. Games start at noon Friday and continue through to the championship game at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Physical Activities Complex. The Warriors are hosting teams from Bishop's, Guelph, Laurentian, Manitoba, Memorial, Ottawa and Western. Warrior fans can check out a new feature this year on the basketball web site maintained by Martin Timmerman of the information systems and technology department, a long-time enthusiast of the team. The site now offers season summaries for 44 years of Waterloo basketball, profiles of all 313 past and present players and a look at who's in the record books. Other sports The Warrior women's basketball team will go up against the York University Yeowomen on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the PAC. Earlier, at 2 p.m., the Warrior men's hockey team will play against Wilfrid Laurier University at Columbia Icefield. Warrior swimmers will face Brock at 6:00 tonight in the PAC pool. Less competitive athletic events over the weekend are the Warrior basketball Alumni Game at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and the Warrior alumni swim meet, with events and prizes for alumni swimmers, at noon Saturday. Off campus, the field hockey Warriors are in Toronto this weekend for the national championship tournament. The men's soccer team and women's rugby team should also be competing towards titles this weekend, but as of early this morning I'm sorry I don't have details.

Homecoming and the events it brings

Amateur athletes can take part in the Applied Health Sciences 17th Annual Five-Kilometre Fun Run twice around the UW ring road on Saturday. Registration time is 9:30 a.m. at the B. C. Matthews Hall foyer, with race starting at 10:15 a.m. Participants will travel clockwise on the inside lane of the ring road, so car and bus traffic will only be able to go counter-clockwise on Saturday morning (in other words, turn right on entering the campus).

Later on, families can check out the Kids Club at the UW bookstore, South Campus Hall, beginning at 1 p.m. They can join Clifford the Big Red Dog for children's storybook readings, which will feature the Berenstain Bears as well.

At 10 p.m., the Federation of Students will present HomeFest, with David Usher, lead singer for the band Moist, performing solo at Fed Hall. Doors open at 8 p.m.; tickets cost $12 (UW students, $10).

Earlier on Saturday, there will be math alumni reunions for the classes of 1971, 1981, 1991, complete with campus tours and dinners.

On Saturday, there will be the St. Paul's United College Fall Gala 2001 at 6 p.m. in the Festival Room, South Campus Hall, and the Conrad Grebel University College alumni reunion starting at 5:45 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge at the college.

Not everything this weekend is Homecoming. Here's more:

A vocal master class led by Laura Pudwell is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. this afternoon, says a note from the music department at Conrad Grebel University College. Admission for spectators is free; the class will be held in the Grebel chapel.

The blood donor clinic that's been running in the Student Life Centre all week winds up today; the gift of life will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Aaron Lee-Wudrick, "deputy prime minister" of the Political Science Students Association, advises that there will be a lecture this afternoon by Ashok Kapur of UW's poli sci department, on the topic of "Terrorism in Afghanistan -- Act I". Kapur will speak at 1:30 in Humanities room 280.

The tourism research lecture series continues today with a talk by Dan Scott of Environment Canada. He'll speak (2:30, Environmental Studies I room 132) on "Climate Change and Tourism in Canada".

Bill Phillips, Nobel winning physicist who spoke yesterday in the Humanities Theatre, is back on campus today to give a lecture sponsored by the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation. He'll discuss "Science, Faith and the Nobel Prize" at 7:30, again in Humanities. A book table will be open at 7 p.m.

St. Jerome's University will hold its second annual Trivia Night starting at 7:30 this evening in the community centre, and I for one plan to be there, working with a rigorously trained team to answer 100 trivia questions and eat at least our share of the pizza. Last-minute information about the event should be available from Harry Froklage at St. Jerome's, 884-8110, who I understand has already sold a record number of tickets to alumni dropping in during Homecoming.

The term's second Boyz & Boys & Girls & Grrls Night, a same-sex-orientation takeoff on Fed Hall's popular singles events, is scheduled for tonight at the Bombshelter pub in the Student Life Centre. There will be "music, drinks and lots of fun" -- pretty much what one would expect at a Bomber night -- starting at 10:00. Admission is a token $1 for UW students, $2 for others. "We especially hope to see tons of people from outside of Waterloo, and all of the new people in the area," writes Matthew Nichols of Gays and Lesbians of Waterloo.

I'll just mention, although everybody who's going surely knows it already, that the engineering semi-formal is being held tonight.

Looking ahead to Sunday: there's a general meeting of people interested in the Canadian Undergraduate Technology Conference, starting at 4:30 in Humanities room 178. (The conference is scheduled for January 17-19 in Toronto, and registrations are being accepted on line now at an early-bird price.)

And Monday night is going to bring a reception and a talk by Elizabeth May of the Sierra Club, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the UW-published magazine Alternatives. I'll say more about the event in Monday's Bulletin, or information should be available now from Alternatives at ext. 4545.

CAR