University of Manitoba strike Professors and librarians at the University of Manitoba went on strike Monday morning, after negotiations over salaries and working conditions didn't reach agreement. (The university administration has offered a 2 per cent scale increase this year and 2.5 per cent for each of the next two years.) "Faculties are making an effort to inform students about the impact that the strike is having on their courses," a web page says this morning. And the Winnipeg Free Press reported yesterday that there seems to be less than unanimity in the 1,100-member UM Faculty Association, with some professors still teaching while others were walking picket lines.

Poli sci: 'quality in selected areas'

They said the UW department is "one of the smaller of medium-sized departments" in the world of Canadian political science. It has 12 full-time faculty this year, down from 13 last year, and offers an MA but not a PhD program.

Enrolment declined during the years 1993 to 1999, but has begun to grow again, the report says. "Enrolment in co-op programs has increased appreciably. The department has been attracting an increasing number of students from other UW Faculties to its courses." The department has not offered any correspondence courses since 1995.

Bruce Mitchell, UW's associate vice-president (academic), said in a written report to the senate that "the Review Team complimented the department for recognizing that, as a small to medium sized program, it cannot do everything and instead has sought high quality in selected areas. The Review Team observed that the department has long enjoyed a well-deserved reputation, among students and the Political Science community, for high quality undergraduate education." In addition, most of the faculty have active research programs "and publish regularly in well recognized journals".

Special programs in the department include the Ontario Legislature Internship Program, an annual federal-provincial conference simulation for high school students, and the 30-year-old Centre for Election Studies, which has "the most thorough collection of electoral data (federal, provincial, territorial) anywhere in Canada, dating back to 1867. That centre employed over 30 students in the last three years. The department is also actively involved in the Centre for Foreign Policy and Federalism, as well is the home for the Canadian Journal of Political Science, the flagship publication of the discipline."

The review team presented a number of recommendations which "are either minor in nature or suggest ways of improving what is already a good department". For example, it said program requirements should be revised so that all students completing political science degrees are required to take courses in most or all of the core fields in the discipline, and consider requiring that students in its honours programs take specified courses in theory and in methods.

It also said the department should "conduct a thorough analysis of the benefits" of offering law courses. Mitchell said the department has already taken action on some of the recommendations, including that one. "The Department has established a four member Curriculum Review Committee to consider all aspects of the teaching program. . . . The Department is also exploring the option of a joint MA program in collaboration with Wilfrid Laurier University and Guelph."

Library's rare books have new home -- from the "News @ Your Library" electronic newsletter

The new special collections reading room on the first floor of the Dana Porter Library

The re-ordering of the adjacent floor area has also given staff larger workspaces for the processing of the Library's rare and special book and archival materials. Separated from the reading room by a glass wall, staff is able to monitor activity in the room reading. Proximity to researchers also facilitates the in-depth consultation and assistance by staff with researchers using a variety of primary source materials.

This current move is the final stage in a multi-year phased implementation program to provide much-needed space in which to house the Library's rapidly growing specialized research collections. Recognizing the preservation and conservation needs of the collections to be of critical importance, the first phase of the renewal program occurred in 1993 with the installation of an upgraded and much larger environmental control unit designed to provide a physically stable climate for the rare book and archive collections. Over the next several years the collections were moved to the newly created space on the first floor as each new installation of compact mobile shelving was acquired and put in place.

What are the library's special collections used for? The newsletter describes some projects.

Over its 25-year history the Library's special collections have grown from 15,000 books in 1976 to a current size of over 50,000 items. Parallel growth occurred in the archival and manuscript collections that now occupy 3,500 linear feet of shelving. Developed to support the University's teaching and research programs, the collections include rare and ephemeral materials in diverse subject areas including women's history, architecture, private press books, planning, computation, urban and local history, as well as primary source materials in environmental studies, authors' papers and manuscripts, and, one of the largest collections, the official archives of the University of Waterloo.

The growth of the collections as well as portions of the renovations have been made possible by the critical support of donors and friends. This support for special collections has enabled the Library to not only provide enhanced service to students, faculty, and researchers, but also to preserve and maintain our rich research resources.

A president for Grebel The Board of Governors of Conrad Grebel University College invites applications and/or nominations for the position of President. The President is the Chief Executive Officer of the College and is responsible to the Board of Governors. Conrad Grebel University College is the Mennonite residential and teaching college of the Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada, affiliated with the University of Waterloo, and offering programs of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Preference will be given to candidates who stand within the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition, who have earned a doctorate and who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. All inquiries will be kept in strict confidence. The appointment will be effective January 1, 2003. Applications and resumes should be received by January 31, 2002 and should be addressed to: The Chair, Presidential Search Committee, Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G6.

On Sunday we might get to rest

Thursday, October 25: East Asian Festival begins with Joy Kogawa lecture; Stanley Knowles Lecture by Lee Maracle; Opening reception for two art gallery exhibitions.

Friday, October 26: "Wacky hair" fund-raiser for United Way; Teach-in on racism and war (continues Saturday); "Bread Not Bombs" lecture by Douglas Roche.

Saturday, October 27: You@Waterloo Day open house; Big E and Special K math competitions.

Monday, October 29: Water Issues in Canada event for the President's Circle; Federation of Students general meeting; Blood donor clinic all this week.

Tuesday, October 30: Pamela Wallin reads at noon in the bookstore, and at night at the University Club; Board of governors meets.

Wednesday, October 31: Arts chili lunch for the United Way.

Thursday, November 1: Arts Talks Back lecture by Anne Zeller; Physics Nobel winner Bill Phillips speaks (also Friday).

Friday, November 2: Homecoming weekend begins; Naismith Classic basketball tournament begins; St. Jerome's University trivia challenge.

Saturday, November 3: St. Paul's United College annual fall gala.

Author reads today "Her stories will endure as sparse, muscular exemplars of fine writing," says a review from the Vancouver Sun. She's Annabel Lyon, who will read today at St. Jerome's University. The reading starts at 4 p.m. in the college's common room. Lyon -- who has published in a wide range of literary journals, including the Malahat Review, the New Quarterly, Border Crossings, Event and Fiddlehead -- is the author of Oxygen (Porcupine's Quill, 2000), a debut short story collection which has received rave reviews. She is a graduate of Simon Fraser University and of the master's program in creative writing at the University of British Columbia, where she also worked as fiction editor for Prism International. Currently a sessional instructor at UBC, private piano teacher, and freelance writer, she's at work on her second book. Authors' readings at St. Jerome's are sponsored by the Canada Council.

Meanwhile, in the present tense

As of last night, gifts and pledges to the on-campus United Way campaign had reached $125,898, which is now five-sixths of the way to the $150,000 goal. Staff and faculty members, and retirees, are still sending in their contributions (the participation rate is up to 12.3 per cent), and there's also money coming in from a range of special events, mostly small-scale but fun. The information systems and technology (IST) department holds a 50-50 ticket draw every Thursday, for instance, and more than $100 has come in from that source so far.

The career development seminar series continues in Needles Hall, with a two-hour session today (10:30 a.m.) on "the career research package". The career resource centre can provide more information.

Away from campus, journalist and historian Gwynne Dyer is speaking tonight at the Kitchener Public Library main branch downtown. "Renowned for his commentary and analysis of the Gulf War," a flyer says, Dyer "will speak about the origins and likely course of this strange new war" in which the world seems to be engaged. The talk starts at 7 p.m.; admission is free.

Finally, a reminder from the registrar's office: "Students should update their home and mailing addresses, e-mail address, and telephone number through myQUEST. The tuition fee bills will be mailed to the permanent address if a mailing address hasn't been provided."

CAR