![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Midnight Sun VII team]](/images/2002/carteam.gif)
Drive the Future, an event sponsored by VIA Rail Canada, has three main goals, 1) to challenge perceptions of alternative energy vehicles; 2) to raise awareness about positive climate change and environmental responsibility; and 3) to draw attention to innovative Canadian initiatives that forward clean technologies.
Teams left the University of Waterloo campus early Monday morning and will be making stops in Guelph, Toronto, Oshawa, Trenton, Belleville, Brockville, Ottawa, Hull, and finally in Montreal. Media stops will be located en-route and updates will be available daily from the official Midnight Sun VII team website. A highlight of the trip will be appearances by all three participating teams at special events both in Toronto and on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
The Midnight Sun team is the largest student-run project at UW and the university's most successful solar car to date, having placed third overall at the 2001 American Solar Challenge. It was also the top Canadian team in that same competition and 15th overall in the 2001 World Solar Challenge in Australia.
In the midst of smog alerts and bad air quality, interest is high in solar technology and in the student innovation that has created successful prototypes. The Midnight Sun car has reached speeds of over 100km/h and team members are currently in the design and testing stage of their next generation solar vehicle.
For more information about Drive the Future, contact Calli Citron, media relations officer, Midnight Sun VII Solar Race Team at ext. 2978 or by email at calli.citron@midsun.uwaterloo.ca.
Since UW administers its own short-term disability plan, it is "self insured" for sick leave benefits. The University (not an insurance company) assumes the responsibility of maintaining eligible salary and benefits while an ill or injured faculty or staff member is absent from work for short periods of time. In order to facilitate an early and safe return to the workplace, accommodation and follow up, the University collects personal health information and has its own release of information (consent). For extended absences, long-term disability insurance through an external insurance carrier applies. The carrier has its own procedures which also respect the confidentiality of personal medical information.
For most absences of fewer than five days, medical information is not normally required but employees are expected to keep their managers informed on their prognosis for returning to work.
After an absence of five continuous working days, the faculty or staff member must provide a completed Attending Physician and Release of Information form (or equivalent). The release form clearly spells out with whom the information may have to be shared, what the information will be used for, and that only medical information related to the condition for which the faculty or staff member is currently being treated will be collected. It also indicates employee choices in distribution of the form.
Only information related to the employee's physical or mental limitations and capabilities needs to be shared with the employee's manager. However, in most instances employees voluntarily share medical diagnosis with their manager and sometimes with their colleagues as well. In these cases managers and colleagues are expected to respect the privacy of this information and not share this information generally.
Stringent measures are in place to ensure that privacy of medical information is protected. Medical information within Human Resources is stored in a separate locked file cabinet which is only accessible by the Disability Advisor or delegates within HR. Any personal health information stored electronically by HR is maintained on a secure server which has two levels of passwords accessible only by those individuals responsible for disability administration within HR.
Personal health information is only shared on a need-to-know basis as appropriate among certain individuals: Human Resource staff who provide disability advice; Safety Office staff involved in workplace injury; the University Physician or Occupational Health Nurse in Health Services; Manulife Financial (the University's long-term disability carrier); the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Personal health information may not be released to any other individuals or departments without the faculty or staff member's written consent.
If you have questions about this procedure, please contact Lisa Collins at ext. 2926.
The Teaching Resource and Continuing Education Office holds research paper presentations today in MC 5158 from 1:30 - 3 p.m. The presenters will be:
And finally, a correction -- yesterday's Bulletin incorrectly identified James Barker's department. He is, in fact, chair of the department of earth sciences.
Avvey Peters
TODAY IN UW HISTORYAugust 20, 1974: The campus learns that Howard Petch, vice-president (academic), is leaving to become president of the University of Victoria. |