March 7, 2002

Thursday, March 7, 2002

Co-op student survey is under way
Grad student leaders acclaimed
Number of profs falls by 16
Social work program gets OK
Events, notes and a correction

Editor:
Chris Redmond
credmond@uwaterloo.ca

The United States government has a new home page

Co-op student survey is under way

Students who are on work terms this winter were sent a survey this week asking for their opinions about the co-op process, says the department of co-operative education and career services. Students who were at work in the fall got the survey in December.

Job matches for spring
Not as many co-op students are safely matched with spring term jobs as were in that happy position last year, the co-op department reports.
There are 3,926 students scheduled for co-op work from May to August, and when the "initial phase" of interviews ended in mid-February, 1,291 of them were matched with jobs, says Olaf Naese of the co-op staff. "Combined with the number of students who are returning to previous employers or who have arranged their own jobs, 60% of all co-op students scheduled to be on a work term now have employment. Last year at the same time the percentage employed was 68.7%.
"The difference between this year's results and those of last year once again indicate the reality of job availability and the continuing challenge facing co-op students and CECS in finding work term positions.
"For the 1,569 students still without employment, the Continuous Phase gives them additional opportunities. Job Postings began on February 22 and will conclude on March 18. Employer interviews resumed on March 4.
"These figures do not include architecture students. The architecture interviews are taking place this week, and match results for architecture students will be posted on March 14."
Says a memo from the co-op department explaining the survey: "One year ago the Federation of Students and UW signed a Memorandum of Agreement which, among other things, stated that a review of the service delivery mechanisms of Co-operative Education & Career Services (CECS) would be undertaken.

"A crucial part of the review is to ask co-op students, through an online survey, to provide their opinions on a number of areas with regards to co-op and CECS. Results of this survey, which should be available by the end of this term, will give CECS direction for improvement."

The survey was e-mailed in December to the e-mail addresses, as listed in UWdir, of co-op students who were on a fall 2001 work term, as well as those who were in 4A on campus. Students who are on a work term right now (winter 2002) were e-mailed the survey on March 4.

Says the memo: "Those who do not receive it by March 6 and are interested in completing the survey should contact Sandra Shantz at 888-4567, ext. 5480 or by e-mail at slshantz@uwaterloo.ca."

Students who use e-mail addresses other than what they are listed under in UWdir are advised to update their listings "so they will receive the survey and so the University can continue to contact you if necessary. To do this go to UWdir, then choose 'Update Your UWdir Data'."

Grad student leaders acclaimed

Barry Pekilis, chief returning officer for the Graduate Student Association, has announced that all the candidates nominated for positions on the GSA executive and the board of directors have been acclaimed to office: "An election will not be held this year since all positions for which there was a candidate were acclaimed."

Becoming president of the GSA, as of May 1, will be Shannon Puddister of systems design engineering.

The two vice-presidents of the association for 2002-03 will be Justin Wozniak of computer science (VP, operations) and Angela Garabet of systems design (VP, student affairs).

At-large directors for the coming year will be Andreanne Bouchard (chemical engineering), Matthew Bunch (history), Jeannette Byrne (kinesiology), Sabesh Kanagalingam (chemistry, and the 2001-02 GSA president), Scott Leatherdale (health studies and gerontology), and Jessica Rumfeldt (chemistry).

The corporate secretary position remains vacant and will be filled at the GSA annual general meeting on Wednesday, March 27, at 6 p.m. in Needles Hall room 3001.

Says Pekilis: "If you are a GSA member interested in filling the GSA Corporate Secretary position, please send a written notice to the Chief Returning Officer, Graduate House, or e-mail bpekilis@swen.uwaterloo.ca, no later than 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 20."

Number of profs falls by 16

The average salary of full-time UW faculty members is $89,020 this year,up from $85,200 in 2000-01, according to a chart provided as background for the university's operating budget. The figure includes 742 professors, which is a drop from 758 last year. More than four-fifths of them (558) have tenure; 154 are on probationary terms, on their way to tenure, and 30 are on definite-term appointments.

Math professors are the highest paid, at an average of $92,270, and science professors the lowest-paid, at $86,120 (or $86,700 in the school of optometry).

The total number of professors: 43 in applied health sciences, 195 in arts, 181 in engineering, 58 in environmental studies, 151 in mathematics, and 115 in science (including 17 in optometry).

Another chart shows the "faculty complement", which is not necessarily the same as the number of actual faculty members, since some positions are vacant. It adds up to 769.5 positions, up from 762.0 last year. In other words, the number of vacant positions is up sharply from year to year.

The biggest academic department, that table shows, is computer science, with 57.5 positions, followed by electrical and computer engineering, with 54.5. Psychology, once the biggest department on campus, is now in third position, with 34.0.

Social work program gets OK -- from the UW news bureau

It's National Social Work Week, and Renison College has extra reason to celebrate. Its honours bachelor of social work program has received the seal of approval from a national association of professionals in the field.

Gail Cuthbert Brandt, principal of Renison College, said she is pleased to announce that the college's department of social work has been granted full accreditation by the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work for its undergraduate program for a five-year period, effective June 2002.

The confirmation letter from Richard Sullivan, co-chair of the accreditation board, to Joanne Turner, director of the social work department, commended the program for its progress in the areas of "scholarly and research activity." As well, the program received praise for the expansion of its curriculum development regarding the "range of theoretical and conceptual knowledge and practice."

As part of National Social Work Week, Renison will be presenting these events:

Today: An afternoon event to honour Renison's field instructors and social work students will be hosted by the college's social work department and the Mid-Western Branch of the Ontario Association of Social Workers.
Friday, 6 to 10 p.m.: First Nations "Expressions and Impressions" features an evening of feasting, drumming and dancing, with guest speaker John Somosi. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. For details, call 884-4404, ext. 635.

Events, notes and a correction

There should be major news this morning about financing for the proposed move of UW's school of architecture to a site on Melville Street in Cambridge. Jim Flaherty, Ontario minister of finance, will be in Cambridge to make the announcement. Ceremonies start at 10:30 at the Melville Street site beside the Grand River.

This afternoon, back on campus, there's a celebration of the "accomplishments" of UW's most recent solar car, Midnight Sun VI, and a launch of Midnight Sun VII, to be built for the next international solar races. Two grade 5 classes will visit campus in the morning and early afternoon to meet with team members and see the car, and then there's a public launch event at 3:30 p.m. in the great hall of the Student Life Centre. Speeches and cake are promised: "We hope," says Martha Foulds, communications officer in the faculty of engineering, "that the UW community will come out to celebrate all that Midnight Sun VI accomplished and what Midnight Sun VII is planning."

A cancer control seminar is scheduled for 12:30 in the Clarica Auditorium in the Lyle Hallman Institute (Matthews Hall west wing). Speakers are Louise Walker of the Canadian Cancer Society and Stephanie Filsinger of UW's health behaviour research group. Their topic: "The Combination of Telephone and Computer Technology for the Treatment of Smoking".

At 1:30, the fine arts department and the Waterloo Regional Arts Council present a talk by artist Natalka Husar (East Campus Hall room 1219).

And at 2:00, the earth sciences department presents the annual Adrian Smith Lecture on Environmental Geochemistry. Crayton Yapp of Southern Methodist University will speak on "Ancient Atmospheres, Paleotemperatures, Natural Rusts, and a Modern Dilemma" in Davis Centre room 1302.

Activities for International Women's Week continue. Today's schedule includes touch football at 3:00 ("meet at the Womyn's Centre") -- I'm not sure the weather is ideal for that, but participants will be back indoors for a potluck supper at 6:00. And then it's back outside, for a bonfire at Columbia Lake at 8:00.

Meanwhile, the Women in Engineering group is holding a wine-and-cheese reception this afternoon -- sorry, but I don't have details.

A panel of graduates from UW's math faculty will speak about career opportunities at 4:30 this afternoon -- Math and Computer room 4020.

The student-organized peace conference that went on at Conrad Grebel University College moves to the Student Life Centre for a final major event tonight: a public debate "with panelists and people of conscience regarding methods of intervention: ideology ranging from Bush to Gandhi". Everyone is welcome to join the discussion; the event will start at 7:00.

Also at 7:00, the architecture lecture series continues with words from faculty member Robert Wiljer, under the title "Reading Reading" (Environmental Studies II room 280).

Tomorrow will bring an announcement of funding for "indirect costs of research", starring federal cabinet minister Andy Mitchell, at 10:15 in the Davis Centre lounge.

Faculty members can vote today, and tomorrow until 12 noon, for or against ratification of three proposed articles for the Memorandum of Agreement, dealing with layoff rules, program closings and financial exigency. If the proposal gets majority approval from faculty members, it will be taken to the UW board of governors at the April meeting.

Now, a note from the first floor of Needles Hall: "Career Services is looking for students to fill a variety of volunteer positions. Depending on the position you will gain valuable job search, marketing, and/or career-related skills by either promoting events and services or by helping other students in their career planning and job search. Open to regular and co-op students who are creative and possess strong interpersonal and communication skills. Applications available in Career Services, NH 1115, or from our webpage. Deadline: March 20, 2002."

And the registrar's office sends word that fall class enrolment has been scheduled to begin June 10. Enrolment for spring term classes is in progress now through Quest.

Finally, that correction: I said yesterday that Albert Nazareth, candidate for president of the Federation of Students, was an engineering student; in fact he's in science.

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY
March 7, 1977: Opening ceremonies are held for the Sandford Fleming Foundation in UW's faculty of engineering.