November 1, 2002

Friday, November 1, 2002

Pension fund reports a losing year
Warriors charge into tournament
Churchman talks scandal tonight
Other notes in a cold new month

Editor:
Chris Redmond
credmond@uwaterloo.ca

[Human and animal]
Ceramic sculptures and drawings by Ann Roberts, retired from UW's fine arts department, are on display for the next few weeks at Toronto's Prime Gallery, under the title "Unusual Pairings". An opening event is scheduled for tomorrow, 1 to 3 p.m.

Pension fund reports a losing year

To nobody's surprise, the UW pension fund lost value during 2001, a year in which the trend for stock markets was down, down and down.

The "yield based on market value" was negative 4.18 per cent, according to an annual report on the fund presented to UW's board of governors earlier this week. That makes 2001 one of just seven years in which the investments have lost value, since the pension fund was organized in 1969.

Over that 33-year period, average annual yield for the fund's investments has been 9.99 per cent. About four-fifths of the pension fund is invested in stocks, with the other fifth being held in real-return bonds.

Stocks have continued to drop during 2002, and the value of the fund's investments fell by an estimated 5.5 per cent from January 1 of this year through September 1, said provost Amit Chakma.

"The projection is that by the end of the year we will be about ten million dollars in deficit," said Catharine Scott, the associate provost (human resources and student services), who chairs the pension and benefits committee. That's not big money for a fund with assets of $685 million at last count, but it's not good either.

The prospect of a fund deficit explains the plan to increase pension premiums, paid by both UW and individual employees, faster than originally scheduled. At Tuesday's meeting, the board approved hiking those premiums to 100 per cent of their normal value, from the present 60 per cent, effective on January 1. The decision to make that change was announced to faculty and staff last month, and "the response from the community has been universally supportive," Scott said.

UW pensioners -- there are about 1,100 of them -- received a 2.56 per cent cost-of-living increase in their pensions as of July 1, the board was told.

Warriors charge into tournament

"It's going to be an exciting year for the men's basketball team," says Kerry O'Brien of UW's athletics department, making sure everybody knows that thrills are ahead in the Naismith tournament this weekend.

Says O'Brien: "After a slightly disappointing finish last year that saw the Warriors go 6-16 (win-loss) in league play with an overall record of 10-20, many thought that this was going to be another tough season for the team. Further compounding this is the fact that they lost some very valuable starters from last year's team due to academic workloads.

"The new Warriors have surprised everyone, however, going 5-1 out of the gate in pre-season, capping their record with a three-game sweep of the Ottawa invitational this past weekend. This team is more mobile, more athletic and more exciting than teams past, according to head coach Tom Kieswetter."

Black and gold lunch
Homecoming gets rolling today with a Black and Gold Day lunch aimed a faculty and staff members.
Says Jude Doble of UW's alumni office: "Bring your co-workers or your whole department to the Bombshelter or the Grad House for Homecoming 2002 lunch specials between 11:30 and 1:30 and receive a free ticket to Friday night's Naismith Basketball game, Waterloo vs Toronto. Bring your Black and Gold Day Homecoming ballot (sent to all faculty and staff last week) and win one of four $50 UW Retail Services gift certificates.
"Show your pride in UW by wearing black and gold or UW clothing and you could win great door prizes. This is a great opportunity to celebrate UW with your co-workers and to prove that There Is No Place Like Waterloo!"
Other Homecoming events
Highlights of the weekend:

Post-game party in the Student Life Centre great hall starting at 10:30 tonight.
Midnight Ramblers playing tonight in the Bombshelter pub.
Alumni swim meet, Saturday in the PAC pool.
Applied health sciences fun run around the ring road Saturday morning (registration 9:30 at Matthews Hall, run starts 10:15).
Warrior Coffeehouse in the SLC great hall, from 8 p.m. Saturday.
Bomber Brunch, starting at 10 a.m. Sunday in Ground Zero, Student Life Centre.
A full schedule, including details of alumni reunions over the weekend, is on the alumni web site.
The proof is in the Ottawa tournament, says O'Brien. After defeating the host team, the Ottawa Gee-Gees, in the opening round by a score of 63-53, they continued their winning streak by defeating the 7th ranked McGill Redmen and the Queen's Golden Gaels to take home the gold. Warriors co-captain Mike Sovran was elected tournament MVP. "All this without 2002's Rookie of the Year, Graham Jarman, who was injured early on in the first game and didn't play for the rest of the tournament."

[Kieswetter] Kieswetter (right) attributes his team's success to "steady, consistent, tough" team defence. "The guys have been working hard at it and have sort of taken it into their psyche that they need to stop some guys." The Warriors will get a chance to test their mettle again before the regular season at the Naismith, which starts today as part of Homecoming celebrations. Teams from all over the country are headed to UW's Physical Activities Complex, including the Saskatchewan Huskies, the St. Mary's Huskies and the McGill Redmen. Fellow OUA members the Ryerson Rams and Western Mustangs will be on hand, as will the WLU Golden Hawks. The Warriors see their first action tonight at 8:00 versus the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.

Churchman talks scandal tonight -- a news release from St. Jerome's University

"The Catholic Church in North America today is undergoing a crisis of soul, perhaps the most severe one in its young history," says Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI. The widely published author of books on the spirituality of everyday life will deliver the 2002-03 Somerville Lecture in Christianity and Communications at St. Jerome's University. His talk, entitled "On Carrying a Scandal Biblically", takes place at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Siegfried Hall, free of charge. All are welcome.

No fact too small
"Putting a lifetime of useless information to work." That's how Harry Froklage, director of development and graduate affairs, describes St. Jerome's University's annual Trivia Challenge, set for tonight.
The event, in its third year, takes place in the Community Centre at St. Jerome's starting at 7:30.
The evening follows a team tournament trivia format. Tables of eight trivia-philes pool their arcane knowledge to answer 100 general interest questions on subjects ranging from Greek mythology to Destiny's Child. The winning table can select from prizes provided by various sponsors, and "will have its name forever inscribed on the SJU Bragging Rights Trophy".
Money raised will support the scholarship program at St. Jerome's. Pizza and snacks are included in the admission, and there will be a cash bar. Tickets are $12 per person, $20 per couple and $75 per table from Froklage at 884-8111 ext. 255.
Sexual scandals among the clergy and the way the bishops have dealt with them in the past "have left the Church shaken, humbled, and humiliated," Rolheiser says. How are Catholics to understand and respond to this crisis? There are no easy answers, but tough answers may be found in scripture. His talk will discuss some of them. "We are being humbled and we must understand this biblically and carry it in that fashion."

Fr. Rolheiser is well known as the author of Against an Infinite Horizon (2001), The Holy Longing (1999), The Shattered Lantern (1995), and other books. His columns appear in the Catholic Register of Toronto, the Catholic Herald of London, England, and other newspapers in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. He is in demand as a speaker and retreat leader.

Both priest and academic (he holds a PhD from the University of Louvain, Belgium) with interests in theology, philosophy, mysticism, and spirituality, he is also the general counsellor for Canada for his order, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

The Somerville lecture is part of the 2002-2003 season of the St. Jerome's Centre for Catholic Experience, and is sponsored by the Catholic Register.

Other notes in a cold new month

As announced a while back, the Human Resources Management System will be off-line for a week, starting today, for a system upgrade. "Human resources staff will be in training sessions during the mornings of November 5, 6 and 7," adds Sandra Hurlburt, assistant director of HR. "Requests for payroll cheques will be deferred to the week of November 11." One other note: as an effect of the week's down-time, there is a revised schedule for casual earnings payment, which is available on-line.

Rick Haldenby, director of the school of architecture, reports that the school is getting a visit -- over the weekend and through next Wednesday -- from an accreditation team representing the Canadian Architectural Certification Board. "During this period the team will review all the work being done at all levels of the program. As such the Environmental Studies building will house an enormous display of student projects, faculty design work and research. This is a most important visit because we are presenting our master's program for the first time and anticipating the relocation of the school to Cambridge." The display continues through November 10, and there will be a reception to show it off Monday afternoon from 5:00 to 6:30. Haldenby adds: "This will be a great opportunity to see the school and the work being done at all levels across the curriculum, including recently completed master's theses."

There's still time to make a donation to the UW United Way campaign -- and be eligible for the final draw with prizes worth more than $500. The draw will be held Tuesday afternoon, with all UW United Way donors eligible to win gift certificates and prizes donated by local sponsors, including restaurants, stores and services. With donations of $124,361 received so far -- 82.9 per cent of the $150,000 goal -- contributions are still being accepted at the United Way office in Davis Centre room 3620. Donation forms are available by phoning ext. 3840.

The information systems and technology department (IST) is offering computing courses in November to faculty, staff and students. The following courses are planned for students: Introduction to Unix; Learning More About Unix; Using PowerPoint for a Class Presentation; Networking Your Home Computer. The following courses are part of the Skills for the Academic e-Workplace program, and are offered to faculty, grad students, and staff with instructional responsibilities: Bibliographic Databases with Reference Manager; Creating Theses with Word; Creating Theses with Scientific Workplace and LaTeX; Entering Survey Data with SPSS Data Entry; Keeping Current Digitally, Multidisciplinary; Poster Creation and Presentation with PowerPoint. Information about the courses, along with a registration form, can be found on the web.

Co-op students in search of winter term jobs are at various stages of the process today, and many of them are simply in suspense, waiting for job matches to be posted Monday. Those who didn't get any interviews during the first round will be looking at "continuous phase" posting #1, available at noon today. Teaching option students are handing in their ranking forms today. And architecture students are off to Toronto en masse for on-site interviews with the architectural firms of the big city -- a bus trip that's taken once every term.

Folks from Silicon Graphics will visit campus today for "a show-and-tell seminar" of their products and some words about "funding partnerships". The session starts at 10 a.m. in Davis Centre room 1304, and "if there is sufficient demand, the presentation will be repeated starting at 1:30" -- have a word with Robyn Landers of the math faculty computing facility, phone ext. 2030, about that.

The staff association is looking to name a staff representative to the dean of graduate studies nominating committee. Anne Jenson of the Institute for Computer Research, who chairs the staff association nominating committee, would appreciate hearing from volunteers today (jajenson@icr).

Presidents and vice-presidents in charge of research from the informal "group of ten" Canadian research-intensive universities are holding their periodic meeting this weekend, and this time UW is the host. President David Johnston, mentioning the event at this week's meeting of the board of governors, said the G-10 leaders are looking forward to a conversation with federal industry minister Allan Rock.

A "middle of term pub" is scheduled for tonight in the engineering POETS Pub. . . . Water will be shut off in the Columbia Icefield and the north campus day care centres Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. . . . The computer science club promises a GNU/Linux InstallFest Saturday from 11:00 to 2:00 in Math and Computer room 3002, for those interested in that free operating system. . . . The Pandemonium Blues Band plays Saturday night at the Grad House. . . . Monday will bring the launch of the Genizah project at UW, with an evening lecture by Stefan Reif (Cambridge University) on "A Thousand-Year-Old Jewish Archive". . . .

Sports this weekend: Besides the Naismith Tournament and the alumni swim meet, there's a women's basketball game (the Warriors host Western) at 4 p.m. Saturday in the PAC main gym. All the other action is away from Waterloo this weekend, including women's hockey in a tournament at Guelph, men's rugby at Western tomorrow (the OUA semi-finals), squash in a crossover tournament at Toronto, and tennis at McMaster.

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY
November 1, 1960: Volume 1, number 1, of the Gazette is published. November 1, 1991: UW buys the B. F. Goodrich Building on Columbia Street.