November 25, 2002

Monday, November 25, 2002

Economics research stays 'applied'
April event shows off grad research
The talk of the campus

Editor:
Chris Redmond
credmond@uwaterloo.ca

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

[Baillie]
Visioning is the game, and Charles Baillie is the name. Baillie, CEO of the TD Bank, is the speaker today for this year's "Visionary Seminar" sponsored by Bell Canada and OPAS, the Office for Partnerships for Advanced Skills of the Council of Ontario Universities. It takes place at Queen's University, with video participation from UW and other campuses. Lunch is at 11:30 in the Davis Centre lounge, followed by Baillie's talk -- "From Vision to Reality: Our Country, Your Future" -- at 12:15 in DC room 1302.

Economics research stays 'applied'

The UW economics department "must be particularly sensitive about its research output", says the report of a team doing the department's first academic program review, and the department has responded that "attention will be given" to that advice.

Economics is one of five undergraduate programs whose reviews were reported to the UW senate last month by the associate vice-president (academic).

The review report notes that in the 1990s, while enrolment went up by 30 per cent, the number of economics faculty at UW fell from 28 to 23. "For most of the period 1993-1994 to 2000-2001, Economics was significantly below its teaching target set by the Faculty of Arts, and, as a result, lost several faculty positions. From 1996 onwards, however, teaching activity grew steadily, and in 2001 Economics was more than 20% above target. The majority of this increased teaching activity was due to growth in service teaching, especially in the courses required by 'X and Business' programs in various Faculties."

The arts faculty's funding formula leaves economics "disadvantaged" because it has to do all that service teaching, the report said.

The review team concluded that economics is providing undergraduates "with a background in the technologies used by economists and the issues addressed by economists which is consistent with what is provided by other Departments of Economics in Canada." The team also noted that the students interviewed "were generally enthusiastic about the undergraduate program".

But it reported that "generally, we do not see the research output of the department, as a whole, as particularly strong." It also noted that the department's own report placed "considerable weight" on the value of contract research for "a department with an applied orientation. However, the review team observed that it was not obvious that applied contract research is particularly advantageous for a department wishing to establish a reputation in an academic discipline. Given the department's proposal to establish a PhD degree, . . . the faculty must be particularly sensitive about its research output."

It goes on to say that "Given the modest research output . . . the 4 course teaching load places the UW Economics Department at the light end of teaching loads, which more often are 5 term courses for Economics departments across Canada." It suggested that this "light end" teaching load should be balanced by greater research activity.

In response to the review, says the report to senate, "The comments from the review team about need to strengthen research output were accepted, and attention will be given to that matter. Specifically, the Chair indicated that the Department will prepare a new profile . . . that meets the schema most appropriate to the University's Strategic Research Plan. He also believes the establishment of the new PhD program will be a strong impetus to enhance research output.

"At the same time, the Chair has emphasized that the program is more applied, by design, than most Canadian Economics programs, and . . . the highly applied research programs by faculty are consistent with the needs of Masters and doctoral programs which also are applied and have co-op components."

April event shows off grad research

The opportunity for graduate students to hone public presentation skills and to share their research with colleagues across campus is a key reason for UW's annual Graduate Student Research Conference.

"Sharing Discovery" is the theme of the conference -- now in its third year -- scheduled for April 2 to 4 in the Davis Centre. Keynote speakers for the 2003 conference will include three UW faculty members who have received UW Excellence in Research awards: Keith Hipel (engineering), John Thompson (science), and Phelim Boyle (arts).

The conference may be months away, but grad students are already making plans for their oral and poster presentations. Research themes for the conference, selected from the UW Strategic Research Plan to maximize the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration, are Information Technology; Environment; Health Research; Materials and Manufacturing; and Innovation, Society and Culture. The deadline for abstracts is January 15, 2003.

A sampling of the topics from last year's presentations illustrates the range of research addressed at the conference -- "A Longitudinal Study Examining the Effect of Wireless Handheld Technology on Workplace Relationships and Self-Concept"; "The Application of Ecologically Innovative Technology in Small Business and Institutional Settings"; "Exploring Design Through Wearable Computing (Art)ifacts".

Sponsored jointly by the graduate studies office and the Graduate Student Association, the conference has attracted the support of such sponsors as Essilor Canada, Northern Digital, Sirific Wireless, Research in Motion (RIM), UW Computer Store (along with Apple Canada and IBM Canada) VWR International, Innova Medical Ophthalmics, and Nortel Networks. More information is available on the graduate studies web site.

[Black-and-white interior]
Pinhole photography by Dianne Bos ("Camere Illuminati") is one of two exhibitions that wind up this week in UW's gallery in East Campus Hall. "With photographs that refrence the founding of western art history and early religious calendric determinations, the exhibition seems steeped in the academic recod of history," the curator writes. "Yet Bos's pinhole photographs have always worked on the premise of reversing the typical conventions of photography -- rather than capturing a subject, Bos records a light source." The other exhibition continuing in ECH is of work by fine arts alumnus Dianne Fries.

The talk of the campus

In Friday's Daily Bulletin, I asked readers to vote on which of four possibilities should have appeared as the "link of the day" at the top of the page. The results were pretty lopsided:

Cecilia, patron saint of music -- 34
John F. Kennedy assassination 1963 -- 202
Restorative Justice Week in Canada -- 52
Western holds open house for graduate study -- 27

It occurred to me later that I could also have included both the Grey Cup and the Vanier Cup in the list as well.

Students in the Certificate in University Teaching program have to write a research paper and present it, and three students who have done that this term will be making their presentations tomorrow. The talks are open to anyone interested, starting at 1:30 in Math and Computer room 5158. Scheduled are Tom Perks on "The Appropriateness of Advocacy in the Clasroom", Jenelle Boucher on "The Use and Importance of Generic Learning Activity Models", and Mohamed Soliman on "E-Learning: Aspects, Challenges and Perspectives".

And just this week comes a memo to CUT participants from Barbara Bulman-Fleming, director of the teaching resources and continuiing education office, which manages the CUT program. "We have had several caes of sections of response papers being plagiarized," she writes. "I thought I would remind you to use your own words . . . using others' words as your own is a serious academic offense."

Alternatives, a journal published in UW's faculty of environmental studies, takes a look at tourism through an environmental lens in its latest issue, "Just Visiting". From gorilla tourism to the cottage at the lake, many diverse approaches to tourism are examined. "Also featured in this aresue is the annual environmental undergraduate directory and the usual off-beat notes and stories," notes Tyler Thomas, an intern with the journal. He mentions some of the other topics touched on in the new issue: the cruise industry, international tourism projects in the Mekong River basin, and "the new Yukon gold rush". Both subscriptions and single issues are available from the magazine's office.

"With the holidays approaching," writes Lydia Bell from UW's audio-visual centre, "I was wondering whether you might be able to post a reminder to all faculty regarding film requests for the winter term. In order to guarantee films for the first week of term, January 2-10, particularly media that is being ordered from off campus, the deadline for such requests is December 12, to allow for shipping prior to the holidays. (IUTS runs end December 19.)" Questions? She can be reached at ext. 3034 or lbell@uwaterloo.ca.

Again this coming term, there will be some UW funding for undergrduate research internships. The money lets faculty members hire students, either co-op students or those from regular programs, and subsidizes the salary for the four-month term. At last point there are grants available for 16 more jobs in the January-to-April term, says Olaf Naese in the co-op education and career services department. He'd be glad to provide more information.

It's Thai Week at Ground Zero restaurant in the Student Life Centre, a flyer tells us. You can thai one on for $5.99 all week -- Pad Thai today, Larb Gai tomorrow, Satay Gai on Wednesday, you get the idea. The regular menu is still available, but maybe customers wouldn't want it, since (and I am not making this up) the flyer informs us that all Thai dishes "include white sugar, chili powder, Nam Pa Prik and Prik Dong".

The Waterloo Advisory Counicl will hold its annual fall meeting tonight and tomorrow on campus. WAC is a group representing employers of co-op and graduating students, which meets to give in-depth advice to the co-op department and UW's academic leadership. The meeting generally begins with a dinner, and that's the plan tonight, with a reception and meal at the University Club. Tonight's after-dinner speaker is Ted Matthews, described as "Canada's foremost brand coach . . . recognized for building integrated communications programs".

Water will be shut off today, from 9:30 to 1:00, at Renison College and St. Paul's United College. . . . Aftab Patla of the kinesiology department is the noon-hour speaker today in the Monday series at the Kitchener Public Library, talking about "Mobility and Balance Control in the Elderly". . . . An "adaptive technology fair", showing off devices that help people (including those with disabilities) learn better, is scheduled for tomorrow from 10 to 5 in the Davis Centre lounge. . . . The LT3 technology centre offers a presentation tomorrow at 11:00 on what comes next in online course development following the popular Flash animation software. . . .

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY
November 25, 1959: Doug Wright is named dean of engineering. November 25, 1985: About 125 students march around the ring road to protest a proposed $40-a-term "computer charge" for students.