May 27, 2003

Tuesday, May 27, 2003

UW faces 'commuter challenge'
Reminder: pay information is online
Faculty members are retiring
Other notes on a misty morning

Editor:
Chris Redmond
credmond@uwaterloo.ca

[In front of stone chapel wall]
At Saturday's open house at St. Paul's United College, the institution's principal, Graham Brown (left), shared a laugh with the chair of the board of governors, Ken Summers. The hard hat represents plans for new residence construction at St. Paul's, as part of its 40th anniversary goals.

UW faces 'commuter challenge'

"We've been issued a challenge!" says Patti Cook, UW's waste management coordinator -- and she's not one to turn down a challenge, on the curling ice in winter or on Waterloo's sidewalks in early summer.

Cook explains what's happening: "The Region of Waterloo and the Citizens' Advisory Committee on Air Quality have invited us to join the 4th annual Commuter Challenge in Waterloo Region, a friendly competition between communities that encourages individuals to take active and sustainable alternatives to driving alone to work.

"The Challenge takes place Sunday, June 1, to Saturday, June 7, including especially, Wednesday, June 4, Canada's Clean Air Day.

"Let's accept the challenge and demonstrate UW's environmental leadership and commitment to sustainable transportation! Winning organizations will receive a Commuter Challenge award at the awards ceremony at the end of June, and all participating organizations will be publicly congratulated. As well, we have some draw prizes."

There's more information on Cook's web site, and posters and sign-up sheets will be around campus in the next few days. People who want to accept the challenge can sign up on-line. "If you walk, bike, bus or carpool," says Cook, "don't forget to register!"

Reminder: pay information is online

With payday coming up this week for faculty and most staff members, here's a timely note from Sandie Hurlburt, assistant director (information support systems) in the human resources department:

"Please keep in mind that, as announced in public meetings last December, printed pay advices will be discontinued over the next few months. Your pay information for the current period (and the past year) is available on line through a secure myHRinfo website. You will be able to print your own pay advice when needed and you can also view your benefits and biographic information on line.

"If you have trouble signing in, please send an e-mail to hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or call Human Resources and someone will assist you.

"If you do not have access to a computer, you will be able to make a written request to have your printed pay advices continue. Further communications over the next few months will provide you with more details.

"Monthly and biweekly staff will be able to view pay information on line by May 28, 2003, for the net pay amounts being deposited into bank accounts Friday, May 30."

Faculty members are retiring

Faculty members from all corners of campus -- some who have been part of UW's life for almost four decades -- will be retiring this summer, the human resources department notes.

Here are some names of those whose retirements will be official on July 1, and who haven't yet been mentioned in the Daily Bulletin:

Bruce Torrie, a professor in physics since 1965.
Fadle Naqib, in the economics department since 1980.
Larry Martin (pictured at right), professor in the planning school since 1969 (and a former associate dean).
Donald MacKay, faculty member in fine arts since 1970.
Lloyd Heywood, faculty member in recreation and leisure studies since 1976.
Swani Vethamany-Globus, in the department of biology since 1987 (and at one time head of the committee on equal rights for women and men).

Several faculty retirements earlier this year haven't been mentioned either. These are among retirements that took effect January 1:

Michael Lazarowich, of the school of planning, a faculty member since 1975.
Paul Beam, professor of English since 1966.
Daniel Sahas, religious studies professor since 1969.

And effective May 1, 2003:

Palaniappan Kannappan, of the pure mathematics department, who has been at UW since 1968.
John Lenard, mechanical engineering professor since 1989.
Anu Banerji, a faculty member in the architecture school since 1970.

Other notes on a misty morning

A correction, first: I wrote yesterday that Janis Zimmer, who's receiving the Governor General's Gold Medal this spring, had earned her master's degree in civil engineering. In fact her degree -- an MSc at last fall's convocation -- is from the department of biology, although her supervisor, Robin Slawson, is based in civil.

There are some UW connections to the Kitchener Rangers, who won the Memorial Cup, Canada's junior hockey championship, over the weekend. In particular, there's six-foot-two-inch right-winger Kevin Hurley, who's entering his second year as a kinesiology student, and working for the summer with the plant operations grounds crew. He is the son of Sheila Hurley of the UW safety office. (Ranger defenceman Andre Benoit is a part-time student, taking a UW computer science course.)

Some things happening today:

The continuing education program, naturally enough, continues -- today there's a day-long seminar under the title "Getting More Life out of Your Time".
In the career development workshop series: "Selling Your Skills" at 3:30, "Starting Your Own Business" at 4:30 (details from the career services department in the Tatham Centre).
The joint health and safety committee, meeting at 2 p.m. in Needles Hall room 3001.
A session for students with disabilities, dealing with "Career Planning and Disclosure Issues", 4 to 6 p.m. (details, ext. 2229).
Two dozen top high school students, from as far away as Vancouver and Edmonton, arrive for "Stage 2" of the UW-sponsored Canadian Computing Competition; they'll be in the Ron Eydt Village conference centre until Saturday.

"All students expecting to graduate at the Spring 2003 Convocation," the registrar's office is still saying, "must submit an Intention to Graduate form. Forms are available for undergraduate students and for graduate students. Hard copy forms are available from the Registrar's Office, the Graduate Studies Office, or department offices. If you submitted a form earlier in the year for Spring 2003, you need not submit a new form. Address to which Convocation information will be mailed is the mailing address recorded in QUEST. Please note that this is the address to which diplomas will be mailed for students that do not attend the ceremony. Spring 2003 Convocation dates are June 11, 2:00 p.m., Applied Health Sciences, Environmental Studies, and Independent Studies; June 12, 2:00 p.m., Arts; June 13, 2:00 p.m., Science; June 14, 10:00 a.m., Mathematics, June 14, 2:00 p.m., Engineering."

Road work is continuing on Columbia Street between Phillip Street and the campus entrance, with traffic narrowing to one lane to get around the heavy machinery. . . . Watch for 25th anniversary celebrations June 20-22 for the student newspaper Imprint. . . .

And . . . there is still room to register for the 14th Annual Matthews Golf Classic being held on Monday, June 16, at Grand Valley Golf and Country Club. "This fun event," says Jan Willwerth, one of the organizers, "is for University of Waterloo staff, faculty and retirees and a great way to meet new people associated with the campus. Everyone is welcome and because it is a scramble format, any level of golf expertise is great. The final registration date is Friday, May 30." Questions can be directed to Willwerth at ext. 2376 or to Jason Greatrex at ext. 6494.

CAR

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