![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Wednesday, February 4, 2004
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
Exploring the use of Internet video"Internet based video-conferencing is really breaking down barriers right now," says Peter Goldsworthy of UW's Centre for Learning and Teaching Through Technology. It's featured on the LT3 web site this month.Says Goldsworthy: "This new technology is linking drama groups between aboriginal peoples of northern Canada, northern Ontario, Australia and Africa, as well as standing typical theatre techniques on its head. Internet-based video-conferencing, or, as it is more correctly called, Internet Protocol Video Conferencing (IPVC), is helping improve collaboration between universities (we use it in CLOE to build learning objects), and to help service remote communities (Mike Sharratt in AHS has a project to help cardio-vascular patients exercise across distance)." LT3 is offering "an open invitation to join us" for the first meeting of an "Applications of IPVC" Group. tomorrow at 1:30 in the Flex Lab, Dana Porter Library room 329. "At LT3," says Goldsworthy, "we are involved in the integration of technology into the university educational experience, and through that mandate, we have been involved with many of you as we all explore the use of Internet protocol video conferencing (IPVC) in many different ways. "It seems as though there may be interest in two distinct groups related to using IPVC: technical (including different software, hardware and configuration parameters) and applications. There may be some overlap in your interest between the two types of conversations, so perhaps you can be part of both groups. Both will provide opportunities to share experiences and ideas in each area, across academic/organizational disciplines." Tomorrow's meeting is aimed more at people interested in applications. More information is available from LT3's Liwana Bringelson at lbringel@engmail, phone ext. 5931. |
The program -- sponsored by 10 departments in the faculties of arts and environmental studies -- will officially end in September 2005. "Students currently enrolled (about six) can complete the plans with full accreditation; no new students have been admitted since 2002," said a report to the UW senate in January.
Described as "inter/multi-disciplinary studies," the program offered a three-year major, a four-year major, general and honours options and a minor. Among the most popular courses was "Landforms and Mindscapes," which explored the impact of the landscape on the creative imagination of Canadians. Other courses focused on social and cultural regionalism, Canadian cultural narratives, traditional and popular culture and "Canada in the Global Village."
According to the report: "An external review completed in 2001 recommended greatly increased resources or program closure. Given the very low enrolment in the last few years, there is no justification for pursuing additional resources from the university or St. Paul's. . . . Attempts to meet program-related recommendations of the external review committee using existing resources were unsuccessful."
The external review was initiated when economics professor Bob Needham ended his third consecutive term as Canadian studies director, said Brown.
"We studied other options and consulted other programs," he added, noting the advisory board disagreed about the focus of the program -- "narrow versus broad -- and had difficulty reaching consensus about where the program should go." Links with Wilfrid Laurier University were explored and rejected. "Extensive consultations were held to find ways to shape the program and rejuvenate it," said Brown. "We found insurmountable difficulties."
Program enrolment was very small, with "only a handful" registered for the three-or four-year degree (mostly distance education students) and only slightly more for the option and the minor.
As well, Brown said, Canadian content courses across the university have increased in the 30 years since Canadian studies was initiated. "It became clear that Canadian studies, as an interdisciplinary program, was less distinctive as the years went by. It served a need over the years, but was no longer doing so."
Sociology professor Rick Helmes-Hayes, chair of the Canadian studies advisory board, sees the end of the program as "bittersweet". He says: "The original purpose of the program was to address the shortage of Canadian content, the lack of focus on Canadian issues." The growth of such courses outside of Canadian studies is "a sign that the mission of the program was successful."
St. Paul's has turned its attention to the development of native studies at the university, said Brown. "We're just in the beginning stages of consultation."
The college intends to continue the Stanley Knowles Visiting Professorship and its related Kerr-Saltsman Lecture series, which brings eminent Canadians to St. Paul's and UW to teach and give public lectures.
She told UW's board of governors that by that day, the campaign will have raised about $180 million towards its $260 million goal. The money is going to scholarship funds, faculty positions, teaching resources, endowment funds and buildings, all under the slogan "Building a Talent Trust".
Talbot-Allan said gifts to the campaign so far, signed and definite, are at $164 million, or 63 per cent of the goal. "There's a whole lot more to go, because we have some pretty exciting projects coming," she added.
She noted that campaign gifts so far include more than $3 million from staff and faculty through the Keystone Campaign, and $8.6 million from students through the fees that support endowment funds, Student Life Centre and Columbia Icefield expansion, and a graduate scholarship fund.
Some multi-million-dollar gifts from alumni, companies and friends have also been part of the campaign's success so far in what's dubbed the "quiet phase". With the launch next month, more extensive publicity will help some 200 volunteers, as well as Talbot-Allan's staff in the development office, raise the rest of the money from a wider community.
"It's a more promising time than when we started out with the campaign," said Talbot-Allan, noting that economic recovery will make it easier to raise the money UW is counting on. The campaign is scheduled to run until 2007, although the vice-president noted that no real end to fund-raising is in sight. One of UW's goals is to be raising $50 million a year indefinitely: "The university will need to be in campaign forever in the future."
The March 23 event will involve a noontime event in the Davis Centre and an evening event in the business district in Toronto, she said, as well as an "e-Launch" on the web for the benefit of alumni worldwide.
UW police obtained a search warrant late last week to scour servers for the specific address, which is on a free off-campus e-mail service. Waterloo Regional Police approved the warrant and its wording (standard procedure) and UW computer experts are assisting police in the search for the one account.
According to UW standards for computer privacy and use of resources, a warrant is expected when police want information from computer files -- and I'm told there was some behind-the-scenes discussion after the initial search request before police did apply for, and get, a warrant. The novelty in this case is that it was university police formally serving a warrant on the university itself.
"The warrant specifies the search can only look for one address, one account, nothing else," says Martin Van Nierop, UW's director of communications and public affairs."The university is aware there are concerns about privacy here. This search is not probing any other accounts, nor is it opening any other text of any kind."
The search began last week after police became aware of the illegal scam to sell the fake IDs through a flyer offering the sale of such documents. The sale of phony documents is against federal law and is a serious crime,Van Nierop noted.
It's estimated there are 20 to 30 servers that need to be searched. By yesterday, police estimated that about half of the servers had been searched for the single address, Van Nierop said. He added that they expect the work will wrap up in the next day or so and a statement will be made at that time as to whether anything was found.
It comes jointly from the staff relations committee and staff compensation committee -- two university-wide bodies that represent UW administrators meeting with leaders of the staff association.
| WHEN AND WHERE |
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International Celebration Week continues with "health development
day" in the Student Life Centre and other activities, including
open
lectures. Six Foot Grove plays rock in the SLC, 9:30 p.m.
Job fair 10:00 to 3:30, RIM Park, 130 employers, details online. Engineering exchange week presentations, 11:30 to 1:30, Carl Pollock Hall foyer. today: Germany, Austria, Poland, Ukraine, Lebanon. Federation of Students candidate forum 1 p.m., Student Life Centre great hall. Study in Mexico information session, 4 p.m., Carl Pollock Hall room 1320B. 'Was There a Big Bang?' lecture by Robert Brandenberger, Brown University, sponsored by Perimeter Institute, 7 p.m., Waterloo Collegiate Institute, Hazel Street. Iran earthquake relief coffeehouse and dessert bar, 7 p.m., multipurpose room, Student Life Centre. Waterloo in Germany exchange program information session, Thursday 12:30, Modern Languages room 245. K-W metropolitan area survey retrospective seminar, Thursday 2:30, PAS building room 2030. |
The memo notes that "a comprehensive explanation" of the staff salary structure is available on the web. It goes on:
"In general terms, each USG level is assigned a job value which represents the salary of an employee who is performing all of the job duties at a competent level. Individuals who are in a position for a long period of time may be performing the responsibilities of the position above the normally expected levels and could be at a salary that exceeds the job value. Those with salaries beyond 100% of the job value are compensated above the value of the job and are recognized as employees with extensive experience (long service) and knowledge beyond the normal requirements of the job.
"All increases are based on merit (the rating you received on your performance appraisal); there are no scale/general/cost-of-living or annual across-the-board increases. Job values are increased by an amount recommended to the Vice-President, Academic & Provost by the Provost's Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation (PACSC) in accordance with the process defined in Policy 5.
"Each staff member's position is classified within the USG levels 1 to 18, with an approximate difference between job values of 9%. Each of these levels (salary ranges) has a minimum (80%), job value (100%) and maximum (120%). Staff members' salaries within the range are expressed relative to the value of the job. Basic increases (i.e., based on performance) move individuals toward the target salaries for their performance ratings, and this movement is accelerated for those below the job value. Basic increases cannot be adjusted by the manager."
Other topics addressed in the memo include how salary grade levels are determined (the "Hay system"); what staff can do if they don't feel they are receiving a proper performance appraisal; "why staff perceive similar jobs having different job classifications"; and the procedure for re-evaluating a job.
Designed to give up-and-coming artists the opportunity to produce work in a non-juried arena, UpStart 2004 runs tonight through Saturday and again February 11 to 14 to showcase dramatic creations by students and staff across campus, as well as high school students and theatre artists from Waterloo Region.
![[What's that on one guy's head?]](/images/2004/0201upstart.gif)
Cast for "Carte Blanche": Kara Harun, Jeff deSchiffert, James Barr, Leigh McClymont, Jessica Isard. |
Lunch hour presentations (tickets $5 each) begin at 12:30 p.m.; evening shows are $10 each and begin at 8 p.m. The festival will also offer a "marathon package deal" with all eight performances presented on the Saturdays, February 7 and 14. The Saturday marathons begin at 2 p.m. and end by 11 p.m. The package price for all eight shows is $25. Another option is the half-day Saturday deal at $15 for either the afternoon shows at 2 p.m. or the evening shows at 7 p.m.
Performances are all in Studio 180 in the Humanities building. A detailed schedule is on the drama department web site. Tickets are now on sale at the Humanities box office, 888-4908, and will also be available at the door.
CAR