![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Friday, July 9, 2004
|
Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Rust-coloured metal arch, blue sky]](/images/2004/0710RTarch.gif)
Archways
provide an entrance to the north campus from Columbia Street. The
Optometry building is seen in this photo by Chris
Hughes, but the archways are the symbol of
the new research and
technology park that's under development.
"The three natural amphitheatres (beside the new home of Sybase) are
taking shape among the two kilometres of walking trails," writes Carol
Stewart, marketing manager for the park, who says Sybase is expected
to move into its building -- the first in the development -- in September.
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She said the job cuts are being made because Graphics, which runs as a break-even "ancillary enterprise" or UW-owned business, has been losing money and needs to reduce spending significantly. As an ancillary enterprise Graphics is responsible for generating its own revenue and managing its expenses, Scott said: "It is not funded through the university's operating budget, and this decision is not related to the recent operating budget reductions."
Graphics includes copy centres in several UW buildings, a central print shop, a graphic design studio, and other services such as digital photography, copier fleet management, and courseware production. Bud Walker, UW director of business services, said that although revenues for the department have remained steady, elevated expenses have caused "significant deficits" in the last three years. "As regrettable as job losses are, it is felt that these changes will help Graphics move forward in a financially sustainable way," Walker said.
Chris Read, who has been acting director of Graphics since former director Linda Norton left this spring, has been looking at the state of the business and finding ways to balance the books, which include a staff reduction.
Scott said the staff who are losing their jobs will get the payments and rights that are set out in UW's Policy 18 about staff positions. That can include as much as 18 months' salary, plus the right to apply for other UW jobs with "internal" candidate status. Some of those who are leaving may be eligible for early retirement, she added.
The university is providing counselling and the help of a job placement specialist for the staff who are being laid off, she said.
Arachna Gupta, a science-and-business student who is executive director of UWIHDA, says his group "feels strongly about raising awareness about global disparities and issues among the UW community." Those topics have been the focus of the three events this term.
Then came a June 23 session on global policy and the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The speaker was Ramesh Kumar, UW economist and director of the international trade specialization. Says Gupta: "Our film 'Money' takes an essential and incisive look into the hidden side of money."
And now comes water. The speaker, Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Arts Lecture Hall room 116, is Sara Ehrhardt, a UW engineering grad who now works for the National Water Campaign of the Council of Canadians. Says Gupta: "She will speak of the current crisis surrounding the privatization of water -- an essential component for all life, and access to water is a basic right. She speaks of how our governments have been supporting this gradual privatization and commodification of water and have consistently refused to safeguard Canada's waters. Since 1999, the Council of Canadian has been working with citizens worldwide to keep the world's remaining fresh water public, protected, and priceless."
Tuesday's film, "Thirst", questions "whether water is human right or commodity and shows that this is not only a concern for Third World countries but even in our own homes."
Gupta adds: "We'd like to thank our sponsors for making this event possible: Waterloo Public Interest Research Group, the Federation of Students and Arts Student Union."
| WHEN AND WHERE |
|
Sandford Fleming Foundation debates, faculty of engineering,
finals 12 noon, outside POETS Pub, Carl Pollock Hall.
Warrior movie night, "50 First Dates" and "Eurotrip", from 9 p.m., Student Life Centre. Engineering Semi-formal, tonight, University Club. Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival, today through Sunday, details online. Blood donor clinic July 12-16, Student Life Centre, sign-up booklet now available at the turnkey desk. |
The co-op department has issued final figures about the number of students who found work term jobs this spring. Out of 3,508 students seeking jobs, 3,297 found them, meaning that 211 didn't -- an employment rate of 94.0 per cent. Half the unemployed students are in engineering, the faculty with the most co-op students. Engineering had an employment rate of 92.3 per cent; arts, with far fewer students looking for spring jobs, reported a 93.4 per cent employment rate. Math is at 94.4 per cent, and science at 95.1. Last year at this time, the campus-wide rate was 93.8 per cent, with 3,644 students employed and 243 jobless. "Given a smaller cohort of students seeking employment this term and no change in the overall number of students employed, there is still an obvious need to continue to strengthen our employer pool," says a summary memo from co-op director Bruce Lumsden.
Some 175 children in grades 1 through 10 will take a bright summer morning to do mathematics this Sunday. It's the Kumon Math Challenge, being held in the Davis Centre (and at 32 other campuses in Canada and the United States) starting at 11 a.m. The annual challenge is sponsored by Kumon Math and Reading Centres, best known for their program of math drills. "The purpose of the event is to motivate children to challenge their math skills and practice test-taking in a university environment," Kumon says. A total of $50,000 in scholarships is being offered.
About 40 participants are expected on campus over the weekend for the SWAD (that's Spinners Wheelchair Activity Days) junior wheelchair sports camp. . . . The Graduate Student Association is planning a bus trip to see "Guys and Dolls" in Stratford on July 15 (and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on September 23). . . . Maureen Weckworth, who joined the food services department in 1967 and retired in 1992 as catering coordinator, died on July 6. . . .
CAR