![[University of Waterloo]](/images/logobars/redtopbar.gif)
![[Rotating heart]](/images/2005/0214heart_02.gif)
| Friday |
Monday, February 14, 2005
|
Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
Comparing three universitiesData about UW, the University of Michigan (one of the leading public universities in the United States) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (a private institution), as cited in UW's brief to the Rae review of Ontario education. Figures are for 2002-03. | |||
| Waterloo | Michigan | MIT | |
| Professorial rank | 759 | 2,717 | 966 |
| Senior lecturers/lecturers/instructors | 44 | 724 | 569 |
| Undergraduate/professor ratio | 25.0 | 9.0 | 4.3 |
| Graduate student/professor ratio | 2.4 | 4.1 | 6.4 |
| Total expenditure per student ($CDN) | 17,000 | 60,860 | 200,000 |
| Expenditure per student (excluding research) | 11,000 | 38,000 | 97,000 |
| Net tuition fee per student ($CDN) | 4,000 | 20,540 | 20,000 |
| Sponsored research ($ CDN millions) | 99.5 | 885.6 | 604.6 |
| Research $ per professor ($CDN thousands) | 131.1 | 325.9 | 626.0 |
| Average salary of full professors ($CDN) for 9 months | 156,294 | 172,260 | |
| . . . For 12 months | 113,455 | 216,084 | 229,680 |
The week that begins with Valentine's Day is also the last week before reading week, for those in the four faculties that get a full reading week -- no classes February 21 through 25. In the other two faculties, engineering and mathematics, it's just a "reading period" of two days, February 24 and 25. The same arrangement is planned in February 2006, but the schedule for 2007 is still under discussion. UW's senate talked about the academic calendar at its November meeting, hearing arguments that engineering and math also deserve a full week off, and the registrar and deans are expected to get together on a recommendation eventually. Meanwhile, some students (and faculty?) have big plans for next week, including one group that's making a trip to Mexico.
Wherever the travellers go during reading week, they should be taking UW clothes with them. Why? To take part in the photo contest that's been announced by retail services (the people who sell UW clothes, at the UW Shop in South Campus Hall) along with UW Graphics and Hotline Apparel Systems Inc. Mari-Beth Davis of retail services explains how it works: "Just take a picture of yourself wearing UW Wear during reading week and submit it to the UWShop. Creativity counts and will increase your chances of winning an iPod Shuffle!" Entries can be submitted online or in the store, and the deadline is Friday, March 11.
Before everybody leaves next week, undergraduate students will be making some decisions -- voting on two referendum questions and filling a number of positions. The referenda deal with a proposed dental insurance plan and a $100 refundable fee that first-year students would pay for orientation. There are four full slates of candidates for the Federation of Students executive, as well as an independent candidate for one of the vice-presidencies. Also up for grabs are a number of student seats on the university senate, as well as an arts position on students' council. Voting takes place online, starting at 8:00 tomorrow morning and ending at 8 p.m. Thursday. Today, there's a final chance to hear the candidates, who will be at a forum in the Student Life Centre great hall between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The approach of reading week coincides with a period of down-time for Quest, the student information system, as major changes are made to the software. Quest will be out of use from "February 17 at 11:59 p.m." (Thursday night) until the morning of February 28, the day people get back from the break. Instructions are online for students who may need to drop a course during that period. Staff and faculty have been assured that the Winq inquiry system will continue in operation, although data on it won't be updated after Quest goes down.
February reading week is sometimes loosely called "spring break", a label that's also applied to the peculiar Ontario institution of "March break" for schoolchildren. There may be some confusion this year, as many boards of education, including the Toronto District School Board, have set March break for March 19-28, to include Good Friday and Easter Monday. Both public and Catholic systems in Waterloo Region, however, will hold March break March 14-18 and then have a separate Easter long weekend.
In preparation for the school break, UW's Employee Assistance Program is offering a noon-hour session this Thursday on "Making the Most of March Break: Ideas for Family Fun in Waterloo Region". Speakers are Ruth Peters and Stephanie Hahn, authors of Growing Up in the Grand River Region. "They will review options that span a variety of ages, interests and cost," says a flyer from the EAP. Reservations should go (by campus mail) to Johan Reis in the health services department; Thursday's session starts at 12 noon in Davis Centre room 1302.
![[At his desk]](/images/2005/0125blowes.jpg)
The holder of the Canada Research Chair in Groundwater Remediation,
Blowes (left) works to improve the quality of water sources through
prevention from contamination or remediation after contamination. The
research focuses on the fate and transport of inorganic contaminants
in groundwater flow systems and examines prevention and remediation of
groundwater contamination.
About 35 per cent of the North American population relies on groundwater for drinking water. Since aquifers convey water downstream to lakes and rivers, contamination also poses a threat to surface water quality.
Field study research is providing detailed characterizations of sites where groundwater is contaminated by dissolved metals and metalloids. Laboratory studies develop design parameters for construction of passive reactive barrier systems for treatment of arsenic, lead and mercury, while field studies examine these systems at sites throughout North America.
The release of dissolved metals into groundwater and surface water flow systems at mine sites and industrial waste sites is common. Many of the 2,000 inactive mines in Ontario release acidic metal-bearing drainage waters. Industrial waste sites release dissolved inorganic contaminants, including lead, chromium, zinc and arsenic.
The research chair funding allowed Blowes to further focus on laboratory and field tests to evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness and limitations of the barriers. He collaborates on the development of reactive transport models to simulate the release, transport and attenuation of dissolved metals at mine wastes and the performance of passive groundwater remediation systems.
Thursday's Daily Bulletin identified John Holmes, on sabbatical writing a book on interpersonal relations, as a member of the philosophy department. In fact, he's in the department of psychology -- "and we'd like to keep him," a colleague writes in pointing out the error.
Melek and Zelek, Lanson and Larson, Singer and Song, Hill and Hall and Heller, Fowler and Bird -- the names are various and euphonious in the "new faculty members" publication just produced by the communications and public affairs office. Copies reached staff and faculty members across campus late last week. As I said in the February 7 Daily Bulletin, the product (too hefty to be a "brochure", but not quite "newspaper" size) lists 113 professors who have come to Waterloo since the summer of 2003, the result of what provost Amit Chakma calls "an unprecedented program of hiring new, highly-qualified faculty". If anyone needs additional copies, the number to call is ext. 3580.
| WHEN AND WHERE |
|
'Designing Multiple Choice Questions' teaching workshop, 12
noon, details
online.
Computational mathematics seminar: Henry Wolkowicz, combinatorics and optimization, "A Stable Iterative Method for Linear Programming", 3:30, Math and Computer room 5158. Career workshops: "Letter Writing" 3:30, "Resumé Writing" 4:30, Tatham Centre room 1208. 'Funding the Start-up Venture' workshop sponsored by Launchpad $50K Venture Creation Competition, 5:00, Paul Martin Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University. Circuits seminar: Kenneth Wagner and Yuriy Greshischev, PMC Sierra, Kanata, "Power Considerations in IC Design", Tuesday 10 a.m., CEIT room 3142. Waterloo Engineers in Toronto networking and pub night, Tuesday 6:00, Jolly Miller Tavern, information online. 'Personal Tax Strategies' seminar sponsored by Waterloo County Education Credit Union, Wednesday 12:15, Davis Centre room 1302, ' reservations ext. 3574. 'Fitness Explosion' free fitness class Wednesday 5:30, Columbia Icefield gyms, no need to preregister. |
![[Scouts logo]](/images/2005/0214scouts.jpg)
The UW
Rover
Crew -- representing the branch of Scouting for young adults
-- is inviting the campus to help celebrate Baden-Powell Week at an
event tomorrow. "Check out the pioneering display in the Student Life Centre,
lower level, from 10 a.m. to 12:30," suggests one of the group, math student
Gillian Gothard. "Borrow their catapult or try building your own, and see how
far you can fling one of their rocks. There will be prizes." A group photo
will be taken at 12:30, and Scouting and Guiding members are invited to
wear their uniforms and take part. More information: e-mail
uw_rovers@bigfoot.com.
Finally, for the record, here's a note about last Friday's professional development seminar for staff in the information systems and technology department: "Internet kiosks are computers dedicated to providing web access, in a secure manner. This seminar is a repeat of a popular session presented at the last WatITis conference. Two campus kiosk implementations will be described, one for general use in the SLC, and one provided by Food Services in the Villages and cafeterias to provide information about their services."
CAR