September 19, 2005

Monday, September 19, 2005

Co-op: 'one of the defining features'
More paving, more roof repairs
As summer lingers through September

Editor:
Chris Redmond
credmond@uwaterloo.ca

[Smiles and red T-shirts]
Wheeling for wellness: A team from UW's counselling services took part in the 75-kilometre Rona MS Bike Tour in the Niagara area on the last weekend of August. Team captain was Linda Mackay (front row, in blue), who divides her time between the main counselling office in Needles Hall and the branch office in mathematics. She and her colleagues raised $4,700 and are planning for a return engagement next year.

Co-op: 'one of the defining features'

"The number and quality of employment opportunities", "work-place skills", "stress on co-op students", "the relative roles and functions of Career Services and Counselling Services", and of course funding -- those are among the issues in a long-awaited report that UW's senate will see tonight.

It comes from the review of co-operative education and career services that was started a year and a half ago and headed by associate provost Bruce Mitchell and a university-wide overview committee.

The report bears 48 recommendations. Among them: creation of a Co-operative Education Council, with a representative from each faculty, as well as students, people from the co-op and career services department, and an employer representative, with the associate provost as chair. The council should start work by this winter, the report suggests. Its purpose: "share current experience and practice, as well as monitor best practice in order to identify opportunities for University-wide and Faculty initiatives, and approve new plans with a co-op component".

A major theme in the report is the need for the various parties involved in co-op to work together so that all their needs can be met -- not just students and employers, but also CECS staff, the faculties, and "the university" with its interests in funding, marketing and other central matters.

"Both co-operative education and career services should be excellent and world class," says the report. "Waterloo has much to be pleased with regarding the present situation. . . . Many would argue that co-operative education is one of the defining features of the University of Waterloo. . . . UW should continue to emphasize co-op education over other forms of experiential learning," although those "other forms", such as internships, should, "where appropriate, be features of specific academic plans".

The report recommends that each faculty should identify "a faculty or staff member who has lead responsibility for co-op education", probably an associate dean. It also advises that co-op education and career services should continue to be in a single department.

Other recommendations: "a hallmark event focused on co-op education" during the university's 50th anniversary in 2007; a quota of on-campus jobs designated for students in their first co-op term; "a revised, compulsory Co-op 101" to make sure students are prepared for their first job hunt; "flexibility regarding length of work term"; improvements to the JobMine system.

The report is expected to be available online shortly. Meanwhile, the senate will get a half-hour briefing and discussion time tonight, although no decisions are scheduled to be taken.

Also on the agenda for tonight's senate meeting -- which starts at 4:30 in Needles Hall room 3001 -- are the "sixth decade" planning process, the likely future of tuition fees in Ontario, the schedule for February reading week in future years, and an announcement of honorary degrees to be given at next month's convocation.

More paving, more roof repairs

Five big projects are planned on campus after an Ontario government announcement that UW will get $9.5 million in "supplementary facilities renewal" funding this year. The money is Waterloo's share of $250 million being distributed to colleges and universities across the province, in line with the recommendations of the Rae Review of post-secondary education last winter. Some funding for major repairs was previously announced in the provincial budget.

"Our investments will make the postsecondary education experience better for students," said colleges and universities minister Chris Bentley. At a minimum, they'll breathe better in several science and engineering buildings, where $4 million will be spent to bring air circulation up to modern standards, through the addition of make-up air handling units and duct work.

"These buildings," says a memo from UW's plant operations department, "were constructed to a standard of air supply per person that was approximately one-half of the current required minimums. These buildings house chemical and biological labs as well as classrooms and offices and the air quality is not acceptable. The projects are currently in design with construction anticipated in the summer of 2006 and completion in the fall of 2006."

Other plans for the millions UW will receive:

"Approximately $2 million will be spent to repair/replace 17,000 square metres of roofs, flashing and drains on 5 buildings. In addition to maintaining the watertight envelope and preventing water damage, insulation improvements made during roof replacement will reduce the amount of energy required to heat and cool the buildings. The roof projects are at the design/tendering stage with construction anticipated in the fall of 2005 and completion by early winter 2005/06."

"$1.5 million will be spent to replace 3 forty year old chillers. The existing chillers use CFC refrigerants that have been prohibited in Canada. We are required to upgrade the chillers to use more environmentally acceptable refrigerants at the next major overhaul or repair. Because of the age and relative inefficiency of the existing units, it is more economical to replace them with new chillers that operate 30% more efficiently. The chiller project has been tendered, but recently announced new refrigerant technology that is expected to be available in 2006 has prompted us to delay awarding the contract until further information is available. Project completion is expected by the fall of 2006."

"Almost $1 million has been committed to continue asbestos removal in Carl Pollock Hall. This is an acceleration of our ongoing program to remove hazardous materials from the campus. The project is currently in design and construction will take place early in 2006 with completion expected in the summer of 2006."

"$1 million will be spent to re-pave the last remaining segment of our main campus roadway. This will complete a project started more than 10 years ago. The remaining section of road is approximately 40 years old and badly deteriorated, creating hazards for cars, buses and bicycles. Lighting circuits will be changed to make future maintenance more economical and some additional lighting fixtures will be added to improve pedestrian safety. The project is currently in design and construction will take place during the summer of 2006."

WHEN AND WHERE
TB skin testing clinic Monday and Tuesday, 9:30 to 4:30, Village I great hall.
Computational mathematics seminar: Robert Bixby, ILOG Inc. and Rice University, "Mixed-Integer Programming -- It works out of the box", 3:30, Math and Computer room 5158.
Centre for International Governance Innovation open seminar: "Public Diplomacy, a Canadian and UK Perspective", 4:00, 57 Erb Street West, reservations e-mail rsvp@cigionline.org.
Work reports due from students in most faculties who were on co-op work term in the spring, 4 p.m.
'Gender Equity and Feminism Across Cultures and Time,' Harriet Lyons, department of anthropology, with therapist Barbara Pressman, 7 p.m., Kitchener Public Library main branch.
Service and Society Fair: "check out what student societies like EngSoc and the ASU have to offer, and learn about volunteering opportunities with Feds services," Tuesday 10 to 4, Student Life Centre.
Canadian Federation of University Women local chapter, Tuesday 6:30 p.m., First United Church, details online.
Centre for International Governance Innovation presents Jean Chamberlain of Save the Mothers, "Motherhood Around the World: The Tolerated Tragedy", Wednesday 11:45, 57 Erb Street West, e-mail reservations rsvp@cigionline.org.
'Small Group Personal Training on Campus', talk by Lori Kraemer, fitness consultant, sponsored by Employee Assistance Program, Wednesday 12 noon, Davis Centre room 1302.
Accounting Students Endowment Contribution presents Dennis Kavelman, chief financial officer of Research In Motion, Wednesday 4 p.m., Humanities Theatre; reception follows.
Jewish studies Allan Kerbel Lecture: Stephen Berk, Union College, "Great Trials in Jewish History", Wednesday 7:30, Siegfried Hall, St. Jerome's University.
St. Jerome's Feast for Catholic Education honouring the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Friday 6:30, St. Jerome's Community Centre, tickets $85 from St. Jerome's development office.

As summer lingers through September

A crew from Rogers Television will be on campus today filming a few Waterloo students and choosing the stars for the cable channel's new reality show "University Night". On the Idol-style program, which will be broadcast over ten weeks this fall, students will be asked questions about the university program they are in, their role models, their hopes and aspirations for the future, and university and student life in general. Two UW students will finally appear on the show along with two each from Laurier, Western and Guelph, and viewers will vote for prize-winners.

Today's also the opening day of the annual recruitment season, as UW's four key recruiters will head out from the marketing and undergraduate recruitment office to visit high schools across Ontario. (Liaison staff from St. Jerome's University are also involved in telling potential students about programs on the main campus.) For Toronto-area students, efforts are concentrated on the Ontario Universities Fair, to be held September 30 through October 2, but over the coming weeks schools in other communities will be holding their own "university nights" to let students and parents learn about academic programs, student life and financial aid.

Registration for instructional programs in campus recreation begins today, with offerings ranging, as always, from aquatics to dance and first aid. "Fitness programs have two ways to participate," the campus rec brochure explains, "registration which guarantees you a spot in the class, or purchase a shoe tag for unlimited access to any fitness class." The brochure has been jazzed up this season with catchy headlines and big pictures, but it no longer includes details of individual courses and workshops -- those are listed on the web, along with registration details.

"Long distance phone cards, cellular phone top-ups, and music downloads are now available for sale in South Campus Hall at the Bookstore, UW Shop and Techworx, at the Campus Techshop in the Student Life Centre, and at ArtWorx in East Campus Hall," writes Susy Kustra of the retail services department. "A full list of long distance cards and cellular top-ups is on our website."

An event called "Go Eng Girl" is scheduled for Saturday, October 15, with registration already well under way. "It's for girls only in grades 7-10," writes Devon Hutchinson of the faculty of engineering. "The coolest part about this event is that pretty much the same event will be hosted on October 15 at all of the universities in Ontario that offer engineering. We're hoping it will make it really convenient for girls to attend the event closest to their home. The day includes speakers, hands-on events for the girls, lunch, and a showcase of student groups and design teams, corporations, and generally 'neat engineering stuff' for girls and their parents to check out. Basically, we're trying to get young women to consider engineering at an early age and dispel the myths of the profession." There's more information online.

[Coniglio] Earth sciences professor Mario Coniglio (right) took office September 1 as associate dean (undergraduate studies) in the faculty of science, succeeding Morris Tchir. . . . In the department of information systems and technology, Andrea Chappell is interim director of the "electronic workplace" group, following the retirement of Carol Vogt. . . . The once-a-term Imaginus poster sale is under way this week in the Student Life Centre. . . .

Word came this morning that Jerry Gray, who retired earlier this year as director of the Technology Transfer and Licensing Office in UW's office of research, died on the weekend. The funeral is to be held Tuesday; details are pending.

CAR

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