![[University of Waterloo]](/images/logobars/goldbar.gif)
| Friday |
Monday, February 27, 2006
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Screen and scanner between bookshelves]](/images/2006/0216rfid.jpg)
Nesrine Makky and Mimi Hollinger-Janzen are among people hired by the library to apply RFID devices to hundreds of thousands of books. |
Staff are currently making their way through 400,000 books on the shelves of the Davis Centre library, and the electronic system should be in use there by the beginning of the fall term, says Rachel Caldwell of the library's communications office. The Dana Porter Library will follow, with the security system expected to start operation there in September 2007.
"Once implemented," she said, "students, faculty and guests using the Davis and Porter libraries will no longer need to have their book bags checked for library materials by the attendant." It's a wish-list item often mentioned by users of UW's libraries over the years.
The technology involved is Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, which involves a tiny tag on each item containing a microchip and an antenna. It can send digital data to a sensor -- at the exit to a library, a retail store checkout or a shipping depot.
The library says RFIDs are "a relatively new concept for the management of library collections and security. What is unique about the security system from 3M that is being installed at the UW Library is that it involves fastening a single RFID tag to library resources. This chip contains all of the information necessary to locate and identify library materials, ensure security, and make the check-out process more efficient for both library users and staff."
The tags can also be used with handheld sensors to take inventory or speed up the handling of library materials. The project is being managed by an Inventory and Security Implementation Group within the library. An announcement is expected about corporate support for the library RFID project through Campaign Waterloo.
The number of cheating cases involving first-year students jumped from 100 in 2003-04 to 261 in 2004-05, the report says. At other levels there was only minor change, bringing the total number of cheating cases at UW from 248 in 2003-04 to 427 last year.
At the same time, the number of plagiarism cases rose from 81 to 96. The UCSA also reports 13 cases of "misrepresentation" on applications, transcripts or co-op records; 14 of "harassment, unethical behaviour or non-academic misconduct"; and 4 of "misuse of resources", such as computing accounts.
"Anecdotal evidence and the perception of UCSA student members," says the report, "is that there are many more incidents of cheating than the number reflected in the table, but that they are not being reported by markers, TAs or instructors."
As for cheating by first-year students, "possible explanations include: younger cohort; attrition rate and students anxious to remain at UW; survival strategies and resorting to any means possible to pass; excessive collaboration (instructors are expected to clarify what is allowable with respect to collaboration on assignments or projects); faculty members more vigilant in reporting cases.
"Members have also observed that some students feel entitled, deem it to be acceptable to cheat to further their academic careers, believe that they 'deserve' degrees to augment their earning power. And it may not be related to cheating, but UCSA understands that many first-year students routinely do not attend class and/or labs."
Most academic offences lead to penalties such as the loss of marks. The committee reports that 47 students were suspended from the university during the year, for anywhere from one term to as long as seven terms. And two were expelled -- one (a first-year undergraduate) for "an egregious action -- damage to UW property, physical harm to others", the other (a graduate student) for falsifying marks on a transcript.
Tribunals set up by UCSA or the faculties dealt with 17 appeal cases, such as students' claims that grades were unfair, during the year.
Student employees at UW: "UCSA is aware," says the report, "of breaches by two student employees in an administrative office, and is of the opinion that UW students should not be hired to do certain jobs in University offices (e.g., IST, records areas in the Registrar's, Faculty Undergraduate Studies and Graduate Studies Offices, CECS), areas where they may be privy to other students' information -- not only grades, but personal information, ID numbers and SINs, and may be in a position to access and/or tamper with records (own or another student's). At least one office has put safeguards in place, but only, it is understood, to the extent that student employees cannot work or do maintenance on their own records.
'At a minimum, heads of hiring departments should give serious consideration to: matters of confidentiality; nature of the office and the job the student will be asked to perform; provision of keys or access to offices; one-over-one authorizations; also (co-op placements notwithstanding), the availability of experienced, part-time workers from the K-W community in lieu of UW student employees in 'sensitive' on-campus areas."
The senate meeting starts at 4:30 in Needles Hall room 3001. Besides the University Committee on Student Appeals report, senate will hear a report on enrolment plans and a presentation from Renison College, as well as an update on Sixth Decade planning.
| WHEN AND WHERE |
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Joint health and safety committee 10 a.m., Commissary
building room 112D.
US-bound information session for co-op students taking spring term jobs in the United States, 10:30, Davis Centre room 1302. Kevin Harrigan, Centre for Learning and Teaching Through Technology, "How Slot Machines in Ontario Really Work," 12 noon, Kitchener Public Library main branch. Career workshop: "Writing CVs and Cover Letters," 12 noon, Tatham Centre room 2218, registration online. Computational mathematics colloquium: Yuying Li, school of computer science, "A Computational Optimization Approach for Managing Financial Risk in Insurance", 2:30, Math and Computer room 5158. Senate long-range planning committee 3:00, Needles Hall room 3004. Engineers Without Borders discussion group: "Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Rights", 7:00, Graduate House. Pop artist Jim Dine speaks at Perimeter Institute 7:30, details online. Canadian Computing Contest for high school students, sponsored by Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing, tomorrow across Canada. The Adventurous Life of Syrah/Shiraz wine-tasting, with live entertainment by "Blind Date", fund-raiser for Graduate Student Research Conference, Wednesday from 6 p.m., tickets $10 in advance at the Graduate House. Drinking water lecture: Steve Hrudey, TD Canada Trust/Walter Bean Visiting Professor in the Environment, "150 Years and Counting: Drinking Water Safety Lessons are Learned Slowly", Thursday 3:30, Humanities Theatre, admission free. |
Back on campus after the reading week or "break", undergraduate students today begin Pick Your Plan Week, the official time to "select or change a major, or add a minor or option". Those major decisions happen in advance of class enrolment appointments for the spring term, which are listed on Quest now and will run March 20 through April 1. For fall term courses, class enrolment appointments begin June 12.
"Best overall . . . number one comprehensive university . . . ," yep, it's the annual Maclean's magazine rating of Canadian universities, in which Waterloo consistently scores at the top. To make the most of this accolade, there's now a single-sheet flyer trumpeting the ratings and showing off the campus, that can be used in publicity mailings and to impress campus visitors. Departments that need copies of the flyer can call Linda Howe in communications and public affairs, ext. 3580, to make arrangements.
The university secretariat has issued a list of undergraduate students who have been acclaimed or elected to the UW senate as a result of the recent election process. With terms from May 1, 2006, to April 30, 2007, they're Adam Schubert (electrical engineering) representing engineering students, Eric Logan (computer science) representing math students, and Ciprian Mihalcea (arts) representing students at large. With terms from May 1, 2006, to April 30, 2008, they're Kate Daley (political science) representing arts students, Caustan De Riggs (environment and business) representing environmental studies and independent studies students, Robert Allie (biomedical sciences) representing science students, and Aaron Stauch (environment and business) representing students at large.
An announcement that's pretty much self-explanatory: "On March 1, Engineers Without Borders University of Waterloo Chapter (EWB-UW) will run a series of high energy events to raise awareness about Canada's role in ending extreme poverty. The event will kick off at noon in front of the Student Life Centre with students and staff 'Washing out Poverty' by paying to wash poverty off the backs of EWB members with cold water, followed by the 'Great EWB Race', where teams will compete by participating in outreach and educational activities across campus. The day, which is taking place across Canada by various EWB chapters, will also contain a mass writing session to send welcome cards to newly elected MPs and will send a strong message to the new prime minister that Canadians want to break down the barriers to effective international development. The purpose of the day is to show the newly elected Canadian government that Canadians want Canada to play its part by committing to its 0.7% of GDP pledge for international aid by 2015, untying Canada's bilateral aid, and supporting developing countries during trade talks."
Organizers report that the International Women's Day dinner (for women staff and faculty members) at the University Club on March 8 is sold out. . . . Today at 3 p.m. is the entry deadline in the UW weather station's contest to predict when the temperature will first hit 20 Celsius. . . . Details are online now for this year's International Celebration Week, which will run March 3 to 10. . ..
CAR