From the Kitchener campus: Construction is under way on the first phase of UW's health sciences campus at King and Victoria Streets. Kyle Christie, anchor on CTV Southwestern Ontario, spoke live from the site as the local station carried a special report on Waterloo Region's economic development and building boom during the 6 p.m. news on Thursday. In the background, a condo development in a converted factory across King Street from the UW site. Photo by Michael Strickland.

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Sixth Decade plan comes for approval

The "sixth decade" plan for UW's future, titled "Pursuing Global Excellence: Seizing Opportunities for Canada", is expected to receive approval from the UW senate at its first meeting of the fall term, which starts at 4:30 today in Needles Hall room 3001.

Work has been under way on the ten-year plan since 2002; a framework was approved in 2003-04, and drafts of the plan were under discussion last spring. With senate approval, the plan should go to the university's board of governors when it meets on October 30.

"The circumstance precipitating UW's establishment in 1957 was the space race and the critical unmet need for engineers," says an introduction to the draft plan signed by UW provost Amit Chakma, who rounded up draft plans from departments and faculties as background for the "sixth decade" draft, then steered the document through the senate long-range planning committee and is bringing it for final approval.

"Half a century later," Chakma writes, "a very different circumstance, global competition, is informing how UW needs to direct its energies. To compete successfully in the global arena, excellence is a sine qua non. And our Sixth Decade will be the decade where a new kind of boldness and daring will ensure UW achieves the excellence required to make it a premier global competitor."

The plan asserts that "by 2017 UW will continue to be internationally recognized for its academic programs, scholarship and societal contributions through the realization of . . . overall objectives" that include "global leadership in additional, selected areas of UW's scholarly (teaching and research) endeavours, while maintaining national leadership in chosen aspects of academic activities; enhancing the quality of student experience and learning through deeper integration of experiential learning and research engagement; preparing students to be global citizens by inculcating broad diversified awareness and creating learning opportunities for them in international settings."

By the time UW is 60 years old, it says, "at least 12 UW academic programs will be the best in North America . . . all departments/schools will rank in the top 25% in Canada."

"Pursuing Global Excellence" is the document that makes a commitment to massive growth in graduate enrolment at UW, while undergraduate enrolment will increase only slightly. "UW will have to increase the size of its faculty and staff and build additional physical and social infrastructure, particularly research and graduate student space," it warns.

And more: "UW will re-affirm its position as the leading co-operative education university in the world, and subsequently introduce/enhance experiential learning opportunities for regular students. . . . UW will be a leader among peer public institutions in North America in engaging its student body intellectually, culturally and socially. . . . UW will become Canada's most internationalized and, therefore, internationally best-known university."

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'Farm market' opening this week

Student enthusiasts have teamed up with Food Services to create the UW Farm Market, which will open for the first time this Wednesday, selling local produce as well as other products from the area, brought in mainly from the Elmira Produce Auction Cooperative.

“The new market at UW allows students to purchase fresh, nutritious foods without leaving campus and at the same time reduce their ecological footprint,” said Darcy Higgins, one of the student organizers. “Shipping food long distances produces greenhouse gases and smog pollutants, and so we’re trying to source as much food locally as possible. It’s another way UW is making a difference, and students and staff have responded with enthusiasm.”

The UW Farm Market will be open to all students, staff, and faculty and to the public, and will run weekly until the end of October.

It is beginning in September with a bounty of local produce available, says Higgins. "It follows other local initiatives like Foodlink Waterloo Region which promotes food localism. Student volunteers will be operating the not-for-profit market, while Food Services will handle purchasing and the short-distance shipment to campus."

Says Heather Kelly, marketing director for Food Services: “The instant I arrived at the Elmira auction, my senses were overwhelmed. I felt at home in this community. The air was fragrant with the smells of freshly picked basil, ripe field tomatoes and plump cantaloupes. The colours were spectacular; red tomatoes, yellow zucchini, purple peppers, orange pumpkins, dark green squash, aubergine eggplant.

“We’re bringing the fresh harvest of local farms, preserves and honey made in Waterloo County and fresh baked good from our own UW Bakery together,” she said.

The market will be open every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., September 20 to October 25, in the courtyard of the Environmental Studies I building.

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Four ribbons cut as Renison moves in

by Kelley Teahen

There may be more renovations to do yet in the old building, and not all the signs are quite in place, but Friday was the day for Renison College to officially celebrate the opening of its new academic wing.

College chancellor Michael Burns welcomed the many guests and dignitaries, including Bishop Bruce Howe, of the Anglican Diocese of Huron, and retired Bishop Arthur Brown. "But it's not Bishop's University," Burns said, raising a laugh from the crowd. "It's Renison College."

Principal John Crossley said Friday's ceremony marked the "symbolic end of the project as we enter 20,000 square feet of the promised land." He then added that, while writing his speech, he was testing a new beta version of Microsoft Word that "has a hyperbole function." The two-floor addition includes much-needed classroom space, seminar rooms, offices, a new location for the East Asian Studies Centre, a home for the Confucius Institute, and new space for the college's Ministry Centre. The addition is linked at first-floor and second-floor levels to the original Renison complex.

Crossley thanked the college's many friends and supporters in the community, on UW campus, and among Anglican parishes, and recognized Karen Redman, MP for Kitchener Centre, Lynn Haddrall, editor of the Record, and UW president David Johnston, who was able to attend the event briefly on break from a Centre for International Governance Innovation conference. Donors receiving special recognition included Desta Leavine, CIBC, BMO Financial, Donald Choi, Rita Lee-Chui and Lincoln Wong.

Wong contributed toward Renison's new library, named after Lusi Wong, a Renison alumna who, Crossley said, "died tragically young." The library, which also houses the Florence Li Tim-oi Memorial Reading Room, overlooks the newly formed and landscaped Renison quadrangle. Even without all the library furnishings in place, it already is an inviting and comfortable spot for reading and study.

Also speaking at the event were Renison board chairman Mary Guy; Roger Farwell from Walter Fedy Partnerships, who led the architecture and design; Neil Aitchison from Melloul-Blaney Contractors; Bishop Howe; and, representing UW, Gail Cuthbert Brandt, a former Renison principal who now serves as associate vice-president (academic). Following four separate ribbon-cuttings to officially open various areas of the addition, the guests toured the new facilities and enjoyed a light lunch.

CAR

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