International program for undergrads coming

The faculty of environmental studies, along with St. Paul’s College, plans to launch a degree program in “honours international development,” admitting the first students in September 2008.

The program signals “an emerging partnership” between ES and the smallest of UW’s affiliated colleges, ES dean Deep Saini told the UW senate as the program was presented for approval this spring. Smiling, he added that rumours of “a monorail link” over Laurel Creek to link the two partners have been greatly exaggerated.

St. Paul’s principal Graham Brown added that the international development program is the result of an “overture” from the college, which drew immediate interest from ES. The two are also linked through a “living-learning community” for ES students that will be established in the St. Paul’s residence this fall.

“The program is clearly going to be unique,” Brown told the senate. The college’s existing academic work is in such fields as aboriginal affairs, religious studies and psychology, and it was the home of UW’s Canadian studies program until that program was closed in 2004.

“The trans-disciplinary field of international development has evolved significantly over the past 25 years,” said the proposal that senate approved in March. “Governments, civil society organizations and private enterprises increasingly are looking for people with a rigorous preparation that has equipped them to be development catalysts at the community project level — people who have the knowledge, business skills and innovative thinking required to bring about human development that is environmentally sustainable, culturally responsible, and scientifically accountable. Of particular importance in the near future, as urbanization increases significantly on a global scale, is the need for urban development and sustainability models.

“In recognition of this need, the proposed BES in International Development (BES-INDEV) has been designed to: integrate knowledge from several disciplines including environmental studies, social sciences, and management; develop competencies for adapting to different cultural and societal perspectives on ‘development,’ for problem-solving on multi-cultural teams, and for adapting technology to fit the local situation; and encourage innovative, sustainable solutions to development issues.” The program will include “a strong language and work-integrated learning component” which will prepare graduates for international development work in the world’s most challenged communities, with a particular focus on urban areas.

The document goes on: “The BES-INDEV will contribute to the achievement of most of the institutional objectives in the University's Sixth Decade Plan, especially enhancing the quality of the student experience, preparing global citizens, forming strong alumni/ae links, and increasing the contribution to society of university research and scholarship.”

Canada has several other degree programs in international development, but none that have an environmental studies basis and include second language and field experience requirements. Students in the program will also have to acquire “management skills in accounting”, an understanding of “the relationship of technology to context,” and expertise in “decision-making in under-defined, uncertain and value-laden contexts.”

Says the proposal: “Building on these strengths, the BES-INDEV has the potential to be among the 12 UW programs that are ‘best in North America’ by 2017.”

Brown told the senate that “the limiting factor” in the size and success of the program will be the need to find field placements for students — 25 to 30 positions by the fall of 2011, and “possibly up to 80” soon after that as the program grows. “The procurement of adequate numbers of field work positions by this time is now under way,” said the report to senate. “Efforts are focused on establishing a relationship with a large organization that is capable of servicing the full needs of the program.”

Students will take courses from the ES faculty and also from arts (economics and political science) and engineering (management sciences). In addition, there will be six new courses specifically in International Development, which will be offered at St. Paul’s, the proposal said.

In answer to a question at the senate meeting, Brown said St. Paul’s will also offer the necessary language courses: “We felt that a specialized language syllabus would be required. The language departments have said they would help develop them.”

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Ecosystem research wins CFI funding

From the UW Media Relations Office

Five University of Waterloo researchers were recently awarded grants totalling $796,545 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), says a UW press release. "The money comes from CFI's leaders opportunity fund, which is designed to assist universities in attracting and retaining top faculty." This is the first of three articles on their research.

The Centre for Biophysical Research in Ecosystem Restoration and Rehabilitation received $177,475. "'Our goal is to create a biophysical research centre for ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation,' says principal investigator Maren Oelbermann, a professor of environment and resource studies. She adds that the advanced equipment will be used to conduct analyses of plant, soil and water.

"Oelbermann explains that unsustainable land management practices have increased soil and water contamination, resulting in the accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases. 'The mechanisms underlying carbon, nutrient and contaminant dynamics in soil and water are not well understood,' she says. 'However, knowledge of the mechanisms of interaction that drive biogeochemical cycles can aid in the restoration of degraded ecosystems and can help to develop remediation strategies.'

"The research will develop long-term sustainable ecosystem management techniques by applying methods of bioremediation for restoring degraded landscapes." Oelbermann collaborates on this research with Merrin Macrae, a geography professor, and Deep Saini, who is UW's dean of environmental studies as well as a professor of environment and resource studies.

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And things to come

Rolling out this weekend . . .

On Sunday UW's largest student-run project, the solar car team, will publicly launch Midnight Sun IX in parking lot X, off Columbia Street West, behind the Optometry building, from 1 to 3 p.m. “There will be kids’ activities and a barbecue as well as a demonstration of our newest car drive,” says the team’s press release. “Midnight Sun IX is quite different from our previous vehicle. Owing to new regulations set forth by the International Solar Racing Federation, the new car is thicker than usual due to the fact that drivers are now required to be sitting in an almost vertical position. A steering wheel and headlights are also some new requirements for the car.” MidSun IX will go to Australia in October to compete in the 3,000K Panasonic World Solar Challenge .

Happening next weekend . . .

“The psychology of justice and legitimacy” is the theme of the 11th Ontario Symposium, being hosted by the UW psychology department and held on August 17 and 18 in the Davis Centre, room 1302. Researchers will examine “psychological processes of justice, justification, and legitimization at both the individual and group levels of analysis,” says psychology professor Ramona Bobocel. “A central goal of this union will be to facilitate cross-pollination and integration of these related fields and to stimulate new directions in theory and research that seek to explain how and why people make sense of injustice.” Poster submissions are still being invited. From 80 to 100 people are expected to attend; everyone is welcome, including students and faculty members from other departments. There is no need to register and no attendance fee. More information on the website.

Keeping things tidy . . .

Thursday's Record carried a story headed “Crowded UW tries Saturday classes.” The news was that the higher-than-expected first-year enrolment this fall means extra lab sessions will have to be scheduled on Saturdays, a move not popular with some students, according to the article. To clarify, only two first-year lab courses are affected: Biology 130 and 140, both of which have 14 sections during the week. Biology 130 has an extra one on Saturday morning, while Biology 140 has three extra sections on Saturday morning. In addition, there will be a fourth Biology 140 lab section on Saturday morning for students who are fulfilling prerequisites to enter pharmacy next year, but this is not related to the first-year bubble. The biology department is hiring an extra full-time lab technician for the fall term.

Correction: Yesterday’s Bulletin story on changes to UW’s smoking policy contained several errors. What’s correct: the new store in SLC will be called “Federation Xpress”; since the renovations will not be complete until later in the fall, cigarettes will not be placed out of sight starting September 1; smoking cessation aids will be sold at cost, not sub-cost; and only a portion (still to be calculated) of the profits from the sale of tobacco products will be reinvested in the “Leave the Pack Behind” program.

CPA staff

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