Almost time to wind up the anniversary

It’s been quite a year, says UW president David Johnston in a letter inviting faculty and staff members to a party to celebrate the end of the university’s 50th anniversary.

The event, to be held December 12 — a week from Wednesday — was first announced for Federation Hall, but is now scheduled to be held at the Columbia Icefield, from 3:00 to 4:30.

Says Johnston in a memo that’s been sent to all staff and faculty: “This has been an exciting and eventful year, full of celebrations and successes that many of us will remember in the years to come. We have far surpassed our campaign’s original goal, greatly expanded our graduate student population, begun a significant partnership with WLU and CIGI in International Affairs, renovated, expanded or newly constructed several of our academic buildings, graduated 5521 students, welcomed 165 new faculty and staff and, in the Waterloo way, continued to strive for and achieve excellence in the University’s core mission of education and research.

“We have a lot to be proud about and grateful for. This is a community of committed, excellent and hard working people who are the backbone of our success and achievements. So, I think it is fitting that in the last few days of our 50th year, we spend some time together celebrating what we have accomplished and looking forward to our future.”

The letter addressed to those who work daytime hours suggests that they “plan to leave work early and drop by on your way home for this important event. I know it is a busy time but hope that you can attend as we close our tremendous year of celebration, watch the final Reach for the Top event between Human Resources and the Grad Office, draw the final lottery ticket for $2,500 of home-related gift certificates, see a video of the past year and share some happy memories and our hopes for the future.”

Night shift staff are told, in a slightly different letter, that on December 12, “We have arranged to have the night shift begin at 3:00 for anyone who wishes so that they can join the celebration.” Either way, the north campus parking lots (W and X) will be open for the occasion.

Tickets are on sale for the fourth and final draw in that 50th anniversary lottery. The prize this time is "50 gift certificates to please all family members, such as Home Depot and Gibsons Electronics", organizers promise. Tickets are priced at $5 each or three for $10, and are for sale by volunteers across campus — call ext. 37887 if you can't locate one. All the funds raised by the lottery go to the 50th Anniversary Scholarship fund.

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Faculty meeting hears about grievance

The UW faculty association will hold its fall general meeting tomorrow at 2:00 in Math and Computer room 4020. Says the memo sent to association members by the group’s president, David DeVidi of the philosophy department, telling them why they should be there:

“Attending FAUW general meetings is an easy and effective way to find out about changes that affect working life on campus. At this meeting we will receive reports from: the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee, including an update on the state of a grievance that has gone out to arbitration; from the Compensation Committee about the state of salary negotiations with the administration; from the faculty representatives on the Pension and Benefit Committee about recent proposals from the administration that (in our estimation) would have had unfortunate consequences for employee benefits; from our ad hoc committee on working conditions for lecturers on some progress we have made with the administration; from our representative on the parking committee; and from several other important committees.

“In my President's Report I will update members on a number of developments since the last General Meeting, including on the progress towards changing the policy governing the selection and reappointment of department chairs. For a significant chunk of the meeting will open the floor to members so they can draw issues to the attention of the FAUW Board. What employment related issues ought we to be pursuing? Are there issues you think are important but are not even sure whether we're doing anything about them? Come out and let us know.

“We will also be looking for advice from the membership on a couple of requests for funding from FAUW, one to support sustainability projects developed by students, another from the Student Refugee Sponsorship Program. The causes are worthy, and the amounts of money small, but the proposals fall outside of the limits of what FAUW has spent money on in the past. I hope to see you next Tuesday.”

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Notes on the last day of classes

"Do not call a snow day tomorrow! Pllllease!" said an e-mail message that reached me last night — as if I had any influence over the school board's decisions about storm closings (which UW regularly follows) or, even more, over the weather itself. In the event, no, we didn't get a snow day on this final day of fall term classes, though yesterday was ugly and we're not necessarily out of the low-pressure area yet. I wonder how many people are aware of the weather forecast web site maintained by chemistry professor Jim Sloan and his colleagues in the Waterloo Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, where you can see the bad and good weather moving across the province in three-hour increments, with colour coding to predict temperature and other variables.

In the interval between classes and exams, UW will host two one-day conferences about the university's work. Tomorrow comes WatITis, the Waterloo Information Technology and Information Systems conference for IT staff, to be held in Rod Coutts Hall, with a keynote talk from computer science patriarch Don Cowan. Then on Wednesday it's The Power of Ideas, organized by the Office for Persons with Disabilities and other UW departments and focusing on accessibility issues. "Faculty, students, staff, clinicians and delegates from across the province will converge in Waterloo," says Rose Padacz, director of the OPD, "to share ideas on innovative teaching practices, research, learning strategies and technology applications. An exhibition hall will host displays and demonstrations from experts in the field of cutting-edge technology and showcase products designed to promote optimal learning. Dr. Timothy Bilkey, a leader in the field of adult ADHD, will launch the day and Derek Featherstone, an international accessibility consultant will provide the closing address." Again, it's all happening in Rod Coutts Hall; participation is free for UW people, though there's an $85 fee for off-campus registration.

The application deadline for this year’s Co-op Student of the Year Award has been extended to December 12, the co-op and career services department says. “This one week extension will allow students more time to prepare their application, which must include a statement from at least one of their 2007 employers, indicating support for the application. CECS hopes that this additional time will help students to co-ordinate preparation of their applications with both past and present employers.” Every year, CECS recognizes one student from each of the six faculties for their commitment to excellence in the workplace, the co-op program, the classroom and the community. “As 2007 draws to a close, the search is on for the students who have best demonstrated the many ways in which co-op students impact the world around them,” a memo explains. “All candidates for the Student of the Year Award are evaluated in the following areas: evaluations received from employers, including at least one ‘outstanding’ evaluation in 2007; contributions to the employer; academic achievement; contributions to co-op; and contributions to the community and volunteer activities. Two recipients of the CECS awards will be selected as UW’s nominees for the national Canadian Association for Co-operative Education and provincial Education at Work Ontario awards. If you believe that you or a co-op student you know should be considered for the Co-op Student of the Year Award, CECS would like to hear from you.” There’s more information online.

A memo sent across campus this week comes from the human resources department and is addressed to all faculty and staff members in the UW pension plan, but particularly those who have maxed out their RRSPs and are looking for a way to put aside more money towards retirement. It makes the annual suggestion that money can be invested in the Flexible Pension Plan, but only with caution — the more so since the end of compulsory retirement at age 65. "Caution is advised to those members intending to work past age 65 who have participated in the past or plan to participate now in the Flex Plan," it says. "There is a greater risk of losing your flex contributions." That's because (the rules are complicated) the pension generated by those extra contributions can be used only in certain ways, and one of the chief of them is improving the level of pension after early retirement. There are details on the HR web site.

Yasser A.-R. I. Mohamed, a PhD student in electrical and computer engineering, is the new associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, a premier journal in the field of industrial control, motor drives and power electronic systems. • Thursday's Daily Bulletin quoted Alan Kirker talking about the charity fund-raiser being organized by staff in the Centre for Teaching Excellence, without mentioning that Kirker, formerly of CTE, is now attached to the information systems and technology department. • The UW Recreation Committee is considering organizing a walking club to wear down the indoor track at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex.

"The Finance Department and the Procurement & Contract Services Department are selling
raffle tickets all week," Christine Gillis Bilton writes from fiance, "for three beautiful gift baskets stuffed full of goodies. Tickets are only $2 each or 3 for $5, with all proceeds going to the Food Bank of Waterloo Region. The baskets are available for viewing near the Pastry Plus coffee shop in Needles Hall. Karen Cressman will be selling tickets in the Student Accounts office (NH room 1110). Draws will be held December 10."

And . . . Christmas carol season is upon us (there's a German-language event this afternoon, and the annual concert in the Davis Centre great hall on Wednesday), and people have been asking about the annual carol sing in the Modern Languages lobby, led since 1985 by Jake Willms (left). The tradition began when Willms was assistant to the dean of arts, and has continued since his retirement — but no more. "This is the time to lay it to rest," Willms told me a few days ago, quietly making it known that there will be no more of the annual carols.

CAR

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