Prof notes 'fantastic' music program

Leonard Enns (pictured) remembers singing four-part harmony in the small Mennonite church his family attended when he was a child in a farming village south of Winnipeg.

Now, years later as a professor of music at Conrad Grebel University College, Enns says that people singing together in a group still inspires him and choral music has become a defining part of his life. "Interacting with the theologians, historians, and other music professors at the college, I am pushed in ways to develop my art form as an expression of social conscience,” he says in a profile posted to the Keystone Campaign web site.

Bringing together the Mennonite traditions of social justice and vibrant singing, Enns composes music that he hopes will change how people think about others and which will have a positive effect on society. Since his arrival at UW in 1977, he has taught conducting, music theory, and composition. He works with Grebel’s Chapel Choir, taking them on year-end trips to Mennonite centres in Ontario and the United States. The choir has also recorded five CDs under his direction.

UW has also become familiar ground to his family. Enns's son recently graduated from the School of Architecture. His daughter is in her second year of systems design engineering, and his wife has taken courses on campus as well.

What do you like best about teaching at UW? “It's rewarding to work with students in small groups. I like the fact that we're a Department of Music, as opposed to a faculty of music that you might find at other universities. As a department, we attract students from all over campus. It's very stimulating because people come with interesting questions and you can probe more deeply into issues of music as a social commentary, rather than focusing strictly on the technical elements of music and the performance of it.”

Are there elements of your job which stand out? “I chaired the music department for a number of years and was happy to make that administrative contribution. I value the opportunity that the joint honours program provides students — if a student loves math and music, for example, that person can study both.”

Why do you feel it's important to support Conrad Grebel College and UW? “Having the arts colleges within the technically strong university is a model that works very well. At Grebel, we've been building our scholarships significantly and our increasing endowments make it more feasible for students to attend UW. I would also love to have a performance venue for music students. I think until we have that, music is in danger of remaining hidden at UW, and we have a fantastic program here.”

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Pay deductions change in January

As the last payday of 2007 for UW employees draws near, individuals can start wondering whether their take-home pay will go up or down in the new calendar year. Sandie Hurlburt, assistant director in the human resources department, has some answers.

“There are some changes in government deductions beginning January 1, 2008,” she warns. “Employment Insurance (EI) premiums will decrease in 2008 to 1.73 per cent of earnings (compared to 1.80 per cent in 2007) with the maximum insurable earnings for EI increasing from $40,000 to $41,100.

“The rate for the Canada Pension Plan remains at 4.95 per cent, but it will now be payable on income up to $44,900, rising from the 2007 maximum of $43,700.

“Employees are reminded that if they earned more than the maximum insurable earnings in 2007, deductions for these two government benefits will begin again with their January 2008 pay. Employees can check pay information on myHRinfo a few days before payday (January 25) to see how these changes affect you.”

Also: “If your circumstances have changed during 2007 and you want to change your tax status, please contact Human Resources to complete new TD1 forms. Forms are also available on line (federal and Ontario). Please complete the forms and forward them to your Payroll Benefits Assistant in Human Resources.”

This Friday, December 21, will be payday for both the monthly (faculty, most staff) and biweekly (unionized staff) pay cycles, and also for the casual pay system that includes many students.

Another notice from HR brings news that as 2008 arrives, there will be some modest increases in the coverage provided by UW's employee health and dental plans (both of them to be administered by the same company, Great-West Life, effective January 1).

In dental benefits, the maximum the plan will pay for orthodontia and for "basic and major restorative" work goes up to reflect the Ontario Dental Association fee guide for 2006 — UW’s benefit plan is always based on the fees of two years previous. Key figures include a maximum of $1,927 annually for “basic services”, $2,904 annual maximum for “major restorative services”, and $2,904 lifetime maximum for orthodontia.

In health benefits, the maximum an employee has to pay for drugs during the year goes up by a dollar from the 2007 figure, to $121 for an individual and $242 for a family. The maximum coverage for each form of paramedical services will go up from this year’s $576 to a new limit of $585. And the coverage for the prescription dispensing fee is unchanged this year at $7.00.

The changes will be shown in detail on the relevant part of the human resources department's web site.

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Notes as the year rushes to an end

Word from the office of research is that Diane Johnston started work earlier this month as director of research finance. "This position," a memo explains, "provides leadership in ensuring efficient, effective and accountable financial administration of research resources and activities to enhance UW’s mission to be among the leading public-research universities. Her responsibilities include the development of leading-edge financial-reporting tools to enable effective and timely dissemination of financial information to researchers and research sponsors; the ongoing maintenance and development of appropriate accounting-reporting methods; implementing processes and systems to ensure that appropriate financial reporting is in place; and building strong working relationships between Research Finance and the university-research community. Diane was previously the finance manager in the Faculty of Mathematics and prior to that held a range of financial-management roles in the not-for-profit sector in the UK." She reports to the vice-president (university research), George Dixon.

Conrad Grebel University College had a visit in mid-November from Chuck Wiley (left), described as "a member of a family with deep military roots" who's now estranged from that family after deserting from the United States Navy. His ship had spent some time serving in the Iraq war: "I did some soul-searching about my willingness to return to taking part in such a war," Wiley says, "and decided I could not do that.” He was invited by professor Marlene Epp to speak to Peace and Conflict Studies students in the context of their learning about the history of war resistance — from religious Conscientious Objectors in World War II to Vietnam draft-dodgers to present-day deserters. Epp notes, “The change in Canada's reception of war resisters, from the Vietnam era, when the country welcomed close to 50,000 American deserters and resisters, to today, when the doors are seemingly closed to these young people of conscience, is striking.”

Three faculty members in electrical and computer engineering — Shesha Jayaram, En-hui Yang and Weihua Zhuang — will all become fellows of the IEEE (that's the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) as of January 1. "Jayaram is being recognized for her contributions to the use of high voltage in process technology, Yang for his work on source coding, and Zhuang for her contributions to mobile communications and networks," the engineering faculty's e-newsletter says.

The library says the Trellis computer system that it shares with the University of Guelph and Wilfrid Laurier University was successfully upgraded over the past few days and is back in full operation. • A sizeable contingent from the Chinese Student Association will be heading off to see the sights and shop the shops of New York City on a four-day bus trip between Christmas and New Year's. • The UW Survey Research Centre is looking for people to work part-time doing door-to-door surveys in Waterloo Region during the winter term; resumés should go by e-mail to sgmullenix@math.

And . . . the faculty and staff at St. Paul's College will be holding their pre-Christmas gift exchange this afternoon, but this year it's an event with a difference. Lindsay Restagno, director of operations at St. Paul's, explains: "We are buying new toys that remind us of a particular co-worker. Once the gifts are opened they will be donated to the Angel Tree in Conestoga Mall. This allows us to enjoy the fun of the gift exchange and help disadvantaged children as well." The Angel Tree is sponsored by radio station KOOL-FM and other organizations; toys collected there will be distributed at Christmas by the Salvation Army.

CAR

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