Senate resumes monthly meetings

The university senate — UW’s top academic governing body — will hold its monthly meeting today, for the first time since June, with an agenda that includes a proposed new graduate degree in geography as a science.

The new Master of Science in Geography program “will complement existing Master of Environmental Studies, Master of Arts and PhD programs” offered by the Waterloo-Laurier Graduate Program in Geography, says the documentation provided for today’s senate meeting.

“What will distinguish the MSc degree from the MES and MA degrees is the concentration of the course requirements in advanced science-oriented courses. These courses are typically based in natural science theory and quantitative methods and usually have a major lab or field component.”

At present, it says, “science-oriented graduate students work within the existing MES degree program, or go to other departments at other universities. There is a strong demand by students and faculty for an explicitly recognized science focus.” However, “very little modification” or additional resources will be needed, as “the infrastructure, expertise and research funding are already in place.”

The MSc program will typically take two years, and will be offered with an emphasis on “earth surface processes and geomatics. . . . The proposed fields are strongly interdisciplinary, and as such, a learning environment will be cultivated that develops integrative knowledge of pertinent issues primarily from the core disciplines of hydrology, climatology, geomorphology, remote sensing, geographic information systems and spatial analysis, but also draws on biogeochemistry, biology, ecology and chemistry.”

Today’s senate meeting will also discuss a Master of Theological Studies program, which is officially new to UW, but has been offered for two decades by Conrad Grebel University College, and an “honours mathematical finance” undergraduate program.

Reports on the growth of graduate enrolment and progress toward the goals of the Sixth Decade planning report are also on the agenda. The meeting, which is open to the public, starts at 4:30 p.m. in Needles Hall room 3001.

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Plans announced for East Asian festival

Renison College's annual East Asian Festival will be held as part of UW's Homecoming weekend again this year, with events concentrated on Saturday, September 29, and including a special exhibit by famous Hong Kong artist Annie Wong.

The 13th annual festival presents a variety of cultural entertainment, including Tai Chi demonstrations, Japanese sword arts performances and live Chinese music. Activities are scheduled on the same day that brings alumni reunions, the SUNDANCe powwow at St. Paul's College, and a public lecture by Canadian peacekeeper Lewis MacKenzie.

The festival, which also offers East Asian cuisine, will take place in Renison's great hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on that Saturday. There will be information booths on cultural languages and university clubs, as well as acupuncture and Chinese medicine. A silent auction and raffle draws will also be held. Admission and parking are free.

"The university and local community can experience the art, music, flavours and festivities of East Asia," said Jay Mielke, festival co-ordinator. "The East Asian community is an important member of Renison College and we are honoured to commemorate its heritage." The UW-affiliated college offers an extensive East Asian studies program, including courses in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Later that Saturday, starting at 6:45 p.m. in UW's Theatre of the Arts, the college will hold a reception to launch an art exhibit honouring Wong, who has donated a painting to Renison College. It's being announced today that Wong will receive an honorary degree at UW's fall convocation in October.

Noted for her artistic innovation, Wong studied calligraphy and painting with several masters including professor Zhao Siao Ong, one of the leading painters of the Lingnan School of Contemporary Chinese Art. She broke with tradition in both technique and subject matter, combining both Chinese and Western styles of painting. Her series of 50 monumental paintings of famous women in Chinese history demonstrated well-developed painting skills and extensive research into Chinese mythology, religion, history and literature. A major benefactor of higher education, Wong has supported universities in China, Hong Kong and Canada through gifts to capital projects, programs and scholarships.

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Seriously talking trash at the SLC

If you’ve ever longed to see the inside of a garbage can up close and personal, your wish is coming true today thanks to a Garbage Campaign backed by the student-run Sustainability Project, the student life office, and other groups and UW departments.

Also taking part is the Retail Services department, which announced this summer that it’s “going green” with a new line of environmentally friendly products.

“We all share this campus,” the SL 101 e-newsletter reminds students this month, “and it is this campus (and every one of our campuses) that gives us places to learn, educate and grow. Part of being proud is taking care of your environment. Be it your office, residence, or classroom, it is so important that you throw away your waste. “There are plenty of waste receptacles (garbage bins, recycling bins) throughout campus.”

The difficulty is getting people to use them, says Johnny Trinh of the student life office, the chair of the campaign. “This campaign began last year,” he says, noting that it will include publicity events this week and run at a lower key all term. “Over the past few years, the problem of students littering has increased exponentially. Before we can think about reduction, recycling, decreasing waste on campus we have to educate the students to throw their waste in the garbage cans.

“We want to express the importance of respect of communal space, and encourage pride in the students for their campus.”

A display outside the SLC, starting today, will show graphically “how much waste is produced on campus” and, thanks to a container with a transparent side, just how appealing it looks. Trinh explains: “We've welded a clear sheet of plexiglass on the front of a garbage can. It will be placed outside the SLC to show students how much waste comes out of the SLC. This bin is an average size, and will be filled in one day. But with the help of some volunteers from UWSP, we are posting displays that inform them how much we create in a week, a month, and how important it is to try to reduce this.”

The campaign hopes to reduce the amount of trash as well as get it into the right place, Trinh says. One target: disposable cups. So students are being urged to drink from reusable mugs, such as the ones first-year students received in their duffel-bag-sized orientation kits. The e-newsletter introduces one student, “Mohammed”, who’s already received “a $20 gift certificate and a folding chair, both generously donated by Retail Services,” as a prize after being spotted using his mug. “Be sure to keep using your mugs. We will be looking for winners every month!”

Says Trinh: “The need for more environmentally conscious behaviour is an idea that is permeating throughout campus. My personal goal is to connect these groups and partner with them. The garbage bin will be there all week, and an idea is in the works to send it to different buildings across campus and hopefully encouraging them to throw out their waste, and reduce it one building at a time.

“We are totally open to student initiatives, and other groups on campus. So if any group wants to help out, or needs help I would encourage them to contact me.”

CAR

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