The man in black is the green dean. Deep Saini, at centre, heads the Faculty of Environment. He's joined by a group of ENV staff and students (from left: Irene Hawkings, Alan Shonfield, Patti Cook, Andrew Smith, Mirjana Radulovic) to show off some of the green-tinged souvenirs for tomorrow's picnic.

Environment faculty marks 40 years

by Andrew Smith, Faculty of Environment

The campus is invited to celebrate with the Faculty of Environment tomorrow as it officially launches its new name and the start of its 40th anniversary.

“Join us for lunch between 11:30 and 1:30, enter a draw for great prizes, and visit booths highlighting local environmental resources such as home energy audits and energy saver thermostats,” says environment dean Deep Saini. He will join UW president David Johnston at 12:15 under two tents on the Modern Languages lawn. The Jolly Llamas, a local reggae band with UW connections, will provide entertainment throughout the event.

The Faculty has a lot to celebrate as it marks 40 years of environmental research and teaching. “There’s a new strategic plan in place, already producing results," Saini explains. "Enrolment is way up over the last two years. We’re launching new research centres, including the campus-wide Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change, and we’re embarking on a $35 million fundraising campaign to transform the Faculty."

In addition to a free lunch, campus people who attend tomorrow's event can pick up a few small gifts from the Faculty including a reusable travel mug, a reusable shopping bag, a map showing sources of locally grown food, and information on living environmentally in the Region of Waterloo. Attendees will also have the chance to win prizes from VIA Rail, the Region of Waterloo, McPhail’s Cycle and Sports, Pfenning's Organic, Grand River Transit, Grand River Conservation Authority, UW Retail Services, Nith River Native Plants, Alternatives Journal, and Hergott’s Cider Mill.

Union Gas customers can also stop by the company’s booth for an Energy Saving Kit that will save them $100 each year and saves the carbon dioxide equivalent of what 10 mature tress remove from the atmosphere each year.

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Annual report from staff relations

Grievances, job reclassification, smoking and probationary periods are just a few of the issues that were discussed by UW’s staff relations committee over the past year, says a report that’s being distributed to staff members this week and is available online.

“During the upcoming year,” says the report, “the Committee will continue its work on the Staff Secondment Guidelines and ‘A Working Relationship’, the document that outlines the relationship between the Staff Association and the University, and describes the decision making infrastructure at the University of Waterloo.”

The report notes that — along with the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation — the Staff Relations Committee “is the University-level committee responsible for managing issues/concerns that affect staff working conditions. . . . Committee membership includes members of the senior administration and members of the Executive of the Staff Association who are aware of concerns of the staff constituency and able to bring to the table informed discussion and decision making. Because its membership includes the senior administration, Committee decisions are supported by those who have the authority to carry them out. . . . The Committee operates by consensus and meets as often as necessary, usually once a month.”

Some of the major issues handled by the committee this year have already been announced, the report says. For example:

• Policy 36 — Dispute Resolution for University Support Staff: “The Committee undertook a major rewrite of this Policy over the 2007 summer and fall terms. The Policy, approved by the Board of Governors in February 2008, contains many improvements over the previous version. The significant improvements include: encouraging staff to handle disputes in an informal manner, increasing the role of the support person, extending the authority of Tribunals, providing annual training to the Dispute Resolution Pool and providing summary information to the Staff Relations Committee to be released to the campus community.”

• Policy 18 — Staff Employment: “In response to concerns expressed by staff, namely that pro-rating can extend probationary periods over several years for part-time employees (e.g., a USG 6 at .5 FTE would be on probation for two years), the Committee ended the pro-rating practice, believing that the periods established for full-time staff should provide adequate opportunity for managers to assess the performance of part-time staff. Managers who need more time to assess performance can extend the probationary period.”

• Policy 5 — Salary Administration, University Support Staff: “To address concerns of staff who feel their job descriptions no longer reflect what they do, and whose managers do not review the position, the following recommendation from the Provost’s Advisory on Staff Compensation was approved for inclusion in the Policy: ‘Staff may request that Human Resources conduct a review (Human Resources would consult with and work through the manager) if: the staff member feels that her/his position has changed significantly, and the manager hasn’t reviewed the position after repeated written requests, and the position has not been reviewed for a period of at least three years. There would still need to be agreement between the manager and the staff member with respect to job duties.’”

• “Because USG 4 is normally the threshold beyond which academic degrees might be appropriate, members agreed that degrees cannot be required (preferred is acceptable) at this level. If the job is a 4/5 split, 5 would be considered the working level and a degree could be required.”

• “In an effort to assist both the manager and the staff member, a Staff Relations Coordinator is required to be present during the meeting between the staff member and manager when a staff member is to be released for any reason. The Coordinator is not there to discuss the situation which led to the release, but to be able to assist both the manager and staff member, and to provide the staff member with information to allow him/her to move forward. Further, the Staff Association President will be ‘on call’ in the event the staff member requests assistance.”

In addition, “the Committee considered or was consulted on: annual reports from the Staff Training & Development Committee and the Employee Assistance Program; an update from the Office of Organizational & Human Development; the Campus Master Plan Update; revisions to the Smoking Policy (Policy 29); records management; emergency response (Policy 60); student engagement; reduced workload to retirement; issues associated with organizational change; and dissolution of the Workplace Support Network because there are other equally effective mechanisms for staff support and with the significant changes to the Dispute Resolution Policy, the Network was no longer necessary.”

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Today's volunteer fair; other notes

A "volunteer/internship fair", organized by UW's career services office, runs today from 11:00 to 2:00 in the Student Life Centre. "Come and visit with representatives from a variety of agencies," a flyer suggests, "to find out about volunteer opportunities. Agencies that work with children, health issues, seniors, arts and many more interest groups will be available to discuss volunteer opportunities. Also, talk with representatives about opportunities that may include administrative work, event planning/fundraising, marketing, boards and committees, special events and recreation — just to name a few. You may have the opportunity to be interviewed by some agencies." But why would a student do volunteer work? "Volunteering is a good investment with big results. Not only do you contribute to building a better community, but you also benefit by enhancing your career development; increasing your personal development; getting practical experience; honing your skills while unemployed; connecting with your community and network; strengthening your resumé." Agencies that will be represented at today's fair range from the Alzheimer Society to the Children's Museum, to say nothing of the police, the Special Olympics and the Girl Guides.

As UW's staff association continues to look for candidates to hold office for the coming year, provost Amit Chakma sent a memo to UW department heads late last week urging their cooperation: "It is in all of our interests to have a strong, committed Staff Association who can represent staff interests and work with administration to head off problems before they arise. The Staff Relations Committee and the Provost's Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation are two critical committees where staff issues are addressed and resolved. Staff Association executives are members of these committees and full participants in all decisions affecting staff polices and working environment. In the next couple of weeks, the Staff Association will be seeking a new president and three new directors. Please encourage those of your staff who you feel would be strong leaders, to consider running for these positions. Also, please let them know that you will support their absence from the workplace in accord with the agreement we have made about time off from work to attend to staff relations issues."

The newest issue of the UW-based journal Alternatives is out, with the theme "Sustainability Taken Seriously", and “has been getting a lot of attention,” says production coordinator Marcia Ruby. “We have some wonderful content from Environment faculty and alumni,” she adds. “Bob Gibson (ERS) opens the section with his trademark sharp and engaging pen in ‘Testing for Tomorrow’. Alberto Fonseca (PhD candidate) and Bob Gibson in ‘Application Denied’ explore two recent landmark cases — the Kemess North mine expansion proposal in northern BC, and the White’s Point Quarry and Marine Terminal proposal near Digby, Nova Scotia. Chris McLaughlin (ERS alumnus and former student of James Kay) has written a most engaging essay on how resiliency and diversity should be integrated in ecosystem management: ‘Thinking Like an Ecosystem’. Ryan Kennedy (ERS undergrad and grad alumnus) in his ‘Brain Mulch’ column names our decade in a most proactive way.”

"English conversation circles", an opportunity for international students to improve their spoken English, will meet every Tuesday at 6:00, starting today, in Modern Languages building room 246. • The Federation of Students is advertising that its popular Fed Buses, a low-price way for students to get home for the weekend, have added a new destination, Brampton. • Something you may not have tasted before is on today's lunchtime menu at Mudie's cafeteria in Village I: quinoa burgers.

CAR

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