Co-op employment at 99.5% this term

Only 24 students who needed co-op jobs this fall term didn’t get them, compared to 66 in the fall term of 2009, says an employment report from Peggy Jarvie, the executive director of co-op education and career services.

“Considering the record number of students and the still sluggish employment market,” she writes, “this is a terrific achievement by the participating students and CECS staff.”

Jarvie announced Thursday that the final fall term employment rate is 99.5 per cent, “a full percentage point better than last Fall. This includes students employed and not participating. There were 8.8% more students (367) scheduled out to work in Fall 2010 versus the previous fall, and over 400 more students found employment.”

Fourteen of the 24 students still listed as “seeking employment” this term are in engineering, with the rest scattered among other faculties. A total of 106 students are “not participating” in co-op this term (and thus not unemployed). Bottom line: 4,501 students who were originally scheduled for work terms, and 4,371 who found jobs.

Jarvie goes on to report that when last Monday’s initial match for winter jobs was run, following the main round of interviews, there were “243 more students employed than this time last year.

“With more students returning, we’re showing an increase in the employment rate of 1.6% compared to last year, on a base that’s 9% higher this year than last.” The current count is that 6,081 students need winter jobs (although 147 of them have already said they won’t be participating) and already 2,963 have been matched with jobs.

Says Jarvie: “Job postings are continuing to come in, and we’re looking at new ways to accommodate more interviews in the continuous round that starts next week.

“As is usual for the Winter term, about half the students scheduled out to work are junior students, and about two-thirds of the junior students are still seeking employment. Our final employment rate for Winter 2010 was 95%, and we benefited greatly from the university’s support in hiring students, including URI support and Engineering support to faculty members hiring co-op students for research.

“With almost 6,100 students scheduled out to work, CECS is working extremely hard to find co-op jobs. A number of new job development initiatives have been bearing fruit, and the day-to-day work of field co-ordinators to retain or increase jobs with existing employers continues to be the backbone of our employment success.

“Earlier this year, we launched a ‘hire Waterloo’ campaign, encouraging employers to come to us to for both co-op and full-time hires.” There’s a special e-mail address for employers: hire.talent@ uwaterloo.ca.

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The field hockey Warriors reached this weekend's CIS national championships, led by fifth-year player and current captain Jessica Lawson, who's seen receiving the national Gail Wilson Award for "outstanding contribution" at the pre-tournament banquet in Guelph on Wednesday. A science-and-business student, she has served on the Inter-University Athletics Council and been a member of the Warriors' Team-Up Youth Outreach Program. In the Waterloo Region field hockey community, she is a certified umpire and has officiated high school games as well as club matches. In years past, Lawson has been a member of the Feds Food Bank program and a Campus Ambassador, as well as her involvement with the work of the team. In the national tournament, the Warriors fell to UBC, Victoria, Toronto and Guelph; Toronto took home the championship.

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Silence at 11 a.m. Thursday; other notes

Thursday of this week is Remembrance Day, when the country pauses to remember those who risked their lives in Canada's wars for a century past. A memo from provost Geoff McBoyle notes that "In 2005, UW initiated the practice of observing a minute’s silence at 11 o’clock on November 11, Remembrance Day. I would therefore ask that, if possible, whether you are alone, with a group, or in front of a class, you take time at 11 o’clock on November 11th to observe a minute’s silence, remembering and honouring the men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace."

In addition, there will be some special observations. The Engineering Society will hold its traditional ceremony starting just before 11 a.m. Thursday in the foyer of Carl Pollock Hall.  And the campus chaplains' association will hold its Remembrance Day observation at the same hour in the Student Life Centre. In addition, the Arts Student Union, along with the History Society, is sponsoring "the First Annual Remembrance Day Lectures" the previous evening — Wednesday at 7:30, in Arts Lecture Hall room 113. Two Waterloo faculty members and one from Wilfrid Laurier University "will discuss issues pertaining to Canada's involvement in both World War I and World War II", says Sherrie Steinberg of the ASU.

The on-campus campaign for the United Way has raised $174,117.32 so far, said a report late Friday afternoon. That means gifts from staff, faculty and retirees, plus proceeds from the "special events" held in recent weeks, have brought the kitty to 87.1 per cent of this year's $200,000 goal. Says a note from the campaign office: "All donors who submit their pledge forms to the United Way Office on or before Friday, November 12, will be entered into a draw, and five winners will get to have breakfast with President Feridun Hamdullahpur. Get your form in now for a chance to win!"

The deans of the faculties report to the university senate each month about changes in faculty appointments, including arrivals, departures and administrative roles, and the last couple of such reports yield several administrative appointments that I think haven't yet been mentioned in this Daily Bulletin:

• Nancy Waite, interim director of the school of pharmacy and interim associate dean of science for pharmacy, July 1, 2010 through December.
• George Labahn, associate dean (graduate studies and research), faculty of mathematics, July 1 for one year.
• Frank Safayeni, interim chair, management sciences, July 1 through December.
• Richard Helmes-Hayes, interim chair, sociology and legal studies, July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011.
• Monica Leoni, interim chair, Spanish and Latin American studies, January-December 2010, after which Maria del Carmen Sillato returns to that office.
• Michael Hudson, associate dean (computing), faculty of science, September 1, 2010, for three years.
• Paul Fieguth, chair, systems design engineering, September 20, 2010, through August 2013.
• Jennifer Simpson, interim chair, drama and speech communication, October 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011.

Ontario universities “are doing more than ever before to track and implement green initiatives”, according to a report presented last week at the Council of Ontario Universities’ “Going Greener Forum” in Toronto. “Understanding where we are now, and where we need to go, are critical steps for determining where to place our efforts to ensure that we are doing all we can to guarantee a competitive and sustainable future for Ontarians,” says Sheldon Levy, chair of COU and president of Ryerson University. “This year’s report shows that universities are, indeed, making the necessary efforts.” Beginning with a sustainability pledge in 2009, universities report annually on their environmental progress in a survey administered by COU. This year, the survey covers four key areas: building a green culture, reducing environmental impacts, teaching and learning, and barriers and best practices. Some highlights of the findings, published in the Going Greener Report, include “new degree programs being offered to students that will build the skills needed for a green economy”, a greater recognition of the importance of engaging stakeholders across campus in sustainability efforts, an increase in renewable energy being produced, and the growing accessibility of locally-produced food on campuses. Said Bonnie Patterson, COU’s president: “In the past year, institutions have made improvements in methods of tracking environmental impacts, as well as in their policies, operations, and teaching and research.”

Thomas A. Bernes (left) has been named executive director of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, it was announced yesterday. He's been acting executive director since last December, and a vice-president of the agency since shortly before that. "Well known in the international policy community," says a news release, "Mr. Bernes most recently served as director of the International Monetary Fund’s Independent Evaluation Office. Previously, he served as executive secretary of the joint IMF-World Bank Development Committee and deputy corporate secretary of the World Bank. During Mr. Bernes’ long and distinguished public career, he also held various senior finance, foreign affairs and trade policy positions within the Canadian government. From 1992 to 1996, he was assistant deputy minister of finance." CIGI is an independent agency, with its headquarters on Erb Street in central Waterloo, but has close links with the University of Waterloo, including joint involvement in the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

If you know (or care) who's currently "mayor of the Dana Porter Library", you must be a user of Foursquare, a social networking website that lets you and your cellphone "check in" at registered locations and keep track of whether you've been there oftener than your friends. If you have, the mayoralty could be within your reach — which explains the tweets issued by the Federation of Students on Friday: ”Hey #foursquare users did you know the Bomber, Wasabi and Curry Up are all locations now? Let the mayoral race begin! . . . And of course don't forget the Federation of Students office!”

The Science Fiction Club is holding a short story writing contest that closes November 26. • Mirjana Radulovic of the marketing and undergraduate recruitment office is off to Turkey this week to meet with potential students and school counsellors. • UWDimensions, a student-organized magazine club on campus, is "looking for male and female models" for an upcoming fashion issue.

CAR

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