Shovel-ready: Federation of Students president Matt Colphon, Daniel Parent, Director, Design and Construction Services and University Architect, John MacDonald of John MacDonald Architects Inc., President Feridun Hamdullahpur, Anthony Mancini, architect with Kearns Mancini Architects Inc., Dr. Barbara Schumacher, the university’s medical director of health services, Associate Provost (Students) Bud Walker, and Michael Makahnouk, president of the Graduate Student Association, all engaged in a ceremonial turning of the earth yesterday outside Health Services, where construction is underway on an addition. Photo by Chris Hughes, ELED Photography.

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Should teachers leave those kids alone?

Recent arrival at the School of Public Health and Health Systems Scott Leatherdale (right) has received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) as principal investigator for the COMPASS study: Shaping the direction of youth health by evaluating how Changes in policies, programs and resources of the school environment impact Obesity, Marijuana use, Physical activity, Alcohol use, Smoking and Sedentary behaviour of students over time. The award from CIHR is for $1,466,220.00 over five years.

This longitudinal study will follow a cohort of 6,500 grade 9 students from 114 Ontario secondary schools for 4 years as they progress through secondary school to understand how changes in school environment characteristics, including policies, programs, and the built environment, are associated with smoking, physical activity, eating behaviour, obesity, marijuana and alcohol use, sedentary behaviour and education outcomes among students over time. "Research suggests that prevention strategies targeted at individuals may have limited impact on preventing risk behaviour development among youth," writes Leatherdale, "whereas population-level intervention strategies that change the school environment may have more impact." Using smoking as an example, an individual prevention strategy would involve one-on-one time with a public health nurse to encourage quitting, while a population-level intervention strategy would involve banning smoking on school property.

Leatherdale, who is an associate professor and Cancer Care Ontario Research Chair, also received $360,270.64 over two years from the Ontario Problem Gaming Research Centre to measure the impact of the legalization of online gambling in Ontario. He is co-principal investigator with Tara Elton-Marshall, a researcher in the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact. The study will compare responses among adults in Ontario with a control group in Atlantic Canada pre- and post-launch of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's online gambling program beginning in 2012.

"My programs of research with youth and adult populations are designed to understand how context - programs, policies, and the built environment - are associated with risk factors for chronic disease, to understand how to best translate research evidence into population-level prevention practice, and to develop the infrastructure required to create learning systems for advancing the science of practice-based evidence and population-level prevention," writes Leatherdale.

Professor Leatherdale joined the university in August 2011 and is a board member of the Institute Advisory Board for the Institute of Cancer Research of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

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Housing IS&T group to merge with IST

a note from Chris Read, University Housing Officer and Alan George, Associate Provost, Information Systems & Technology

Over the past several months, IST and Housing have been in discussions about technology direction and have concluded that there is much to gain by combining IT functions within Housing with those in IST. This change will positively impact how IST can support the larger university community and is consistent with the recommendations in the Report of the Information Technology Task Force of June, 2009.

The transition will be phased in over the next six months. The detailed plan for the transition will be completed by the end of 2011, with the transition complete by May 1, 2012. It is important to note that the skills possessed by Housing IT staff are critical campus resources that are strategically important to IST and the campus; there will be no job losses resulting from this transition. The transition will be managed by Chris Read (Housing) and Alan George (IST).

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Notes on Friday

A note from Circulation Supervisor Mary Lynn Bartlett: The hours for the Davis Centre and Dana Porter Libraries will be changing for exam time: November 27-December 2. Davis is open 24 hours, except for Sundays from 2:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., and Dana Porter is open Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. During this time, service desks and related services will be closed at regular times (Porter at 11:00 p.m. and Davis at midnight), and there will be attendants present for security purposes. At Davis, staff will monitor for noise, cell phone use, and hot foods that are not permitted in the Library. On the last day of extended hours, December 22, Davis will close at midnight and Porter will close at 11:00 p.m. The libraries will both be open for intersession - Friday, December 23 - from 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

You can find the Lost Faculties at Fed Hall this weekend. The band, primarily made up of School of Optometry and Vision Science professors and staff, will be playing a benefit dance in support of the Alzheimer Society of Kitchener-Waterloo. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 26. Gourmet snacks and a silent auction are also part of the event. Tickets are $20 or $35 for couples, and $25 for students and can be ordered on the A lzheimer Society website or by phone at 519-742.1422. The event is being held in memory of Barry Benness, a local psychologist, who died of the disease in 2009.

A note from Bronwyn Forbes of Housing and Residences: Waterloo Residences has rooms available for this winter term in both traditional and suite-style residences. Local co-op students are also welcome. Applications can be accessed from our website and we encourage students to apply soon! Living in residence, students will enjoy the conveniences of a one-term contact, being close to class, and academic support in their residence. The spring 2012 application is also available for regular and local co-op students.

The Office of Alumni Affairs is conducting a survey on current communication practices and they want to hear from you. All respondents have a chance to win one of six Best Buy gift cards.

And students, a reminder to mark your calendars and arrange your fees for next term. Winter 2012 Promissory Notes and payments are due December 19. The university will be closed December 24, 2011 to January 2, 2012, so submission by December 19 is essential to ensure that you are "Fees Arranged' by December 23, 2011, and thus have access to courses on the online learning system on January 3, 2012. Effective Winter 2012, there is only one due date for all forms of fee payment.

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