Yinxing Hong, chancellor of Nanjing University, and president and vice-chancellor Feridun Hamdullahpur sealed the deal yesterday after signing an agreement that renews the Sino-Canadian College for another five years. The partnership, established in 2006, includes collaborative research, faculty exchanges, and joint undergraduate degrees in the faculties of arts, environment, mathematics, and science, as well as joint training programs.

“We are honoured to work so closely with Nanjing University on this initiative,” said Hamdullahpur. “Such important collaborations enable us to bring a diversity of research and academic experience to our faculty, international expertise to our campus, and opportunities for students to receive an international education.”

Photograph by Joe Bevan.

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Policy 18 renewal roundtables coming

"As you know, there is an initiative underway to review and renew the Staff Employment policy (Policy 18)," reads a memo from Vice-President, Academic and Provost Geoff McBoyle and staff association president Trevor Grove that was circulated to regular and ongoing staff members yesterday.

The renewal is being undertaken by a subcommittee of the Staff Relations Committee that includes staff association representatives (Trevor Grove and Jeremy Steffler, and Human Resources representatives Michelle Hollis and Kenton Needham.

"The committee wants to get input from a broad cross section of uWaterloo staff before drafting the new policy," continues the memo. "We are organizing a series of facilitated round-table sessions to gather input and commentary on the current policy and future directions."

Two open sessions will be held, the first on Tuesday, April 17 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in TC 2218 (refreshments will be provided), and on Friday, April 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in South Campus Hall's Laurel Room (a light lunch will be provided).

"As these sessions are part of a campus-wide, staff are expected to be granted the time to participate in the session," the memo reads.

"In order to make sure that we have “unfiltered” and candid input from everyone, we will be using an external facilitator – someone who is not a uWaterloo employee nor affiliated with the UWSA, HR or any on-campus organization."

"The facilitator will help to guide the discussions and summarize results, which will then be presented anonymously back to the committee. We want people to be able to speak freely and not be inhibited by the presence of the committee (who will only attend the introduction to the session)."

Seating is limited to 50 attendees per session, and anyone interested in attending should contact Diana Rau (dbrau@ uwaterloo.ca) by noon on the day before the session you wish to attend.

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Local leader's diary recounts Titanic sinking

Written between 1867 and 1929, the diaries of Louis Jacob Breithaupt, a local industrialist who served as Mayor of Kitchener (Berlin) and MPP for Waterloo North, documented many local events in what is now Waterloo Region, but they also captured events of international significance, and as the hundredth anniversary of the Titanic disaster approaches this weekend, the University of Waterloo Library has unearthed several entries dealing with the event.

"While the comments are quite low-key it does show that Louis Breithaupt was very well-informed," writes Susan Mavor, head of the library's Special Collections. The diary entries show how quickly information (accurate or otherwise) travelled even a century ago.

Monday, April 15, 1912 - Mr. Taylor of M. I. & Co. Northampton Engd. here to-day. It is
reported that the White Star Line's fine new ship "Titanic" has foundered at sea in the North Atlantic after striking an iceberg.

Tuesday, April 16, 1912 - To Toronto. Very cold & raw. It is to-day reported that the "Titanic"
is being towed to Halifax disabled. Can. Conference is being held this week at Campden.

Wednesday April 17, 1912 - To Guelph Spring fair. The "Titanic" is lost with over 1600 souls on board. The papers are full of the accounts of this the greatest marine disaster in history.

Friday April 19, 1912 - To Toronto. Bot. from Mess. Robins Ltd. 12 lots on Arundel Av. @ 24.00 per ft. at which they are said to be very cheap. To Peterboro to-night. "Carpathia" arrd. at N. Y. with survivors of the "Titanic."

Wednesday May 8, 1912 - Several hundred of the bodies of victims of the "Titanic" disaster
have been found floating in the sea, were recovered & brought to land. Among these are the bodies of millionaire John Jacob Astor of N. Y. & Chas. M. Hays, Pst. G. T. R. of Montreal.

Transcriptions and translations of Breithaupt's diaries are available in the Doris Lewis Rare Book Room.

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Notes on this unlucky day

A “General Public” E-waste Green Day drop off is being held tomorrow, Saturday April 14, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at Central Stores on 263 Phillip Street.

Items accepted for e-waste pickup include CRT/LCD monitors, scanners, computers and computer peripherals (including keyboards and mice), VCRs, copiers, TVs and DVD players, laptops, stereos and speakers, cell phones, printers and their cartridges, and microwave ovens.

This event closes the ten-day departmental e-waste campaign that began April 2. This is the third year of the campaign.

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