Leading the digital media (r)evolution

reprinted with permission from the Office of Development's 2010-2011 Stakeholder Report

Shannon McCluskey (right) knew she wanted to pursue a graduate degree in digital media while building on her marketing and project development skills. Few programs elsewhere hit the mark until she discovered the new Master of Digital Experience Innovation at Waterloo's Stratford Campus.

"This unique degree provided all the skills I wanted to develop and the experience I needed to pursue my dream job. It was a perfect fit," she says.

Shannon is one of the first 17 students admitted to the program and, after only a few weeks, she's inspired by the possibilities it is creating for her future. "I'm already translating ideas into efficient, creative solutions to optimize digital media," she says. "Each student has a unique background, offering different skills and perspectives which translate into more innovative ideas. You can't get this experience anywhere else in the world."

The potential to become a hub for innovation and creativity in the rapidly expanding world of digital media was not lost on the Stratford community. Leaders rallied strong support from all levels of government to create the satellite campus, including a major commitment of funds and land from the City of Stratford. They saw this as an opportunity to make Canada an international player in what is becoming the next new economy. Waterloo-based Open Text, a world leader in enterprise content management, was the leading corporate partner, offering a financial investment as well as resources and staff support.

It's fitting that this unique program grew from a city known for its creativity. "The biggest surprise to me is just how innovative and entrepreneurial-minded everyone is in Stratford and at uWaterloo," says Shannon. "It's a dynamic culture and it's addictive. This is the kind of environment that inspires creativity and teamwork, and will help me launch my career."

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Board decides residence fees, name changes

Increases to residence fees for the 2012/2013 year are on the agenda for approval by the university's board of governors today. The fees are set to rise by three per cent in the student villages, UW Place, Columbia Lake Village, and Minota Hagey residence, while the family residences in Columbia Lake Village will see an increase of 3.1 per cent.

What's not on the agenda, however, are most of the tuition fees for 2012/2013. That's because the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities' current tuition framework expires at the end of 2011/2012. "The new 2012/2013 tuition rates for all programs will be presented for approval at a future meeting once the new tuition framework is received," writes Vice-President, Administration and Finance Dennis Huber.

In the meantime, the board has the opportunity to approve new program fees for the Master of Social Work (MSW) and the Master in Digital Experience Innovation (MDEI). The Master of Social Work is a new professional master's program offered through Renison University College and the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. Domestic tuition has been set at $3,000 per term for full-time students commencing in the fall of 2013, and part-time fees are $1,500 a term, commencing in the fall of 2012. "This rate is similar to rates charged for Master of Social Work programs at other universities," writes Huber. Fees for international students are set at $7,000 for full-time and $3,500 for part-time students.

The Master in Digital Experience Innovation, offered by the Waterloo Stratford campus, is currently set at $5,000 per term for full-time students. The new part-time option announced recently has fees set at $2,500 per term for domestic and international students.

The board is being asked to approve the January 2012 version of the University of Waterloo Endowment Fund Investment Guidelines, which "provide guidelines for the prudent and effective management of the University of Waterloo Endowment Fund," and the January 2012 version of the University of Waterloo Pension Plan Statement of Investment Policies & Procedures, or SIPP.

The board's Pension and Benefits committee also notes that "in light of the current economic conditions and the restrictions imposed by the Public Sector Compensation Restraint to Protect Public Services Act, 2010," the committee did not index the health and dental plan maxima for 2012. "UW's dental plan will move as scheduled to the 2010 dental fee schedule," writes Associate Provost, Human Resources Janet Passmore, who chairs the committee.

The board will also be considering two name changes: The Department of Co-operative Education and Career Services is requesting that its name be changed to The Department of Co-operative Education and Career Action, and the School of Optometry's proposed change to the School of Optometry and Vision Science, which was approved by Senate in November 2011, must be approved by the board to go into effect.

In 2010, Career Services changed its name to the Centre for Career Action (CCA), as part of a larger plan to encourage more students to take advantage of the services and resources available to them and to "counter the misperception" that the centre was only available to co-op students. The motion brings the department's name in line with the renamed centre.

Renaming the School of Optometry "more fully reflects the school's academic programmatic activity," according to Dean of Science Terry McMahon.

The board meeting starts at 2:30 today in Needles Hall room 3001.

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Watch out for that crane, and other notes

Consider yourselves warned: Don Haffner, Major Projects Construction Co-ordinator notes that on Thursday, February 9, a large crane will be on the Ring Road side of Environment 3, parked in the bus bay. It will be used to hoist the framework for EV3's solar panels to the upper roof level. This means that the main entrance to EV3 will be closed and the bus stop location relocated to the south. "Cooper Construction will provide barriers and manpower to redirect pedestrians," writes Haffner. "One lane of the road may be closed, and a flag man will be on site as required."

The "Journalism 101 for scientists" workshop gets underway at 1:00 p.m. today in the Davis Centre (DC 1302, to be exact). The workshop is being led by the Science Media Centre of Canada, a group of journalists who are committed to helping improve coverage of scientific topics in the Canadian mass media. The event is being sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

A Women in Administration Speakers Panel has been organized for March 5 at 3:00 p.m. in the Lyle S. Hallman Institute's Sun Life Auditorium. The faculty association's Status of Women and Equity Committee invites "all women-identified faculty, post-docs, and graduate students to attend a panel discussion and reception featuring women with experience in various levels of administration at Waterloo." Featured panelists include Carolyn Hansson, former vice-president, university research, Susan Horton, Associate Provost, Graduate Studies, Susan Elliott, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Pearl Sullivan, incoming Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and Daniela O'Neill, Associate Chair, Graduate Studies in the Department of Psychology. Registration is requested but not required, and questions about the event can be directed towards Dianna Parry, Chair of the Status of Women and Equity Committee, dcparry @uwaterloo.ca, or extension 33468.

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