3 and 5 are the new magic numbers

The recent announcement that the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has lowered the cap on tuition increases to 3 per cent for undergraduate programs and 5 per cent for graduate and professional programs (from 5 and 8 percent previously) has prompted Finance - Student Accounts to add a special note in their usual communications to students about the status of their fees.

It's timely too because fees for the Spring term were posted Friday. Students can access their statements by logging into Quest, going to Student Centre, and then clicking "Finances" and "Account Inquiry." By clicking "Spring 2013" students can view their detailed bill for the Spring 2013 term.

Students are being informed that because of the new tuition framework, announced March 28, their fees for the Spring term will be adjusted in June, pending the approval of the Board of Governors. The message from Student Accounts indicates that students will be notified at that time to check their accounts in case any additional payments are required.

It's also possible that bursary award funding for undergraduates and award funding for graduate students, such as the International Doctoral Students and Masters Students Awards may need to be modified.

Exchange and Study Abroad students will need to refer to their admission documents for specific fee and payment information applicable to their particular situation.

Undergraduate students of all stripes will need to become Fees Arranged by April 29 in order to gain access to course material on LEARN on the first day of lectures, which is May 6. As always, there are two ways to be granted that illustrious status - a promissory note or full payment by certified cheque, money order or bank draft, international or Western Union wire transfer.

The Student Accounts website has more information.

 

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New starts in Optometry and Vision Science

Professor Paul Murphy began his appointment as the School of Optometry and Vision Science’s director on Monday April 1.

Dr. Murphy is an optometrist (Cardiff), with a PhD (Glasgow) in ocular surface sensation and a postgraduate certificate in tertiary level teaching methods. He is both a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Fellow of the British Contact Lens Association. Prior to arriving in Waterloo, Dr. Murphy was Reader and Director of Teaching at the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences (Cardiff).

According to a statement issued by the school to mark Murphy's arrival, outgoing interim director Professor Marlee Spafford began an appointment as associate dean of science, undergraduate studies on April 1.

Murphy's appointment was announced in November 2012.

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Tomorrow, a day for brains

The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience will be hosting its annual Brain Day tomorrow in room 2083 of the Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology building (PAS).

"The brain is one of the most complicated physical systems we know," says a statement from the Centre. "It will take experts across diverse fields to unravel its mysteries."

Enter Brain Day, which "gathers four internationally renowned researchers across four disciplines (psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, and computation) to provide accessible lectures on their current work."

This year, the speakers are:

• Psychology: Daniel Schacter of Harvard University, "Constructive memory and imagining the future";
• Philosophy: Owen Flanagan of Duke University, "Why the hard problem of consciousness is not so hard";
• Neuroscience: Paul Glimcher of New York University, "The neurobiology of decision"; and
• Computation: Wolfgang Maass of Graz University of Technology, "Does the brain play dice?"

All faculty and graduate students are welcome to attend the day-long event, which begins with refreshments at 8:30 a.m. in PAS 1241, and concludes with a reception at 4:15 p.m. in PAS 2464.

The event, now in its 7th year, is sponsored by the Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, the Cognitive Science program, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Arts.

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Meetings and other miscellany

The Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW) will be holding its spring general meeting tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in MC 4059.

The faculty association is also offering Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee workshops on April 9 and 10, including:

• Faculty recently hired to their first probationary term on Tuesday, April 9 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., MC 4059
• Applying for promotion to full professor, Tuesday, April 9, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., MC 4059
• Faculty applying for probationary contract renewal in 2013, Wednesday, April 10, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., QNC 1502
• Faculty applying for tenure in 2013, Wednesday, April 10, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., QNC 1502

The FAUW website has more details about the workshops.

 

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