Monday, July 5, 1993 THE SOCIAL CONTRACT: UW department heads and other leaders are getting a memo this morning from president James Downey and provost Jim Kalbfleisch, inviting them to an "information session" about the Social Contract, to be held Wednesday at 10:45 (Needles Hall 3001). They can send substitutes if they aren't able to attend in person. Kalbfleisch is in the process of moving into the provost's office, having officially taken office July 1. He says he will use Wednesday's meeting to reassure the campus about what's the worst that can happen in UW's payroll-cutting. "It won't be pleasant, but we can do it," he said about the cutting that must be done for the rest of the 1993-94 fiscal year. Just after that meeting, at 12 noon on Wednesday in Arts Lecture 113, the staff association will hold an information session on the same subject for all interested staff members. The Social Contract Act is making its way through the Ontario legislature. A large sheaf of amendments was introduced by the government on Wednesday. Among them is a clarifying of the "low-income cut-off", the protection for people who earn less than $30,000 a year. The amendment makes it clear that the no-loss provision applies to people whose actual (not "annualized") pay is under $30,000. Among the groups now clearly exempt from Social Contract cuts will be graduate students who work as teaching assistants. NEWCOMERS ON CAMPUS: Several children's programs are beginning at UW today, including the Arts Computer Experience, Engineering Science Quest, and Heritage Experience -- so that explains all those short people in T-shirts. Also arriving today are about the students enrolled in eight "summer session" courses that run for one, two or three intensive weeks. All the courses (in psychology, religious studies, social work, peace and conflict studies, and marriage and the family) are being offered at the church colleges. There are 312 students registered for them, the registrar's office says. That's a far cry from the thousands -- mostly schoolteachers -- who would come to universities for July-August courses fifteen years ago. Of course, there are also dozens of arts courses in the "spring" (May-August) term. Chris Redmond Information and Public Affairs credmond@watserv1 ext. 3004