Daily Bulletin, Thursday, May 19, 1994

RESEARCH NEWS:  Just off the press is the first issue of the Office of
Research Newsline, a quarterly newsletter to be published from UW's research
office.  This issue includes reports on the five-year plan issued by the
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and on grants to UW faculty
from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (twelve new
grants this year, for a total of $532,046 over three years; 51 faculty
members altogether receiving SSHRC support this year).

Also of interest: the newsletter announces creation of an "ad hoc committee
to solicit and help prepare nominations for national and international
awards and fellowships".  The committee, "composed of outstanding academics
who have a broad view of excellence and experience in the peer adjudication
process", is supposed to find and groom candidates for top prizes such as
the Steacie Fellowships from NSERC and the Killam awards from SSHRC.
Maria Anagnos in the research office does the paperwork for the committee.

DIRTY SECRET:  The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that a team from
Waterloo was the winner, from among 104 entries, at the annual Oozfest
at the State University of New York at Buffalo recently.  The competition
involves volleyball played in knee-deep mud.  I haven't heard of this
sport before, let alone a championship team from UW -- you learn something
new every day.

PENSION MEETING:  A memo went out across campus this week, and there was
also a note in yesterday's Gazette: staff and faculty members interested in
the pension and benefits plan should mark May 31 on the calendar.  On that
Tuesday, starting at 9 a.m., the pension and benefits committee is having
an "information session" about the pension fund investments, the level of
premiums, UW's health benefits, and other issues.  The meeting takes place
in Needles Hall room 3001.  In a memo to department chairs and heads, the
provost -- who also chairs the P&B committee -- asks them to post notice of
the meeting.  "A number of plan members," he writes, "have expressed interest
in the recent decision of the Committee (i.e., a further one-year reduction
in contribution levels), as well as the ongoing review of insured benefits."

STRIKE CONTINUES:  At Queen's University, food services workers have now
been on strike for more than a month.  Canadian Union of Public Employees
local 229 was formerly a union of university employees, but Queen's now
contracts out its food services, and the staff work for Marriott Corporation
rather than for Queen's.  However, union spokesmen say the administration
at Queen's is supporting the employer -- by hiring security guards, and
by getting injunctions against various forms of picketing and protesting
on university property.  The strongest injunction was one that expired on
May 2; Queen's officials say it was intended to prevent strike-related
demonstrations from disturbing students during final exam time.  Arguments
have gone before the Ontario Labour Relations Board on whether the Queen's
campus is "private property to which the public normally has access", 
meaning that picketing is allowed there, or whether Queen's has the right
to bar demonstrators.

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
888-4567 ext. 3004      credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca