Thursday, January 13, 1994

STUDENT MOURNED:  The flags at the University Avenue entrance to campus are
at half-staff this morning in respect for the memory of Michael H. Smith,
a fourth-year math accounting and computer science student, who died
Sunday.  The funeral service is being held at 1:30 today at the Armstrong
Funeral Home in his home town of Port Colborne, Ontario.

STAFF ACTIVITY:  In the next couple of days every "academic support
staff" member -- people who are neither faculty nor union members -- will
be receiving a copy of a new form.  The Staff Activity Form is a single
sheet on which a staff member can summarize the year's "challenges and/or
accomplishments", changes in the job, and other activity.  It's intended
to be given to the staff member's manager as background for use in the
performance appraisal interview.  The new form, worked out by the staff
compensation committee (which has equal representation from management
and the staff association), was introduced at a meeting of department
heads yesterday.  Each staff member's 1994 copy will be coming individually
addressed, along with a letter from the compensation committee explaining
what it's for.

CAUTION ON TONER:  This message comes from Duane Cook of the purchasing
department:  "We have just been advised that a company called New Image 
Business Supply Centre is making telephone solicitations to university 
personnel trying to convince them to buy toner cartriges for their laser 
printers. I don't know all the details, but anyone that orders directly from 
this company, without going through the purchasing department, will likely run 
into problems."

FOR CO-OP STUDENTS:  Today's the last chance for co-op students returning
from work terms to attend a presentation about the changes to co-op
placement procedures that are being introduced this term.  (See also a
major article on the subject in yesterday's Gazette.)  The last of
three sessions on the subject, organized by the co-op department, takes
place from 4:30 to 5:30 today in Engineering Lecture Hall room 101.
First time co-op students will have the process explained to them during 
their regular Co-op Development seminars. 

MEMORIAL ASSEMBLY:  An event tomorrow afternoon will remember James and Diane
Ohi, who were killed in an automobile accident last August 6.  Jim Ohi 
was a PhD student in electrical and computer engineering; Diane Ohi was a 
systems design engineering graduate.  An award is being set up in their
memory, and details will be announced at tomorrow's "memorial assembly",
which begins at 1:30 p.m. in Davis Centre room 1302.

RETIREMENT RECEPTION:  Esther Kipp, well known from her years in the dean
of arts office and more recently in the school of optometry, is about to
retire.  In her honour, a wine and cheese reception is scheduled for next
Thursday, January 20.  Friends wanting to attend should be in touch with
Nancy Yoworski (ext. 4062) or Grace Rockel (ext. 6321) not later than
Monday.

Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs
credmond@watserv1    ext. 3004