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University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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Friday, April 26, 1996

The last day of the year

In a way, that's what today is: the day UW's bookkeepers and business operations close the books on 1995-96. (Officially, the fiscal year ends April 30, but things are always closed off the last Friday in April.) The bookstore is shut today -- I see staff arriving in their jeans and grubbies to take inventory -- and other departments such as graphic services and plant operations will get similar physical exercise.

Flipping back to last year's financial statement, I see that UW showed $3,425,000 in "inventories" on the last day of 1994-95. That's in addition to some $359 million in permanent assets, including buildings, furniture and books.

New system for the new year

And now, a word or two on behalf of the Financial Systems Project, the long-awaited overhaul of UW's accounting, budgeting and other paperwork. The first visible results of the new system go into effect on May 1 (and remember, May 1 really means this coming Monday, April 29).

Departments got a memo from the FSP people this week, telling them about new forms that are being introduced, with lots of room for the new 31-digit "accounting flexfield" in place of the current 9-digit account number. Here's the word on what people need to know next, from Roy Wagler of the data processing department:

The official day that the University will begin doing business with its new financial system is May 1, but the University community will start using some components such forms and new account numbers (Accounting Flexfields) at the beginning of next week.
By Monday, April 29, all departments will have received a package that shows their old General Ledger account numbers and the corresponding Accounting Flexfields (aka AFF). You should have also received a partial package of new forms that accommodate the AFF.
Starting on Monday, April 29, please use the new AFF's on any forms requiring an account number. If you are unsure of the new AFF, old account numbers will be accepted early in May. Also, if you don't have the new version of a form, the old forms will be accepted.
If you have questions regarding your account numbers, forms or anything else regarding the FSP, several sources of information are available.

By phone:

FSP help line (general) -- 5328
FSP help line (research) -- 5232

By e-mail: fsp-help@mc4adm
Over the next few weeks and months the project team will keep the University community posted regarding changes related to the Financial Systems Project.

A glimpse of royalty

Co-op student Doreen Lukezic will be involved in launching an Internet website with the Prince of Wales at the IBM Canada Ltd. headquarters today. Lukezic, beginning her third year as an operations research major with a minor in computer science, will demonstrate the Canadian Youth Business Foundation website for the prince during his visit to IBM in Markham. As part of her co-op work term at IBM since January, Lukezic has been a member of a team that created the website of about 160 pages.

Prince Charles started the Prince's Youth Business Trust in the United Kingdom about 10 years ago, which has led to the development of youth trusts around the world. The Canadian Youth Business Trust was started earlier this month and IBM is sponsoring the foundation. After the demonstration of the website, Prince Charles will officially launch the program during a multi-media, ribbon-cutting presentation.

Lukezic, who has been working with IBM's Internet/Integration Services, returns to UW next week for the start of the spring term.

The weekend before spring term

Here's a little of what's happening:

The Guelph-Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry holds its "annual meeting, seminar, poster session and awards banquet" today (what, no dancing?). Things are happening in the Davis Centre, rooms 1301 and 1302, starting with the meeting at 2:00. At 4:00 comes the major public event, a lecture by Frances Sharom of the University of Guelph chemistry department, titled "The Cell Membrane and Cancer: Friend or Foe?" Everybody is welcome. The GWC2 dinner, followed by scholarship and prize presentations, is set for 7:30 at the University Club.
A benefit concert for the Food Bank is happening tonight at the St. Agatha Community Centre, with music by The Roadhouse Band from Lulu's. Things start at 8:30. Between sets from the band, there will be a DJ, says Dianne Scheifele of UW's secretariat, the volunteer organizer for this fund-raiser. Tickets (single $9, couple $17 at the door) include a "great lunch", she promises.
Today may be payday, but "TGIP pub night" at the University Club has been moved ahead to tomorrow. The Club promises a buffet from 5 to 8 p.m. and music from 6 to 11, all for $15.95 per person plus tax. Reservations: 888-4088.
The annual "Women Alive" Christian conference brings some 1,300 delegates to the Villages and church colleges over the weekend. It's the first and biggest event of the conference centre season. Next week: a thousand young people from the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.

As for what's not happening this weekend, well, library service heads the list: UW's libraries will be entirely closed Saturday and Sunday.

Can spring be far behind?

Welcome note received yesterday from a faculty member: "On the way in this morning, I noticed momma and pappa duck with 12 or 13 (difficult to count) ducklings in tow, heading for the Health Services pond!"

Chris Redmond -- credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4567 ext. 3004

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