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So forget the showers, and think about the hot dogs, which will be served starting at 11:30. The Pandemonium Blues Band will play from 11:30 to 12 noon, and at 12:00 there will be a few speeches in honour of the Community Campaign, which is winding up this spring having achieved its $3 million goal. Master of ceremonies for the day will be Steve Cook of UW's purchasing department, who's a member of the Campaign council.
Then at 12:15, let the games begin: croquet, volleyball, and (I'm not making this up) sandcastle building will be offered. Oh, and there's cake, of course. Everybody's invited.
The budget to be presented by UW's provost, Jim Kalbfleisch, is the one that was approved by the senate finance committee in late April, and recommended by the senate itself, on a split vote, at the May meeting. Says Kalbfleisch in a covering memo:
Budgeting for 1996-97 has been a challenge because there have been so many major changes in only a few months. These include a reduction of nearly $19 million in our operating grant, unprecedented increases in tuition rates, deregulation of tuition fees for international students and their removal from the funding formula, early retirement of 338 faculty and staff, and so on.Most budgets are being reduced by 7% effective May 1, 1996. In addition, departments and Faculties have been asked to plan for a possible further cut of 4% in 1997-98.
The 1996-97 operating budget should be regarded as preliminary because there are still a number of uncertainties. . . . Salary negotiations . . . are still in progress. A number of the income lines (e.g., tuition, interest, contract overhead) are difficult to predict because of the major changes that have occurred. The operating budget will be revised in the Fall when we have better information on both income and expenditures. Additional budget reductions in 1996-97 are still possible.
Titled "Ergonomics '96: Attacking Work Place Issues", the ninth annual event organized by the kinesiology department runs through Thursday, with experts from UW, including the Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, as well as consultants from the private and public sectors.
"Ergonomics is being recognized as one of the most important factors in the occupational environment today as affecting employee injury and illness," said course co-ordinator Betty Bax. "The purpose of the workshop is to equip participants with the knowledge of the principles and skills which will enable them to identify, analyze and deal with ergonomic risks."
The workshop will look at contemporary concepts of occupational ergonomics, particularly issues related to the cause and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace by means of case studies, lectures and workplace examples. Among the topics to be covered are reducing the risk of low back injury, safety management techniques and office ergonomics. Bax can be reached for more information at ext. 2610.
We are doing our best to keep up with arrangements for retirees, but the volume generated by about 300 SERP retirements at once is enormous, in addition to those retiring at their normal date. As much as is humanly possible will be accomplished for July 1st; however, if individuals haven't heard from us yet, they should contact Diane Storey at ext. 5853 to schedule an appointment with someone in Human Resources.And she concludes: "I guess the bottom line is patience; we consider each of their retirement situations to be very important, but we have limits, even with additional help."There are an additional 40 people retiring for September; if they are willing to wait until July for an appointment, it would be appreciated. If they require a meeting before that, we will do our best to fit them in.
Chris Redmond -- credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
Information
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(519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
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