Daily Bulletin

Monday, November 24, 1997

University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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Boy, it's cold out there

Snow on the ground brings jingle bells to mind, and a glance at the calendar confirms it: we're now within a month of the Christmas and New Year's holidays. I notice that there's already a Christmas tree twinkling in the Engineering Society office!

Here's a reminder that the last operating day for UW offices and services will be Monday, December 22; the place will reopen Friday, January 2.

During the holiday period, emergency services will be maintained, of course, and there are some special events and activities. If your department has anything happening over the ten-day break, I'd appreciate hearing the details as soon as possible, for listing in the Gazette and Daily Bulletin.

Before Christmas, however, comes the busy end of the fall term: the last day of classes is next Tuesday, December 2, and exams run December 5 through 19.

A snowy Monday is a good time, I guess, to remind people that UW has a pretty clear rule about closing in times of serious bad weather. The procedure -- which is available in full on UWinfo -- says this:

UW will close automatically if the Waterloo County Board of Education closes all its schools for the day. If the school board closes rural schools only, or cancels school buses but does not close schools, UW is not closed.
UW follows the school board's lead in these cases because the board has a longstanding system for evaluating weather conditions and announcing its decision. UW classes -- including those in the evening -- will be cancelled along with all non-essential services. Non-essential staff will not be expected to come to work.
Examinations that are scheduled on the day or the evening of a closing because of bad weather will be can celled and rescheduled. Deadlines for assignments, job applications and other requirements are postponed to the same time on the next working day.
Radio stations that can be expected to carry announcements include CKGL (570), CKKW (1090), CHYM (96.7) and KOOL-FM (105.3), as well as UW's own student station, CKMS (100.3 FM). The university's news bureau will try to arrange to have UW mentioned explicitly, but staff, faculty and students can assume that if a complete closing of Board of Education schools is announced, UW has also closed.

Even snow that doesn't close the campus has to be cleared away, and Tom Galloway of the plant operations department says there's a need for extra snow shovellers again this winter. The job pays $8.10 an hour. Anybody interested should show up at the General Services Complex (the grounds crew entrance, inside the quadrangle) at 7:30 any morning after a snowfall, ready to work. Shovels are provided.

After the chaos -- organization

Things must be settling down around here, after the turmoil of the past couple of years, with hundreds of retirements and dozens of people moving into new jobs. The university secretariat last week issued a thick set of organization charts, to be inserted in the ring-punched Policies and Procedures manuals that are maintained in all departments.

From chart #1, with chancellor Val O'Donovan at the top and the deans and other bigwigs arrayed across the bottom, to chart #19.3 showing the hierarchy in the security department, the charts give a quick reference to who reports to whom and runs what. "The intent of the charts," a covering memo notes, "is not to provide full detail of the organization, but to indicate where functional responsibilities lie. For that reason, they do not extend to all areas of the organization in depth." In particular, they deal mostly with administrative departments, although there are charts for the six faculties that do note the names of the department chairs.

Users will be especially grateful for the charts outlining departments that have been much reorganized in the past year -- such as #7 (information systems and technology), #9.3 (co-op education and career services), and #9.7 (the registrar's office).

The charts provide a reminder of some jobs that haven't been filled in UW's structure but are still officially in existence -- including associate vice-president (academic), director of purchasing, director of central stores, and manager of alumni affairs.

About the professional allowance

A memo is going out today from the provost to all faculty members, reminding them about this year's changes in the "professional allowance", a fund for the purchase of books, computers and other such expenses. Says the memo:

Under the salary agreement between the University and the Faculty Association, the annual Faculty Professional Allowance has been increased to $1200 effective May 1, 1997. Also, eligible expenses can now be carried forward for up to three years.
Please note that the carry forward provision applies to eligible expenses, not to any unspent balance. For instance, if you were to submit receipts for eligible expenses of $2,000 in 1997-98, you would receive reimbursement of $1200 from your 1997-98 Professional Allowance and could carry forward the remaining $800 in expenses for reimbursement in 1998-99. However, if you claim less than $1200 in 1997-98, there will be no carry forward of the amount not spent.
As in previous years, the necessary forms will be forwarded to you in April.

The memo says questions can be directed to Betty Toews of the finance office, ext. 3946.

What's happening this week

Today, first of all:

An information session about the master's program in finance is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in Math and Computer room 5158 -- "a very high quality selective program" operated jointly by three departments.
Presentations and a video about orangutan research are on the program for an Anthropology Club event tonight, starting at 7:30 in Arts Lecture room 124. It's free. "Insulated Anthropology beverage mugs and rare calendars featuring the personal primate photograph collection of Dr. Zeller will be available for purchase. Baked goods, beverages and refreshments will also be available."
The Waterloo Advisory Council, representing employers of co-op students and UW graduates, holds its fall meeting on campus this evening and all day tomorrow. This evening WAC will hear from two speakers: fourth-year math student Graham Crate, chair of the Students Advising Co-op group, and Hubert Saint-Onge, a senior vice-president of the Mutual Group.

Looking ahead, the big party of the week is "A Celebration of Achievement", Thursday evening at the Columbia Recreation Complex. It's a wind-up for Campaign Waterloo, which was launched five years ago to bring in $85 million for the university. I don't think it's any secret that the target was more than reached, but details will presumably be announced with fanfare on Thursday.

The staff association will hold its annual craft fair in the Davis Centre Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

And the fine arts department has a silent auction, sale of miniature artwork, and open house on Friday from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. There will be a cash bar and refreshments.

CAR

TODAY IN UW HISTORY November 23, 1976: The vice-president (academic) announces that after a faculty vote, J. S. Minas is being appointed to another term as dean of arts.

November 24, 1972: A plaque is erected at the Minota Hagey Residence honouring Dorothea Walter, retired dean of women. November 24, 1973: Basketball centre Mike Moser scores 52 points against Sir George Williams University to set a CIAU record.

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca -- (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
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