Daily Bulletin

Monday, January 12, 1998

University of Waterloo • Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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Bouldering, curling and taping

And never mind the joke about the fellow who tried to enter the fencing competition with a roll of barbed wire. All these things are athletics, folks, along with tai chi, basketball skills, weight training, dancing and archery. And this is the week to sign up for programs in them all, from the lovable folks at campus recreation.

If you're registered as a student this term, you're already a "member" of the campus recreation program. If not, you need to buy a membership; the rate for a term is $64.20 for staff and faculty, $26.75 for co-op students who aren't registered this term. (The purple "Incredible Campus Recreation Guidebook" has the fine print.) Then you need to sign up for the programs you want, divided into clubs, leagues, and instructional programs.

Registration for instructional programs -- canoeing, lifeguard training, squash, bike maintenance, badminton -- starts tomorrow, when "tickets" are available from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the "red north" corner of the Physical Activities Complex. Each ticket is for a specific registration time, Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday, and that's the hour at which the ticket-holder can actually sign up for activities (and pay with cash, cheque or WatCard flex account). Late registration, for programs that have any space left, will be held Thursday.

The budget cycle begins

The senate finance committee has been called to meet on January 22, but the provost says he won't have a 1998-99 budget for it to consider. "I don't know if by then we will have any clarification of what the tuition announcement means," said Jim Kalbfleisch on Friday, "but it's time to get started."

The January 22 meeting will go through a general discussion of how UW organizes its $270 million a year in spending, and will get an update on finances for the 1997-98 budget year, which runs through April 30. By the time the committee meets again February 24, there may be enough information about government-controlled tuition fees for a budget to be presented.

High school curriculum revised

The Ontario education minister, David Johnson, announced on Friday that

Ontario's new four-year high school program will place greater emphasis on student skills in math, language, and science and will promote responsible citizenship.
"Our government is committed to a quality high school program that will improve student achievement and prepare students for success in a highly competitive global economy," said Johnson. "These reforms will build on the new elementary school curriculum to ensure rigour throughout Ontario's education system." . . .
To graduate, all students will be required to complete 30 credits. Of these, 18 credits will be compulsory, which is two more compulsory credits than at present. The remaining 12 credits will be optional and will enable students to pursue individual interests and meet university, college or work requirements. Across the entire secondary program, curriculum will reflect public desire for an increased emphasis on math, language and science, and preparation for responsible citizenship. . . .
In Grades 9 and 10, core courses will be streamed as academic with a focus on theory or applied with an emphasis on applications. Students in Grade 9 will not be locked into a stream. They will be able to switch to the other stream in Grade 10 if they choose. In Grades 11 and 12, courses will be streamed according to the student’s chosen destination, whether university, college, or apprenticeship and work. Joint courses may also be offered.
Other directions for the new high school program which will be based on high standards and accountability include: a requirement for students to complete 40 hours of community involvement prior to graduation; introduction of a high school literacy test prior to the end of Grade 10.

Shots available this afternoon

Meningitis vaccinations for students aged 23 are available from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Student Life Centre. This special clinic is being organized by UW in response to requests; it's not part of the mass vaccination organized by local health authorities. There is a $20 charge, except for students who are covered by the health insurance plan.

For the next few days, other activities at health services will be affected because staff are working at the vaccination clinics. Allergy shots and routine immunizations will be available between 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. Birth control pills will be dispensed between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. And from 2:00 p.m. until closing at 5:00 p.m., doctors will be working without the assistance of the nurses, who will be at the Student Life Centre giving shots.

Says director Barbara Schumacher: "Those who have urgent medical problems and need to see a physician should come to health services, where we will have a receptionist working from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (our regular hours). We expect that the phone lines will be congested. Individuals looking for laboratory results or health information are requested to call ext. 2424 from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.

"We wish to thank the UW community for their understanding and cooperation with health services while we make adjustments to our regular routine to meet the needs of the meningitis alert."

Other news of a cold Monday

The memorial service for Muthu Chandrashekar of the department of systems design engineering, who died January 4, will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages building. (Parking is in lot H.)

Career development seminars continue in Needles Hall. Tomorrow: "Interview Skills, Preparing for Questions", at 10:30 in NH room 1020. "View and discuss taped excerpts of actual interviews," says Tanya Darisi of the co-op and career services department, describing the free session, which is intended for "all students (co-op and regular)". Wednesday, same place and same hour: "Gain the Competitive Edge, Know the Employer".

The University Committee on Information Systems and Technology has announced two open meetings for discussion of the proposed statement on use of computing and communications facilities. They will be held January 21 at 12:15 and January 27 at 3:30, both in Needles Hall room 3001.

And . . . Federation president Mario Bellabarba insists that, contrary to what I said in this Bulletin on Friday, he never was president of the Engineering Society, "although I was the POETS Pub manager for a term, which is the next best thing."

Other campuses still shiver

University buildings are among those being put to use as emergency shelters in eastern Ontario and southern Québec in the wake of last week's horrendous ice storm. In devastated Kingston, where thousands of ancient trees were taken down by the weight of ice, knocking out hydro power to most of the city, the University Centre and gymnasium at Queen's University are serving as shelters. University classes are cancelled today and offices closed.

In Montréal, the Université de Montréal has opened a shelter in its athletics centre; McGill University is running shelters both downtown and at its west-end Macdonald campus. Hydro power in Montréal is still iffy, and Hydro-Québec asked major institutions, including the universities, to remain closed for at least another day. All the downtown universities seem to have been knocked off the Internet over the weekend. At least one McGill faculty member is keeping busy, though: Lawrence Mysak did a video report for CBC Newsworld explaining the science behind the storm.

Things are getting back to normal just a little faster in Ottawa, where both Carleton University and the University of Ottawa are expected to reopen today, although schools are still closed.

CAR

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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