Daily Bulletin

UW ranks first among applicants

Out of a total applicant pool (to UW) of 17,000 Ontario high school students, 6,109 named Waterloo as their first choice school, according to statistics released this week by the Ontario Universities' Application Centre in Guelph.

UW has a first-year enrolment target of 4,010 students, an increase from 3,735 last year, as a result of admitting more computer science and computer engineering students.

"In the last two years, we've experienced a 20-per-cent increase in first choices. That tells us it's a very committed pool of students who are choosing us," said Peter Burroughs, director of admissions.

Overall, total high school applications to UW jumped by 29.1 per cent this year. Similar increases have been experienced at a number of institutions, with a system-wide increase in applications of 26.4 per cent, Burroughs said. But that probably relates to the fact that this year, for the first time, students are being allowed to choose more than three universities on their initial application versus a supplementary application last year. So the overall percentage increase takes into account students who are choosing universities at every choice level, including those beyond the first three choices.

"That shows even more why the number one choices, and second and third choices, are so important," he noted. "We're getting the message out on the quality of education available here."

Applications to UW's six faculties all rose significantly. Arts leads the way this year with an overall jump of 47.3 per cent. Other faculties: Science, 25.1 per cent higher; Applied Health Sciences, 29.7 per cent; Engineering, 13.3 per cent; Environmental Studies, 34 per cent; and Mathematics, 29.1 per cent.

Why are students flocking to make UW their number one choice? Tina Roberts, director of undergraduate recruitment and publications, says it has a lot to do with knowing who Waterloo appeals to.

"We are conducting research and using our findings to target those students who we believe will succeed at Waterloo and enjoy their experience here," said Roberts. UW's message to students is embodied in all of its recruitment initiatives. That message, based on extensive research, shows that students choose Waterloo for its excellent reputation -- UW has ranked no. 1, best overall, in every Maclean's magazine reputational survey for the last seven years in a row -- as well as the quality of its programs, the co-op system of study, and the employment opportunities for Waterloo graduates.

"We've received rave reviews on our recruitment publications and high school presentations," Roberts said. "And students and their parents seem to know what we do well here and what we're all about."

Burroughs said the increase this year in arts applications, particularly to UW's new Arts and Business program, is exciting. "Everyone has been working very hard to show potential students that our arts programs are top notch, and that Waterloo is a multi-dimensional university . . . that incorporates technology in all areas of study."

Architecture students take Toronto and Chicago and the Yucatan...

The students are all involved in a new trilateral exchange program between the UW school of architecture and five other schools of architecture in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

The students will each complete three projects that explore multicultural and cross-cultural situations in the Greater Toronto Area. One involves documenting their exploration of some part of Toronto within the confines of a box, such as an old lab cabinet or computer shell. Next, they design and build a one-to-ten scale model of a living space to accommodate the life and work of one person. The third project is to design a multi-dwelling building for 10 to 100 people based on one of several sites across the city.

The studio will wind up on April 15 with representatives of the member schools attending a show and review of the projects, followed by a symposium on April 16 to discuss the term's work.

The promotion of post-secondary educational exchanges between the three NAFTA partners was one of the key elements of the free trade agreement. A program for student mobility between Canada, the United States and Mexico has been in place for three years. Funded equally by the member states, it challenges universities to form consortia to create specific learning opportunities and promote cultural and economic cooperation across North America.

The school of architecture at UW is the Canadian lead institution in a consortium which has received funding from the three governments to offer a series of cross-cultural design studios. In each country there are two schools involved; the second Canadian partner is the University of Manitoba. The American schools are the University of Illinois at Chicago and Mississippi State University, and, from Mexico, Universidad Metropolitana Azcapotzalco (Mexico City) and Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan (Merida).

UW's grant of $120,000 from human resources development Canada will provide scholarships to Canadian students travelling to institutions in the United States and Mexico and assist in supporting an exchange of faculty members to act as critics and instructors at partner institutions. Over a three-year period some 20 Canadian students will travel to the US and Mexico; twice that number will visit Waterloo and Manitoba.

Over the three years of the agreement each school in the consortium will offer one special cross cultural studio that will deal with a cultural or social condition particular to the host region and will involve roughly equal numbers of visitors and students from the host school.

In Chicago students will work with city administration on housing in Hispanic neighbourhoods. In Mississippi the studio theme will be rural housing, with students involved in the actual building experience. Mexico City is offering a studio on urban rehabilitation while Merida will deal with design in historic contexts. While they are in Manitoba, students will work on a housing project for aboriginal people in Churchill, Manitoba: a real Canadian experience, especially for the visitors from Mexico and Mississippi.

The UW studio began this January under the direction of Donald McKay, associate professor of architecture, assisted by adjunct instructor Kenneth Hayes. Fifteen students are taking part: five from the United States, four from Mexico, five Waterloo students, and a German exchange student who is taking the studio as a Waterloo student.

For UW, the relationship with the University of Illinois at Chicago is a natural since architecture students have been travelling to the Windy City for the past thirty years. There is also a substantial market for co-op placements in the Chicago area. Mississippi State is one of the pioneers of the integration of computers in the design studio and has experience in direct student involvement in construction. UW already has good connections in Mexico: four Mexican students have spent a term in the school in the past two years while a UW student has done an option studio in Mexico.

Haldenby believes the enthusiasm of all the partners will lead to a series of excellent projects, exhibitions and publications and to the burgeoning of a truly international perspective in the education and practice of architecture in North America. (Updated from an article in ES Chronicle, March 1998)

UW architects of distinction

A barrier designed by the team lead by UW architecture professor Dereck Revington has been selected by the City of Toronto as part if its effort to bring about an end to a tragic chapter in the history of the Bloor Street Viaduct. The fence project was executed in collaboration with one of Canada's most distinguished structural engineers, Morden Yolles and recent UW architecture grads Cathy Velikov and Geoff Thun.

Students say NO to higher fees

The Feds executive elected in Tuesday and Wednesday polls are: Christine Cheng, president; Veronica Chau, vice president (education); Chris Harold, vice president (internal); and Jason Risley, vice president (student issues). Josh Doig was acclaimed as vice president (administration and finance). The new team takes office May 1. Voter turnout was 16.6 per cent, up from 12.5 per cent last year.

Fire talk, nudity heat up campus

UW civil engineering professor Jon Sykes has been an expert witness in three U.S. cases in which plaintiffs allege their cancers were caused by groundwater contamination. He will speak on his experience in A Civil Action, a civil and environmental engineering seminar today in Carl Pollock Hall room 3374 at 11:30 a.m.

In co-op and career services today, employers are invited to get Inside the Fire with UW mechanical engineering professor Beth Weckman as part of the "Chew on This" series of informal noon hour talks. The session runs from noon to 1 p.m. in Needles Hall room 3004. From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., students are invited to improve their interview skills by attending a Selling Your Skills workshop in Needles Hall room 1020. Menasco Aerospace will be on hand to meet with graduating mechanical engineering students at an employer information session today from 5 to 7 p.m. in Davis Centre room 1304.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, there's a new club on campus. The Naturists of Waterloo (NOW) will meet for the first time this evening at 7 in Math and Computer room 4058. With the goal of promoting "natural nudity in a social, open context," the club's activities could include skinny dips in the PAC pool, yoga, tai chi, volleyball, "or anything else of interest to members."

RayGun, a software to remove the hiss from audio tapes, and the clicks and pops from vinyl records will be the topic of tonight's Waterloo Region Macintosh Users' Group, which meets at 7 at the New Dawn School on Fairfield Avenue in Kitchener.

Co-op students living in the Toronto area during a work term can meet their friends for a pint at the Toronto WatPub. For more information, contact organizers at watpub99@geocities.com.

It takes two to tango says a "friendly little reminder" from the UW Spanish Club, which offers tango lessons starting Sunday, February 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. The lessons at PAC studio 2 run for six weeks and cost $20.

The St. Jerome's University Graduates' Association is calling for nominations for this year's community service award, which will be presented at awards night on March 27. The award recognizes a St. Jerome's student or resident for a commitment to community service beyond the campus. Nomination forms are available from the student union office, from Donna in reception, or from Dave in room 212. The deadline for nominations is March 1.

A six-week series of retirement workshops, "Bridging the Gap", start on Tuesday, March 2 and Tuesday, May 4 at the Rockway Centre, 1405 King Street East, in Kitchener. For information or to register, phone 741-2507.

And there's good news from the Warriors men's basketball courts, reports Martin Timmerman: "After a struggling start to the OUA West season, Waterloo has turned up the offense and has three wins in their last four games. Last night Waterloo defeated the neighbouring Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 94-76."

Barbara Elve
bmelve@uwaterloo.ca

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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