Daily Bulletin

Student contributions to the Waterloo Environmental Studies Endowment Fund have helped provide digital cameras, woodworking equipment, coffee shop renovations, and now a van to be used for ES field trips. Alumni and student members of the WESEF board -- Clwedd Burns, Ken De Souza, Dulce Da Silva and Erin Forster -- posed with the vehicle for the latest issue of the ES Chronicle. The photo is by UW Graphics.

ES announces 'Big Banana Challenge' -- from the ES Chronicle newsletter for alumni

The decision to embark on this undertaking was based on the enthusiastic support by students of the Waterloo Environmental Studies Endowment Fund (WESEF). This fund has been in place for almost three years and students have made voluntary contributions each term to enhance the learning environment in the Faculty. The Grad Challenge builds on this commitment by requesting graduating students to continue to support the Faculty as alumni. Their donations during this initial three-year pledge will be earmarked for WESEF. Grad Class Giving Programs currently operate most successfully in a number of other Faculties at UW and ES students followed these examples.

The challenge has been named "The Big Banana Challenge". For the uninformed, those alumni who graduated earlier than a few years ago, the "Big Banana" is "the highlight" of Orientation Week in September -- the "not-to-be-missed party" for students entering the Faculty of Environmental Studies. Don't even ask -- the meaning is completely obscure to most people -- but catchy! The Organizing Committee thought so the name of a meaningful event as students began their programs in the Faculty and a memory that will resonate as they leave FES to begin their careers.

Also initiated this year, was a Graduating Class Reception, hosted by the Dean. Held in the Laurel Room of South Campus Hall, drinks and hors d'oeuvres were enjoyed by a large turnout of members of the Graduating Class of 2000. The Dean expressed congratulations to the students on their academic accomplishments and good wishes for continued achievement and much future success.

Engineers look at student debt levels -- by Avvey Peters

Among the survey's highlights:

• 50 per cent of respondents say they receive financial assistance from their families.
• More than 90 per cent of students live away from home while they're studying.
• Only 26 per cent have applied for bursaries to help pay schooling costs.
• 38 per cent currently have a student loan.
• Of those with student loans, 24 per cent report a loan between $2,000 and $5,000; 33 per cent report loans between $5,000 and $10,000.
• 18 per cent expect to graduate with debt loads between $5,000 and $10,000; 17 per cent expect to graduate with debt loads between $10,000 and $20,000; 32 per cent expect to graduate debt-free.

Engineering students currently pay the highest fees on campus -- $2,871 per term in tuition and co-op fees, compared with the majority of other co-op students who pay $2,390 per term for those fees. (Computer science students pay $2,677.) The $481 difference is due in part to the province's Access to Opportunities Program. Under ATOP, the university can charge higher fees in high-demand programs like engineering and computer science provided it meets certain enrolment targets.

Stammers says the results of the survey demonstrate a "clear diversity in the financial situations of engineering students. In terms of bursaries and borrowing, the split is fairly even between those who have relied on these tools and those who haven't." In addition, he points out that loan amounts for engineering students are "all over the map" and that, "Overall, many students seem to be doing reasonably well. Others are struggling a bit financially."

Stammers did the survey with the help of volunteers in EngSoc and staff in the dean's office. He says the dean's office plans to monitor multi-year trends in the student debt and student loan arena, by repeating the survey in the future. "If tuition increases for deregulated programs continue to be two, three or several times higher than for regulated programs," he explains, "I suspect that a negative trend in students' financial situations will be seen in the survey results. Multiple years of data will give the dean some ammunition to speak out in support of engineering students should it be observed that financial hardship is becoming more the norm for more and more students."

The talk of the campus

The staff association office will be closed this week and next, a memo advises members. "To purchase discount tickets during that time, please contact Kelly Wilker-Draves, ext. 2796, or Terri McCartney, ext. 2600. For other SA business, please contact Grace Schaefer, ext. 3615, during the week of August 7, or Brad Vogt, ext. 6305, during the week of August 14." Also from the staff association: "We will be selling Ontario Place Fun Passes which include entry to the CNE. The price of the passes is $12 for ages 4 and up. Under 3 are free. (The regular price is $21.) The tickets are valid during the CNE, from August 18 to September 4, and includes admission to Ontario Place grounds, rides and attractions plus entry to the CNE (does not include CNE rides and attractions)."

Who's at the Ron Eydt Village conference centre these days? Winding up today is a rally, some 300 cadets strong, of the St. John Ambulance brigade. Over the coming weekend, a dozen participants in Cavanagh's Developmental Hockey Camp are the only group scheduled.

Here's an opportunity to make the community a better place: "Epilepsy Waterloo Wellington is a non-profit organization that helps the 10,000 individuals in this community who have epilepsy, through counselling, support services and promoting public awareness and understanding of this disorder. You can help by volunteering four hours of your time on August 17, 18 or 19 to sell gladiola flowers. All proceeds go towards providing education and support programs. Call 745-2112."

And from elsewhere in Canada . . . faculty and management at Acadia University (Wolfville, Nova Scotia) have reached a contract agreement that settles not just salaries but an even more controversial issue. Says a news release: "A new clause was introduced which acknowledges faculty members' ownership of intellectual property. The new wording provides a mechanism for the University to work with faculty members to market the learning technologies, which they have developed as part of Acadia Advantage initiative. Both parties also reaffirmed their support of the Acadia Advantage initiative that will reach full implementation in September." That means all Acadia students will have laptops that are used in all their academic work.

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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