![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Friday |
Monday, April 14, 2003
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Thumbs up]](/images/2003/0414cfi.gif)
Giving the high sign to UW research at Friday's ceremony was Karen Redman, Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre. |
Money from the fund provides infrastructure support to newly recruited faculty members (those in their first full-time academic appointments). "The grants allow them to undertake leading-edge research," a news release explains, "and enable institutions to recruit new faculty members in the areas identified as priorities in their strategic plans."
Andrew Telegdi, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, was among those bursting with pride on Friday. "Today's announcement," he said, "means the University of Waterloo will boost its research infrastructure, which will allow it to better compete as an international leader and in turn, bring benefits to the local community and the region."
David Strangway, president of the federally-funded foundation, said CFI "is pleased to support these New Opportunities researchers, which will contribute to the development of world-class expertise at the University of Waterloo."
And UW president David Johnston declared that "This investment in UW assists us to attract and retain high-calibre researchers, especially those who have recently launched their careers, while boosting our research infrastructure."
Among the UW researchers being assisted under the New Opportunities program:
A complete list of the 55 grant recipients -- grouped under 27 projects -- is available on the UW media relations web site.
Most of the policy isn't new -- such as rules about recruitment, probationary periods, promotion, transfer, termination, disability, and the elimination of jobs because of changes in the university. Those sections mostly date from 1995.
The changes are in the section on discipline, and in a new passage that defines what records are kept on file in the human resources department. Says a brief preface:
The Staff Relations Committee has made modifications to this Policy to describe what is and isn't contained in staff members' employment files (formerly referred to as Human Resource files; addition of Appendix C), and has clarified the information contained in Section V.B., Stages of Disciplinary Action, vis-a-vis the length of time disciplinary letters are kept and, for potential candidates for a position, the situation under which disciplinary letters are disclosed to a hiring manager.The major change is the new appendix defining an "Employment File" for a staff member: "Located in and maintained by Human Resources, the File is a collection of documents relevant to the staff member's employment at the University of Waterloo. Staff members have access to their own File (subject to the Protection of Privacy & Freedom of Information Guidelines) to verify the accuracy of the contents, request removal of items, and add explanatory comments and materials. Staff members may challenge, under Policy 36, the inclusion of any item in the File. The material in the File will be the primary resource used in decisions respecting the employment of regular staff members of the University of Waterloo."
The file is to include "performance appraisals from the last five years" as well as any disciplinary letters, and any documents required by the government.
"Medical information," says the new policy, "is kept in a separate confidential file accessible only by the University's Medical Director or the HR Disability Advisor." The employment file is also not to include "anonymous, undated or unsigned material".
A draft of the revised policy was made public for comment on campus earlier this year.
| Correction: the barbecue is Tuesday, not today |
Tomorrow morning, members of the President's Circle (an association of high-rolling individual donors to UW) will have breakfast in South Campus Hall and hear a presentation from Paul Parker of the Residential Energy Efficiency Project. Last-minute information: the development office, ext. 4973.
At noontime tomorrow, the faculty and staff credit union presents a talk on "What Is Estate Planning and Why Do I Need One?" RSVPs go to ext. 3574.
Columnist and author Russell Smith will give a reading at 1:30 tomorrow in room 2118A of the Co-op and Career Services building -- sponsored by the Germanic and Slavic department.
And here's a reminder that Wednesday is the deadline for nominations for 2003-04 positions on the staff association executive.
CAR