![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
That's the plan, approved by the university's top officials on the recommendation of a "Younger Students Committee" chaired by Catharine Scott, the associate provost (human resources and student services). It included student leaders and representatives from such departments as co-op, health services, residences, counselling and athletics.
"As part of the Double Cohort deliberations," its report explains, "the Younger Students Committee was formed to consider a variety of issues and challenges in dealing with a younger first-year student population, the result of high schools moving to a four-year program. Prior to 2003, the majority of first-year students were 18 (the age of majority) or 19 (legal drinking age). In 2003, most first year students will be either 17 or 18."
The committee says its thinking was "guided by the UW's unique culture and approach to educating students. These recommendations are consistent with UW's emphasis on academics, independence, maturity and responsibility.
"The majority of our students are in co-op programs and find themselves in the workplace within four to eight months after their studies begin at UW. We need, therefore, in our relationships with and expectations of students, to emphasize the importance of choice, responsible behaviour and independence and to continue to rely on the common sense which our students have consistently shown."
Contracts: "There will be no change in the university's position with respect to the signing of contracts (including residence) and students will be held responsible for their behaviour regardless of their age. . . . Having parents sign residence contracts is contrary to the university's philosophy that each student has a responsibility to act as an adult and be treated as an independent person."
Stress: "The academic rigour of UW creates stress for many of our students and expects this will be exacerbated when they arrive on campus a year younger. Special efforts, therefore, need to be made to draw attention to resources such as on-campus help agencies, including personal counselling and tools for success with emphasis on the Study Skills programs and web sites. While students should be well informed, prior to their arrival on campus, about what is expected of them academically, these expectations should be crafted taking into account the stresses created by UW's academic challenges. Support and understanding for these younger students' well being and to ensure their retention must be forthcoming, especially in the Faculties.
"For Residence Life staff a major challenge will be to get students to have fun and socialize (a contrast to the 90s when controlling over-partying was a major concern). Helping these students find balance in their lives will become an on-going task for many of our student services."
Sports safety: "Athletic Directors throughout Ontario universities have been discussing the safety issues which will arise when younger and less physically mature students compete in sports with older, more physically mature students. It will fall to individual varsity coaches to ensure that if inequities of physical strength and skill are present that the appropriate steps are taken. This may mean that first-year students will be confined to the bench more often that at present for their own safety and for the welfare of the team."
Co-op jobs: "The majority of our students are in co-operative education programs and find themselves in the workplace within four to eight months after their studies begin at UW. . . . Discussions with employers, students and faculty members determined that while younger students may experience some difficulty in their first co-op work experience, proper preparation would alleviate the concerns."
Alcohol: "The committee spent most of its time on this issue and initially tended towards a ban on alcohol in residence, at Orientation or any event involving students under age. However, upon further reflection and after discussion with other universities, our own student leaders and research into other universities across Canada who have been dealing with under-age students for some time, the Committee's views changed.
"The Committee decided to recommend, therefore, that the University maintain its current practice with respect to alcohol at student-related university events, Orientation and in residence. This means UW will continue to abide by the law and its policies, follow the prudent practice of ensuring that alcohol related events, as well as alcohol in residence, are well managed, and that moderation is a guiding and fundamental principle."
Banning alcohol from orientation "would imply that alcohol plays a much larger role at these events than it does and can be managed only by absolute measures. For those of legal drinking age, and their numbers will be small, alcohol may be available and its presence should be insignificant.
"In residence, the same reasoning prevails. The committee recommends continued adherence to the laws regarding alcohol. Alcohol is currently not a problem in residence and the incidents involving under-age drinking and over consumption have been few in the last year."
Says its report: "Over the past few years, all student service areas and many Faculties have experienced the increase of parental involvement. In some cases, the involvement has resulted in the problem not being solved [or the student was not involved in solving it] or it has exacerbated an issue, particularly where university discipline has been imposed. It has also meant that instead of the student taking the initiative either to request information or to resolve his/her problem, the parent calls on their child's behalf, fully expecting the university to deal with them. This practice is expected to increase significantly with the arrival of younger students as many parents of this generation have shepherded their children through the double cohort years and are unlikely to relinquish their involvement as their children enter university.
"As well, many parents who are paying for the ever increasing costs of their children's post-secondary education feel entitled to know what is happening to their child and to have a say in matters affecting their child.
"A pamphlet containing both information and guidelines will be developed for UW faculty and staff who are directly involved with students, particularly first year. . . .
"At Student Life 101, Counselling offers a session 'Making the Transition', which is targeted to both parents and students, This session will be expanded to include a piece on parental involvement to assist parents in understanding what responsibilities they need to devolve to their children so their children can learn life skills development -- a critical part of their children's education which can be hindered when parents are over-involved.
"There should also be more regular communication with parents. In addition to the current Parent's Handbook, a newsletter and a web site specifically for parents will be developed by the Student Life Office."
The report also says there will be no change to the way UW releases information about students, as defined in Policy 19. "Although legally the University could release information on grades and registration to parents of students below the age of 18, the Committee recommends that this not occur and that the University observe the same privacy guidelines with all students regardless of age unless written permission to do so from the student exists.
"In situations where a student is encountering difficulties or is faced with a disciplinary problem, the parents/guardians will not be informed."
The Associate Provost, Academic and Student Affairs, is accountable to the Vice-President, Academic and Provost, for general administrative responsibilities associated with the day to day operation of the University with specific responsibilities as assigned by the Provost from time to time. The Associate Provost works closely with and, in some instances, acts on behalf of the Vice-President Academic and Provost. In the absence of the Provost, she/he acts as the Acting Provost.The library, the registrar's office, and co-op and career services report to the associate provost. He or she also has "a special focus on administrative and policy issues regarding academic and student affairs", serves on faculty, staff and student relations committees, and "helps the Provost to ensure that the sometimes conflicting interests of the various constituencies within the University are resolved in an effective and harmonious way".She/he also has specific responsibility for the effective management of several departments that support the quality of academic and student life at the University. In addition she/he is responsible for faculty mentoring and leadership development activities of the University.
Also in Positions AvailableThe full positions list is posted on the human resources web site. |
The associate provost "is appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Vice-President Academic and Provost. Candidates should have several years of academic leadership," among other qualifications.
All three people who have held the position, since it was created in 1990, have been faculty members: Jim Kalbfleisch of statistics (who went on to be provost), Robin Banks of psychology (now retired), and Gary Waller, also from psychology, since 1996. It's coming vacant now because Waller has announced that he will leave office as of June 30.
The new appointment is for a five-year term, "renewable by mutual agreement". The provost is inviting "applications and nominations from staff and faculty", and more information is available from one of the other associate provosts -- Catharine Scott, associate provost (human resources and student services), in Needles Hall.
A correctionI managed to say yesterday that Mark Walker, one of the two staff representatives on the UW board of governors, works in the department of biology. No longer true: for more than a year now, he's been UW's assistant registrar for engineering and science. |
"The Way Home: From Africa to Canada" is today's noon-hour concert at Conrad Grebel University College (actually 12:30, in the Grebel chapel). It features music by Rebecca Campbell and Carol Ann Weaver of the Grebel faculty. Admission is free.
At 4:00 there's a reading by Marianne Brandis, author of historical fiction for young adults. Her most recent book is Finding Words: A Daughter's Memoir, in which she explores "what it has meant to be a daughter, an immigrant, a single woman, a late-emerging lesbian, and a writer". The reading will be held in the common room (room 3027) at St. Jerome's University, and again, admission is free.
A second day of shadowing is under way in the faculty of engineering; Shadow Days for high school students are sponsored by the Engineering Society. . . . A workshop on "Teaching Dossiers", from the teaching resources and continuing education office, is being held today at 9:30, with a repeat tomorrow afternoon. . . . The Computer Science Club offers a Unix tutorial today at 4:30 (Math and Computer room 2037), promising "hands-on experience with the Math Faculty's Unix environment". . . .
The Anselma House and Haven House shelters are the beneficiaries of a charity bingo event ("lots of great prizes, free food") in the Student Life Centre from 3 to 5 today, sponsored by Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. . . . The Waterloo Christian Fellowship and Jewish Student Association are going skating together tonight at Kitchener city hall rink. . . .
The Waterloo Public Interest Research Group presents a session today on "the water situation in the Lago San Pablo region of Ecuador" (7 p.m., Davis Centre room 1304). . . . An information session about arts programs, aimed at future students and their parents, is set for 7 p.m. in Arts Lecture Hall room 116. . . . UW alumni in London, Ontario, will be getting together at the Honest Lawyer pub, starting at 8:00 tonight. . . .
A civic dialogue" on affordable housing starts at 7:30 p.m. at the home of the Civics Research Group, 70 King Street East in Kitchener. "What makes a person 'homeless'?" asks planning student Vienna Lee, who will lead the discussion, drawing on her research. "Why is homelessness a social problem?" Everybody's welcome to come and join the conversation.
And . . . several things of an environmental kind are coming between now and the weekend:
CAR