![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Thursday, November 20, 2003
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Hard at work]](/images/2003/1120tutors.gif)
Math tutor Alex Tsay, left, explains an algebra concept to a student while Serge D'Alessio, director of the math faculty tutorial centres, looks on. |
Thanks to new tutorial centres in residences, the scenario is a common one this fall. A collaboration between the faculties of math and science and the department of housing and residences offers tutoring six days a week for students needing help with calculus, algebra, chemistry or physics.
In Mackenzie King Village, students can talk to a calculus or algebra tutor in the multipurpose room on Monday through Thursday nights, Saturdays from 10 to 4, and Sunday afternoons and evenings -- times when students are most likely to be tackling their homework. In Village 1, physics tutors are available Monday to Thursday. Chemistry tutors are at Ron Eydt Village for a few days immediately prior to midterms and finals.
The math faculty has been running its own "informal drop-in" tutorial centre since 1997, under the direction of Serge D'Alessio, with the help of "strong senior undergrad and graduate students". When the math tutors were offered an opportunity to work evenings in the new residence tutorial centres, "we got a good response," says D'Alessio. Housing funds the space, supplies and staff to organize the service, and the faculties and the provost fund the salaries of the tutors.
"Overall, feedback has been very positive," says director of residence life Leanne O'Donnell. "Students appreciate having assistance in the evening hours when they are working on assignments at home. Not only do they have an opportunity to run questions past a tutor, but study groups and social networks develop between the regulars which help build community."
Calculus tutor Meng-Zane (Alex) Tsay, a second-year computer science student, appreciates the chance to work in the Mackenzie King tutorial centre because "it's an opportunity for me to learn to work with peers and to communicate mathematical ideas in plain English. The responses from students have been positive," he adds. "Most of them come to the tutorial session prepared and ready to discuss their ideas and difficulties."
Mike Makahnouk, a Village I don and president of the Chemistry Club -- which organized chemistry tutoring in Ron Eydt Village -- says having tutoring in residence would have made a huge difference to him as a first-year student. "I really was intimidated by asking profs for help," he says. The Chem Club has recruited undergraduate students to staff the tutoring centre, with "an excellent response". Makahnouk says about 30 students showed up for help the first night tutoring was offered before midterms, with the number growing to nearly 100 the night before the big exam.
D'Alessio agrees. Not only do the new centres provide "an extra source of help," he says, in explaining the success of the venture. "It's students helping students -- often less intimidating."
At Monday's meeting of the university senate, UW president David Johnston listed the things he thinks the Liberals will be treating as their top priorities, besides the much-publicized deficit. They'll include health (of course), energy prices and supply, and some "security" issues.
Education, said Johnston, comes only halfway down the list. And from the university point of view, there's a second problem: "education" mostly means elementary and secondary schools, particularly the early grades, since McGuinty campaigned on a promise to reduce class sizes for young children. Class sizes in universities, and other issues from the post-secondary world, aren't likely to get the same emphasis.
Johnston reported that university presidents got a briefing the other day from a consultant who had surveyed Liberal MPPs and behind-the-scenes figures in the new government. In summary: "There is not a real understanding," he said, "that we are as underfunded as we are. . . . Ontario universities are well regarded, but there isn't any sense of urgency with regard to their problems."
One thing that's clear, he said, is that McGuinty will keep another of his campaign promises: to freeze tuition fees for the next two years. University leaders weren't keen on that idea, but now their attention shifts to making clear how much they'll need in additional government grants to make up for the increased tuition revenue that students won't be paying.
Johnston also said he and his colleagues had met with the new minister for post-secondary education, Mary Anne Chambers, and liked her. "She's specifically committed to future capacity-building," he said, meaning increasing the number of students Ontario can educate. "And she's quite committed to OSAP reform."
In general the ministry of training, colleges and universities is well disposed towards the institutions it governs, said Johnston. The difficulty is that MTCU doesn't carry much clout at the cabinet table, or with the provincial finance minister, compared to energy, health and the "education" ministry, whose responsibility ends at grade 12.
![[Queer as Bomber pub tonight -- Federation of Students]](/images/2003/1120qab-feds.jpg)
| WHEN AND WHERE |
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Campus Wide Fast sponsored by Muslim Students Association, followed
by Ramadan meal in Ground Zero restaurant after sunset.
Pension and benefits committee, all morning, Needles Hall room 3004. Study and research in Germany: briefing by Sven Kramer, visiting the Germanic and Slavic department, on scholarships from Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, 1:30 p.m., Humanities room 373. Maureen McTeer reads from her new book, 7 p.m., Paul Martin Centre, WLU. Native studies lecture: Dan Smoke, "Ethics of Aboriginal Representation from a First Nations Perspective", 8 p.m., St. Paul's United College. Tourism lecture: "Local Residents versus National Parks? Some Surprises from Utah", Jeanne Kay-Guelke, geography, Friday 9:30 a.m., Environmental Studies I room 132. Jane Doe, victim of "Balcony Rapist" in Toronto in 1986, talks about her experience and new book, Friday 12:30, Siegfried Hall, St. Jerome's University. |
Then at 5:30, in Student Life Centre room 2134, there's the local premiere of the film "El Contrato", a National Film Board documentary about the Mexican farm labourers who perform most of the manual agricultural labour in Leamington's tomato greenhouses and fruit orchards. The movie follows a father of four from central Mexico as he travels to southern Ontario to harvest tomatoes for wages and under conditions no local will accept. Those who complain are reminded by the Mexican consulate that a long line of others back home are more than willing to take their place. A question-and-answer period after the screening will include a Wilfrid Laurier University expert on migrant labour issues, someone from Frontier College, and someone from the United Food and Commercial Workers.
Tonight also brings the annual Engineering Awards Dinner, this year being held at Bingeman conference centre because of swelling attendance. "We are expecting approximately 400 people," says Sue Gooding in the dean of engineering office. Chair for the evening is Anne Fontana, a UW systems design graduate who's now a vice-president of Schneider Corporation, and the speaker will be Savvas Chamberlain, formerly a faculty member in electrical and computer engineering. Chamberlain left UW in 1996 to devote all his energies to his spinoff company, Dalsa Corporation, which is prominent in the silicon chip and digital imaging business. He'll speak tonight on "Getting UW Faculty of Engineering on the World Academic Map: Excitement, Research, Excellence, in the 70's". Hundreds of scholarships, work term awards and other prizes will be officially handed over to undergraduate and graduate students.
But apparently some engineers won't be at the dinner, as the once-a-term engineering play hits stage tonight: "WASPS", by Sally Clark, which I understand is a "dark comedy" about librarians, homosexuality, fashion and art. Performances are tonight through Saturday at 8:00, with a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday, in the "green room" of Environmental Studies II.
Still on the engineering theme: a recent issue of the Iron Warrior has this term's report on spending by the Waterloo Engineering Endowment Foundation, which should be going over $5 million in assets just about now, and which gave out $26,547 in the past term to support teaching and learning in engineering. The money comes from a voluntary fee paid by each engineering student. Among recent grants: $17,510 for a "fuel cell experiment" in an undergraduate chemical engineering lab; $6,000 for two digital oscilloscopes in electrical and computer engineering; $629 for a video editing software package in systems design.
Ontario University Athletics is holding a luncheon today (in Toronto) to honour "the top female scholar-athlete from each of the 18 member institutions". Speaker at the event, part of the "Chatelaine Women of Influence Luncheon Series", is astronaut Roberta Bondar. Being honoured from Waterloo is Leigh Nevermann of the rugby Warriors, a four-time OUA all-star, last year's female winner of the Mike Moser Award, and a three-year member of the Canadian under-23 rugby squad.
Finally . . . a couple of days ago I mentioned a photo of a UW classroom that appeared in the "universities" issue of Maclean's magazine this month. "I thought you'd want to know," a faculty member writes, "that the shot was of Professor David Clausi in the first-year systems design engineering classroom, where he teaches our SYDE 121 computing course." Noted.
CAR