![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Wednesday, September 8, 2004
|
Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Spread out across the parking lot]](/images/2004/0908grebel.gif)
Stuff litters the parking lot at Conrad Grebel University College. "While it may look like Hurricane Frances hit Waterloo," writes Jennifer Konkle of Grebel, "these students are sorting out who inherited one of Grebel's famous skybunks (some assembly required!) and who will take home, among other mysterious items, a coveted couch for their room." The trailer has just finished unloading residence gear from last winter that was in storage over the summer months. |
![[Power]](/images/2004/0908power.gif)
Chemistry professor
Bill
Power (left) has been named
associate dean of graduate studies. He took on that post for a
three-year term starting September 1,
succeeding Jim Frank of kinesiology, who finished his term as associate
dean over the summer. Says Ranjana Bird, dean of grad studies: "Bill is
an associate professor in the department of chemistry and is a strong
advocate of quality graduate education. He has served UW in a variety
of capacities including the faculty association, Institute for Quantum
Computing, and senate. He is a Premier's Research Excellence Award
recipient and the recipient of two department of chemistry teaching
awards. I am confident that you will be pleased to have Bill as the
Associate Dean of Graduate Studies to promote and strengthen the
University's position as a leader in graduate education."
Erin Noteboom -- a much-honoured young writer who is one of the editors of UW's New Quarterly literary magazine -- will be writer-in-residence at the Waterloo Public Library from September through December, the library has announced. She "will be available to meet with aspiring writers to review and discuss their manuscripts, will also visit schools and community groups to talk about writing, and will offer public workshops and readings." Noteboom is the first writer-in-residence WPL has had, and will launch her term there with a public reading and reception at 7:00 tonight -- which just happens to be International Literacy Day.
People might be wondering -- I know I was, anyway -- how UW will provide computer networking to the school of architecture at its new home in Cambridge. Answer: pretty much the same as to an existing remote site, according to Roger Watt of information systems and technology. "IST is providing the networking," he writes, "with a 1Gbps link using the same FibreTech 'campus extension' service by which we connect to Distance and Continuing Education over on Gage Avenue, so the computers in Cambridge will be part of the campus network."
A group of geography students was heading off this morning for a beginning-of-term field trip to Tobermory and the Bruce Peninsula. . . . There must have been a run on coloured chalk at TechWorx yesterday, judging from the "Accounting Dominates" slogans that have appeared on sidewalks and roadways. . . .
An atmospheric research balloon was launched September 1 in a project that involves UW ozone experts, but word is that within two days there was an instrument communication failure and the equipment was brought back. . . . Friday afternoon's computer network outage, about an hour long, was caused by a crash in a central router, the computer that directs bytes where they're supposed to go. . . . Yes, those were the Canadian Forces Snowbirds that roared over campus on Thursday, stopping by K-W to honour a former comrade from this area before heading for the Canadian National Exhibition air show. . . .
"In a sense, what we're offering is something new. Yet at the same time it's very traditional," explains program director Brian Hendley, a philosophy professor at UW and former dean of arts. "We want first year students to have the chance to personally interact with a professor, to deal with a challenging topic, and to do this in a class limited to only 20 members."
Designed for incoming students, the seminars will give them an opportunity to explore issues of current or perennial interest, express their own views, enhance their communication skills, and share the excitement of learning together. Classes will be conducted by UW professors from various disciplines.
| POSITIONS AVAILABLE |
|
On this week's list from the human resources department:
Longer descriptions are available on the HR web site. |
Arts 199 began on a trial basis in 2000. Faculty and students who have participated extol the quality of teaching and learning inherent in the ongoing experiment. Students praise these seminars for offering "real" discussions,and a "a sense of personality and placement" in the large university setting; for being "just about the only place to actually converse with a university professor and an entire group of peers during classroom hours;" and for giving them a chance to shape the class discussions and to subject topics to close scrutiny instead of the broad-but-shallow overview common in large enrolment survey courses.
According to class surveys and individual interviews, students are equally pleased with the opportunity to research topics of their own choice and present their findings in class. Arts 199 also exposes them to literature and ideas that will prove useful in other courses, and it can help them acquire both personal insight and practical skills.
"Although it isn't a how-to-survive-your-first-year workshop, Arts 199 can also ease the often bumpy transition to university for some students," says Hendley, "and it provides a supportive setting where a student's potential for self-directed learning can really flourish."
But it's not a cakewalk. "It requires a lot more independence and participation than many [students] would be used to," is how one student expresses it. "The key point is that this program offers significant personal and academic growth opportunities for everyone who signs up -- whatever aspirations, intentions or background they may bring with them," says Hendley.
Sections of the course being offered this fall are "Cliques, Crowds and Individuals", taught by Ken Westhues of sociology; "Perspectives on Consciousness", Don Horton, history; "Reading, Writing and Screening War", Carol Acton, St. Jerome's University; "Women Observed and Defined on/by Film", Joel Greenberg, drama and speech communication; "Biotechnology: Friend or Foe?", Cheryl Patten, McMaster University post-doctoral fellow; "Environmental Controversies", John Jackson, environment and resource studies; "Violence in Ancient Greece and Rome", Robert Porter, classical studies. Another three sections are planned in the winter term.
| WHEN AND WHERE |
|
Fall term fees due today by bank payment. Late fees begin Thursday.
Class enrolment appointments for winter courses listed on Quest as of today; appointments begin October 4. Office of research faculty workshop, 10:00 to 2:30, Rod Coutts Hall, with sessions on issues and trends in research as well as grant application processes, details online. Warrior baseball vs. U of Guelph, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., Larry Pearson Park, Guelph. Cross-country Warriors team meeting (walk-ons welcome), 6 p.m., PAC room 2021. One Book, Two Restaurants, Three Readers literary events Wednesday and Thursday evenings sponsored by The New Quarterly. New faculty members welcoming event, by invitation, Thursday from 10:30, details online. Renison College Town & Gown Society, 10th anniversary, Thursday 2 to 5 p.m. at Renison. Library books borrowed on term loan before the beginning of August are due September 15 -- return, or renew through Trellis. |
Better yet, let me let him set it all straight. He writes: "The FLEX is for faculty members to use with LT3's support -- this means we support faculty as they use the FLEX to teach courses in it, using new and novel teaching learning techniques and technologies. It is so important to us to have faculty members understand that the FLEX lab is for them to teach in.
"Second, all of the UW-ACE courses are taught in the IST training rooms in Math and Computer (even though UW-ACE is an enterprise-wide system, developed and supported by IST, DCE and LT3)." Unfortunately, says Goldsworthy, people scheduled for ACE training "keep coming over to the FLEX lab", and not finding it there.
He added that an open house is planned -- date not yet announced -- to show off the renovations that are being completed in the FLEX lab.
Two workshops are scheduled in the lab this week:
"New Faculty Digital Challenge" is Thursday from 9:30 to noon -- "an
important opportunity for new faculty to meet colleagues and
discover campus resources".
"An Introduction to the Reusable Stuff Repository in UW-ACE" is Friday
from 2:00 to 3:30 -- about "an exchange mechanism by which instructors
and instructional designers can access, share and reuse peer-reviewed
learning activities an layout templates within the UW-ACE environment".
For both events, registration is through
the
LT3 "events" web page.
CAR