September 1, 2005

Thursday, September 1, 2005

Seven big issues for UW's leaders
The president's 'specific priorities'
Conflict program for 'faith leaders'

Editor:
Chris Redmond
credmond@uwaterloo.ca

100 years of Alberta and Saskatchewan

[Visitors outside MC listen attentively]
On the way Future students and their parents have had plenty of chance to check out the campus, with two major open house events this summer as well as plenty of informal visits. On "UW Day" in June, Arif Islam caught this photo of kinesiology student Tasneem Patla, one of the guides for the day, explaining things to a visiting family. Thousands more visitors were here for "Student Life 101" in July. In addition, future students have posted more than 30,000 comments and questions in an online discussion forum organized by the marketing and undergraduate recruitment office. And soon they'll be here: residence move-in for first-year students starts Sunday, with a week of orientation events before classes start September 12.

Seven big issues for UW's leaders

It's the first day of September, and within days the university will be in high gear again as the fall term gets under way. UW's leaders will be working "very strenuously" on seven main issues this year, says president David Johnston, who included them in his report to the June meeting of the board of governors:

Implementation of the plans that emerge from the review of co-operative education and career services, discussed by top executives in early summer but not yet made public.

Expansion of graduate enrolment -- something that officials have been advocating at least since 2001.

"Resource issues", such as UW's operating budget in the context of a renewed Ontario government emphasis on post-secondary education.

"Research intensity", the need to increase the amount of research done at UW -- measured in, for example, grant and contract dollars per faculty member. Waterloo consistently ranks last among Canada's major universities in most such measures.

"Space issues", presumably including plans to put up a building for nanotechnology and quantum computing, as well as the Kitchener health sciences campus and other expansion projects.

"Benchmarking", the pressure to establish clear figures and comparisons by which UW can chart its progress. A first annual "performance indicators" report was presented to UW's board of governors in June.

Internationalization, along the lines of what's recommended in "Strengthening Our Global Connections", a report this spring from an advisory committee.

'Single and Sexy'preview production Friday 11:30, Humanities Theatre, for dons, orientation staff, UW faculty and staff, and others, admission free.

WHEN AND WHERE
Bookstore open (along with UW Shop and TechWorx) Saturday 12 noon to 4:00; closed Sunday; open Monday (Labour Day) 12 to 4, Tuesday 8 to 5.
Dons' floor meetings in all residences Monday 5 p.m.
New faculty "welcoming event", day of panel discussions followed by barbecue, September 7, details online.
English Language Proficiency Examination September 7 and 8, details online.
Engineering reunion for classes of 1965, 1970, 1975, September 10-11, faculty members invited to attend, details online.
Exercise briefing: Lori Kaemer, fitness consultant, speaks on "Small Group Personal Training on Campus", September 21, noon, sponsored by UW Fitness, reservations now by campus mail.
Ontario Universities Fair, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, September 30 through October 2, details online.

The president's 'specific priorities'

Johnston told the board that officials would be working on those seven priorities "very strenuously", but of course will look at "other things" as well. In a written report, he went into more detail about the kinds of things the president himself will spend his time on during 2005-06. Some excerpts:

"Continue focussed work to craft Sixth Decade Planning . . . Formulate and communicate long-term vision.

"Strengthen quality by raising admission standards systematically in every Faculty . . . New academic plans to respond to new opportunities and core strengths . . . Nurture the culture of excellence in teaching and learning . . . Continue efforts to increase student support.

"Increase numbers [of graduate students] as rapidly as possible and affordable . . . Greater recognition of post-doc presence and importance . . . Continue efforts to increase student support.

"Strengthen clusters especially around 5 research core themes of information technology, health, environment, materials and systems, society and culture . . . Increase large multi-partner projects with top priority emphasis on building the Institute for Quantum Computing and increasing links with Perimeter Institute and the Centre for International Governance Innovation . . . Recruit best faculty and staff, and accelerate their development into excellent performance.

"High focus on taking $260m UW campaign to target, revising and expanding academic priorities and setting new targets for duration to July 2007 . . . Bring annual private support from $8m in 1998 to $50m per year by 2007 . . . Strengthen Innovative Government support -- Kitchener/Pharmacy/Health Sciences Campus, Cambridge/Architecture, IQC/Nanotech, R and T Park . . . Continue mix of tuition rates within Board approved policy and work for implementation of Rae Report framework.

"Careful focus to do less with less i.e. identify core responsibilities . . . implement Sedra Report to eliminate financial barriers to undergrad studies . . . Identify and respond to academic and administrative support stress points . . . Review and expand student housing both on and off campus and the nature of residential living and implement Living Learning Report . . . Strengthen external community relations and alumni relationships . . . Communicate regularly with external communities and with internal communities as an instrument to effect information flow and improve morale . . . Strengthen staff development opportunities . . .

"Provide stable, competitive salary and benefit policies and capacity to reward unusual merit . . . Strengthen the openness and effectiveness of collegial institutions . . . Focus IT and e-learning initiatives on opportunities to improve service quality and to reinforce culture of innovation . . . Reinforce our culture of personal human touch and courtesy within a large community."

[Hands on the floor]
'Experiental learning' in a Grebel conflict resolution workshop

Conflict program for 'faith leaders'

UW's Conrad Grebel University College boasts that it is becoming "the first organization in Canada to offer a non-degree certificate program in conflict management for faith leaders, lay leaders and those who are involved in a faith community".

The new program, which starts September 1, "will address issues that are unique to faith communities, some of which stem from deeply held values, identities, group dynamics, and family systems," says a Grebel news release. Other issues include "personal conflict issues that can affect the faith community," according to Mary Lou Schwartzentruber, manager of certificate programs in Grebel's Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies.

Taking a multi-faith perspective, the topics for the workshops were collected in "consultation with people from various faith backgrounds including Anglican, Buddhist, Islam, Jewish, Mennonite, Mormon, Non-Denominational, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and United," says Schwartzentruber. Positive comments from these focus groups were the driving force in offering conflict resolution workshops that would "enable leaders and members to live with integrity and in harmony, and be proactive agents for change within their faith communities," she says.

Hurricane links

Yahoo overview | Simple PDF map

Times-Picayune newspaper

How universities are coping | Tulane's announcements

Seven years ago | Galveston 1900
The workshops in the program are expected to deliver skills that are also applicable to other life situations -- personal, social, work and community. Topics include Healing Rituals for Conflict Resolution, Spiritual Practice, Understanding Conflict, Racism, Theological Perspectives, and Transformative Mediation. Questions addressed include "What makes a faith community's conflict unique? and "Whose side is God on?"

Says the release: "Through experiential learning, participants gain immediately usable conflict management skills by participating in role plays, group work, theory and case study discussions. Workshops are open to anyone with interest in a particular workshop or who may wish to obtain a Certificate in Conflict Management for Faith Communities. No previous experience or undergraduate degree in conflict resolution is required."

CAR

Communications and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
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