![[University of Waterloo]](/images/logobars/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[Ref watches, goalie stretches]](/images/2006/0222hockey2.jpg)
Warrior goalie Curtis Darling in action. |
Students in four of UW's six faculties are halfway through the winter reading week, and the rest -- those in engineering and mathematics -- have a shorter break that starts tonight. Everybody's back in class as of Monday morning. It's also reading week at Laurier. So both campuses are quiet, and UW's will be getting quieter, just at the time when the Warriors would appreciate some noise. (And that's not to mention the fans whose focus will be turned to Canada's game against Russia at the Turin Olympics this afternoon.)
The first game of the Warriors' best-of-three semifinal series goes tonight at 7:30 in the Columbia Icefield. Because it's a playoff game, passes and season tickets aren't accepted, and admission is $8 (students $6). The game will also be carried on CKMS.
Laurier will host the second game on Friday night, and the third game, if necessary, will be played Sunday. The series winner goes on to the OUA West final against Western or Lakehead. The Warriors got this far by defeating the Brock Badgers 2 games to 1 last weekend, with victories by 4-3 and 8-2 scores, separated by a 3-2 loss in triple overtime.
Most services on campus are operating on normal schedules over the next few days, to support students and faculty members who are indeed "reading" during the February break. That includes libraries and recreational facilities. Some food services outlets are closed, however, including the Ron Eydt Village cafeteria. The Tim Horton's in the Student Life Centre, usually a 24-hour-a-day operation, will be open Monday to Friday from 7 to 7, closed Saturday, reopening for 24-hour service on Sunday morning.
![[Gunz]](/images/2006/0221gunz.jpg)
Sally Gunz (left), a professor of business law in UW's School of
Accountancy and director of the UW Centre for Accounting Ethics,
suspects
the latter. Currently engaged in two SSHRC-funded projects that
examine the ethical decision-making processes of corporate
lawyers, Gunz, working with colleagues at the University of
Toronto, hopes to shed light on organizational and systemic
factors that lead some lawyers to go astray.
What is typically at stake is the degree to which a lawyer identifies with -- or is "captured by" -- his or her client. "The term 'client capture' describes the situation in which a client becomes so important to the professionals serving it that they lose the professional independence that ought to govern the relationship," explains Gunz. "The more closely lawyers work with senior decision-makers, the more likely they are to make managerial type decisions."
| POSITIONS AVAILABLE |
|
On this week's list from the human resources department:
Longer descriptions are available on the HR web site. |
The second project focuses on a slightly different group: lawyers who consult with corporate clients but from external law firms. Anchored as they are in the midst of professional colleagues, how do these lawyers' ethical decision-making processes compare to those of the in-house group? One might expect that the phenomenon of "client capture" would be less of an issue in such situations, but as Gunz points out, some of the biggest corporate fraud scandals have involved just such a scenario (e.g. Enron and Arthur Anderson).
To enable comparisons of data, Gunz and her colleagues will begin by identifying a small group for intensive interviews. They will then complete an extensive cross-Canada survey of legal practitioners. The combined results of all studies will provide a valuable resource of particular interest to policymakers developing strategies to improve corporate governance.
Gunz acknowledges that the pressures placed on corporate lawyers to toe the company line can be immense. Ultimately, however, we as a society depend on them to act as guardians of the public trust. "Yes, they must always act in the best interests of their clients," she comments. "But 'best interests' incorporates the notion that, at the extreme, should the clients' interests conflict with that of society, the professional must steer a course that is consistent with the broader interest."
| WHEN AND WHERE |
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Canadian Mathematics Competitions: Pascal (grade 9), Cayley (grade
10) and Fermat (grade 11), organized by
Centre for Education in Mathematics
and Computing.
'Surprise concert' tonight at the Bombshelter. (Bomber open today, closed Thursday-Sunday.) Co-op rankings for spring term jobs close 10 a.m. (revised date); match posted 11 a.m. on JobMine. Stress relaxation session, third in the weekly series, 12:00, Math and Computer room 5158, sponsored by Employee Assistance Program. Smarter health seminar: Dominic Covvey, Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research, "In Pursuit of the EHR Holy Grail: A Critical Situational Review", 3:00, Davis Centre room 1302. Hot and cold water shut off in East and South quads, Ron Eydt Village, Thursday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Department of biology main office closed Thursday and Friday for move to new location in Earth Sciences and Chemistry building. Web tutorial generator presentation by Joseph Sanderson, department of physics, sponsored by Centre for Learning and Teaching Through Technology, Thursday 3 p.m., Flex Lab, Dana Porter Library, details and registration online. Pick Your Plan Week for undergraduate students, February 27 through March 3, opportunity select or change a major, or add a minor or option. Class enrolment appointments for spring term, March 20 to April 1; for fall term, June 12-24. |
It is organized by SCRUBS -- Science Committee of Revolutionary Undergraduate Business Students -- and will feature a variety of speakers and workshops, including Michael Hughes, known as Canada's Networking Guru, and Tom Brzustowski, former president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
"The conference will focus on what drives the commercialization of scientific innovations, not only in terms of dollars and cents but also while considering the passion behind making research come to life to improve the prosperity of science and technology," said Michael Hsieh, one of the organizers.
"Too often science is thought of as simply the pursuit of knowledge through the observation of the world around us," he said. "The conference will explore how science and technology are driving business and economic success all over the world today."
Hsieh said last year's second annual conference was a major success with more 300 participants, adding that "we are looking to expand on the successes again this time around." Topics to be discussed include effective networking behaviors, "Selling Your Strategies," commercialization, productivity gaps, research and development, wealth connection and "Why Food Products Succeed or Fail."
Networking opportunities will include an industry exhibition with science and technology businesses setting up information booths to allow for one-on-one interactions with speakers, Hsieh said. "This will give students the chance to ask specific questions, learn more about the company and perhaps open up future employment opportunities," he added, "which is a value to our sponsors and our students."
There will also be a case-study interaction in the afternoon enabling groups to be formed and a product development scenario presented. "This will allow students to get a feel for the real decisions and problems faced by many companies," Hsieh said.
Major sponsors include UW's Centre for Business Entrepreneurship and Technology, BASF, Merck Frosst and AstraZeneca. There is no charge to attend the conference, but space is limited and registration is required. UW students and the public are welcome.
CAR