St. Jerome's in a time of change

from the St. Jerome's University alumni newsletter Update

0n July 1, 2006, Dr. Michael W. Higgins departed his role as President and Vice-Chancellor of St. Jerome's University. It will be autumn before the Search Committee seeking his successor will make its recommendation to the Board of Governors. A new President may be in place as early as January or as late as July, 2007. But the intervening period will not be a fallow one. A new staff position, a novel plan for building community, and a rejuvenated venue for students to gather, converse, and relax are all energetically in the works.

The Board of Governors appointed Rev. Dr. Myroslaw Tataryn — the current Vice President and Academic Dean — to assume the role of Interim President, and a number of exciting initiatives will go forward under his direction. Many reflect Tataryn's emphasis on a student-centred approach to assessing and enhancing the educational experience.

"I'm interested in maintaining the interest and momentum that faculty and staff are already exhibiting in improving our services to students, both in residence and off-campus," says Tataryn. "Technology has permitted tremendous efficiencies, but it is beginning to distance us from our students and undermine the hallmark of a St. Jerome's education: a strong sense of engagement within a community of learning and faith. I want to reverse that trend."

To that end, a new administrative position has been created. The Director of Mission and Communications will ensure that St. Jerome's mission as a liberal arts university within a Roman Catholic tradition is actualized in practical terms. Dana Woito, the University's Registrar since 1991, has been promoted to this new role. Sue Brubacher, previously Manager of Recruitment and Admissions, has been appointed Registrar, while Ashley Dietrich takes over Sue's former position.

Woito's responsibilities include developing effective communications programs for recruitment, community relations, and graduate affairs in print and on the web. "This new appointment is a chance for me to build upon many of the things I was already doing — publications and community-building — and add a real, immediate focus on SJU's mission, about which I care passionately both as a graduate and a long-time member of staff.”

Almost immediately she'll be working with Ted McGee, newly appointed as Associate Dean, on introducing "u-pods" — small groups of students paired with a faculty or staff volunteer who will provide guidance and serve as a resource throughout their post-secondary years. Students arriving in September can expect a friendly, knowledgeable mentor to help them adjust and thrive at SJU.

And, by October, they will be able to "pod" in an enlarged Union Station, which will include a glassed-in atrium, new seating, a fireplace and an updated menu courtesy of Chartwell's-Compass Group. "We recognized the need to provide students, and day students in particular, with a more congenial space in which to congregate," says Darren Becks, Director of Residences and Facility Operations.

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Collecting coins to computing taxes

reprinted from the Arts Research Update newsletter

Devan Mescall (left) started out as a buff of ancient history and a collector of old Roman coins (surprisingly affordable on eBay, he says). Now, he is a chartered accountant, a PhD student in UW’s School of Accountancy, and quite possibly a future professor of taxation.

“I actually find taxes very interesting,” says Mescall (to an interviewer who needs some convincing). “First of all, taxes affect everyone. Everyone knows about taxes. Also, taxation has a long and fascinating history. Ever since the days of the Roman emperors, taxes have been a fact of life and a source of much debate. Mary and Joseph made their trip to Bethlehem because of taxes — the census being conducted was to be used to create a new system of taxation for the region. It’s the intricacy of taxation — and its colourful history — which I find particularly compelling.”

Mescall began his post-secondary education on the Canadian prairies in Saskatoon, not far from the farm where he grew up. After completing the BComm program at the University of Saskatchewan, Mescall opted to stay there a little longer to pursue an MPac (Master of Professional Accounting). With Master’s in hand, he decided to launch himself into the profession, which he did, working as an accountant for three years while at the same time fulfilling the professional licensing requirements and becoming a chartered accountant.

While working his day job, however, Mescall had the opportunity to teach a night class at the University. What he discovered from this experience was that teaching was something he loved to do — and something he definitely wanted to do more of. Driven by a desire to combine his love of numbers with this new-found love of teaching, Mescall made his way to the University of Waterloo to pursue a PhD in Accounting. “My hope is eventually to teach at the university level and do research in this field.”

Mescall is currently completing his third year within the taxation stream of the program (PhD students can choose from one of four program areas: financial accounting, management accounting, auditing, and taxation). Under the supervision of UW Accountancy professor Dr. Ken Klassen, he is at work on a research program that covers taxes and capital markets, including a focus on income trusts. The working title of his thesis-in-progress is “How taxes affect cross border mergers and acquisitions.”

When he’s not studying, Mescall finds time to involve himself in a wide variety of community and extra-curricular activities. “It’s good to have balance in one’s life,” he comments. “You can’t read for fourteen hours every day — it’s important to take a break.” Since arriving at Waterloo, Mescall has given of his time and energy to a number of local groups: he has served on the Board of Directors of both “Working for Work” (a group that helps New Canadians find employment) and WPIRG (Waterloo Public Research Interest Group). He also enjoys participating in hockey, football, and soccer and, most recently, has ventured into music by learning to play the fiddle.

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Death at Dawson; notes at Waterloo

The news of violence at Montréal's Dawson College was garbled and alarmist for hours yesterday, with reports of multiple deaths and several gunmen at large. In the end the reality was quite awful enough: one killer (himself lying dead), with one female student shot dead and 19 injured. The rampage at Dawson's landmark building in the downtown area is being compared with two previous shooting attacks at post-secondary institutions in Montréal, at École Polytechnique in 1989 and Concordia University in 1992. Meanwhile, Dawson's appearance in the news has forced media to try to explain what kind of "college" it is. The answer: Dawson is one of five English-speaking CEGEPs, or Collèges d'enseignement général et professionnel, institutions that combine what in Ontario would be the last year of high school and the first year of university, as well as offering vocational programs. (Media in the United States, where "college" generally means "university", are falling back on describing Dawson as a "junior college".) On the UW campus, there will be a prayer service in response to the Dawson College shootings at 12:30 p.m. today at St. Bede's Chapel, Renison College. All are welcome to attend.

The UW retirees' association has announced that its scholarship fund has reached more than $112,000: "Established five years ago, this fund is endowed, meaning that the principal remains untouched and the interest is used annually to fund scholarships. . . . Four scholarships have been awarded from this fund — two per year over the past two years. Two more awards will be given to deserving recipients in the fall, this time to a Math and a Science student. By that time, one student from each of the six faculties will have received an award thanks to the generosity of retirees. The long-term goal for this scholarship fund is to provide annual undergraduate scholarships of $1,000 to a student in each of the six faculties," plus $2,500 to a graduate student (which, with institutional and government matching funds, would amount to a $15,000 award).

The September issue of Chem 13 News, published by UW's chemistry department for high school science teachers, announces the departure of long-time editor Lew Brubacher, now retired as a faculty member in chemistry. He'll be succeeded by new arrival Jean Hein. The issue includes two pages of tributes to Brubacher, plus a reprint of his own long-ago article about the chemical reasons for the odour that eating asparagus produces in urine. Also in the September issue: this year's results from the Chem 13 News Exam, written by 3,426 high school students across Canada, and the Avogadro exam for younger students, written by 5,446 students this year.

Peter Wood, previously assistant director, was named director of math and business programs as of July 1. . . . The UW school of architecture will take part in a project to make Waterloo Region one of the "cultural capitals of Canada" in 2009 with the help of federal funding, the Record reports. . . . The UW Stage Band is in need of tenor sax, trumpet and trombone players, and a phone call to ext. 2-4226 will bring more information. . . .

CAR

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