February 17, 2003

McMaster's strategic planning process continues to move forward with the submission last week of reports from six working groups to the steering committee overseeing the process. Called "Refining Directions," the planning exercise was begun in the fall and is intended to further refine the University's strategic plan ("Directions") introduced seven years ago. On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the Refining Directions Steering Committee, chaired by University provost Ken Norrie, received reports from six working groups on aspects of University activities. The groups, each consisting of anywhere from 10 to 15 people from various areas of campus, have been meeting since last fall to study six main areas: research and graduate education, undergraduate education, external activities, internal community, planning and managing, and branding. To view the complete list of work group members, click here . "I'm delighted with the work group reports and with the excellent themes and topics that are being discussed and addressed," says Norrie. "This planning exercise is extremely important for the future of McMaster. The work of these six groups will help to inform all of us at McMaster as we begin our planning for the years beyond the double cohort. We know that this is a busy time for everyone and so we are especially grateful for the efforts made by each member of the six Work Groups to this planning process. Your commitment and service to McMaster is greatly appreciated," says University President Peter George. Themes and recommendations contained in the groups' reports will be synthesized by the steering committee and incorporated into a draft planning report.

February 14, 2003

Are birds turned on by blue movies? Apparently so. New research by McMaster University PhD student Alex Ophir shows that female quails that initially weren't interested in a particular male quail have their interest piqued by watching a short video of that quail frolic with another female. "We found that she's spending more time with the male who she didn't initially show interest in," said Ophir, who is in the final stages of his psychology studies. "She recognizes the bird who starred in the blue movie and now she's attracted to him. "She can tell whether the male she sees in real life was the male she saw in the video," said Ophir, whose research focuses on mate choice and sex behaviour. "What we've found is that watching the video will increase her preference for the copulating male. She can distinguish between the quail male Tom Cruise and the quail male Mel Gibson."

February 13, 2003

What could be more precious than a gift of time? That's what a group of fifth-year mechanical engineering students propose to leave as their legacy to McMaster students: time, that is, in the form of a decorative clock that will be placed in a prominent position above the doorframe of the north entrance to the McMaster University Student Centre. The clock is being designed and constructed by students Patrick Burton, Braden Kurczak, Michael Paddags and Peter Whitred, as a thesis project under the supervision of Tim Nye, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. A unique design, the timepiece is in a double ring shape that encircles a shield emblazoned with the McMaster coat of arms. The upper ring will indicate the hours and the bottom ring, the minutes. Large six-inch numerals will be legible from afar and will make telling the time easy for even the most myopic. The aesthetics of the design have been carefully thought out: all mechanical drives and power transmission systems will be hidden behind the shield which will appear to be floating in the centre of the ring.

February 13, 2003

This year marks the 11th anniversary of the President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching, which are designed to recognize outstanding contributions to teaching and learning at McMaster University. The awards demonstrate the value McMaster attaches to its educational function and recognize those who, through innovation and commitment, have significantly enhanced the quality of learning by McMaster students. All full-time and part-time faculty (including those on contract) are eligible. The President's Award for Course or Resources Design. This award recognizes the contribution of an individual, or of a group, to education through innovation and achievement in the design of a course or program of studies, or in the design of educational materials. The President's Award for Instruction. This award recognizes the contribution of an individual to education through innovation, achievement or continuing excellence in classroom or personal instruction. The President's Award for Educational Leadership. This award recognizes the contributions of an individual that more generally promotes excellence in teaching and learning. The contributions in question may not influence any single course or program directly but have effects well beyond the nominee's own department. The Award Each of the awards consists of: A citation of excellence and memento to be presented at the Spring Convocation; An honorarium in the amount of $5,000; An inscription of the recipient's name on McMaster's Wall of Recognition. Nomination Procedure Nomination forms are available in all departmental offices, from the Centre for Leadership in Learning, and can be downloaded from the following url: http://www.mcmaster.ca/cll. Nominations should be submitted by March 7, 2003 to: Dr. J.A. Johnson Chair of the Selection Committee The President's Awards for Excellence in Teaching c/o The Office of the President Gilmour Hall, Room 238 For more information or assistance in preparing a nomination, contact the Centre for Leadership in Learning, General Sciences Building, Room 217, ext. 24540.

February 13, 2003

Nominations are now being accepted for the President's Award of Excellence - Student Leadership. Nomination forms are available from the Office of the Associate Vice-President (Student Affairs), Gilmour Hall, Room 207. The nomination deadline is Friday, Feb. 14. The President's Award of Excellence was established in 1993 to recognize in-course students in their graduating year who have demonstrated a commitment to the University's belief in excellence in its student body. The selection committee may present up to three awards annually. Each award will be a President's Student Medal of Excellence and the recipient will have his/her name inscribed on a commemorative plaque displayed permanently in the McMaster University Student Centre. This award acknowledges the contributions made by students who play a significant role in improving and developing the intellectual, social, cultural and/or athletic fabric of the McMaster community.

February 12, 2003

Hundreds of McMaster Muslims joined in communal prayer at Copps Coliseum Tuesday, to mark the end of the Hajj, the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. They joined thousands of Muslims in the day-long event that featured communal prayers and a multicultural festival. "The prayers, and the holiday that follows, are called Eid ul-Adha (eed-al-ADD-ha), or "festival of the sacrifice," explains Ahmed Ferouz, vice-president of the McMaster Muslims' Association. "Eid ul-Adha commemorates the Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at God's command. The holiday is celebrated with the prayers, small gifts for children, distribution of aid to the needy, and social gatherings." Each year, about two million Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Able-bodied Muslims are required to perform the Hajj at least once in their lives if they can afford it. The spiritual journey is meant to cleanse the soul and wipe away sins. Those not participating in the journey celebrate Eid al-Adha. On Friday, Feb. 14, the association will celebrate Eid al-Adha with a dinner at 6 p.m. in the CIBC Banquet Hall of the McMaster University Student Centre. Tickets are $20 or $17 for MSA members and are available from the Muslim Students' Association office, Rm. 108, Wentworth House or at the door. For ticket information contact macmsa@macmsa.com. The Muslim Students' Association has established a prayer space on campus for daily prayers and uses the Ivor Wynne Centre for a Friday congregational prayer, which draws gatherings of more than 400 people.

February 12, 2003

More than 30 years ago, the McMaster Students Union identified the importance of getting involved in providing accessible, affordable, quality child care for McMaster students, staff and the surrounding community. As a result, it established a daycare for the University community, now known as the MSU Child Care Centre. On Saturday, Feb. 15, the daycare celebrates its 30th anniversary with a fundraising silent auction and dance. The event takes place at Quarters restaurant in the McMaster University Student Centre. Tickets are $25 per person and include h'ors d'oeuvres, a late night buffet and a DJ. Proceeds will go towards the purchase of an air conditioner. For tickets or to support the centre through a silent auction prize donation, call Debbie Thomson at 905-526-1544. Originally located at St. Cuthbert's Presbyterian Church on Bond Street North, the daycare soon outgrew that space and set up shop five years later at MacNeill Baptist Church at 1145 King Street West. Today, the program services 55 families with children ranging in age from 18 months to 6 years. The Centre is based on a not-for-profit model and all fees are directed back into supporting the objectives of the centre. The MSU and support from various levels of government provide additional funding. Caring, qualified early childcare educators develop, design and deliver fun and educational programming. An on-site cook prepares healthy snacks and meals for the children. Several students and community members provide additional support through co-op placements and by volunteering with the centre.

February 12, 2003

Tommy, whose birth was framed by the Second World War, witnessed a murder as a child and became numb to the world. In his parents efforts to cure him, he met intriguing characters along the way. This month, McMaster's Musical Theatre follows the incredible journey of transformation from deaf-dumb-and-blindness to pinball wizard stardom in the rock musical Tommy by The Who's Pete Townshend. Tommy takes the Robinson Memorial Theatre stage Feb. 21, 22, 26, 27, 28 and March 1. All shows begin at 8 p.m. with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on March 1. Robinson Memorial Theatre is located in Chester New Hall, Rm. 103. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. For tickets, call the McMaster Musical Theatre box office at ext. 26225.

February 11, 2003

Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Canada Mei Ping is exploring McMaster and its strong Chinese connections. Ping, and his wife Mei Lin Sha, visited with students Monday in the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC). Today, he will tour the School of Business Trading Centre and AIC wing, as well as the Faculty of Engineering's Machining Systems Laboratory and McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute. He returns to Ottawa this afternoon. McMaster President Peter George hosted a reception and dinner for the ambassador Monday. Luke Chan, executive director of the Office of International Affairs, hosted a dinner Sunday. Born in 1943 in Shanghai, Mei became the ambassador in 1998. He is the fourth ambassador of China to visit McMaster. The number of Chinese students attending McMaster has increased substantially since 1994, when the University had three undergraduate students from China, according to the Office of International Affairs. In 2002, preliminary figures show McMaster had 635 undergraduate and 116 graduate visa students from China. In 2002, a total of 1,537 international students (undergraduate and graduate) attended McMaster. Photo caption: Pictured above, Ping and Lin Sha spoke with first-year social science student Bailin Li, top left, and first-year MBA student Chao Yu during his visit with students in the MUSC. Photo credit: Chantall Van Raay

February 11, 2003

Psychologist Martin Daly has found some intriguing connections between the homicide rate and income distribution in Canada and the United States. Daly, who desribes his studies of homicide as "a window on human passions and antagonisms," has found that the greater the inequality in the distribution of income between rich and poor, the higher the homicide rate. Daly will discuss his research at tonight's Science in the City lecture titled Competition, Inequity and Homicide, the second in a series of lectures sponsored jointly by McMaster University and the Hamilton Spectator. In an interview with the Spectator (Feb.8), Daly notes that "the more inequitable the rewards, the higher the rates of violence, presumably because it's more desperately competitive at the bottom." This free lecture will be held tonight in the Spectator Auditorium, located in the Hamilton Spectator, 44 Frid Street. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7 p.m.

February 10, 2003

More than 150 McMaster employees gathered on Friday, Feb. 7 at the Burlington Art Centre to participate in the 'Inspiring From Within' conference  a career-oriented day developed by a small group of McMaster employees. The conference was organized by the 'Working at McMaster' Career Planning and Development Steering Committee, whose objective is to promote the values of career planning and development within the McMaster employee community. The event featured several distinguished keynote speakers, session leaders and facilitators, including Jane Farrow, radio host of the CBC program 'Workology', who spoke on the 'Wild World of Work'. Gordon Cressy, president of Canadian Tire Foundation for Families and Community Investment, gave a presentation entitled: 'Dreaming and Doing: Inspiring From Within'.

February 10, 2003

A Faculty Grievance Review Panel Hearing Committee has issued its findings in a matter pertaining to philosophy professor David Hitchcock. The committee found that professor Hitchcock should have had one day unpaid leave for failing to teach his Philosophy 3F03 class during the MUSA dispute in 2001. Professor Hitchcock was grieving a decision that had placed him on 14 days unpaid leave for failing to teach the class and for not handing in an exam. The three-member committee ruled that the wages for the other 13 days shall be paid with interest. "There's a very clear process in these types of proceedings and that process has been followed in this instance," said McMaster provost Ken Norrie. "I am happy the matter has been resolved."

February 7, 2003

McMaster's teaching assistants and the University have ratified a new collective agreement. The Board of Governors' executive committee ratified the terms of a renewal collective agreement for the teaching assistants (TAs) earlier today. This follows the vote held by Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3906 Unit 1 (CUPE) during the last two days that endorsed the new agreement by an 85 per cent margin. "Teaching assistants play an important role both as employees and students at McMaster," said President Peter George. "They help us provide a quality educational experience. As a university, we have been working hard to develop a constructive negotiation process as part of our efforts to continually improve the working environment of McMaster employees. Throughout these negotiations both teams were focused on reaching an agreement that met the needs of everyone concerned."

February 7, 2003

For 11 years, McMaster's Student Walk Home Attendant Team (SWHAT) has been walking people home after dark. To raise the profile of this McMaster Students Union service, SWHAT is hosting its annual Awareness Week Jan. 31 to Feb. 13. A booth will be set up in the McMaster University Student Center Marketplace today (Feb. 7) and Feb. 11. SWHAT is run entirely by students and made possible by the work of hundreds of volunteers. Each SWHAT team is composed of one male and one female volunteer who both wear easily identifiable jackets and carry with them a flashlight and two-way radio. To request a walk home between 5:30 p.m. and 1 a.m., seven days a week, contact the SWHAT office at ext. 27500.

February 7, 2003

Neville Boney will be next year's president of the McMaster Students Union. Boney won a close race on the six ballot of preferential voting with a total of 1,607 votes. Boney is the current vice-president administration with the McMaster Students Union. He has a degree in kinesiology and has finished his first year of a second degree in French. Preferential voting allows voters to rank the candidates. A candidate wins when they have 50 per cent plus one vote. If that percentage is not reached in the first ballot, the ballots from the candidate with the lowest number of number one votes are redistributed to the other candidates according to the second place votes. This continues until a candidate reaches the 50 per cent plus one mark.

February 6, 2003

Although men and women are one species, the neural systems underlying cognition are different between them, says this year's Alexander Graham Bell lecturer. So, asks Sanda Witelson, do women and men think and act the same way? The professor of psychiatry and behaviourial neurosciences and Albert Einstein/Irvine Zucker Chair in Neuroscience, will explore this at the 25th annual Alexander Graham Bell Lecture. The free public lecture takes place Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Health Sciences Centre, Rm. 1A1. Witelson, who joined McMaster's Department of Psychiatry in 1969, is internationally recognized for her contributions to the elucidation of the neurobiological underpinnings of cognition, such as language, intelligence and visuo-spatial perception; the basis of hemispheric functional specialization  a major aspect of human brain organization; the etiology of childhood reading problems; and mechanisms in sexual differentiation of the brain between men and women. Presented by the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, the Alexander Graham Bell Lecture offers outstanding speakers on a topic in information and emerging technologies that is of interest to both the members of the University community and the general public.

February 5, 2003

World religions will congregate in the McMaster University Student Centre Marketplace today, (Thursday, Feb. 6). Coordinated by the Interfaith Unity Group, McMaster's first annual World Religions Day Fair takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. "While each faith represented embodies aspects of culture, the essence of what is being communicated is the raison d'etre of the various faiths and philosophies," says Carol Wood, ecumenical chaplain. "Our "neighbourhood" at McMaster includes people of many theological and philosophical persuasions. Interfaith Unity seeks to foster understanding, which begins with education. Interfaith Unity also seeks to foster respect, which begins with listening and being in dialogue with people whose background and religious beliefs may differ from our own." McMaster Interfaith Unity, an MSU club, coordinates events and presentations throughout the year to promote religious and cultural tolerance within the McMaster Community.

February 5, 2003

Giant, colourful lions danced through the McMaster University Student Centre today to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year. McMaster's Chinese Students' Association, one of the largest and oldest student organizations on campus, celebrated the New Year with a traditional Lion Dance. As part of this tradition, McMaster President Peter George, McMaster Students Union president Evan Mackintosh and Luke Chan, executive director of the Office of International Affairs, dotted the lions' eyes prior to the dance to awaken the lions' spirits. The celebration features games and foods of the Chinese New Year and for the first time in the 36-year-old association's history, the traditional Lion Dance. The celebration takes place in the MUSC Marketplace from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

February 5, 2003

Canadian musicians Joe Sealy, Cindy Church and Paul Novotny will pay an all-Canadian tribute to songwriter Hoagy Carmichael Friday, Feb. 7 at McMaster. Entitled "The Nearness of You", the concert will take place in Convocation Hall at 8 p.m. There will also be a special performance by Sealy and Novotny, who will play selections from various CD's they have produced as well as a collaboration of new material. Born in Indiana in 1899, Carmichael created some of the twentieth century's most enduring songs, including Stardust, Skylark and Ole Buttermilk Sky. Jazz pianist-composer Joe Sealy is renowned for his Juno Award winning Africville Suite and his recent Juno nominated Blue Jade. Singer-songwriter Cindy Church is not only a popular folk country performer, but performed with Quartette with colleagues Sylvia Tyson, Caitlin Hanford and Gwen Swick. Bassist Paul Novotny has performed with several musicians including Junior Mance, Jo-Ann Brakeen, Carol Welsman and Holly Cole. Novotny has three Juno-nominated CDs and one Juno award winner, and has toured the world. Tickets to the performance are $25 each. To purchase tickets contact the McMaster School of the Arts at ext. 24246 or the after-hours hotline at ext. 23333. Photo caption: Jazz-pianist-composer Joe Sealy

February 4, 2003

And they're off. It's that time of year again -- time for the McMaster Students Union (MSU) presidential elections. This year, seven candidates have entered the race to become next year's MSU president. The candidates are: Neville Boney, Adamo Discenza, Shano Mohan, Jamie Paterson, Richard Safka, Ken Seville and Adam Spence. "Students should find out what these candidates have to say," says current MSU president Evan Mackintosh. "The job of MSU president is to work for the students." The McMaster Students Union represents more than 14,000 undergraduate students on campus. The MSU president is elected by the student population at large and has a one-year, full-time term starting on May 1. Student Representative Assembly elections take place in March. The vice-presidents of finance, administration and education are elected by the new SRA.