Daily News

May 2, 2003

McMaster researchers are partnering with the Ontario government to conduct the first Canadian study that will help protect the public from West Nile virus. Tony Clement, Ontario minister of health and long-term care and Colin D'Cunha, Ontario commissioner of public health were at McMaster today to announce the study that will determine the extent of community exposure to West Nile virus, in an area of Halton Region where the virus was known to be prevalent last summer. About 1,500 people are involved in the study, conducted by McMaster's medical geographers John Eyles and Susan Elliott and Mark Loeb, an infectious diseases specialist. This is the first study in Canada to track the prevalence of West Nile virus. Their study, conducted through the McMaster Institute of Environment and Health, is focused on residents of southern Oakville, who had the highest rates of confirmed cases in Canada last year. The objective is to gather information on how many people were infected by the virus last summer but did not exhibit serious symptoms of the illness. Participants have already been surveyed about their attitudes and behaviours toward the virus, and a blood sample will be taken to determine if there is a presence of the West Nile virus antibody. Blood sample collections will be completed in early May and results of the tests will be completed by mid-June and made available to the people who participated in the study. The announcement is part of the government's new seven-point action plan to combat West Nile virus, in which they are investing $100 million over five years.

May 2, 2003

During politically unstable times, differences in faith can create diverse opinions. But at McMaster, these differences brought McMaster Students Against the Occupation, the Jewish Student Association and the Peace Village closer together. These groups met recently to exchange dialogue on how to create an inviting climate and a structure where differences of opinion can be shared. Ecumenical chaplain Carol Wood and Hamilton psychiatrist Joanna Santa Barbara, who teaches in McMaster's peace studies program, facilitated the meeting. "Each one of the students involved in this problem has a compassionate heart," says Santa Barbara. "In a dialogue, there is the possibility that each person's "circle of compassion" can grow a little to include those from the other identity group." Initially, she hopes guidelines will be established so that identity-based groups on campus can act with consideration for the feelings of other groups. "We want a campus where everyone feels respected, included and safe." Creating guidelines for respectful interaction between groups, seeking discussion without tension, creating a new group that could serve as an intermediary, inviting others to the table, seeking historical experts, establishing a joint group that can help groups deal with differences and establishing a student led group to resolve issues were some of the goals established. "The most important idea put forward at the meeting was that despite our political differences, the campus can still be a place of both co-existence and dialogue," says Sina Rahmani, president of the McMaster Students Against the Occupation. "Only through dialogue -- effective dialogue -- can we avoid the creation of an ethnic rift."

May 1, 2003

McMaster's Departments of Biology and Psychology are co-hosting this year's Ontario Ecology and Ethology Colloquium (OEEC) May 3-4. The conference is a venue for researchers to present their work in the fields of ecology, animal behaviour, evolution and environmental science. There will be two plenary speakers at the conference, as well as 90 talks and more than 20 posters on display. The plenary speakers are: Paul Hebert Barcoding Life's Diversity Department of Zoology Guelph University Date: Saturday, May 3 Time: 9:20 a.m. Location: Arthur Bourns Building Room 102 Nelson Hairston Role of rapid evolution in trajectories of population cycles in predator-prey systems Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Date: Sunday, May 4 Time: 9:20 a.m. Location: Arthur Bourns Building Room 102 Approximately 200 delegates from universities across Southern Ontario will attend the conference. Of these, about two-thirds will be graduate students and one-third will be professors and postdocs, says conference organizer Sigal Balshine, adding a few participants are expected from universities in northern New York State. "The OEEC is a useful venue for graduate students to present their research findings for the first time," says the assistant psychology professor. "The meeting is organized to be both relaxed and friendly. It also provides students with a chance to meet with other graduate students, professors and postdocs in their fields from other nearby universities." McMaster last hosted the conference in 1993. Details of the program and final schedule can be found on the conference Web site http://psych.mcmaster.ca/oeec2003/

May 1, 2003

The McMaster University co-ed cheerleading team has been named the Cheerleaders of America (COA) 2003 Grand National Open Series Champion for Co-Ed Divisions 1 and 1A combined. McMaster qualified for the Grand National Championship by placing first in the COA Niagara Falls Open on April 5, 2003. McMaster's score (341.00 out of a possible 400) was then ranked against the top Division 1/1A scores from each of the COA's eight other regional competitions (Alabama, California, Florida, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas) to determine a Grand National Champion. McMaster also announced a new partnership between the McMaster Co-Ed Cheerleading Team and the National Champion CheerForce Wolfpack from Burlington. For the 2003-2004 season, CheerForce Wolfpack founders, Frank Vurro and Chris Hollingsworth will join Carrie Lillyman as part of the coaching staff at McMaster, replacing Amy Ban and Simone Rose who have retired from coaching at McMaster after long and dedicated careers. The CheerForce Wolfpack will have more than 200 cheerleaders in their organization in 2003, and will provide a development system for the McMaster cheerleading team as well as access to facility space, in their new 5,000-square-foot complex to be opened in June 2003 in Oakville. McMaster placed fourth in the 2002 Canadian University National Championships held November 23, 2002 at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario only 26 points (out of 600) behind the National Champions from The University of Western Ontario.

May 1, 2003

It was exceptionally quiet in his room. Hours had passed since the last student shoved a ballot into a voting box. After months of campaigning, Neville Boney could do nothing but wait. It wouldn't be long until he would find out if he would assume the very big responsibility of McMaster Students Union (MSU) president at one of the most monumental times in university history -- the year of the double cohort. As 2 a.m. rolled around, Boney had the same sinking feeling he did two years earlier when he lost the 2001/02 MSU presidential election to Sam Minniti. Then the phone rang. "Neville, we have a bit of an issue with tabulating the votes." The feeling sunk deeper. "Maybe you should come in." Silence. "We're just kidding Neville. You won! You won!" Since that unforgettable night, Boney has had barely a second to let it sink in. But he knows he is becoming president at a crucial time in university history, when twice as many high school students are seeking entrance into university. "The double cohort is sort of a big blink in a trend of more students going to university," he says. "We have some huge changes in terms of space and location and we really need to ensure that we don't go off track."

April 30, 2003

Three McMaster Marauder Football players were selected in the Canadian Football League (CFL) Canadian College Draft held today. Running Back, Kojo Aidoo, was taken by the Edmonton Eskimos as the first pick in the second round (10th overall). The 6'0", 240 lb Aidoo was the 2001 Howard Mackie Award Recipient as the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Male Athlete of the Year, and the 2000 Hec Crighton Award Recipient as the Most Outstanding CIS Football Player. The Oakville, Ontario resident holds the OUA Record for most career touchdowns with 39. McMaster Linebacker, Ray Mariuz, was drafted by the Toronto Argonauts with their first pick in the fourth round (28th overall). The 6'3", 226 lb, Mariuz was a first-team All-Canadian in 2002 and captured the President's Trophy as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the OUA. The native of Mississauga, Ontario had 30 solo tackles and 14 assisted in the 2002 Yates Cup winning season. Mariuz is a multi-year RBC Academic All-Canadian. Mike Botterill was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes 51st overall (seventh pick in the sixth round). The 6'2", 228 lb linebacker was a First-Team OUA All-Star and the Dalt White Award winner as the MVP of the Yates Cup in 2002. The product of Belleville, Ontario recorded 21 tackles and 1 fumble return last season. The players will report to camp in Mid-June, both Ray Mariuz and Mike Botterill are eligible to return for a fifth season at McMaster. For more information visit www.cfl.ca.

April 30, 2003

Highlights from the April 24 Board of Governors meeting Vision for aboriginal health care Chief Roberta Jamieson of the Six Nations of the Grand River addressed a growing need for first nations health care professionals, at McMaster's Board of Governors meeting. In her presentation, she sought a commitment from McMaster to partner with the 2020 Vision Strategy to increase the number of aboriginal health care professionals. "We want our children to be on track by 2020 to have essential health care jobs," she said, adding the strategy is that by 2020, there will be an additional 40 aboriginal doctors, 60 aboriginal nurses ad 100 other aboriginal health care professionals and technicians. "Chief Jamieson and the Faculty of Health Sciences are on the same page," said Faculty of Health Sciences dean John Kelton, noting the University has an obligation and an opportunity to work with the Six Nations in addressing their health care needs. 'Culture of conversation' McMaster's strategic planning document entitled 'Refining Directions' sees the University as one of the top three Canadian universities in undergraduate and graduate education, said provost Ken Norrie. "In graduate education we are there," he said. "But in undergraduate education ... this is something we need to put some effort into." Refining Directions reinforces the University's "culture of innovation," and encourages and supports a "culture of conversation", he says, adding one of the document's most critical key success factors is securing adequate revenue. Three open sessions are scheduled over the next two weeks for employees to learn more about the draft Refining Directions report and provide their input. The sessions are scheduled for: Wednesday, April 30  3:30-4:30, GH-111 Friday, May 2  10-11 a.m., DTC-214, 215, 216 Friday, May 9  9-10 a.m., PC-155 The Refining Directions document can be viewed online at http://www.mcmaster.ca/pres/refining.html. The final report will be presented to the Board of Governors for approval in June. "We hope that each member of the McMaster family will be able to look at this and see themselves in this document," said McMaster President Peter George. "We hope you will find the Refining Directions document challenging, stimulating and encouraging." Vintage restoration Alumni Memorial Hall will undergo approximately $1.6 million in renovations and building upgrades that conforms to current building codes, is accessible to persons with disabilities and provides an appropriate setting for a showcase dining and function facility. "As with other buildings of this vintage, it is in need of upgrading and an opportunity has arisen through a financial partnership with the University Club to perform several improvements," says Physical Plant director Tony Cupido in a report to the Planning and Building Committee. "These proposed improvements include washroom upgrades, elevator and other accessibility improvements, kitchen upgrades and cosmetic features." The 53-year-old facility is designated an historic building on campus and mainly occupied by the University Club, with the remaining space currently occupied by University Advancement staff. Hamilton on display Commonwealth Games Federation members from around the world, including Africa, Asia, the Pacific shores and the Caribbean, will visit Hamilton between June and September. Delegates will be presented Hamilton's bid book, a 40-page document that represents the City of Hamilton's commitment to vie for the honour of host city of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, said Roger Trull, vice-president of University Advancement, to the Board. Hamilton, which hosted and launched the first-ever British Empire Games  now the Commonwealth Games  in 1930, is competing against New Delhi, which has never hosted the Games. A decision will be announced Nov. 13, 2003.

April 30, 2003

McMaster's Indigenous Studies Program is partnering with Ontario's Royal Botanical Gardens and Six Nations Polytechnic in an effort to preserve the botanical legacy of the Six Nations people. The one-year Community Leader in Indigenous Ethnobotany project enables a Six Nations member to train, research and document information on the knowledge and uses of plants by indigenous peoples. The three partners, in collaboration with the Six Nations community, will provide assistance and expertise. The Museums Assistance Program of the Federal Department of Canadian Heritage has invested funds to support the work. This project advances Six Nations' goals to address the imminent loss of current and historical knowledge about culturally significant plants, and to develop a leader who can keep this knowledge alive. It will also advance Royal Botanical Gardens' goals to document and conserve plant habitat and species at risk. Leading the project is Pat Hess, a Cayuga from the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve. She is enrolled in Honours Anthropology at McMaster University, where she also has a Minor in Indigenous Studies. "It is my dream in some small way to be able to help my community; I believe that this is definitely going to be a community-inclusive effort to restore and archive our knowledge for the youth and future generations," she said. Dawn Martin-Hill, director of Indigenous Studies at McMaster University, said the program is a component of the Six Nations community's efforts to preserve indigenous knowledge. "This relationship will benefit our community by identifying and documenting plant life that is vulnerable or extirpated at Six Nations," she said. Royal Botanical Gardens promotes public understanding of the relationship between humanity and nature. Gardens staff will assist with documenting the status of key plant species on the Six Nations reserve, and develop habitat conservation strategies. Cultural information about the plants, such as their various medicinal uses, will be curated by Ms. Hess and will be archived at Six Nations. "All project content will be controlled through extensive community consultations, which will determine ways in which the indigenous knowledge will be stored and preserved," explained Martin-Hill. "We are thankful for Royal Botanical Gardens' support and commitment and we're pleased that Pat Hess has agreed to take on this endeavour of conservation."

April 30, 2003

McMaster social scientists and humanities researchers have received more than $1.3 million to study topics such as the cultural politics of computer game playing, restructuring of the police and prison guard systems and the workplace and mental health. The 14 standard research grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada support research in broad areas such as the Canadian family, the new economy, globalization, arts and culture, environment and law and justice. The standard research grants, worth up to $250,000 over three years, support investigator-chosen projects by individual researchers and small teams. Researchers at more than 60 universities across Canada were awarded funding through this national peer-review 2003 competition. Three researchers received funding from the Initiative on the New Economy program for separate projects on executive compensation, firm performance and the quality of earnings; living standards, productivity growth and economic change and work organization and health in the new economy. The new economy research grants, worth up to $300,000 over three years, support research projects that focus on aspects of the new economy.

April 29, 2003

In the event of a fire, would you know how to properly use a fire extinguisher? Well, if you have any doubts you might want to attend an information session being held at McMaster on May 6 as part of North American Occupational Health & Safety Week. Risk Management Services has lined up three days chocked full of information sessions and activities aimed at increasing awareness of and information about health and safety issues. The session on "Get a Handle on How to Use a Fire Extinguisher" will be held on Tuesday, May 6 beginning at 9:15 a.m. in the Zone 7 Parking lot. Rob Edge, a fire service technician for physical plant, will lead this hands-on training session. Other information sessions will be held at both McMaster locations on campus and downtown throughout the week. These will include everything from how to set up your computer workstation properly to personal protective equipment to investigating an accident. "This is an opportunity for all members of the McMaster community to raise their own personal awareness about health and safety, to keep our environment and the campus safe, and to also have some fun in the process," says Lisa Morine, safety officer, Risk Management Services. To view the complete list of activities planned at McMaster for North American Occupational Health & Safety Week, May 5 to 9, click here.

April 29, 2003

As of last week, McMaster sent out approximately 9,100 early offers of admission. McMaster received about 44,000 applications from registered Ontario secondary school students, many of whom applied to more than one McMaster program. The Enrolment Management Team is releasing its offers of admission in two rounds. The first round, scheduled to be in the mail by April 30, were sent out one week early. Other institutions, such as The University of Western Ontario and the University of Guelph, also sent out offers earlier than anticipated, said President Peter George to the Board of Governors last week. The second round of offers will be sent out May 30. "Owing to the very large number of applications, the ongoing Enrolment Target Agreement negotiations with the government and the overall challenges associated with secondary school reform, we have elected to make the majority of our offers in round two," says University registrar George Granger. "This will give us the benefits of additional grade data and other analysis which contribute to the prudent selection of competitive admission averages. Our goal is to hit our target enrolment as closely as possible." Current estimates suggest the total number of offers will exceed 19,000 by early June.

April 29, 2003

McMaster continues to monitor updated information about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Although no cases of SARS have been reported in Hamilton, the University has decided to institute additional precautions to reduce the level of risk. All members of the McMaster community are strongly encouraged to delay or reschedule visits to campus by visitors who are from or have recently travelled to countries that have been identified by Health Canada as areas of higher risk. There are differences in the international advisories issued by the World Health Organization and Health Canada but the decision has been made to follow Health Canada guidelines. At this time these countries include China Hong Kong Taiwan Anyone travelling from these countries is asked to not come to campus for 10 full days following their arrival in Canada. This could have an impact on some conferences, group events and individual visits. The University also requires international graduate students, post-doctoral students and exchange students returning from these countries to complete 10 full days away from campus before attending university facilities. Those faculty, staff or students who choose to travel to these countries despite travel recommendations from Health Canada will also need to follow isolation protocols before returning to campus. International students currently at McMaster who would normally return home to countries affected by SARS for the summer and who wish to stay in Canada should contact the International Student Office at ext. 24748. The SARS situation changes on a regular basis and the McMaster community will be kept informed of any new developments or changes to this protocol. Please monitor the Daily News Web site for updates. Any questions regarding the University's response to SARS should be directed to the McMaster Crisis Management Team at ext. 24330, or by e-mail to team chair and vice-president, administration, Karen Belaire at vpadmin@mcmaster.ca. Ongoing updates are available on the mcmaster.ca Web site at http://www.mcmaster.ca/sarsupdate.html

April 28, 2003

McMaster's Board of Governors approved tuition and miscellaneous fees for the 2003/04 academic year. To keep McMaster's programs competitive and innovative, fees will increase in medicine, business and engineering and tuition will increase 2 per cent in basic arts and sciences programs, based on a five-year provincial government cap on tuition approved by the Board in June 2000. In medicine, fees will increase 7 per cent, to $14,445 from $13,500. The funds will help support rising costs in faculty and facilities, which have gone up 5 per cent a year. McMaster has the lowest total tuition of all Ontario medical schools in Ontario. McMaster's total tuition is $40,000, compared with the University of Toronto, which is $59,000 and Queen's University, which is $50,000. Bursaries for medical students have increased 33 per cent to $2.2 million from $1.7 million, the highest amount given out to students at medical schools across Ontario. An average bursary to a medical student at McMaster is $6,900. Student tuition pays one-third of the cost of a medical education, estimated to be about $50,000 per year. The Michael DeGroote School of Business will increase MBA tuition fees 20 per cent for each of the next two years. MBA tuition is $9,600 for two terms in 2003/04 and $11,520 for two terms in 2004/05, for a total tuition cost to a student entering this fall of $21,120. "This is in keeping with our previously announced intention to continue to increase tuition fees to improve our competitive position amongst leading MBA schools," says dean of business Vishwanath Baba. Tuition fees support a number of initiatives, he says, including faculty hiring and recruitment, infrastructure, marketing, MBA case competitions, IT infrastructure and hiring of staff to expand international programs. Fees in engineering will increase by 12 per cent for each of the next three years to between $4,946 to $5,371, up from $4,796 last year. From the increase, 30 per cent supports student bursaries, 30 per cent funds central administration and 40 per cent supports faculty and new educational programming, says dean Mohamed Elbestawi. "We do not see that the status quo is an option," he says. "We see no choice but to expand and improve these programs in order to attract the best students to the Faculty of Engineering program."

April 25, 2003

The next step of McMaster's strategic plan update, Refining Directions, provides an opportunity for McMaster employees to discuss the draft document and ask related questions with President Peter George and provost Ken Norrie. Three open sessions are scheduled over the next two weeks for employees to learn more about the draft Refining Directions report and provide their input. Feedback on any part of the document is welcomed, and specifically comments or suggestions on two key areas: the long-term enrolment targets for the University; and the proposed increase in the emphasis on graduate education. The sessions are scheduled for the following dates: Wednesday, April 30  3:30-4:30, GH-111 Friday, May 2  10-11 a.m., DTC-214, 215, 216 Friday, May 9  9-10 a.m., HSC-1A4 Building on the University's vision and mission, the draft report proposes the goals and strategies to help McMaster continue to prosper in the years following the double cohort. The draft report includes the recommendations from six working groups addressing six areas: undergraduate education; graduate education and research; external activities; internal community; planning and managing; and branding. The draft Refining Directions document is available from the Daily News Web site. Input and comments on the draft report are welcome and can be forwarded to refining@mcmaster.ca. The Refining Directions process has been overseen by a steering committee that has reviewed the recommendations from each working group along with input from numerous rounds of community consultation and presentations to the University Planning Committee, Senate, the Board of Governors and approximately 25 other groups on campus. A final document will be presented to Senate in May and the Board of Governors in June.

April 25, 2003

As students wrap up the school year and prepare to move at the end of April, there is an opportunity to dispose of unwanted, reusable household goods. And for those who are interested, it is also a chance to get some great free stuff. As the saying goes, 'one person's trash is another person's treasure', and with this in mind, the McMaster Students Union Environment Committee will again collaborate with the City of Hamilton to present the second annual Dump and Run event. Those in the participating area can leave reusable goods such as furniture, bicycles, televisions, electronics or small household items at the curb in front of their own property. From April 28 to May 4, anyone is welcome to come and take what they like. Any remaining items will be picked up by the City of Hamilton Waste Management Division on Monday, May 5 for disposal. The program is a good opportunity to pick up some free items for your house, and it helps reduce the number of items going to landfill. The participation area has been enlarged this year to include approximately 4,500 households in the L8S postal code district. It includes the following areas surrounding McMaster University: from the 403 in the in the east to the C.N.I.B. on Main St. West, and from the escarpment in the south to Cootes Paradise Marsh in the north. For more information and a map of the collection area, visit the MSU Web site at www.msu.mcmaster.ca/enviro/dumpandrun, or call 905-525-9140 ext. 27201, e-mail enviro@msu.mcmaster.ca phone the City of Hamilton at 905- 546-CITY (2489) or e-mail wastemanagement@hamilton.ca"

April 25, 2003

Music aficionados looking for something to do this weekend might want to go for Baroque. The School of the Arts is hosting the New York State-St. Lawrence Chapter of the American Musicological Society's 2003 meeting at McMaster this weekend. A highlight of the two-day conference is a Baroque concert scheduled for Saturday night (April 26) at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend. "The concert is really a gift to the University and we're hoping people will come and join us for what promises to be a wonderful evening of beautiful music," says School of the Arts associate professor Jim Deaville. The concert will feature Richard Semmens (recorder) and Sandra Mangsen (harpsichord), both from the University of Western Ontario, and Mary Cyr (viola da gamba), University of Guelph.

April 25, 2003

American Musicological Society, New York State - St. Lawrence Chapter Meeting April 26-27, 2003 McMaster University Saturday, April 26 9-9:30: Arrival, Registration 9:30-10:30: Session I: The Waltz in the 20th Century Alexander Carpenter, University of Toronto: "(Second) Viennese Waltz: Crisis, Change and the Waltz in Arnold Schoenberg's Oeuvre" Teresa Magdanz, University of Toronto: "The Celluloid Waltz: Reveries of the American Carousel" 10:30-11: Coffee Break 11:00-12: Session II: "Spiritual" Music in the 16th and 17th Centuries Marjorie Roth, Nazareth College of Rochester: "Chromaticism in Context: A New View of Orlando di Lasso's Prophetiae Sibyllarum" Janette Tilley, University of Toronto: "From Personification to Meditation: Representations of the 'Faithful Soul' in Lutheran Devotional Music of the Seventeenth Century" 12-1:30: Lunch 1:30-2:30: Plenary/Keynote Address 2:30-3:30: Session III: The Agenda of Modernism in 20th-Century Compositions Brian Locke, SUNY Stony Brook: "'Of Base and Contemptible Passions': Madness and Modernism in Jeremias' Opera 'Bratri Karamazovi'" Alexander Colpa, Kingston, Ont.: "The Role of Existentialist Theory in the Early Dramstadt Schoenberg Reception: A Study in Lateral Stylistic Transmission" 3:30-4: Coffee Break 4-5: Session IV: Reassessing Received Knowledge about the 20th Century Rob Haskins, Eastman: "'Beating My Head Against that Wall': Cage, Harmony and an Argument for Analysis" Murray Dineen, University of Ottawa: "Adorno, Jazz and Schoenberg: For the Defence" 5-6: Business Meeting 6-6:30: Concert Richard Semmens, University of Western Ontario: recorder Mary Cyr, University of Guelph: viola da gamba Sandra Mangsen, University of Western Ontario: harpsichord (Pieces by Jacques Hotteterre, Marin Marais, and Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre) 6:30: Dinner: details to be announced Sunday, April 27 9:30-10:30: Session V Performing Sensuality in the late 18th and 19th Centuries Emily Dolan, Cornell University: "Taming Sonority with Reason: Kant, Rousseau, and the Glass Armonica" Tom Denny, Skidmore College: "'Che sono i fini di chi fa mal'? - Variant Endings during Don Giovanni's First Century" 10:30-11: Coffee Break 11-12: Session VI Wagner and Verdi Lindsay Moore, University of Toronto: "Rich Man, Poor Man: Verdi's and Wagner's Operas and the Changing Copyright and Performance Rights Laws of the Nineteenth Century" Drew Stephen, University of Toronto: "The Hunt as Couleur Locale in Verdi's Don Carlos and Wagner's Tannhaeuser" 12-12:30: Session VII Chant Andrew Hughes, University of Toronto: "Early Printed Sarum Breviaries: Manuscript and Continental Origins"

April 25, 2003

McMaster will revitalize and renew its buildings and reduce energy costs with the implementation of an energy retrofit program, approved yesterday by the Board of Governors. The program will invest $28 million into facility renewal over the next three and a half years, beginning in June. Savings in energy costs will help pay for the program, says Tony Cupido, director of Physical Plant. "The energy reduction program will save the University approximately $1.5 million annually in energy costs and will reduce energy consumption by 23 per cent," he says. The first priority of the program is retrofitting lighting by replacing old, inefficient T12 bulbs with T8 bulbs, which use less energy, have less glare and provide better quality and colour of light. Additionally, new ceiling and occupancy lighting censor controls will be installed, existing controls will be replaced to improve air quality and temperature control, water efficient devises will be utilized, air handling units will be refurbished to provide better air quality and digital control will create energy efficiencies during unoccupied times. The program also addresses health and safety, code compliance and building integrity. Approximately three-quarters of campus buildings will be included in the retrofit project, says Cupido, adding the schedule of implementation will be provided to the campus community prior to work being undertaken. "The air quality in these buildings is going to improve significantly," he says. "While a lot of the work that will take place will not be seen, people are going to notice a big difference in facility comfort."

April 24, 2003

Phase II of McMaster's Web site is ready to roll, says Peter Sutherland, dean of science and co-chair of the Web implementation committee. "This phase includes the installation of a content management system (CMS) to help manage Web content most efficiently," he says. "The launch of the CMS to the campus community will begin by the end of April. The new system will make it faster and easier for departments and faculties to keep their Web content current." Phase I of McMaster's Web site update was rolled out last September and included the redesign of the University's homepage and production of templates and a style guide. Since then, many faculty and department sites have been updated using the new tools providing a consistent structure and navigation, and making it easier for users to find the information they're looking for. A content management system allows a Web site to be maintained efficiently and keep the content current.

April 24, 2003

More than 2,600 students will move out of residence April 24 to 29, with almost 1,100 of these moving out Tuesday, April 29. It will be busy on the roadways near the residences in both the north and west quads, particularly during the peak periods between 3 - 7 p.m. University staff who travel the roadway and/or park in zone 2 opposite McKay Hall, the Commons Building and Woodstock Hall will find this area particularly busy over the next few days. To avoid the bustle of cars pulling in and out of the parking spots and the general increase in pedestrian and vehicular traffic in this area, staff are encouraged to park in zone 2 south of the tennis courts for the next few days. Attendants wearing safety vests will be working shifts in both the north and west quads starting Tuesday, April 22. These student attendants will ensure that visiting cars do not block roadways, fire lanes or pedestrian walkways. Pedestrians in the west quad should note that cars will be allowed to drive to Moulton, Matthews and Wallingford Halls along the emergency roadway north and east of Mary Keyes Residence to stop in designated areas to load students and their belongings. Again, student attendants will ensure that cars move safely in one direction only and do not block access for emergency vehicles. Parking and Security Services have assisted in the preparation of the move-out plan to ensure the residence move-out runs smoothly.