December 18, 2001

McMaster's Board of Governors met Dec. 13 at the downtown campus to consider a number of items. Click on "Read More" for more information.

December 17, 2001

Get ready. It's the holiday version of the engineering fireball show. The annual McMaster engineering holdiay fireball show is ready to entertain you on Thursday, Dec. 20 at 10 a.m. in the John Hodgins Engineering Building Room 264. Presented by the Engineering 1 program, the educational show features hands-on activities that focus on science and engineering as an education and a career. The fireball show is presented throughout the year to high school students, teachers and guidance counsellors across Ontario. It is designed to introduce prospective students to science and engineering programs available through McMaster's Faculty of Engineering. (End of story)

December 14, 2001

McMaster President Peter George will take a leave of absence early next year. Board of Governors Chair Ed Minich calls it a well-deserved break. "The Changing Tomorrow Today campaign was a tremendous success but it meant the President was on duty close to seven days a week for the past few years. Peter went above and beyond what was expected during the campaign and that, combined with his dedication to his other tasks, means he deserves some time to recharge his batteries." President George will be away from campus from Feb. 1 to April 15, 2002. In his absence, Peter Sutherland, currently acting provost on leave from his post as dean of the Faculty of Science, will be acting President. John Drake will continue to serve as acting dean of Science. President George says that the agreed-to leave of absence, originally scheduled to take place between his first and second terms as President was postponed because, "The campaign was in full gear and there was no way I could be absent until it was complete. As we headed towards the end of the campaign we began the search for the new provost and it would have been impossible to be away until he and I had at least a short period of time to work together." Ken Norrie assumes the role of provost on Jan. 1. The President, who also decided to shorten his leave from three to two-and-a-half months, says, "It will seem very strange to be away from campus but Allison and I are both looking forward to some time for reflection and rejuvenation." The appointments of the acting President and acting dean of science were approved at this week's meetings of the Senate and Board of Governors. (End of story)

December 13, 2001

When you step inside the History of Health Sciences Library, you find yourself surrounded by books and journals detailing the observations and discoveries made throughout history that have informed modern health care practice. The collection is but one component of the Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine, a unique chair that integrates the role of history in understanding health, disease and medical institutions. The library, usually populated with students from health sciences, humanities and social sciences, became the setting yesterday (Dec.12) for a celebration of another infusion of support from Associated Medical Services (AMS). AMS first endowed the Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine in 1999, with a generous gift of $1-million. The University matched the AMS gift and an endowed chair was established to develop an academic program in the history of medicine. The first holder of the Hannah Chair, David Wright, holds a joint appointment with the Department of History and the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences. At the celebration, Abbyann Lynch, president of AMS, presented the University with an additional $1-million for the Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine. This gift, coupled with the initial endowment and matching funds from the University means that this chair will have an endowment fund of $4-million, which to date is the largest endowment for any single chair at the university.

December 13, 2001

The national association representing a majority of Canada's universities applauds federal budget spending on indirect research costs. Robert Giroux of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada lauded the approach as a "winning strategy." Giroux said: "This has been an urgent need for Canada's universities for some time and we're delighted that the federal government has committed to making ongoing funding for the indirect costs of research a priority." The government pledged to provide $200-million in one-time funding to help support "world class facilities and respond to the needs of Canada's smaller universities in their efforts to become more research oriented." See the Daily News story Federal government announces funding for indirect costs of research for McMaster's response to budget measures that pertain to post-secondary education.

December 12, 2001

The McMaster Museum of Art is holding its seasonal open house today from noon to 4 p.m. This year museum staff will be leading behind-the-scenes tours at 2 and 4 p.m. Open for viewing will be the vaults where McMaster University's collection of about 6,000 works of art are housed. As well, visitors can view the current exhibitions, browse through the gift shop and enjoy complimentary refreshments. Call ext. 23081 or go to the museum's revamped Web site at www.mcmaster.ca/museum for more information.(End of story)

December 11, 2001

The Centre for Continuing Education is celebrating its first day of business in its new full-service modern location at the courthouse campus. The centre began . . .

December 10, 2001

The federal government's budget announcement yesterday of increased funding for Canada's granting councils and new funding for the indirect costs of research was enthusiastically welcomed by McMaster University. "Ottawa's commitment to an innovation agenda sends a clear message that the federal government understands the critical role university research plays in Canada's long-term economic health and development. As the country's most innovative medical-doctoral university, McMaster and its world-class researchers are in a unique position to provide national leadership. We embrace the innovation challenge and look forward to building on the increased government support to help meet the challenges of the 21st century," said McMaster President Peter George. The government has committed $200 million this year to help offset indirect research costs at universities and research hospitals. It has also announced a seven per cent increase to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council budgets, and an additional $75 million per year for the 13 new institutes established under the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. McMaster's vice-president of research and international affairs, Mamdouh Shoukri, says the $200 million for the indirect costs of research will help Canada engage in research that is truly competitive internationally. "This new funding will go a long way in increasing our competitiveness, not just in terms of research output, but also in terms of recruiting and retaining highly qualified faculty and students. This is extremely good news not only for McMaster, but for the entire research community in Canada. We have been pushing for funding for indirect costs for a long time and the government has answered our call." Typically McMaster receives four per cent of the federal research envelope. Based on this scenario, today's announcement translates into as much as an additional $8 million to support McMaster's research enterprise.

December 10, 2001

The McMaster Students Union is rounding up donations for selected student fundraising initiatives with every purchase made at campus bookstores. Bookstore cashiers ask customers if they want to round up the total of their bill to the nearest dollar, with the change going to the designated targets for that month. MSU president Sam Minniti thought up the fundraising idea, called "Round Up?," this summer, while making a purchase in the bookstore. "It's such a quick, discreet and easy way to raise funds," said Minniti. "If you say yes, your change will go to the targets of the month. "It doesn't matter if you're buying a pencil or $300 worth of textbooks, it will round up. It's based on sheer volume." So far the initiative has raised almost $5,500 with the funds going to Shinerama, the Terry Fox Run for Cancer, MSU Merit Scholarships, the Marauder Excellence Fund and the Children's Hospital Hamilton (c/o School of Social Work Fundraiser). The MSU executive board, comprised of four board directors and five members from the Student Representative Assembly elected to the executive choose the specific targets (usually two are selected) for the month after considering all suggestions. Bookstore director Bob Crawford said all the feedback he has received about the program has been positive. Bookstore cashiers are sensitive to the fact some customers visit several times a day so it is at their discretion whether to ask a customer if they want to round up the bill, he said. "It has been favourably received," Crawford said. Minniti and Crawford agreed not to run the program during Welcome Week so the initiative didn't add time to customers waiting in line.

December 7, 2001

It's been home to a teachers' college, a high school, even occupational therapists and physiotherapists. Now the 1950s building, once known as T-16, is the high-tech hub for McMaster's burgeoning information technology programs. Ontario's minister of training, colleges and universities, Dianne Cunningham, joined several industry representatives, government officials, faculty and alumni yesterday to celebrate the official opening of McMaster's Information Technology Building, located at the south end of campus. The building's exterior, featuring original stone work and friezes above the doors, was preserved, while a $12.3 million renovation modernized the 82,000 sq. ft. interior to accommodate the Faculty of Engineering's expanded computing & software department and the electrical & computer engineering program. The building is also home to the new Software Quality Research Laboratory (SQRL), which is a leading source of expertise and academic research in software quality assurance. Cunningham, who noted she visited the building during its incarnation as a teachers' college, praised the "sincere spirit of collaboration" that guided the information technology program expansion and the building renovation. The renovation was completed with money committed from Ontario's Access to Opportunity Program and the SuperBuild Growth Fund, Nortel Networks Ltd., the University and private donations. Engineering dean Mo Elbestawi noted that his faculty identified information technology as a strategic priority. "We developed an ambitious plan to expand our educational and research activities in this area and built on our current strength in optoelectronics, communication technologies and software engineering. This facility places our students at the leading edge of information technology." LAB TOUR: Dianne Cunningham (front, centre-right), minister of training, colleges and universities shares a laugh during a tour of the Embedded Systems Lab. From left is associate professor Martin von Mohrenschildt, student Curtis Miles, President Peter George, Paul Taylor, chair of the Department of Computing & Software, Mo Elbestawi, Faculty of Engineering dean and Lynton (Red) Wilson, chair of Nortel Networks Ltd. & CAE Inc. Photo by Ron Scheffler

December 7, 2001

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/SzymanskiandWilson.jpg”]Ted Szymanski, an associate professor of electrical & computer engineering, has been appointed as the L. R. Wilson/BCE Chair in Data Communications. Szymanski, . . .

December 6, 2001

Streaming media, online student journals, calculus classes and electronic media, Web CT. These are some of the topics being explored at a two-day Learning Technology Symposium being held on campus today (Dec. 6) and tomorrow (Dec. 7) in GSB-207. Sponsored by the Centre for Leadership in Learning, the symposium features success stories from McMaster faculty and guest speakers. For more information go to the Learning Technology Symposium Web page.

December 6, 2001

Century castles in Europe may be enjoying a boost in tourism thanks to Harry Potter. As part of a recent advertising promotion, three Canadian families . . .

December 5, 2001

Computing & Information Services advises that e-mail continues to be slow due to problems created yesterday by the "Goner" virus. CIS virus expert Otto Geiss said the McMail system was down for part of yesterday as the virus created a backlog of about 2,000 messages in the mail queue. CIS manager Barb Campbell urges all University computer users to be vigilant before opening "unexpected" e-mail containing attachments. "We were flooded within minutes," Campbell said. "This is totally a result of people opening unexpected attachments. It's really frustrating for us." CIS deployed five people and called in one employee from vacation to help people deal with their computer problems. For information on the virus, go to: CIS Virus Information Web site at http://www.mcmaster.ca/cis/virus/ Symantec Web site at http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.goner.a@mm.html Command Web site at http://www.commandsoftware.com/virus/goner.html. If you suspect you have the virus, disconnect the Ethernet cable and contact CIS at ext. 24357. The infected e-mail, which should be deleted, will have an attachment named "gone.scr". The e-mail subject line is "Hi" and the body of the message reads: "How are you? When I saw this screen saver, I immediately thought about you. I am in a harry, I promise you will love it!" (End of story)

December 5, 2001

Editor's Introduction The following report is from members of the Core Competencies Steering Committee. The committee is developing a competency-based system for managers and academic . . .

December 4, 2001

The following is a list of McMaster employees who were honoured recently for their years of service: 2001 Service Recognition Awards 15 Years of Service . . .

December 4, 2001

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/signing.jpg”]After 17 drafts, an agreement creating a new collaborative nursing program for McMaster University, Mohawk College and Conestoga College is now final and . . .

December 4, 2001

Computing & Information Services advises there is a virus spreading on campus that is slowing down computer systems. Delete any e-mail with the subject line of "Hi" and the body of the message reads: "How are you? When I saw this screen saver, I immediately thought about you. I am in a harry, I promise you will love it!" The attachment will be called "gone.scr". For information on the virus, go to http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.goner.a@mm.html. Information is also available at the McMaster Virus Pages link. If you believe your computer is infected, disconnect your ethernet cable and contact CIS. For further information, please contact the CIS helpline at ext. 24357. (End of story)

December 3, 2001

December 3, 2001

Today marks the last day of Term 1 classes for the 2001-02 fall/winter session. Final examinations begin Wednesday, Dec. 5 and continue through to Tuesday, Dec. 18. Go to the Office of the Registrar's Web site at registrar.mcmaster.ca/internal/ examt/ for the exam schedule. Paper versions have been posted around campus. As well, students'personal exam schedules are also available on Mugsi. Click on McMaster Libraries' Hours of Operation for a complete listing of opening and closing times for the libraries during December and early January. Classes for Term 2 begin Monday, Jan. 7. (End of story)