Daily News

March 21, 2002

Three members of the non-teaching staff have been nominated for election to the University's Board of Governors. They are: Barb Campbell (the incumbent), department manager, computing & information services Jim McAndrew, reactor technologist, McMaster nuclear reactor, and Dale Schenk, director, Centre for Continuing Education. The candidates' resumes are now posted on the Board of Governors Web site at http://www.mcmaster.ca/bog/elections. After clicking on the link go to the section for Non-Teaching Staff Election. The election will be conducted online between 9 a.m., Wednesday, April 3 and 4:30 p.m., Friday, April 5. The elected member will represent McMaster's non-teaching staff on the Board of Governors for a three-year term commencing July 1, 2002. (End of story)

March 20, 2002

Altering the usual relationship between artist and spectator in his new video, Museum Mile, Robert Hamilton - media artist and assistant professor of multimedia - has made thousands of New York gallery goers the subjects rather than appraisers of his work. Using a manic flip book technique, he has created a movie from countless digital photographs of visitors taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The recent award of a prestigious Canada Council research grant will allow Hamilton to explore the introduction of multimedia to unusual places and the overlap of the private and public domain further this summer. He plans an interactive project, using an ordinary house as the theatre of event, with passers-by triggering the projection of animated shadows onto the drawn curtains of the front window. Hamilton admits he is not entirely sure how the interactive project will develop or where it will end up. And that, he says, is the great thing about grants from bodies like the Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council (from whom he's also received funding this year for a video project). "They allow artists time to focus on their craft, to make something really good. It's an exciting process." (The image is a still taken from Hamilton's video on Times Square.)

March 19, 2002

One of the enduring myths that permeates many university campuses revolves around the success students in various areas of study achieve in making rapid career transitions following graduation. Received wisdom would have it that students completing programs in disciplines such as commerce, engineering and nursing find it easiest to obtain employment. Not necessarily so. Humanities students will have an opportunity today (March 19) to participate in a forum that will help them appreciate the value employers put on their education. Representatives from various sectors will share their perspectives on the many transferable skills humanities students bring to the workplace and discuss how the current employment environment is evolving to the advantage of humanities graduates. The forum takes place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in Togo Salmon Hall, Room 719. Representatives who will speak include David Wesley, president of Red Canoe Productions, Carolyn Reid, manager, City of Hamilton small business program and Lisa Kutcy, division leader, Primerica Financial Group. An August 2001 report reviewing the employment outcomes of university graduates shows that humanities students are among the most successful groups in finding work. The employment rates for humanities graduates six months after graduation (97.2 per cent) exceed those of all grads except those in medicine, rehabilitation sciences and education. Two years following graduation humanities graduates remain among the most employed. This event is co-sponsored by the McMaster Humanities Society, the Faculty of Humanities and the Career Planning and Employment Centre. (End of story)

March 19, 2002

Psychology professor Lorraine Allan has been appointed McMaster's representative on a new Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Network, designed to increase communications between . . .

March 19, 2002

Mathematics professor Ian Hambleton has been elected by acclamation as a representative of the teaching staff on the Board of Governors for a three-year term . . .

March 18, 2002

The interactions of silicones with the biological world will be the focus of McMaster's newest Killam research fellow. Chemistry professor Mike Brook is one of 17 researchers from across Canada to be awarded the prestigious research fellowship for 2002. Brook, who begins his two-year fellowship Jan. 1, 2003, said the fellowship will provide him with a resource that is always in short supply - time. "I will be able to do things I am not normally able to do, because of my teaching responsibilities and administrative duties," Brook said. "If you're trying to do something really different, you have to dedicate yourself to it."

March 16, 2002

A demonstration of the student portal solution from the preferred vendor SUN was held on Thursday, Feb. 16 in Council Chambers. The intent was to demonstrate some capabilities and features of the portal and content management solution. Various representatives of stakeholder groups from the University, as well as students, attended the demonstration with positive feedback.

March 15, 2002

McMaster University is completing final preparations to host the 2002 Canadian and Ontario University Lifeguard Championships this weekend. It is the second national championship that McMaster will host in as many weeks having successfully hosted the 2002 Canadian Interuniversity Sport Women's Basketball Championship last weekend. Today (March 15), 18 teams from across Canada will arrive at the Ivor Wynne Centre to begin competition in six lifesaving events. The championship begins at today at 2:15 p.m. and will continue all day Saturday. The competition ends Saturday evening. All events are open to spectators, and members of the surrounding community are invited to participate in the Water Rescue event on Saturday with free swimming for the general public from 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 2:45 to 4 p.m.. For more information consult the 2002 Canadian and Ontario University Lifesaving Championship Web site at http://www.athrec.mcmaster.ca/guardcomp2002/index.htm or contact Ashley Kupczak at ext. 27354 or Sarah Wojkowski at ext. 23575.

March 15, 2002

This Saturday, McMaster's Peace and Conflict Studies Society (PACSS) will be hosting its third annual Undergraduate Peace Symposium. The conference is drawing participants from universities . . .

March 13, 2002

The final concert in the Ladies of Jazz series takes place Friday, March 15. Jazz vocalist and international recording star Jeri Brown takes to the Convocation Hall stage at 8 p.m. Brown's latest CD, Image in the Mirror: The Triptych, actually transforms the singer into a bonafide actress. With songs by Milton Sealey, the disc takes the shape of a "fictional dramatic piece" in three acts plus introduction and epilogue, conceived and produced by Jeri Brown. Brown's songs from Image sketch the core journey of the work: a woman's growth through love to self-awareness. The concert will include selections from Brown's recording career with special features from 8 Justin Time and CBC recordings. Her repertoire includes jazz standards and Canadian composer jazz compositions with music such as I've Got Rhythm, Soft, As In A Morning Sunrise, Afro Blue, Tenderly and others. Tickets are $20 and available by calling the School of the Arts Box Office at ext. 23333 or the School of the Arts at ext. 27671. (End of story)

March 12, 2002

The provost's office has announced an interim arrangement for the student affairs office following the death of associate vice-president Mary Keyes. Under the temporary arrangement, . . .

March 12, 2002

Some of McMaster's most outstanding professors will be recognized March 20 for their contribution to undergraduate education. The McMaster Students' Union teaching awards committee is . . .

March 12, 2002

They say that April showers bring May flowers. April at McMaster will bring a new monthly publication as well. The first issue of The McMaster Review will appear on campus and in employee mailboxes in mid-April. The eight- to 12-page publication will be published monthly. The new publication retains a newspaper style but boasts a more contemporary, newsmagazine design and includes colour photography. The publication was designed by awarding-winning graphic artist and designer Peter Enneson of Toronto. It will be produced on recycled and recyclable white bond paper. The deadline for all submissions (editorial and advertising) to the first issue is Wednesday, March 20. An advertising rate sheet can be viewed at http://www.mcmaster.ca/ua/opr/reviewrates.pdf. Advertisements may be placed by calling Pat Miladin at ext. 24073. For questions about editorial submissions, contact Kelly Curwin at ext. 23662. Editorial submissions may be e-mailed to review@mcmaster.ca.

March 12, 2002

McMaster University and the Double Cohort - A message from Ken Norrie, provost and vice-president academic In the past few weeks, the media has devoted considerable attention to how Ontario's universities are preparing to accommodate the increased number of graduating high school students applying for admission. I have been at McMaster for two months, and have been impressed with the careful consideration that has gone into the University's approach to enrolment management. McMaster's enrolment plan, adopted in 1999 and approved by the province, calls for an increase of more than 2,000 full-time undergraduate students between September 1999 and 2003. The plan takes into account anticipated increases in the demand for university places due to the rise in the number of young people of university age, the jump in the proportion of high school graduates who choose to pursue a university education, and the double cohort effect. Specifically, since the latter factor is of particular interest at the moment, the plan calls for an increase of between 400 and 500 first-year students between September 2002 and 2003.

March 11, 2002

Commitment. Dedication. Excellence. These hallmarks of McMaster's 1,800 full-time and almost 600 part-time graduate students were highlighted last week during a day-long tribute to graduate students, teaching and research. Organized by the School of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Students Association, the seventh annual Graduate Students Recognition Day featured a poster contest and reception honouring recipients of several distinguished awards. "You are not only accomplished students, but as independent researchers and research assistants, you are an integral part of McMaster's definition of itself as a research-intensive, innovative University," Fred Hall, dean of graduate studies, told the gathering in Convocation Hall. "Finally, in your role as teaching assistants, you are a vital part of the high quality undergraduate education offered by the University." Award Winners: (front row, l-r) Beverly Ann Jones, GSA president, Mario Blaser (social sciences), James Chen (engineering); Acting President Peter Sutherland, (back row, l-r) Gary Kuchar, (humanities), Ken Norrie, provost and vice-president academic, Jeffrey Richards (science), Brian K. Coombes (health sciences) and Fred L. Hall, dean of graduate studies.

March 11, 2002

The University and the McMaster University Faculty Association (MUFA) have reached a tentative agreement. Negotiations began late in December and the tentative settlement was reached last week. In a joint statement, MUFA president Tom Davison and Joint Committee chair and Acting President Peter Sutherland said, "We're pleased that we were able to reach an agreement that will provide stability for faculty, students and the University." The details of the offer and ballots will be distributed to MUFA members on the Career Progress/Merit plan by March 14. The Joint Committee has scheduled an information session for faculty on March 26 and MUFA is recommending acceptance. Faculty members will have until March 28 to return their ballots. McMaster's current agreement with MUFA expires on June 30, 2002. (END OF STORY)

March 7, 2002

The topics aren't that snazzy: heat, lights, maintenance, computer network wiring, library archiving, managing hazardous materials. Yet all of these areas are crucial to the day-to-day operations of a research-rich university. At a university like McMaster where $100 million worth of research was conducted last year, these indirect costs of research total millions of dollars. The federal government recognized this cost Wednesday in awarding the University a one-time payment of $7.2 million to help pay the indirect costs associated with federally-sponsored research. Mamdouh Shoukri, vice-president research & international affairs, thanked the federal government, including Heritage Minister Sheila Copps, who made the announcement at a campus ceremony. "This funding will go a long way in increasing our competitiveness, not just in terms of research output, but also in terms of enhancing the quality of education and recruiting and retaining highly-qualified faculty and students in our community," he said.

March 6, 2002

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Gradposterfinal.jpg” caption=”Heather Beresh”]More than 20 posters detailing the research efforts of McMaster graduate students are on display today (March 6) in Convocation Hall. . . .

March 6, 2002

The University is committed to having a complete recycling program in place by September. Participants at a campus recycling forum heard Tuesday that complete implementation of the recycling program has been hampered by a delay in delivery of bins. "We are disappointed with the progress to date with recycling," said Karen Belaire, vice-president administration. "There have been difficulties with the handling of the delivery of bins. We continue to press hard on that but it just hasn't been fast enough." Tony Cupido, the new director of physical plant, said that he is committed to implementing a full recycling program and has set September as a target.

March 5, 2002

McMaster's telecommunications department has developed a new on-line faculty and staff directory that is available from its Web site. The directory includes a search engine that allows users to search by a single field or combination of fields to find a department or person. When presented with the results of a search, users can click on the extension number to obtain a detailed listing of information for any individual department or staff member. The online directory also allows users to update individual listings. Telecommunications is in the process of adding staff members who have extensions other than those beginning with a "2" but are McMaster University employees, i.e.. "7" and "4". This is expected to be completed within a month. Please forward any comments or suggestions to Tara Pasalic at pasalic@mcmaster.ca. The McMaster CSO phone book, which includes student e-mail information, continues to be available.