Daily News

December 18, 2000

The University's bargaining team has put a monetary offer before negotiators for the McMaster University Staff Association (MUSA). The offer was tabled on Thursday, Dec. 14 at the second negotiating session held this month between the two parties. For the University, the action completed a desire to have a full proposal on the table prior to the holiday break. "The bargaining team and the University's administration are aware that people work hard and need to know that their work is recognized in a fair manner," said Mark Haley, assistant vice-president, human resources and a member of the bargaining team. "The staff survey indicated that compensation was a major issue for staff and the offer we tabled recognizes this issue and addresses it in a significant manner." McMaster University Staff Association president Barry Diacon, when asked whether an offer had been tabled, remarked that the University makes offers all the time. Questioned specifically about a monetary offer, he had "no comment."

December 18, 2000

Seventeen McMaster researchers are among the first 195 recipients of the Canada Research Chairs Program. The University garnered the second highest number of recipients in the province and the third highest number in Canada during the first round of allocations. The University of Toronto was first with 39 chairs and the University of British Columbia and the University of Montreal were tied for second with 20. Prime Minister Jean Chritien announced the recipients and their areas of research in a press release issued Friday, Dec. 15. For a complete list of all recipients, go to the Office of the Prime Minister.

December 18, 2000

A new look for McMaster's honorary degree parchment and revisions to the Latin text that appears on it were approved by Senate on Dec. 13. . . .

December 15, 2000

Senate has approved two recommendations from the Faculty of Humanities changing the official name of one of its departments as well as that of the . . .

December 15, 2000

A promise is a promise, Canadian author Robert Munsch once wrote. And McMaster's bookstore, Titles, is striving to keep its promise to students. The bookstore . . .

December 14, 2000

You've got a paid plane ticket to Calgary at 10 a.m. on Dec. 17, but your Tuesday exam, cancelled due to the snowstorm, is now rescheduled for that morning. What do you do? Students who, due to irrevocable travel arrangements or religious observations, need to make alternate examination arrangements due to the rescheduling of the Dec. 11 evening and Dec 12 exams, are advised to apply in person at the registrar's office immediately. "We're aware that some students may have irrevocable travel arrangements, exam conflicts or religious obligations and there is a process in place so they may be taken care of," said Granger. "We are counting on students' co-operation to keep these to a minimum." Students who need alternate examination arrangements due to the exam changes must apply in person at the Examinations Section in the Office of the Registrar (Room 114, Gilmour Hall) immediately. Rescheduling requests could be for reasons such as conflicts with other examinations or with religious obligations. Legitimate applications will be rescheduled into the remaining exam period.

December 14, 2000

McMaster's School of Business has taken its first steps to become the top e-commerce research centre in Canada. This week University Senators and Board members . . .

December 13, 2000

The Office of the Registrar has rescheduled all exams cancelled because the University was closed due to the snowstorm Monday night and Tuesday. Registrar George Granger said a team of people involved in the administration of examinations collaborated to develop a plan that would work best for students and faculty. "We reluctantly went to the Sunday option (to replace Dec. 12 exams) because it allows us to replicate the cancelled day," he said. "We think it is the method that best reduces the stress on students." Exams cancelled on Tuesday have been moved to the same time slot and location on Sunday, Dec. 17. This includes examinations scheduled by special arrangement by the Centre for Student Development, the registrar's office or the associate deans' offices, as well as all deferred examinations from August and all instructor-invigilated exams. Exams that were scheduled to be written on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. have been rescheduled to new times and locations. For a complete list of rescheduled exams go to http://registrar.mcmaster.ca/internal. See related Daily News story: Travel plans, exams may conflict with some rescheduled exams (end of story)

December 12, 2000

The University is open today, Dec. 13. All examinations scheduled for today will proceed as planned. For further information about the examination schedule and rescheduled exams please go to registrar.mcmaster.ca/internal.

December 12, 2000

We have been advised by senior administration that the University is closed today, Dec. 12. All examinations and classes scheduled for today, Dec. 12, are cancelled. For more information about the examination schedule please go to registrar.mcmaster.ca/internal. Faculty, staff and students are advised to consult the Storm Emergency Procedures Policy and local radio stations for additional information. Any further information will be reported on the Daily News and local radio stations, OLDIES 1150 am, CHAM 820 am, CHML 900 am, Y95 95.3 fm, K LITE 102.9 fm. Toronto stations CBC Radio One 99.1 fm and CFRB 1010 am will also carry information.

December 11, 2000

Innis Library is proving to be a popular spot for all-night study sessions. For the first time, the library in the School of Business is open 24/7 during the exam period that ends Tuesday, Dec. 19. Waves of students have been rolling through the doors beginning around 11 p.m. when other libraries on campus close. Jennifer King, chair of the McMaster Students Union Student Life Committee, said 65 students used the space for quiet study the first night it was available. Numbers progressively increased as exams were in full swing last week, with up to 400 students coming in at various times through the night at the end of last week. Usage peaks between 1 and 3 a.m., King said.

December 11, 2000

Attention all of you hip hop dancers. The McMaster Hip Hop Dance Company needs you! A call has gone out from the company seeking three . . .

December 11, 2000

We have been advised by senior administration that the University will be closed as of 7:30 p.m. All evening examinations and classes are cancelled. Faculty, staff and students are advised to consult the Storm Emergency Procedures Policy and local radio stations for additional information. Any changes to exams scheduled for tomorrow, Dec. 12, due to adverse weather will be reported on the Daily News and local radio stations, OLDIES 1150 am, CHAM 820 am, CHML 900 am, Y95 95.3 fm, K LITE 102.9 fm. Toronto stations CBC Radio One 99.1 fm and CFRB 1010 am will also carry information.

December 8, 2000

A $750,000 gift from the Jack and Ina Pollock Charitable Foundation will help to fund research at McMaster in the field of childhood disability. The donation, announced on campus yesterday (Thursday, Dec. 7), will benefit three key areas of research at CanChild: * the effectiveness of children's rehabilitation services; * measurement of children's rehabilitation; * the life experiences of children with disabilities and their families; and will help support the creation of a chair in disability research. "Projects funded by this generous support will lead to new discoveries about effective interventions for children and youth with childhood disabilities, and the efficient and timely dissemination and use of research information in health care practice," said Mary Law, associate dean of rehabilitation science.

December 8, 2000

New faculty on campus are being given a helping hand in becoming accustomed to the learning environment at McMaster. Every Friday until the Christmas break, . . .

December 7, 2000

McMaster's quiz bowl champs conquered Cambridge. Now they've set their sights on California and the District of Columbia. The team is hoping to raise money so they can attend two competitions -- at the University of California (Santa Barbara) and George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) -- as a tune up to the Canadian national academic quiz championship in Waterloo in February.

December 7, 2000

A paper outlining six recommendations for handling the amounts of kitchen waste and styrofoam items generated by the new University Student Centre received overwhelming endorsement from the Student Representative Assembly (SRA) at its meeting on Dec. 3. The document, Environmental Recommendations: McMaster University Student Centre, was written by SRA Arts & Science representative Arif Manji. The proposals, which arise from discussions Manji had with a group of concerned students, are aimed at making the centre an environmentally friendly operation from the start. The recommendations include a surcharge on styrofoam containers, use of an industrial-size composter for kitchen refuse, and the purchase of cleaning products that are more environmentally friendly.

December 4, 2000

The hot spots include the Institute for Applied Health Sciences, the Commons and Mills Memorial Library. Others on the list are Gilmour Hall and Togo Salmon Hall. What list have these buildings made? Places on campus where there are large amounts of cigarette butts strewn around the ground or steps leading into the buildings. Physical plant director Bob Carter is puzzled why smokers are littering the campus with cigarette butts. "We know it's an issue," said Carter. "The problem is caused by butts being thrown on the ground even when there may be a container nearby." Photo: Cigarette butts strewn on the ground outside University buildings and not properly disposed of in receptacles sends a negative message to campus visitors, writes a Daily News reader.

December 4, 2000

There's going to be a whole lot of planning going on around campus over the next year. The University has decided it's time to update . . .

December 4, 2000

McMaster's new Steel Research Centre officially opened on Nov. 30. For details, visit The Hamilton Spectator