Daily News

Posted on June 16: Open house celebrates McMaster Institute of Environment and Health

The McMaster Institute of Environment and Health will showcase recent and present projects at its first open house on Friday, June 20. "We are excited by this opportunity to share some of the Institute's recent highlights with the broader McMaster community," says John Eyles, Institute director. "We are now in our twelfth year of existence as a university research institute. In that time, we have undertaken many research projects and contracts as well as developing a post-professional diploma and outreach program. Several recent projects will be showcased in poster presentations"

Posted on June 13: Susan Elliott appointed new Social Sciences dean

After a national search, Susan Elliott has been appointed the new dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, effective July 1, 2003. "I'm very excited about this appointment and I'm committed to the vision and mission of McMaster University," says Elliott, "and I'm really looking forward to working with the Faculty of Social Sciences to realize that mission and vision." "Susan has been a member of the McMaster community for 16 years," provost Ken Norrie says. "She earned her Masters and PhD in geography at the University and since that time has developed a stellar reputation as a world-class researcher, an innovative and dedicated teacher, and a thoughtful and progressive administrator." Elliott joined the School of Geography and Geology as an assistant professor in 1992 from the University of Victoria where she spent two years as an assistant professor. She has been an associate professor at McMaster since 1998, served as the School's associate director since 1999, and is a member of McMaster's Institute of Environment and Health. She also served one year as acting director of the School of Geography and Geology.

Posted on June 13: MUSA tentative agreement reached

McMaster University and the McMaster University Staff Association (MUSA) have reached a tentative agreement in their negotiations for a renewal collective agreement. The current collective agreement expires on June 15, 2003. The terms of the settlement are confidential until MUSA holds a ratification vote. They will be contacting MUSA members with the details of the ratification process in the near future. Both parties are pleased to have attained their goals in this process. They have been meeting intensively since late March with the goal of reaching a new agreement prior to the expiry of the current contract.

Posted on June 12: Board of Governors approves Refining Directions

After months of discussion, consultation and review, both Senate and the Board of Governors have approved the final draft of Refining Directions, the next stage of the University's strategic plan. "Tremendous effort has gone into the process," says McMaster President Peter George. "From the more than 80 members of the six working groups to those who participated in the nine town hall meetings, the input we received throughout the process has been invaluable and has helped to craft the final document." The approved Refining Directions document is considerably shorter than the draft that was circulated for review earlier this spring. The earlier version was a discussion paper that included considerably more background material. It also incorporated the recommendations from the working groups that will be utilized throughout the Refining Directions implementation process. The implementation of the Refining Directions goals and critical success factors will now begin. One of the first initiatives will be the creation of a working group to make a recommendation on the long-run enrolment of the University. Feedback during consultation indicated that considerably more discussion and information was needed before making this critical decision. The work group will be asked to have its recommendation to Senate and Board this December. "Other initiatives to achieve the Refining Directions goals will be rolled out over the next few months and there will be considerable opportunity for people from across campus to be involved in this process," says provost Ken Norrie. Norrie would like to thank those who participated in Refining Directions and is happy to answer questions about the University's strategic direction.