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posted on Jan. 22: School of Business’s MBA program one of top 100 in world

McMaster's Michael G. DeGroote School of Business has again earned a spot on the Financial Times top 100 list of MBA programs in the world. With more than 1500 MBA programs available across the globe, the Financial Times MBA 2002 list features the elite of the world's full-time business schools. In its third year, the survey provides a comprehensive assessment of the value of an MBA and the schools that offer them. McMaster placed first among the Canadian entries for the second year in a row in the "placement success" category. This category is defined as the percentage of 1998 alumni that gained employment with the help of career advice. The School of Business also led the Canadian delegation in the "FT research rank" category, which is compiled from a rating of faculty publications in 35 international academic and practitioner journals. Rankings were compiled from two questionnaires, one completed by the business school and the other completed by the class of 1998. A response rate of at least 20 per cent was required for the business school to participate in the survey.

posted on Jan. 21: McMaster researchers find shared names make e-mail kindred spirits

In an age of instant communication, what is it that makes us choose to respond to one e-mail over another and when are we more likely to offer help to a complete stranger? The answer is when we share the same name as the other person, according to McMaster researcher Margo Wilson, a professor of psychology, and fourth-year student Kerris Oates. The researchers sent out thousands of e-mails from hundreds of different Hotmail e-mail accounts, asking simple questions about local sports teams. An analysis of the 2,960 e-mail responses showed that people had a perceived connection and a positive attitude with someone who shared their name. The e-mail recipients had a feeling of shared ancestry or kinship, the researchers found. Their findings are to be published tomorrow (Jan. 22) in the British Royal Society's journal Proceedings B. They said: "A shared name has emotional appeal; it reflects our social identity and status as defined by our descent. The importance of our kinship history is reflected in the burgeoning interest in tracing family trees. What this research shows is that shared names are effective in eliciting a minor act of altruism." The McMaster researchers found that when the e-mail sender (who requested some straightforward information) and recipient shared both names, the response rate was 10.33 per cent higher than if both were different and this was especially true for relatively uncommon names, which are better kinship cues than first names. Even where only the first name or surname are shared, the response rate and content are friendlier than when both names are different. The research also found that there were significantly more replies from female names than male names. In Canada, women are more likely to be the 'kin-keepers' as evident from the fact that they can identify more relatives than brothers with the same relatives and they, more than men, maintain contact with distant relatives. The link between a name and kinship was borne out in England recently when millions of people overwhelmed the system as they tried to access the UK Public Record Office's 1901 census Web site. (End of story)

posted on Jan. 18: Marauder Weekend features alumni games in various sports

The basketball courts will be humming. The pool will be churning. Beware errant soccer balls or ipies. Marauder Weekend kicks off tonight (Jan. 18) and alumni athletes from various sports are converging on Ivor Wynne Centre to work up a sweat participating in alumni games during the next two days. In addition to several alumni games, there is an athletic alumni luncheon in the mezzanine of Ivor Wynne beginning at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Saturday night features a baseball banquet in Celebration Hall at 7 p.m. A children's activity area is provided in the Combatives Gym from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with qualified University students on hand to supervise. Varsity games scheduled for this weekend include women and men's basketball and volleyball. For a complete listing of all events go to the athletics & recreation alumni Web site. (End of story)

posted on Jan. 17: McMaster business professor measures intellectual capital in Arab region

A McMaster business professor leading an initiative to measure the intellectual capital of Arab countries has found the area suffers from severe brain drain. Nick . . .

posted on Jan. 17: Learning Technologies Resource Centre officially opens

An old-fashioned ribbon cutting ceremony officially opened McMaster's latest high-tech facility, the Learning Technologies Resource Centre (LTRC). The leading-edge centre is committed to assisting faculty in using technology effectively to improve teaching on campus. The LTRC was established with the help of a $1-million gift from RBC Royal Bank, a partnership praised by President Peter George as a "demonstration of support for the spirit of innovation." As well as a resource development and training lab, the LTRC features a high-tech classroom with a 'smart podium' that includes a built-in computer connected to a video-data projector and screen, VCR, sound system and electronic whiteboard--putting the various technologies at instructors' fingertips. This smart classroom', located in the basement of the H.G. Thode Library of Science and Engineering, will be used to train faculty and graduate students in the use of multimedia resources and reflects both the current needs of instructors and the changing nature of educational technology. Bart Strong, executive director of administration and classroom services at the LTRC, describes the centre's mandate as "researching and developing new learning technologies and assisting faculty in integrating new technology into their course delivery." Dick Day, professor of psychology and academic director of the Centre for Leadership in Learning notes that the LTRC envisioned in early 2000 changed with the recommendations of John Platt, professor of psychology and special adviser for academic computing. "In a bit of forward thinking of our own, McMaster saw greater potential in the LTRC and the centre was given the primary responsibility for instructional technology support campus wide." The LTRC is holding an open house today (Jan. 17) and tomorrow (Jan.18) to showcase the technolgy and staff that are available to help faculty use high-tech equipment when teaching. High-Tech Teaching: Laila Bastedo, LTRC course management systems administrator, is framed by the various electronic interfaces available for use (top photo). Muriel McKay (in the black suit) is walking Dick Day through the operation of the newly installed equipment (bottom photo). Photos by Ron Scheffler (End of story)

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posted on Jan. 22: School of Business’s MBA program one of top 100 in world

posted on Jan. 21: McMaster researchers find shared names make e-mail kindred spirits

posted on Jan. 18: Marauder Weekend features alumni games in various sports

posted on Jan. 17: McMaster business professor measures intellectual capital in Arab region

posted on Jan. 17: Learning Technologies Resource Centre officially opens

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