Daily News

posted on Jan. 16: Off-campus housing sessions offer tips on finding suitable housing

With wet snow flying, September seems a long time away. If you're a student who will be living off-campus next fall, now is the time to start working on finding housing arrangements that will suit your needs. Jennifer Kleven '90 is McMaster's first full-time off-campus housing co-ordinator. She's hosting two information sessions designed to help students unravel the mysteries of securing suitable off-campus housing. The information sessions are 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16 (Wentworth House, Main Lounge) and Thursday, Jan. 17 (Hamilton Hall, Blue Lounge). Kleven, who studied sociology here, has personal experience with the off-campus housing market. She had a "great landlord" and got along well with her roommates. She knows that's not always the case as she's heard some troublesome stories in her new role. That's why she believes the information sessions will be useful. "Part of our mandate is to educate students, open their eyes to what they need to be aware of and what to watch for," Kleven said. "It's important to make them aware that this is the time to begin looking for the best houses."

posted on Jan. 15: Collective agreement printed, distributed to MUSA, TMG members

Members of both the staff association and the management group will receive copies of the new collective agreement this week. Printed copies of the Collective Agreement Between McMaster University (the Employer) And The McMaster University Staff Association (the Association) are being distributed in the mail. The document contains the complete text of the agreement, which runs until June 15, 2003, as well as an alphabetical index of frequently referenced topics for easier use. MUSA president Barry Diacon says any member who does not receive a copy should contact the MUSA office to arrange for one. TMG members who do not receive copies should contact Carol Nelson in HR Services. Preparing the collective agreement for printing was one of several tasks of the Implementation Committee established to oversee transitional issues related to getting the agreement up and running. The committee members are Ron Lodewyks and Kerry Jay from MUSA and Judy Forbes and Murray Lapp from HR Services. The committee has met weekly since Aug. 30, 2001. Its mandate is to consider the applicability of layoff provisions for people given notice between the start of mediation/arbitration and the date of the award, the applicability of the collective agreement to job postings in effect up to the date of the award and the phasing-in of the provisions of the collective agreement. "The University and MUSA are working hard to ensure that the collective agreement is brought to life in a way that is fair and that establishes a strong base for their future relationship," says Murray Lapp, director of employee/labour relations.

posted on Jan. 14: Nobel laureate speaks about technology, tolerance and terror

Nobel laureate John Polanyi will present the J. W. Hodgins Memorial Lecture Tuesday on How Discoveries are Made and Why it Matters: Technology, Tolerance and Terror. The lecture is Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the Health Sciences Centre, Room 1A1. Polanyi is a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto. His research is on the molecular motions in chemical reactions in gases and at surfaces. Educated at Manchester University, England, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University and the National Research Council in Ottawa. His awards include the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Royal Medal of the Royal Society of London and some 30 honorary degrees from six countries. Polanyi was a founding member of both the Committees on Scholarly Freedom of the Royal Society and an international human rights organization, the Canadian Committee for Scientists and Scholars. He is the current president of this committee. As well, he was the founding chair of the Canadian Pugwash Group in 1960 and has been active for 40 years in International Pugwash. He has written extensively on science policy, the control of armaments and peacekeeping. Polanyi is the co-editor of a book, The Dangers of Nuclear War and was a participant in the recent Canada 21 study of a 21st century defence posture for Canada. The J. W. Hodgins lectureship was established by the Faculty of Engineering in 1983 and supported by donations from corporations and friends, as a memorial to J. W. Hodgins, McMaster's first dean of engineering. The focus of the lectureship is on the engineer in society. (End of story)