Daily News

posted on Nov. 1: Campus Clean Sweep takes place Thursday, Nov. 1

The first annual Campus Clean Sweep, jointly organized by staff from physical plant and the McMaster Students Union, takes place today at lunchtime. All students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate to rid the campus of litter putting the University's best "face" forward to visitors and ensuring there is a clean, safe environment for those who study and work here. Lunch hours have been extended by a half hour with the normal lunch of 12 noon to 1 p.m. beginning at 11:30 a.m. and the later lunch of 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. extended to 2:30 p.m. Garbage bags and gloves will be supplied to all participants - who should "dress down" - and grounds crew staff will lead teams on pre-determined routes. Participants are asked to meet in front of Gilmour Hall at either 11:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Today also marks the return of campus-wide recycling and new recycling containers will be unveiled. (End of story)

posted on Nov. 5: New recognition policy will recognize cumulative service

McMaster is adopting a new service recognition policy. The University is revising most policies and practices directly related to employee years of service. The concept of "continuous service" is being replaced by that of "cumulative service." This will enable McMaster to recognize the total service of those full-time and regular part-time salaried and hourly employees who, at some time(s), left the employ of McMaster, but returned. "The new policy is part of McMaster University's commitment to continuously improve the experience of working at McMaster and its employee recognition practices," says Karen Belaire vice-president administration. It evolved from a recommendation by staff.

posted on Oct. 30: School of Business tops return-on-investment ranking in business schools survey

McMaster's School of Business has made a dramatic move into first place in the return-on-investment category of Canadian Business magazine's annual MBA rankings. The Michael G. DeGroote School of Business moved from last year's position of 16th to 1st place in the return-on-investment category. It also improved in the overall rankings, moving to 7th place overall from 12th. In the return-on-investment category, McMaster students experienced a 252 per cent increase in average salaries from the time they entered their MBA to the time they found work. This brings the average back up to the levels McMaster registered in the first year of the survey category. Last year's rate was 183 per cent. These figures are based on an average incoming salary of $18,408 and an average graduating salary of $64,728. Vishwanath Baba, dean of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business, is proud of the school's successes. This truly is a testament to our experiential learning philosophy," he said. "Students enter our program with very little experience in the world of business. They leave with a wealth of knowledge and practical experience in their chosen fields." Most MBA programs cater to mid-career professionals, while the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business specializes in delivering an MBA education to a younger market, students with little or no work experience.

posted on Oct. 29: Free campus flu clinics prove highly successful

Almost 2,000 people patiently lined up last week for a free flu shot at the four clinics held on campus, Student Health Service reports. This was the first time a free clinic was held for students and employees - the response was tremendous. Student Health Service and Employee Health Service said considerations for next year include a larger room, longer clinic hours and increased clinic staff so that everyone can be accommodated. If you missed getting your flu vaccine there are still options available: students may book an appointment at Student Health Service, ext. 27700 employees may book an appointment with Employee Health Service, ext. 23300 the City of Hamilton is hosting numerous clinics throughout the fall and dates and locations are listed on its Web site at www.city.hamilton.on.ca Shoppers Drug Mart in Westdale (905-525-7772) is hosting an evening clinic, by appointment, on Nov. 1. (End of story)

posted on Oct. 26: McMaster makes two top 10 lists for research intensity, income

McMaster University is on two national top 10 lists that rank research intensity and income at Canadian universities. The University is one of only 10 in the country to top the $100-million mark in sponsored research income in 2000, according to a report ranking Canada's Top 50 Research Universities published Thursday. The University moved into the top ten group, as its $106.9 million was an increase of 24.4 per cent over the previous year, when it was in 11th place. In the same report, McMaster is also on the top 10 list which ranked Canadian universities by research intensity, defined as research dollars per full-time faculty position. Averaging $117,600 per faculty position, McMaster placed 7th, or 37 per cent higher than the Top 50 average of $85,900. Mamdouh Shoukri, vice-president research and international affairs, says McMaster has seen a significant increase in its sponsored research income over the last few years. We've seen an increase of more than $25 million in just the last couple of years and we expect that to grow again next year, he says, adding that the University is now seeing the results of new provincial and federal research investment programs like the Ontario Research & Development Challenge Fund and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. The study shows that 65 per cent of the research money comes from all levels of government, with the remainder coming from corporations, private donors and non-profit organizations. The report was published by Research Infosource Inc. based on data collected by Statistics Canada. (End of story)