Daily News

posted on Sept. 21: New compensation system for university managers

A new compensation system is being developed for members of the management group (TMG) at McMaster. It's called total rewards compensation and integrates compensation, recognition, and training and development. The first step in this new approach was the creation of a Management Professional Development Allowance (MPDA) for 2001/2002. "Each TMG member plays an integral role in the University's success," said President Peter George. "The MPDA reinforces the importance of professional development for managers to continue to develop their professional skills to help McMaster achieve its ambitious objectives." The MPDA is similar to the established faculty professional development allowance. A task force was struck this summer to make recommendations on the implementation of the total rewards compensation system. It includes several members of the TMG group along with representatives from senior management. The task force's recommendation on the annual salary review for TMG has now been approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors. It includes: Increases to salary ranges Across-the-board salary increase of 3 per cent* Merit pool of up to 2 per cent* *retroactive to June 16, 2001 The dates for implementing the salary changes have not yet been set. Financial services and CIS are currently working to complete the changes necessary under the MUSA agreement. The task force will continue to meet to make recommendations to senior management on other key components of the total rewards compensation system.

posted on Sept. 24: McMaster’s student enrolment beats targets

McMaster's student enrolment figures exceeded the targets set for this academic year. Registrar George Granger told Senate last week that interim figures show enrolment goals established by the enrolment management team will be met when the final tally is counted in November. "It's very positive," Granger said. "Full-time and part-time figures are both slightly above the approved enrolment targets. Across all programs we are very much on target." As of Sept. 11, there were 4,048 first-year students enrolled at the University, 223 more than the target of 3,825. The total undergraduate enrolment figure is 13,023 compared to last year's total of 12,365. Granger said there are also 102 nursing degree students at Mohawk and Conestoga colleges as part of the nursing consortium that are "over and above" those figures. So far, there are 2,046 part-time undergraduate students enrolled at the University compared to 1,957 last year. The University's total undergraduate enrolment figure is 15,069 (full and part time) compared to 14,322. At the graduate level, students enrolled in full-time PhD programs as of Sept. 20 number 550, compared to last year's total of 532. There are 803 students enrolled in master's programs with late registrations still being processed, said John Scime, graduate registrar & secretray. Last year's final enrolment in master's programs was 730. "We expect the final number to be well above last year's enrolment," Scime told the Daily News. The University's enrolment managment team is already busy working on enrolment for the 2002-03 year with a large group attending the Ontario Universities' Fair 2001 in Toronto beginning today and continuing through the weekend. The annual fair offers prospective students and their families an opportunity to meet representatives from Ontario's 19 universities.