Daily News

posted on July 17: Ten faculty lose pay for actions during MUSA strike

Ten faculty members have been docked pay for their actions during the five-week strike by the McMaster University Staff Association. There is a negotiated policy between the University and the McMaster University Faculty Association that stipulates faculty do not have to cross picket lines but are required to be available for scheduled duties. Each day they are not available is considered a one-day leave without pay. Faculty members were informed of the decision to deduct pay in letters sent out last month by former provost Harvey Weingarten. Click here to read more.

posted on July 16: Landscaping begins around new student centre

Landscaping work will begin around the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC) this week. The work includes the installation of planters and walkways and the planting of trees and shrubs. The small trees that were uprooted last spring will be brought back to the site from their temporary locations around campus and the larger trees will be brought back from Aldershot Nurseries where they have been cared for since the site was excavated. In addition to these returning trees, new plants will be introduced including evergreens, deciduous trees and flowering shrubs. The main courtyard between Mills Memorial Library and Titles Bookstore will be centred around four mature pin oak trees. The east side of the building by the round glass wall will boast another cluster of trees that will create a "green view" from the fireside lounge within the building. Along the east entrance to the centre, a line of locust trees will shade three stone chess tables and stools, donated to MUSC by Sheila Smith, the McMaster Association of Part-Time Students representative on the MUSC Board of Management. George Stockton, of Moriyama & Teshima Architects, said that the landscaping around MUSC will make it feel like an outdoor room. The landscaping will "extend the interior of the building out onto site." The outdoor courtyard between Titles Bookstore and Mills Memorial Library is designed to be a pleasant space to walk through from one part of campus to another and also a great space for all kinds of activities including outdoor fairs and rallies. Most of all, this space will be a great place to eat lunch or to hang out between classes or on a coffee break. The landscaping work will change the fencing around the site for the next few weeks. This week, the area to the west of Mills Memorial Library will be closed off and the entrance to the library will change to the north door only (the entrance that faces Council Chambers). Access to the other entrance will be restored on Sept. 3. The work along the north-east side of the building, by the curved wall, will begin mid-August and continue until the end of October.

posted on July 13: Gilmour Hall time capsule back behind date stone

The Gilmour Hall time capsule is back behind the date stone. John Farrell, associate director of physical plant, placed the time capsule back behind the date stone yesterday just before bricklayer John Bartolussi from G&A Masonry sealed up the area with a few final bricks. The time capsule was found in May when construction workers took the old stone off the south face of Gilmour Hall. Some Daily News readers believed the time capsule, estimated to be about 42 years old, should have been opened but Farrell said the time capsule should be put back. "One hundred years is a good round number," he said. BACK IN TIME: John Farrell(L), associate director of physical plant, stuffs the Gilmour Hall time capsule back behind the date stone with the help of John Bartolussi from G&A Masonry. Photos: Kelly Curwin

posted on July 12: General Sciences Building’s third floor gets updated

The third floor of the General Sciences Building(GS) is getting a fresh look as part of a plan to move several groups into new spaces around campus. Project manager Joe Medeiros of physical plant said renovations to the third floor of GS began this week to receive the geography & geology people that now occupy the north wing of the Arthur Bourns Building. Employees from the Department of Computing & Software, now relocated to T16, the former teacher's college building, previously occupied the third floor of GS. Staff from the School of Geography & Geology have to be relocated to make room for the eight new chemistry lab facilities that will be built in early August. Employees from the geography & geology department should be moved into GS during the first week of August. These renovations are all part of the science and engineering Faculty expansions that began a few years ago. The renovation to the third floor will be on a fast track, with the major part of the renovations being completed by the end of July. The renovations to this floor include minor asbestos abatement, demolition to some interior partitions and floor tile removal, Medeiros said. New partitions, ceilings, lighting, floor tiles, mechanical upgrades and electrical systems will be installed. As well, fresh paint will be added throughout. The replacement of the waste stacks (sanitary drains) for the building will be the most challenging part of this renovation, Medeiros said. Some of the stacks are behind drywall and masonry units that will have to be removed to gain access to the stacks. Some of this work may continue even after most of the renovations have been completed on the third floor. Users in this building may be inconvenienced by some of this work and building occupants may notice extra noise and vibrations. Concerns about the construction should be directed to Medeiros who can be reached by e-mail at medeiro@mcmaster.ca or by phone at 905-525-9140 ext. 27789. Bestco Construction Corp. is the general contractor for this project and will work with all the users to ensure this project runs smoothly, Medeiros said. Bestco is already on campus working on two other projects and is familiar with the University's protocol.