Daily News

posted on Dec. 20: McMaster forges unique research link with Statistics Canada

When Professor Byron Spencer pushed in his security key card to unlock the Research Data Centre at its official opening yesterday, he opened the door to a new era in social science research at McMaster. The University is now home to the first of nine Research Data Centres in the country. The centre, located in Mills Memorial Library, was built in collaboration with Statistics Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Its purpose is to provide a wealth of detailed data to social science researchers, who previously would have had to travel to Ottawa to work with similar Statistics Canada resources. "While there will be eight others to be opened under the same premise, McMaster's is the first to be fully functional," said Alan Harrison, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. "The establishment of this research data centre and the others to follow is an important step in finding ways to make Statistics Canada data available to the research community." Spencer, a professor of economics and director of the Research Institute for Quantitative Studies in Economics and Population, is director of the national pilot project to bring the centre to McMaster. "The initiative is important to allow people to have access to the master data files to do useful work," said Spencer.Above(left to right): Byron Spencer(centre director), Cindy Cook(Statistics Canada research data analyst), Mike Sheridan(assistant chief statistican for Social, Institutions and Labour Statistics)Photo: Ron Scheffler

posted on Dec. 18: University negotiators present monetary offer to MUSA team

The University's bargaining team has put a monetary offer before negotiators for the McMaster University Staff Association (MUSA). The offer was tabled on Thursday, Dec. 14 at the second negotiating session held this month between the two parties. For the University, the action completed a desire to have a full proposal on the table prior to the holiday break. "The bargaining team and the University's administration are aware that people work hard and need to know that their work is recognized in a fair manner," said Mark Haley, assistant vice-president, human resources and a member of the bargaining team. "The staff survey indicated that compensation was a major issue for staff and the offer we tabled recognizes this issue and addresses it in a significant manner." McMaster University Staff Association president Barry Diacon, when asked whether an offer had been tabled, remarked that the University makes offers all the time. Questioned specifically about a monetary offer, he had "no comment."

posted on Dec. 18: McMaster garners 17 Canada Research Chairs in first round

Seventeen McMaster researchers are among the first 195 recipients of the Canada Research Chairs Program. The University garnered the second highest number of recipients in the province and the third highest number in Canada during the first round of allocations. The University of Toronto was first with 39 chairs and the University of British Columbia and the University of Montreal were tied for second with 20. Prime Minister Jean Chritien announced the recipients and their areas of research in a press release issued Friday, Dec. 15. For a complete list of all recipients, go to the Office of the Prime Minister.