Daily News

Leadership team introduces plan to improve working environment for staff

Photograph (l-r):University President Peter George and work team chairs David Kidney, Gillian Howard (vice-chair), Jennifer Wesson-Howe and Lynn Hruczkowski. McMaster will be hiring an external organizational change consultant and asking individual members of the community who possess expertise in particular areas to assist with the implementation of some 21 recommendations aimed at improving and enhancing the work environment for staff. I have the time, will and desire to make things better here...to make McMaster an employer of choice, said University President Peter George at the opening of the first of two town-hall meetings held on campus last week to roll out the recommendations, made by four committees comprised of staff volunteers. George said many of recommendations will be relatively easy to implement but some will require a cultural shift and attitudinal change by many people.

Student Code of Conduct undergoes revision

A proposed revision to the Student Code of Conduct will have a major impact on the student appeals process. The revision, presented to Senate on June 15 by Mary Keyes, associate vice-president of student affairs, attempts to streamline the hearing and appeals process for disciplinary matters. According to Keyes, when a student is charged with an alleged offense under the code, the University has to hold a hearing. However, the existing hearing and appeals process takes much too long, she says, adding that it is not unusual for it to take six months or more at the appeals stage. The major change being recommended is to eliminate the second appeal.

Social sciences to expand its first-year Inquiry Program

The Faculty of Social Sciences will receive an additional $100,000 in continuing reallocation funds to operate and expand its first-year Inquiry Program. The funding, recommended by the University Budget Committee and recently approved by the Board of Governors, is being made to acknowledge the program's success. Alan Harrison, dean of social sciences, says the funding was requested "to bring the level of core funding in line with reality." The program, established in 1998, has been extremely successful and was already spending more than had been budgeted for, he notes. The three-unit course, which is taken in conjunction with a student's program of study, uses content as a vehicle for skill development, Harrison explains. Over 250 students took one of 11 sessions offered during the 1999-2000 year. "We expect an increased enrolment this year and we expect to be offering 14 to 16 sessions."

McMaster engineering students design a winner

A team of five engineering and computer science students competing in the first Computer Science International Design Competition (CSIDC) has won top prize with their device, Heart Mate. The team, consisting of Ajay Arora (electrical engineering), Chris Lambacher (computer science), Joshua Capogna (engineering physics), Mona Kohli (computer engineering) and Wai-Yin Shum (computer engineering and management), was supervised by assistant professor of medicine Markad Kamath. The McMaster entry was one of 10 finalists in the competition, sponsored by the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society, and held in Washington D.C. on June 26-27. The students win a total of $15,000 (US), while the University receives $10,000 (US).