The children of baby boomers, like their parents in the 1970s, are having a huge impact on the teaching profession, according to a new study in Education Matters, Statistics Canada's online source of facts and analysis on education.

These "echo babies" are attending universities in large numbers, leaving behind empty seats in elementary, and soon, secondary school classrooms. Meanwhile, the ranks of university professors experienced much faster employment growth than that of elementary and secondary teachers between 1999 and 2005.

While the teaching profession adapts to demographic shifts in the student population, it is also experiencing changes from within.

University professors are generally older than the average worker and many are fast approaching retirement age. Rather than retiring completely, however, more are continuing on a part-time or contractual basis.

Indeed, college and university professors 55 and older are a fast growing segment of the part-time faculty, influencing a change in the composition of this group.

Using data from the Labour Force Survey, this article profiles university and college professors and elementary and secondary teachers from 1999 to 2005.

Over the seven-year period, the number of educators grew from 457,000 to 502,000. In 2005, close to three-quarters were teachers in elementary and secondary schools, while the remaining 15% were college teachers and 12% university professors.

Demographic shifts explain some of the recent trends in teacher employment. The school-aged population aged 5 to 18 declined by 1% between 1999 and 2005, while the postsecondary population aged 19 to 24 rose 9%. In 2005, about 28% of individuals aged 20 to 29 attended university, up from 25% in 1999. As a result, employment increased 30% among university professors during this period, three times the 9% gain among elementary and secondary teachers.

The average age of educators in 2005 was 45, compared with 42 for workers in the general population. Among university professors, 59% were aged 45 or over in 2005, whereas 59% of elementary and secondary teachers were under 45.

Previous research has shown that the number of part-time university professors has been increasing. In the past they tended to be younger with lower educational qualifications than their full-time colleagues.

Now, however, a small but growing number of part-timers are older professors with many years of tenure. College and university professors aged 55 and older represented 26% of part-time faculty in 2005, double the proportion of 13% in 1999.

The study also found that women have increased their presence in nearly all levels of teaching. By 2005, they accounted for more than one-third (35%) of full-time university professors, up from 29% in 1999.

Rod Preece, professor emeritus of political science, has had another of his books singled out for recognition by the American Library Association.

Brute Souls, Happy Beasts, and Evolution: The Historical Status of Animals (UBC Press, 2005) has been named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2006. Choice publishes reviews of current books and electronic resources of interest to those in higher education.

In evaluating selections for the Outstanding Academic Title, editors review the publication for:

overall excellence in presentation and scholarship
importance relative to other literature in the field
originality or uniqueness of treatment
value to undergraduate students
importance in building undergraduate library collections.

Another of Preece’s books, Animals and Nature: Cultural Myths, Cultural Realities, received the same honour from Choice in 1999.

Preece, who retired from Laurier in 2005 and lives in London, ON, published three books on post-war German politics before becoming involved (as a favour to a friend) with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“Then my interest in the history of philosophy grew into areas of animal rights,” he said in an interview, and the result has been four monographs and seven annotated volumes of historical material on animal ethics from the 18th to early 20th centuries.

In Brute Souls, “contrary to received opinion, Preece provides strong evidence that people have always taken animals’ moral status seriously,” the Choice review of his book said. He “ties together the historical and moral analyses. This wise, well-written, scholarly book is filled with insights.”

Preece, who has recently been appointed to the board of advisors of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics at the University of Oxford, is not on the fashionable edge of the animal rights movement.

Many animal rights organizations, he says, “are entirely advocacy-oriented and don’t care about factual or philosophical reasons. They are too busy trying to prove their point.

“It’s easy to convince people who are readily convinced, and turn off scientists and people of a more pragmatic nature.”

Preece’s next book, which he hopes to finish next year, is a history of vegetarianism. He says he has been a vegetarian for 16 years, but says he can’t be considered a vegan because he loves cheese pizza.

WATERLOO, Ont. (Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006) -- The University of Waterloo is inviting high school mech-heads from across southwestern Ontario to participate in the first round of an international competition in robotics.

The FIRST Robotics Competition challenges teams of high-school students and their mentors from around the world to solve a common problem in a six-week period using a standard parts kit and common set of rules. Teams build robots from the parts to play a game where the objective is to score points by completing such tasks as shooting balls, stacking boxes, climbing over obstacles or hanging from bars.

"There is nothing like the clashes you see on the robo-warrior programs," said Ian Mackenzie, a one-time student participant and current planning committee chair for FIRST Robotics Waterloo Regional. "FIRST is the acronym for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. This is really about making science, math, engineering and technology as cool for kids as sports are today."

The Waterloo regional competition, to be held next March 22-24, will be open to the public and admission is free. Mackenzie said about 30 teams will attend the event, from across Ontario and a few from the United States, including a team from Michigan and one from Florida.

The UW-hosted event is one of two Canadian venues hosting a regional FIRST competition in 2007. The other Canadian regional takes place March 29-31 at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga.

The annual contest draws 1,100 teams in regional competitions in Canada and the United States. The final championship will be held in Atlanta on April 12-14.

The competitions are high-tech spectator sporting events, the result of brainstorming, real-world teamwork and mentoring, as well as project timeliness and meeting deadlines. Referees oversee the competition and judges present awards to teams for design, technology, sportsmanship and commitment.

To learn more about FIRST Robotics, visit www.firstroboticscanada.org/site/aboutfrc. The Canadian site includes information on registering, as well as photos and video from past competitions.

Major sponsors for the Waterloo regional competition include Research In Motion, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Government of Ontario and the Discovery Channel.

Anyone seeking more information or interested in sponsoring the Waterloo competition should contact Mackenzie at ian.e.mackenzie@gmail.com.

* Jon Douglas of St. Pauls, ON, who has received the $3,000 Corporate Facilities Council Scholarship, sponsored by the Corporate Facilities Council of the IFMA;

* Amanda Ford of Cambridge has won the $2,000 scholarship sponsored by the IFMA’s Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex Chapter;

* Nick Heibein of Tillsonburg is the winner of the Canadian Chapters Scholarship of $1,000; and

* Samantha Jansen of Cambridge has won the $3,000 scholarship sponsored by the Philadelphia Chapter.

The scholarships are given based on merit. Students must be enrolled in a full-time, four-year baccalaureate program or a graduate school program associated with facility management. Academic achievement is a criterion for selection, as are program involvement, faculty appraisals and the student’s resume.

The IFMA has 18,500 members in 125 chapters and councils in 60 nations. Through fundraising, the IFMA Foundation promotes research and educational opportunities aimed at advancing the facility management profession.

Conestoga’s Architecture * Project and Facility Management program leads to a Bachelor of Applied Technology degree. The four-year program combines project-based learning at Conestoga with periods of co-op education in industry. The emphasis is on the architectural design, maintenance and management of the built environment. Students experience a combination of technical theory and applied skills, business management knowledge and skills, and complementary liberal studies coursework.

WATERLOO - A founding member of the Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research, computer science pioneer Donald Cowan, is the recipient of an international scientific honour from the Government of Brazil.

A University of Waterloo distinguished professor emeritus, Cowan was admitted to the Grand Cross, National Order of the Scientific Merit, for his contributions to science and technology. He will receive the award from the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at a ceremony in the capital Brasília early in the new year. The award is the highest recognition provided to a foreign scientist by the Brazilian government.

"We are delighted to see professor Cowan receive this well-deserved honour," said UW president David Johnston. "Don Cowan has been contributing to the University of Waterloo and the scientific community for over 46 years and this award recognizes his many accomplishments."

Cowan, a faculty member at UW since 1960, is the director of the Computer Systems Group. He was the founding chair of the computer science department at UW, providing the foundation for what now is the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science.

During his career he has supervised over 100 graduate students including a substantial number from Brazil. Many of his graduate students are providing leadership in the Brazilian computer science research community.

"Donald Cowan has made significant contributions to computer science and software engineering internationally," said professor Carlos Lucena, one of Cowan's former students and now a professional colleague.

"He has had particular influence on the development of computer science in Brazilian universities where many of his former students are now making noteworthy contributions," Lucena said. "He helped many Brazilian computer science departments reach the international standard they have now achieved."

Cowan was first introduced to the Brazilian computer science community in the 1960s through exchanges arranged by the IBM Corp. and the National Research Council of Canada.

During the 1970s and early 1980s, Cowan and professor Kelly Gotlieb of the University of Toronto led a Canadian International Development Agency project, which sent computer science faculty from Waterloo and Toronto to Brazil to teach and support research.

As a result, numerous faculty members from Brazilian universities came to Canada and studied for a PhD, thus seeding a vibrant Brazilian computer science research community. The strong relationship between Brazilian computer science departments and UW is still very active.

Cowan's current interest in software engineering focuses on design and implementation of systems for the web, particularly making it easier for individuals and organizations to build, maintain and sustain web software. He has worked on the design and underlying technology for community information systems for more than 30 community organizations, many of which are situated in Waterloo Region.

He is one of the founders of WATCOM, UW's first spin-off company and now iAnywhere Solutions (part of Sybase), and of LivePage, which has become part of Oracle Corp.

Brazil's National Order of Scientific Merit was established in 1993 and has two levels: the Grand Cross (the higher level) and Commander. Membership in the Order of Scientific Merit is achieved through a rigorous screening process conducted by a panel of distinguished scientists nominated by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. Brazil's president is grand-master of the National Order of Scientific Merit.

The number of living Brazilian and foreign individuals who receive the Grand Cross is limited to 200. There are currently 59 foreign members and professor Cowan is the first foreign computer scientist to receive this honour since the order's inception.

UW is one of Canada's leading research-intensive universities and has developed a major strategic focus on health and health informatics. WIHIR is a health-related research institute that has been established in response to this key initiative. With the many spin-off companies associated with the university and its large co-operative education program, Waterloo is a leader in technology and knowledge transfer.

· Agreements that (in some cases) produced a reduction in fees of 100 per cent.

1 All boards have significantly reduced the hourly rates they charged for the use of double gymnasia, and 36 per cent of boards have totally eliminated these fees.

2 All boards have significantly reduced their hourly Saturday custodial rates, and 56 per cent of school boards have totally eliminated these fees.

“Schools are important hubs in our communities. They are places where we can gather to learn, grow and play,” said Wynne. “Our community use of schools program is helping to ensure that our schools remain accessible and affordable to our communities.”

TORONTO - Newly certified elementary teachers have to wait up to three years to land full-time jobs, says a study released November 27, 2006, by the Ontario College of Teachers.

However, French-language teachers have their pick of jobs as do many specialists in math, chemistry, physics and technological studies, the College's annual Transition to Teaching study shows.

This is the fifth year of the study, which is funded by a grant from the Ontario Ministry of Education. In 1998, the College's research predicted a critical shortage of teachers in Ontario. Eight years on, the pendulum has swung the other way for English-language elementary teachers.

<< The study reveals that:

- only 25 per cent of the non-French, primary-junior teachers outside the Greater Toronto Area found full-time jobs by the end of their first year teaching
- one-third of all newly certified teachers worked as supply teachers (daily, occasional)
- one in five new teachers worked in two or more schools. >>

In contrast, 71 per cent of the teachers qualified to teach in French found regular jobs by spring in their first year and two-thirds of qualified physics, math and tech studies teachers secured full-time work.

"This information is critical to individuals deciding on careers in teaching," says Brian McGowan, Registrar of the teaching profession's licensing body. "You can improve your employment prospects by knowing the areas of greatest need."

Internationally educated teachers continue to have difficulty finding employment. Many cannot find full-time work and rely on occasional teaching assignments, even if they hold qualifications in the high-demand subject areas.

Don Cattani, Chair of the College Council, said the College hopes that policy makers who fund and shape the programs that prepare teachers will take a hard look at the data. "We need to ensure that teacher education programs prepare teachers who can fill the needs of our education system. We also need to improve the employment picture of licensed teachers who are new Canadians. The College has certified them to teach in Ontario, but far too many remain underemployed."

For new teachers who got jobs, late hiring, fragmented teaching schedules, difficult assignments and little or no support persisted for most new teachers last year. Fifty-nine per cent were hired after school began - 19 per cent in September and 40 per cent later in the school year.

For the fifth year in a row, new teachers reported they were disappointed by the lack of systematic orientation and support in their first year. The survey confirms the importance of the new, government-funded teacher induction program, which kicks into full effect in all Ontario school boards this year and is expected to help address this need.

The good news is that teachers are resilient. Only three of the 1,300 new teachers polled said they intended to quit teaching. Fully 92.6 per cent said they planned to teach in Ontario next year.

The College mailed surveys in May 2006 to 40 per cent of the 8,223 Ontario faculty of education graduates in 2005 and to 40 per cent of the 1,203 graduates from teacher education programs at six US border colleges. Thirty-two per cent (1,289) responded. The survey results are considered accurate within 2.7 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The Transition to Teaching study also includes a survey of teachers educated in other provinces and countries as well as surveys of teachers in their first five years in the profession after graduation. The large-scale study reports on findings from 4,130 survey returns overall. To see complete survey results, go to www.oct.ca - Publications - Transition to Teaching.

A University of Guelph graduate and member of the Board of Governors has been appointed to head a new $260-million federal agency charged with developing Canada’s strategy for cancer control, including supplying information about preventing, diagnosing and treating the disease.

Jeff Lozon, president and CEO of St. Michael’s Hospital, was named chair of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The agency’s job is to “make sure that the best cancer-care practices in any single part of Canada are known and available to health-care providers in every part of Canada,” according to a government news release.

Lozon graduated from U of G in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He was appointed to B of G in 2003 as an alumni representative and was re-appointed for another three-year term in June. He serves on the board’s development and membership and governance subcommittees.

“Jeff is an excellent appointment for the chairmanship of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer,” said Joanne Shoveller, Guelph’s vice-president for alumni affairs and development. “He is a team builder who is very goal-oriented and very focused on results, and he understands the power of networks and the power of education in solving large problems. In addition, he is committed to his community and truly cares about people. He is an excellent example of the resourceful, innovative and compassionate people who make up our alumni body.”

Lozon also served as Ontario’s deputy health minister from 1999 to 2000. He will stay on as president and CEO of St. Michael’s Hospital while holding the agency chairmanship.

Three world-class research collaborations headed by University of Guelph scientists have received more than $14.5 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

The announcement was made today in Waterloo by CFI president and CEO Eliot Phillipson. CFI covers 40 per cent of the cost of a project, with the remaining money coming from matching provincial funds and other partners.

The Guelph projects are headed by physics professors Stefan Kycia and Paul Garrett and chemistry professor Jacek Lipkowski, and will position the University and Canada at the forefront of X-ray diffraction, nuclear physics and life sciences and bioelectrochemistry, said Alan Wildeman, vice-president (research).

“Today’s announcement underscores the national recognition that University of Guelph researchers have achieved,” Wildeman said. “All of the proposals submitted from across campus in this last competition were cutting edge, and having three of them now selected for funding is a great outcome. All three of the lead investigators and their colleagues at Guelph and across Canada should be very proud of their success.”

Kycia received more than $11 million to establish the Brockhouse X-ray Diffraction and Scattering Sector, which will be housed at the Canadian Light Source, Canada’s national synchrotron research facility at the University of Saskatchewan. It will support a wide spectrum of materials research in academic and industrial sectors in Ontario and Canada, and has applications such as advanced alloys and polymers, novel batteries, food science and petroleum products. Some 28 Canadian researchers spanning the disciplines of physics, chemistry, geology, biology, engineering and environmental science are involved.

“I'm extremely pleased,” Kycia said, adding he is getting ready "for a great deal of hard work and responsibilities for the years to come. Canada will now have one of the best X-ray facilities in the world for studying the structure of many types of new materials. It will likely enable discovery and open the doorway for revolutionary technologies that are currently unforeseen. This will lead to significant opportunities for Canadian materials researchers in both academia and industry.”

Lipkowski will use his $2.7-million grant to enhance infrastructure in Guelph laboratories that conduct leading-edge life science and soft materials research involving biomolecules, cells and bacteria. The project includes 24 investigators at U of G and more than 100 post-doctoral researchers and students and fosters collaborations among Guelph’s College of Biological Science, College of Physical and Engineering Science, and Ontario Agricultural College.

“This is tremendous news for interdisciplinary research at the University of Guelph,” Lipkowski said. “It brings electrochemistry and physics to biology, and biology to electrochemistry and physics. Because of the availability of the infrastructure, we will be able to offer challenging, innovative research projects that will attract the best and most motivated individuals. Last but not least, this award recognizes and builds upon the substantial achievements of the Centre for Food and Soft Materials Science and the Electrochemical Technology Centre.”

Garrett is heading a neutron detector array that involves 11 researchers from across Canada. The $656,000 grant they received from CFI will be used to construct a “world-unique” device that allows for the detection of neutrons in such a way that scientists will be able to perform measurements on the particles much more directly. “This will enable us to perform experiments that we could not do otherwise, providing us a tool to probe such questions as the origin of the elements in the universe and the nature of matter under extreme conditions,” he said.

The equipment will be built at TRIUMF, Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics in Vancouver. “It will form one of the cornerstones of my own research program, as well as that of other Guelph and Canadian scientists,” Garrett said. He added that CFI was a major factor in his decision to return to Canada in 2004 from a permanent position at a U.S. national laboratory. “The possibility of funding capital equipment through CFI was a very attractive incentive for me and makes Canadian universities competitive with our U.S. counterparts.”

CFI is an independent not-for-profit corporation established by the Canadian government 1997 to address an urgent need of Canada’s research community. Support for these projects came from CFI’s Leading Edge and New Initiatives funds.

“I am very pleased about this investment,” said Brenda Chamberlain, MP for Guelph-Wellington. “It’s a testament to the hard work of so many people to make the University a leader in research and development. The Government of Canada must continue to make these investments to ensure that our universities are not only national leaders but also international leaders.”

Besides the students, also invited are their families and guests, College faculty and administrators affiliated with degree studies, outstanding high school mentors of the winning students and donor representatives.

Among the scholarship donors are COM DEV International, Manulife Financial, Melloul Blamey Construction, MTE Consultants, CanAm Special Risk Insurance, the Guelph Community Foundation, the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (Ontario), the Alumni Association of Conestoga College and the President of the College.

Annual Degree Programs Scholarship Evening

Thursday, November 30

The Blue Room

Conestoga College, Doon Campus

Reception begins at 6:30 p.m.

Remarks and presentations begin at 7 p.m.

Researchers are receiving $25.6 million for infrastructure, plus another $7.7 million to operate and maintain equipment for a total of $33.4 million, from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to lead work in astronomy, quantum information processing and wireless communications. UW professors are also participating in CFI-funded projects at other institutions, exploring brain developmental disorders and conducting social science research.

Funding for the three UW-led projects is part of a CFI announcement of $422 million ($325-million plus $97-million to operate and maintain equipment). It will support 86 projects at research institutions across Canada. The announcement was made today on the UW campus by Eliot Phillipson, president and CEO of CFI.

"These awards represent a strategic boost to the university's research capacities and represent a tremendous result from one of the strongest competitions since CFI's inception," said Alan George, UW's vice-president, university research. "We sought $42 million for 12 projects, and had 25 per cent of our applications and 61 per cent of our dollar request approved, which is above the national average."

The three UW projects are:

* Project title: From Nano Structures to Quantum Information Processing: A Technology Incubator for the 21st Century. UW professors Raymond Laflamme, also director of the Institute for Quantum Computing, and Tong Leung will lead researchers from UW, the University of Western Ontario (UWO) and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. CFI's leading edge fund is providing $17,955,697 and the project is worth $50,326,944.

The funding will equip research laboratories in a landmark quantum-nano building to be built at UW. The new centre will bring together top researchers in quantum information processing and nanotechnology engineering to advance fundamental knowledge and develop practical applications. The advances will develop new and practical quantum devices, such as first-generation sensors and nano-electro-mechanical systems, exploiting the laws of quantum mechanics with applications in computing, material science, sensing, medicine, manufacturing and other areas.

* Project title: Submillimetre Instruments for Astronomy: Building on the SCUBA-2 Experience. UW professors Michel Fich and Jan Kycia will lead a team involving researchers from UW, UWO, the Université de Montréal as well as the universities of British Columbia and Lethbridge. Funding for this project totals $6,772,280, with $2,708,912 from the CFI leading edge fund.

SCUBA-2, an instrument to be used at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii, will be the most powerful submillimetre wavelength camera in the world. These wavelengths are where the youngest objects in the universe emit dense structures that will form solar systems, stars and galaxies. The project aims to improve SCUBA-2's detector -- the heart of the camera -- and enable the instrument to participate in new astronomy instrument initiatives.

* Project title: Centre for Intelligent Antenna and Radio Systems. UW professors Ali Safavi-Naeini, Amir Khandani, Sujeet Chaudhuri and Jake Thiessen will lead a project that involves researchers from UW, the universities of Toronto and Manitoba, Simon Fraser University as well as Defence Research and Development Canada, Nortel Networks and the Communications Research Centre. CFI's new initiatives fund is providing $5,016,637 of the project's $12,541,593 cost.

The heart of CIARS is an electronically shielded test chamber the size of a house, where researchers can simulate the various environments in which next-generation wireless devices will need to operate. Researchers in three interrelated laboratories will study radio wave propagation, antennas and the wireless appliances themselves. They will work to increase the capacity and reduce the cost of wireless data transmission.

Total value of these projects is $77,345,191, with $69,640,817 to acquire research infrastructure and $7,704,374 to operate and maintain the facilities.

As well, UW professors John Goyder, Keith Warriner and Lori Curtis are taking part in a project called The National Research Data Centre Network: A Quantum Leap Forward in Social Science Research. Led by the University of Manitoba, the network fosters exchange of methodological and statistical advances and improvements in data documentation.

UW professor Melanie Campbell is participating in the Centre for the Investigation of Neuroplasticity and Developmental Disorders, led by the Hospital for Sick Children. The centre will investigate the neuroplasticity of brain function or the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.

The CFI is an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure. Its mandate is to strengthen the capacity of universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development that benefits Canadians.

However, the child's sex was only one dimension on which children's readiness to learn varied, according to the study. Two other key dimensions were the level of income of the child's family and the home environment in which they grew up.

The study used data from the 2002/2003 data collection phase of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth to determine how ready children were to learn when they were five years old. It also looked back two years in time to determine if trends were already apparent when the children were three years old.

Some differences between girls and boys, and between children in various income levels, were already apparent when the youngsters were only three years old.

Early success in school has been linked to the abilities, behaviours and attitudes that youngsters bring with them as they go to class for the first time. Such information can provide important insights for developing educational policies and practices.

The study considered several different aspects of readiness to learn. It compared demographic groups on 11 measures that included language and communication skill, academic skill, self-regulation of learning, self-control of behaviour, and social competence and independence.

Girls were more ready to learn at age five

The study found that girls and boys at the age of five differed considerably in several dimensions of readiness to learn. In general, girls were more ready to learn at the age of five than boys were.

Girls scored higher than boys in communication skill, attention and self-control of behaviour, and were rated higher in independence in dressing. Boys were rated above girls on only one measure — curiosity.

On the other hand, the study determined that girls and boys entered school with equivalent abilities in several areas. They did not differ in receptive vocabulary, which is the vocabulary that is understood by the child when he or she hears the words spoken. Girls and boys were similar in work effort, cooperative play and independence in cleanliness as well.

The academic knowledge and skill that children bring to school may contribute to their early learning. The study assessed the children's knowledge of numbers and their ability to copy and use symbols, both of which are linked strongly to academic achievement.

Compared to boys, girls entered school with stronger abilities in copying and using symbols; however, girls and boys performed equally in number knowledge.

Children from lower income households were less ready to learn

Household income was a significant predictor of 6 of the 11 readiness to learn measures. In every case, children from lower income households scored lower than their counterparts who lived in more affluent households. In other words, children from lower income households were less ready to learn.

The aspects of readiness to learn where children from lower income households did not do as well included: receptive vocabulary, communication skill, knowledge of numbers, copying and using symbols, attention and cooperative play.

However, the study found no differences in other measures. It found that household income level was not related to a child's work effort, level of curiosity, self-control of behaviour or independence in dressing or cleanliness.

Home environment linked to child's readiness to learn

The study found important links between measures of readiness to learn and several aspects of a child's home environment.

For example, children with high levels of positive interaction with their parents tended to have higher scores for receptive vocabulary and communication skill than other children. They also tended to be rated higher in both curiosity and cooperative play.

Children who were read to daily did better in receptive vocabulary and number knowledge than those who were not read to daily.

Participation in organized sports and physical activities was linked to several readiness to learn measures. Children who participated at least weekly in these activities showed stronger abilities in receptive vocabulary, communication skill, number knowledge, and copying and using symbols. Even children who participated regularly in unorganized sports were rated higher in cooperative play than children who did not.

Some activities were linked with higher scores on readiness to learn measures whether or not children lived in low-income or higher income households. These activities included: daily reading, high positive parent-child interaction, participation in organized sports, lessons in physical activities, and lessons in the arts.

However, the fact that the lower income children were less likely to experience the home environment factor may help to explain the difference in readiness to learn between the income levels.

It should also be noted that links found among income levels and home environment factors on the one hand, and measures of readiness to learn on the other, do not imply causality. However, the findings are consistent with other research that suggests a causal role.

Some differences already apparent at the age of three

The study looked back two years to determine whether differences in readiness to learn between girls and boys and between lower and higher income level children already existed at the age of three, or whether they emerged during the pre-school period between three and five.

These analyses were undertaken to determine at what ages policies and interventions designed to reduce disparities might be most effective for children.

The clear differences found at the age of five between girls and boys in communication skill and independence in dressing were already evident at three, with girls ranking higher than boys on both. Similarly, boys were already more curious at three.

On the other hand, differences in attention and in self-control of behaviour favouring girls were not apparent at three, but emerged over the two-year period.

In terms of household income, the clear differences found at the age of five in communication skill and attention that favoured children from more affluent households were already apparent when they were three. In contrast, the difference in cooperative play at five was not in evidence at three, but appeared over the two-year period.

Affluent children ranked higher than less affluent children in work effort and self-control of behaviour at the age of three, but these differences had disappeared two years later.

The lack of difference between income levels in curiosity, independence in dressing, and independence in cleanliness existed at both ages.

Note to readers

The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) is a long-term study of children that follows their development from birth to early adulthood. The NLSCY, which began in 1994, is conducted by Statistics Canada and is sponsored by Human Resources and Social Development Canada. The survey is designed to collect information about factors influencing the social, emotional and behavioural development of children, and to monitor the impact of these factors on their development over time.

The sample in this study included 3,923 children who were born in 1997, and who were five years old during the 2002/2003 data collection phase. These children represented around 360,000 five-year-old children in the population.

Definitions

Readiness to learn at school: Readiness to learn is broadly defined in this report, to include receptive (or understood) vocabulary, communication ability, number knowledge, copying and using symbols, self-control of behaviour, attention, work effort, curiosity, cooperative play, independence in dressing, and independence in cleanliness. Vocabulary, number knowledge, and copying and symbol use were assessed using direct measures. The other variables were measured by asking parents how often their children behaved in certain ways, such as how often they were able to pass a simple message, to pay attention, or to finish things they had started.

Household income level: Measured as the ratio of household income to the relevant low income cut-off level (LICO) for each family. Families with income levels below the LICO are those who devote a larger share of income to the necessities of food, shelter and clothing than the average equivalent family. In this report, income levels ranged from very low income (below LICO) to high income (three times LICO or above).

WATERLOO, On. - The University of Waterloo today announced it is striking a task force to examine how UW manages campus-dwelling wildlife that pose a risk.

Deep Saini, Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Studies, will lead the task force which will draw on campus expertise in wild-life and animal-care management, and will consult as appropriate. Recommendations of the task force will be made to the university's Provost, Amit Chakma.

Although UW's recent actions concerning beavers were congruent with Ministry of Natural Resources guidelines, the University is sensitive to the outpouring of public opinion.

UW's faculty of arts will launch a new interdisciplinary graduate student seminar called Knowledge Mobilization to Serve Society. Knowledge mobilization -- which involves sharing university research findings with the wider community in order to influence policy, practice and everyday life -- has become an increasingly important part of scholarship.

The new course, to be offered during the next winter term, will equip students with the background and tools needed for such socially responsive knowledge transfer. UW's strategic research plan says that academic excellence includes "service to society through the transfer of knowledge."

"Researchers in the arts disciplines produce work of incalculable value to society at large," said Ken Coates, dean of arts at UW. "We have, however, often fallen into the practice of leaving the work of mobilization of our ideas to others and have largely kept our research and insights to ourselves."

Coates said the course is part of a broader initiative to take greater responsibility for "moving the fruits of our research out of the academy and to engage more directly with those seeking to create societal change."

The for-credit course will be led by psychology professor Kathleen Bloom, who also directs the Canadian Centre for Knowledge Mobilization as well as an alliance for child literacy called Research Works!

"Effective mobilization of knowledge is a two-way process," Bloom said. "It's built on partnerships between those who produce new knowledge and those who can use it. This is how decisions about social issues extend beyond opinions and beliefs. This is how researchers make their knowledge count."

The course is one of UW's responses to a recent call by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for more effective and extensive mobilization of university knowledge.

In its recent strategic plan, the federal funding agency underscores the importance of humanities and social sciences research to Canadians.

"Humanities and social sciences ideas can have enormous impact on society," the plan says. "There are the paradigm-shifting ideas of great philosophers, historians, economists and psychologists and there is the practical knowledge coming from research that helps us understand and address immediate issues such as third-world poverty, security and human rights, education and health-care delivery."

To serve society, scholarly products must be collated, put in context, translated into plain language and transported beyond the walls of academia, Bloom said. And to enable the productive identification of research questions, academics need to form partnerships with non-academic groups and learn how to work collaboratively with them.

Bloom will augment her own extensive knowledge and experience by inviting policy-makers, practitioners, journalists and SSHRC representatives to give public guest lectures on topics related to knowledge mobilization.

The seminar will include discussion of conceptual issues as well as hands-on learning from the perspective of the students' own research interests. They will be given opportunities to work together in teams and to meet with community stakeholders both face-to-face and online.

The Wednesday evening seminar will be open to graduate students at both UW and Wilfrid Laurier University. Enrolment is limited, so pre-register now by contacting Bloom at kbloom at cckm.ca. Registration will be processed by a students's department.

This study uses data from two Statistics Canada surveys to investigate the reasons for the differentials of growth in university attendance between 1977 and 2003.

Its findings suggest that a major factor underlying the steady increase in university enrolment among women is that it pays more for women to attend university.

The study showed that the financial return for both men and women with a university degree is proportionally higher than it is for their counterparts who have just a high school diploma. But this return to education has been consistently higher for women than for men since 1977.

Specifically, a woman with a university degree in 1977 earned $1.88 for each dollar earned by a woman with a high school diploma. The corresponding ratio for men was $1.63.

By 2003, women with a university degree earned $2.73 for every dollar earned by those with a high school diploma. The corresponding ratio for men was $2.13.

Between 1977 and 1992, the university premium for women was 16% higher than for men; between 1993 and 2003, it was 22% higher for women.

This higher premium for women and its growth relative to that for men explain a large part of the divergent trends in university attendance, the study suggests.

It points out that tuition fees, parents' education and family income are well-known important factors related to university attendance. However, these factors cannot explain why women's enrolment has increased steadily relative to men's.

The study found that the gap in university attendance between children from high and low income families declined more over the period for women than men, but this fact by itself did not account for the divergent trends.

In 1977, there were four people attending university from families in the top fifth of the income distribution for every person attending from the bottom fifth. By 2003, this ratio had fallen to only 1.6 for women, and to 2.7 for men.

The study shows that university participation for both men and women has increased within all income brackets, more so for women than for men. This suggests that other trends underlie the divergence in women's and men's university enrolments.

WATERLOO, Ont.- The author of the most comprehensive study ever undertaken on Canada's strengths in science and technology will explain how the web has impacted what people know versus what they think they know during a lecture at the University of Waterloo.

Peter J. Nicholson, first head of the newly formed Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) and author of the recently released report The State of Science & Technology in Canada, will deliver a talk in the Accelerator Centre at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29. His talk is entitled The Expert vs. The Crowd: Networked Knowledge and the Evolution of Intellectual Authority.

"The web has democratized access to information and led to such innovations as social networking and massive collaborations. Just think of Wikipedia and rating systems on sites like Amazon or Google," said David Fransen, executive director of the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC). "The nature of what counts as knowledge, truth and expert opinion is changing. Dr. Nicholson will ask: 'What are the consequences?' "

Nicholson was appointed as inaugural president and chief executive officer of the CCA in February 2006. He is a Member of the Order of Canada, awarded in recognition of his contribution to business through both the public and private sectors.

Nicholson has held numerous private and public sector positions, including senior vice-president of the Bank of Nova Scotia, Clifford Clark Visiting Economist in the federal Department of Finance, chief strategy officer of Bell Canada Enterprises Inc., special adviser to the secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and deputy chief of staff for policy in the Office of the Prime Minister.

The mission of the CCA is to provide independent, expert assessments of the science underlying important matters of public interest and provide a voice for Canada on behalf of the sciences, both nationally and internationally.

The State of Science & Technology in Canada was prepared at the request of the federal government. It explores Canada's strengths in order to set the context for the government's consideration of policy. Findings from the report, which was released in September, are available at www.scienceadvice.ca.

"Dr. Nicholson has a broad understanding of the positive and negative impacts of emerging technologies," said Iain Klugman, CEO of Communitech. "Communitech is pleased to help bring him to Waterloo Region and we look forwarded to hearing the insights he has to offer on the web and the creation of knowledge."

This event is being organized by IQC (www.iqc.ca) and UW (www.uwaterloo.ca), in partnership with Communitech (www.communitech.ca).

Enrolment jumped in every major trade group. Since 1999, apprenticeship registrations have increased by 81,390, or 43.7%, fuelled by growth in the building construction, and the electrical, electronics and related groups.

The building construction group contributed 40% of the total increase in apprentices in 2004.

Municipalities issued a record $55.6 billion in overall building permits in 2004, including residential and non-residential projects. There were record high permits in the residential sector with strong advances in both single- and multi-family dwelling components.

A near record high of 19,705 individuals completed their registered apprenticeship training, up by 1,185, or 6.4%, from 2003. The metal fabricating trades accounted for about a quarter of the completions.

The average age of 30 years for registered apprentices has remained stable since 1994. The proportion of apprentices in the combined age groups 25 to 39 declined over the same period, while the shares for all other age groups have risen.

The proportion of females in apprenticeship training edged up from 8.4% in 1999 to 9.6% in 2004. The food and services group had 63.2% of all female apprentices.

Construction apprenticeships push up total

Four fields (building construction trades; metal fabricating trades; electrical, electronics and related trades; and motor vehicle and heavy equipment) accounted for about 80% of total registrations in 2004. Of the 16,980 new apprentices, about 87% came from these top four.

Since 2001, the building construction field has had the highest gains among major trade groups. It became the largest in 2003, reflecting the construction industry's boom since 2001, especially in residential construction.

Registrations rose 3.7% to 54,655 in metal fabricating trades, the second largest trade group. Its gain of 1,960 trainees accounted for 11.5% of overall growth.

The electrical, electronics and related field and the motor vehicle and heavy equipment field each accounted for about 17.5% of the total growth. In the motor vehicle and heavy equipment trades, the number of trainees rose 5.9% to 52,835.

Ontario, Quebec and Alberta accounted for 77.4% of overall registrations. Ontario had nearly 35%, or 92,895 apprentices, while Quebec and Alberta each had one-fifth of total registrations.

The number of apprentices in Ontario rose 8.8% from 2003, while Quebec's total grew by 12.5%. Alberta's registrations remained stable over the previous year. Prince Edward Island and British Columbia also gained new trainees.

Most of the Atlantic provinces recorded a decline in registrations. Those in Nova Scotia fell by 5.1%, those in Newfoundland and Labrador by 4.3%, and those in New Brunswick by 3.1%. In the West, Saskatchewan and Manitoba had slight declines.

Electrical and metal fabricating drive completions

Except for a decrease in 2002, apprenticeship completions have otherwise remained stable between 1999 and 2003. In 2004, completions grew by 6.4%.

Completions in the electrical, electronics and related trades surged 24.2%, or a gain of 685. This increase accounted for 57.8% of the net gain in total completions. The field had a total of 3,520 completions.

The number of new apprentices completing their programs in the metal fabricating group increased by 340, or 7.6%. This field had 4,785 completions, about a quarter of the overall total.

Certificates in the building construction group rose by only 1.6%, while their registrations have been growing significantly since 1998.

The only decline in completions occurred in the motor vehicle and heavy equipment group, where they fell 3.4%. Completions in this field totalled 4,130, about a fifth of all apprenticeship certificates.

The number of women receiving certificates increased by 165 to 2,185, representing about 11% of all completions. The food and services group had the highest proportion of women (75.7%) receiving certificates.

The largest three provinces for apprentices, Ontario, Quebec and Alberta, all had an increase in completions; combined, they continued to account for about three-quarters of total certificates. Completions rose by 15.9% in Ontario, 11.4% in Quebec and 8.3% in Alberta.

In the Atlantic provinces, completions in Prince Edward Island grew by over two-thirds and Nova Scotia by 14%, while in the West, Manitoba gained 6.5%.

Completions fell in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Apprentices in their teens and over 50 on the rise

The number of registrations increased across all age groups. While the combined age groups 20 to 29 accounted for half of apprentices, proportions increased fastest in the groups under 20 and over 50. The under 20 group had a 14.9% increase in trainees, while the 50 and over group grew by 11.7%.

From 1994 to 2004, the age groups under 25 increased their share from 26.8% to 33.6% of overall registrations. The 40 and over age groups accounted for 17% of registrations, up from 10.2%.

Completions in 2004 increased across all ages, except in the 50 and over group, where they fell 10.3%. Completions in the age group 40 to 44 rose 15.1%, the fastest rate of growth.

More than one-half of the total completers were still in their 20s. The share of completers aged 40 and over almost doubled between 1994 and 2004.

Registered apprenticeship training: Registrations
Major trade groups	1999		2003		2004		1999 to 2004	2003 to 2004
	number	% total	number	% total	number	% total	% change
Building construction trades	36,495	19.6	53,835	21.5	60,610	22.6	66.1	12.6
Electrical, electronics and related	30,475	16.4	42,415	16.9	45,430	17.0	49.1	7.1
Food and service trades	18,910	10.1	25,275	10.1	26,235	9.8	38.7	3.8
Industrial and related mechanical	16,020	8.6	19,690	7.9	19,890	7.4	24.2	1.0
Metal fabricating trades	40,390	21.7	52,695	21.0	54,655	20.4	35.3	3.7
Motor vehicle and heavy equipment	39,865	21.4	49,885	19.9	52,835	19.7	32.5	5.9
Other1	4,230	2.3	6,995	2.8	8,120	3.0	92.0	16.1
Total2	186,385	100.0	250,795	100.0	267,775	100.0	43.7	6.8
1. The trade group "Other" consists of miscellaneous trades and occupations not classified elsewhere. Many of the apprenticeship trades and occupations that have been introduced since the 1990s have been added to this group. Because of the small numbers in this group, it has been excluded from analysis. 2. Totals may not add up due to rounding.

Registered apprenticeship training: Completions
Major trade groups	1999		2003		2004		1999 to 2004	2003 to 2004
	number	% total	number	% total	number	% total	% change
Building construction trades	2,180	11.8	2,550	13.8	2,590	13.1	18.8	1.6
Electrical, electronics and related	2,760	14.9	2,835	15.3	3,520	17.9	27.5	24.2
Food and service trades	2,575	13.9	2,130	11.5	2,265	11.5	-12.0	6.3
Industrial and related mechanical	2,220	12.0	1,930	10.4	2,055	10.4	-7.4	6.5
Metal fabricating trades	4,225	22.8	4,445	24.0	4,785	24.3	13.3	7.6
Motor vehicle and heavy equipment	4,230	22.8	4,275	23.1	4,130	21.0	-2.4	-3.4
Other1	355	1.9	360	1.9	360	1.8	1.4	0.0
Total2	18,545	100.0	18,520	100.0	19,705	100.0	6.3	6.4
1. The trade group "Other" consists of miscellaneous trades and occupations not classified elsewhere. Many of the apprenticeship trades and occupations that have been introduced since the 1990s have been added to this group. Because of the small numbers in this group, it has been excluded from analysis. 2. Totals may not add up due to rounding.

Registered apprenticeship training: Registrations by age groups
	1994		2003		2004		1994 to 2004	2003 to 2004
Age groups	number	% total	number	% total	number	% total	% change
Under 20	3,865	2.4	15,535	6.2	17,845	6.7	361.7	14.9
20 to 24	39,945	24.4	67,205	26.8	72,135	26.9	80.6	7.3
25 to 29	43,810	26.8	57,800	23.0	61,880	23.1	41.2	7.1
30 to 34	31,575	19.3	37,835	15.1	39,655	14.8	25.6	4.8
35 to 39	17,920	10.9	27,180	10.8	28,035	10.5	56.4	3.1
40 to 44	9,155	5.6	20,585	8.2	21,870	8.2	138.9	6.2
45 to 49	4,470	2.7	11,995	4.8	13,090	4.9	192.8	9.1
50 +	3,145	1.9	9,420	3.8	10,525	3.9	234.7	11.7
Not reported	9,865	6.0	3,245	1.3	2,735	1.0	-72.3	-15.7
Total1	163,750	100.0	250,795	100.0	267,775	100.0	63.5	6.8
1. Totals may not add up due to rounding.

Registered apprenticeship training: Completions by age groups
	1994		2003		2004		1994 to 2004	2003 to 2004
Age groups	number	% total	number	% total	number	% total	% change
Under 20	30	0.2	45	0.2	50	0.3	66.7	11.1
20 to 24	3,495	20.8	4,295	23.2	4,490	22.8	28.5	4.5
25 to 29	5,520	32.9	5,770	31.2	6,130	31.1	11.1	6.2
30 to 34	3,735	22.2	3,330	18.0	3,630	18.4	-2.8	9.0
35 to 39	1,785	10.6	1,975	10.7	2,140	10.9	19.9	8.4
40 to 44	760	4.5	1,360	7.3	1,565	7.9	105.9	15.1
45 to 49	335	2.0	740	4.0	760	3.9	126.9	2.7
50 +	135	0.8	485	2.6	435	2.2	222.2	-10.3
Not reported	1,005	6.0	520	2.8	510	2.6	-49.3	-1.9
Total1	16,800	100.0	18,520	100.0	19,705	100.0	17.3	6.4
1. Totals may not add up due to rounding.

Note to readers

Data on registered apprenticeship training for 2004 were obtained using information from the Registered Apprenticeship Information System. It covers both registrations and completions.

Total registered includes the still registered from the previous year plus the newly registered apprentices from the current year and excludes apprentices that have completed or discontinued. In most provinces, registered apprenticeship training combines on-the-job experience with periods of in-class technical training.

Apprenticeship programs, depending on the trade or occupation, vary in duration from two to five years. However, it is relatively common for apprenticeship training to extend beyond the required duration.

The centre is a major part of an expanded motive power trades area at the campus and involved construction of 3,200 sq. ft. of new shop space. Motive power education, which now includes two apprenticeship programs - Automotive Service Technician, and Truck and Coach Technician, is a specialty of the campus. The impetus provided by the new facility promises future opportunities for more diversified and specialized programming, geared to the needs of a growing region that features a large number of automotive and trucking enterprises.

A number of trucking industry donors and supporters have been advocates for establishment of the Truck and Coach Technician Centre, and have provided equipment, supplies and materials to help the program to a successful start, as the first group of apprentices began their training this September.

Conestoga is a major force in apprenticeship education in Ontario - the fourth-largest apprenticeship college in the Ontario system, a leader in the development of new programming and curriculum structures, and a college where apprenticeship enrolment has grown by more than 20 per cent in recent years.

Featured speakers at the November 14 event were: Dan Einwechter, Chairman and CEO of Challenger Motor Freight Inc., who spoke on behalf of the industry donors; Conestoga President John Tibbits, who outlined the importance of the new facility and how this development fits in with the College’s long-term plans; Conestoga Chair of Trades and Apprenticeship Stephen Speers, who recognized and thanked each donor organization; and student Darrin Lockwood, who expressed appreciation on behalf of the Truck and Coach Technician program apprentices.

The campus in Guelph also houses programs in standard, advanced and robotic welding, conventional and computerized metal machining, industrial mechanics, millwright education, and preparatory studies, such as employment readiness, academic skills upgrading, and career research and planning. In addition, the campus annually registers more than 4,000 participants in part-time adult, continuing education courses and programs.

Conestoga plans to move forward with establishing centres of excellence at its campuses. Goals for the Guelph location include continued expansion of motive power trades activity and enrolment, institution of a number of innovative programs that combine technical diploma studies with apprenticeship training and co-op experience in industry, and growth in part-time continuing education activities.

A group of Canadian scientists — including several from the University of Guelph — are being honoured by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) today for their groundbreaking research on neutrinos.

Scientists from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) have been awarded the inaugural NSERC John C. Polanyi Award, NSERC president Suzanne Fortier announced in Sudbury. The $250,000 prize is named for the University of Toronto professor who won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in reaction dynamics.

“We are very pleased to share in this wonderful recognition,” said Guelph physics professor Jimmy Law, who, along with other Guelph researchers, has been involved with the SNO experiment since its inception.

Law was in Sudbury today representing the Guelph cohort. “We are part of a great team of international scientists whose hard work and dedication have made this project and subsequent discoveries possible.”

SNO is a unique neutrino telescope that is the size of a 10-storey building. It’s located two kilometres beneath the earth in a nickel mine near Sudbury, making it the world’s deepest underground laboratory.

Guelph scientists were part of the original group helping with research and development and the construction of the SNO detector. They also helped design and construct SNO’s sophisticated instruments. In total, more than 130 researchers from 14 different universities and research labs in Canada, the United States and Great Britain are involved in the project.

The heart of SNO’s $100-million detector is the world’s largest acrylic vessel, holding 1,000 tonnes of heavy water on loan from Atomic Energy Canada Ltd. and worth an additional $330 million.

In contrast to its massive size, the detector is used to look for neutrinos, tiny subatomic particles that make up all matter in the universe. Neutrinos are extremely difficult to detect, because they can pass through most forms of matter easily. In fact, billions of neutrinos pass through people’s bodies every second with no noticeable effect.

SNO is the only facility in the world that can detect neutrinos accurately, thanks to the giant sphere filled with ultra-pure heavy water that contains heavy hydrogen. Neutrinos passing through break up the deuterium into a neutron and a proton, which is crucial to the measurement process.

In 2001, SNO researchers gained international recognition when they solved the mystery of solar neutrinos that had baffled scientists since the early 1970s: the discrepancy between the number of neutrinos observed and the previous predictions of theoretical models for the sun.

The researchers found that two-thirds of the electron-type neutrinos produced by nuclear reactions in the core of the sun change to other types of neutrinos – muon and tau neutrinos – before reaching Earth.

Further tests have confirmed those findings and later this month, SNO scientists plan to complete the neutrino measurements that they have been collecting data for over the past seven years. In addition to solving a 30-year-old scientific problem, the SNO measurements proved that the most basic laws of physics are incomplete.

U of G researchers were involved in both phases of data collection, and Law, a nuclear physicist, helped write and test the software used to analyze the data generated.

In addition to Law, U of G researchers involved in SNO are physics professor emeritus Robin Ollerhead, a member of the SNO collaboration since 1993; Prof. Bernie Nickel, who has served as a consultant; post-doctoral researcher Diane Reitzner; and PhD student Marc Beregvin.

“The world-class facilities at SNO, coupled with a community of top-notch physicists, have made Canada a global leader in the search for answers to some of the deepest mysteries of the universe,” said Maxime Bernier, minister of industry and minister responsible for NSERC. “The success of these scientists is truly something in which Canadians can take great pride.”

SNO’s underground lab pace is currently being expanded by 150 per cent, and a new surface building is being constructed. Once complete, it will be a world-class astrophysics facility called SNOLAB. Here, groups will develop, assemble and operate new experiments in particle physics. The expansion project is being funded by a $38.9-million grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, with an additional $10.4 million in support coming from other granting agencies.

University of Guelph President Alastair Summerlee has been named the new chair of the board of directors of World University Service of Canada (WUSC), one of the country’s leading international development agencies.

WUSC teams with students, faculty and institutions to internationalize Canada’s universities, increase knowledge of global issues and foster human development through education and training. Summerlee has served as its board vice-chair for the past two years.

“Dr. Summerlee has a great deal of energy and creativity to contribute, and we’re really looking forward to continuing our work with him,” said Paul Davidson, WUSC’s executive director. “He’s an innovative thinker with a strong commitment to our goals.”

WUSC programs have been offered in some 50 countries over the past four decades. “It has had a profound influence on people in many parts of the world,” Summerlee said. “I’m honoured to be part of this important and growing enterprise and am particularly excited about taking on this role.”

U of G has been actively involved in WUSC for more than 20 years, including participating in its student refugee program, which brings students from war-torn countries to study in Canada.

Students come from countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi, Zaire, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Rwanda in hopes of pursuing higher education in an environment free of violence or fear.

Recently, the local WUSC chapters and the University have worked to bolster U of G’s support of the program, including increasing the number of refugee students brought to the Guelph and Alfred campuses annually and increasing assistance.

The student refugee program is just one of many international initiatives and projects sponsored by WUSC, which was established in 1939 in response to the need to encourage international understanding in a war-torn world.

It also offers students and faculty numerous unique training and educational opportunities overseas. U of G has been involved in such programs since the 1960s. This includes an annual international seminar for which 20 to 30 Canadian students and two faculty members are selected to participate in an intensive six-week educational tour of a developing country.

WATERLOO - What are the forces driving land use change in the Amazon? Where is the best location for a business looking to expand? What areas of a city have higher rates of childhood asthma? How far back from a river does the risk of flooding and property damage extend?

Those are just a few of the questions that students in a new program at the University of Waterloo will learn to answer.

Geomatics is a multi-disciplinary field applying the latest satellite and computing technologies to the study of environmental issues such as climate change, deforestation and urban growth. The undergraduate program will be offered next fall by the geography department in the faculty of environmental studies, with support from the schools of computer science and planning.

Students will study environmental topics while acquiring skills in geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, modern surveying and mapping techniques, as well as computer programming. They will learn to apply that knowledge during co-operative education work terms, which could see them working in the Arctic or Australia.

"Statistics and data on their own aren't always meaningful," said geography professor Richard Kelly,one of the driving forces behind the program along with colleague Ian McKenzie. "Geomatics allows decision makers in many different fields to analyze and map information so they can make meaningful decisions."

By deploying geomatics, he said, experts are able to figure out answers to such key questions as whether the amount of precipitation in an area is changing and what the implications of that change will be for agricultural crops.

McKenzie said students will graduate with a bachelor of environmental studies degree in honours geomatics. "They will enter a rapidly growing and dynamic field as geomatics is considered one of the three most important emerging and evolving fields, along with biotechnology and nanotechnology," he said.

Geomatics consists of a number of tools used to create a detailed but understandable picture of the physical world and our place in it:

* GIS, a powerful computer-based tool, combines layers of information to give a better understanding of a place, such as finding the best location for a new store, analyzing environmental damage or viewing crimes in a city to detect a pattern.

* Remote sensing involves cameras, imaging radars and thermal mappers mounted in airplanes or orbiting satellites to measure the Earth's surface, along with atmospheric patterns and processes. It provides information on natural and human environmental changes, such as global climate change and growth of urban areas. It also maps the effects of natural hazards, providing natural resource managers with key decision-making information.

* Surveying examines and collects information about the area and features of a given area in order to create a map or plan.

* Mapping takes spatial or geographic information and puts it into a two- or three-dimensional form.

* Global positioning system (GPS) uses a constellation of satellites to provide a person's exact location on the face of the Earth.

The geomatics program draws on core research and teaching strengths built up in the faculty of environmental studies over last 20 years under the leadership of UW professors Ellsworth LeDrew and Philip Howarth.

Beginning with remote sensing research in 1982 and the first GIS courses in the mid-1980s, the faculty's research and teaching has grown to encompass a wide variety of courses in such fields as GIS, remote sensing, cartography, spatial analysis and field methods.

These fields have come together in the new geomatics program. They will provide students with expertise in geomatics, computer science and geographic principles to apply the geomatics tools in many different career areas.

WATERLOO - Top Grade 11 students from across Canada will explore the theme of design next week in a Waterloo Unlimited program offered at the University of Waterloo.

The 46 students will participate in a series of on-campus workshops arranged by the UW enrichment program. Waterloo Unlimited is a trans- disciplinary enrichment experience for high school students of exceptional potential.

"Our program will give the students the opportunity to interact with university faculty and students from around the campus," said Ed Jernigan, director for Waterloo Unlimited. "With that diversity, we are able to explore design in the broadest possible sense."

Jernigan said the program seeks to help students of extraordinary potential come together in a community of scholars. "At Unlimited, students learn how to become more engaged with and better able to contribute to their own educational enrichment."

The students will learn about design in the context of various disciplines presented by professors from various faculties and programs from across campus, including engineering, literature, urban planning and other areas. They will also attend skills sessions, on topics such as creativity and communications, and participate in group assignments and activities.

Each day includes two lectures on some aspect of design, a two-hour hands-on workshop on a design discipline and a two-hour skills session. There are also public talks by Ken Coates, dean of the faculty of arts, and James Alan Gardner, a local author.

Developing programs around a theme, rather than a single subject, is a hallmark of Waterloo Unlimited.

"Innovative solutions and groundbreaking research happen where disciplines and researchers cross boundaries," Jernigan said. "Themed teaching promotes an open-ended learning experience and develops students' higher-order academic skills, such as analysis, synthesis, communication and collaboration."

Hosted by the faculty of environmental studies, Waterloo Unlimited has been offering innovative enrichment experiences to high school students since 2004.

TORONTO - On behalf of Ontario's 18 universities, the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) is pleased to introduce an enhancement to the wide array of information already available to the public.

Each of Ontario's 18 universities and the Ontario College of Art & Design have worked together to develop and compile data to create Common University Data Ontario (CUDO). CUDO is an online tool designed to allow users to access - and, if they wish, to compare - data that have been gathered on a consistent basis. These key metrics include:

<< - Number of degrees awarded, student enrolment and entering averages - all by program;
- Number of students living on campus and activities offered; - Student satisfaction;
- First-year tuition and ancillary fees by program;
- Number of teaching faculty;
- Undergraduate class size, by year level;
- Research awards granted; and
- Graduation rates and employment rates by program. >>

"We're excited about this extension of our efforts in keeping the public informed about our activities and offerings. CUDO has been designed to complement the significant information we already provide, in addition to ensuring that people are able to assess key data in a fair manner," says Jamie Mackay, Vice President, Policy and Analysis, COU.

CUDO is now available via the websites of the Council of Ontario Universities (www.cou.on.ca) and the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (www.ouac.on.ca).

CUDO was developed as a complement to the extensive information that Ontario's universities already offer current and prospective students, parents and other interested parties. This information includes student-focused activities such as:

<< - Prospective student websites and recruitment publications.
- The 150-page eINFO magazine, available online. In 2006, 180,000 copies were also distributed to schools, guidance counsellors and prospective students.
- The Ontario Universities' Fair - which achieved a record attendance of 90,000 in fall 2006 - a one-stop event in Toronto that offers students an opportunity to speak with representatives from all across the province about programs, campus life, and anything else that will help them make a decision about which university to choose.
- The co-ordinated University Information Program, which offers information sessions to high school students across the province. >>

It also includes the extensive information Ontario universities provide to the public and governments to meet their obligations for accountability, such as: <<

- Government reports: Between 50 and 90 reports are submitted annually to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) on the use of operating and capital funds, including annual audited financial statements and audited enrolment reports.
- Research spending reports: Extensive reporting to federal and provincial governments/agencies provides details on how research funds are spent.
- Accountability and performance reports: Provided regularly to key stakeholders, these reports summarize strategic, academic and business planning activities and deliberations of governing boards.
- Ontario's Key Performance Indicator program: Graduation rates, employment rates and OSAP default rates by program are posted on the websites of both MTCU and individual institutions.
- Student engagement surveys: Results of surveys that assess student engagement - including the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (CGPSS) - will be published regularly. >>

"We intend to update the information in CUDO on a regular basis. In addition, in the coming weeks and months we will gather feedback from its users to identify areas for expansion or enhancement," added Mr. Mackay.

OTTAWA - The Canada Research Chairs Program today welcomed the ratification of a new agreement on equity in the nomination process for chairholders. The agreement is designed to reinforce the program's emphasis on excellence by ensuring that all candidates have access to the program in a fair and equitable context.

"We are very pleased with this agreement," said John ApSimon, executive director of the program, which presently funds over 1600 research professorships in Canadian universities. "The Canada Research Chairs Program is about excellence: attracting and keeping the best research talent at Canadian universities. One of Canada's greatest strengths is our diversity, and clearly the program must draw on that diversity to fulfill its potential."

The agreement, ratified this week by the Canadian Human Rights Commission, marks the end of a mediation process begun in 2003 after a group of professors brought a complaint concerning equity in the ranks of chairholders.

Among other things, the agreement requires that the federal government's policies on non-discrimination and equity in employment become an integral part of the Chairs nomination process. The agreement targets equality of opportunity for all four groups protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: women, persons with a disability, Aboriginal peoples, and visible minorities.

In 2001, the program's first full year, women received 14 per cent of Chairs awarded. As a result of ongoing collaboration between the program's secretariat and universities, that percentage has increased steadily and in the last round of nominations, 33 per cent of the Chairs went to women. Currently, women make up 30 per cent of Canada's university faculties. Twenty-two per cent of all Chairs are now held by women, and the proportion continues to rise.

Working with Canadian universities, the program will set concrete targets for appointments to Canada Research Chairs from the four groups, will monitor progress towards those goals, and will take active steps to encourage universities to meet them.

"We have been successfully working with the universities to improve the equity of the Program," ApSimon concluded. "By reinforcing this effort, this agreement marks an important milestone in an ongoing process. Even more than before, Canada Research Chairs will be a vital national resource."

WATERLOO -- Fourteen young faculty members at the University of Waterloo have received Ontario's early researcher awards aimed at helping them build their research teams. They will be investigating such diverse areas as better ways to rehabilitate stroke victims, design crash-free software and develop efficient drinking water treatment.

The awards will help the new professors recruit graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research associates. The recipients will get up to $100,000 from the Ontario government and $50,000 from their university. UW's share of the provincial money, including overhead costs, totals $1.9 million.

The awards were announced Tuesday in London, Ont., by John Wilkinson, parliamentary assistant to the minister of research and innovation, Premier Dalton McGuinty. "Our government is doing its part to make it easier for outstanding researchers to stay in Ontario," Wilkinson said.

"The awards make it easier for the university to recruit promising young researchers for our research teams," said Alan George, UW's vice-president, university research. "Their discoveries will ensure that Ontario can compete in the marketplace of ideas."

At UW, faculty members receiving the early researcher awards are as follows:

* James Danckert, professor of psychology. Project title: Rediscovering the Left: Examining Deficits of Temporal and Spatial Processes in Patients with Neglect.

Injury to the right half of the brain from a stroke often causes a disorder known as neglect, where patients fail to acknowledge their left side. They behave as though one half of their world has ceased to exist, not eating food on the left side of a plate and ignoring events in the left side of space.

Current treatment for the debilitating condition includes the use of prisms, which shift the patient's perception to the neglected space. Danckert and his research team will use behavioural and brain imaging techniques to explore time and space perception after the use of prisms. The work seeks to develop more efficient forms of rehabilitation.

* Mohamed Oussama Damen, professor of electrical and computer engineering. Project title: Enhanced Sequential Decoding in MIMO Links.

Reliable communication over wireless channels is vital in today's world. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, a mathematical model for communication systems with antenna arrays, will be the primary focus of Damen's work.

Damen and his research team will explore how to enhance the quality and quantity of data and voice communications over wireless channels, employing MIMO technology with enhanced decoders to make better use of precious bandwidth.

* Ladan Tahvildari, professor of electrical and computer engineering. Project title: A Self-healing Framework to Enable Adaptive Software Systems.

Anyone using a computer knows about software crashes. Most software operates in an environment that is not always well defined or predictable.

By incorporating self-healing capabilities into software systems, Tahvildari and her research team will attempt to make them capable of handling unexpected changes. The project develops and designs a self-healing framework that can detect improper operations of applications and then correct problems without service disruptions.

* John Yeow, professor of systems design engineering. Project title: Microelectromechanical Systems and Nanotechnology-based Devices for Biomedical Applications.

Developing new diagnostic and therapeutic methods has fuelled global research into novel clinical techniques and biomedical instruments. The keen interest stems from the pursuit to find cures for terminal diseases and invent instruments to enhance the quality of life through early and effective detections.

Yeow's project focuses on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology, the technology of the extremely small. His research team will apply MEMS and nanotechnology to fundamentally improve biomedical devices for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

* Richard Staines, professor of kinesiology. Project title: Human Motor Control: Implications for Stroke Recovery.

With strokes affecting more than 50,000 Canadians and costing more than $2.7 billion in health-care expenditures each year, there is an urgent need for innovative approaches to reduce disability and prevent subsequent strokes.

Staines and his research team will study how central nervous system networks adapt after brain injuries. The data will be used to develop new treatments and training devices aimed at improving the sensorimotor control of patients. Sensorimotor control is a key part of such daily activities as washing, dressing and meal preparation.

* Gregor Weihs, professor of physics and astronomy. Project title: Quantum Communication.

Weihs will study what is widely considered the future of information technology, quantum communication. Quantum computers will be able to solve problems that are intractable on conventional computers, while providing data security.

The research team will focus on a central element of quantum communication technology, sources of single photons and photon pairs. The work could be the building blocks of future quantum communication networks.

* Leonard Tsuji, professor of environment and resource studies. Project title: The Implementation of a Culturally Appropriate Web-based Tool to Assess Food Intake and Physical Activity Behaviour in First Nation Schoolchildren, as Related to Obesity and Diabetes.

The rising prevalence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes has been linked to poor diet and lack of physical activity. The problem is acutely serious among First Nations youth living in isolated communities, who generally don't have access to relevant information on good food choices and physical activity programs.

Tsuji and his research team will implement a culturally appropriate survey of diet and physical activity that will provide key information for remote communities.

* Monica Emelko, professor of civil and environmental engineering. Project title: Safe Drinking Water Technology Development and Optimization for Pathogen Removal.

Public drinking water supplies are often treated with multiple specialized processes, ensuring that numerous disease-causing pathogens are eliminated. These treatments can be costly, especially for small communities and developing countries where water is a precious commodity.

Emelko heads a research team seeking to develop conventional and emerging technologies to produce safe drinking water. The work will result in more cost-effective methods of water treatment and encourage new environmental technologies.

* Michael Balogh, professor of physics and astronomy. Project title: The Cosmic Cradle: A Study of Small, Distant Galaxies.

Scientists continue to explore the origins and the size of the universe, but some small, faraway galaxies have been too faint for observation, even with the world's largest telescopes.

Balogh and his international team will observe what he calls "the Cosmic Cradle" and study the early stages of galaxy formation. Using new techniques and the latest telescopes, the research measures the rate of star formation in the faintest galaxies ever detected. The work will ensure accurate measurements of the growth of stellar mass in different environments.

* Eric Fillion, professor of chemistry. Project title: Expedient and Modular Entries into Bioactive Natural Products and Analogues.

With an aging population and rapidly spreading contagious diseases such as SARS, the demand for new drugs continues to grow exponentially.

Fillion will develop new technologies, including domino processes, to hasten drug discovery. Fillion and his research team will reduce the number of steps required to allow speedy access to medically important compounds and biologically active natural products needed to develop new or improved medicines.

* Daniel Brown, professor of computer science. Project title: Information Discovery in Biological sequences.

Genetic research offers tremendous hope for people suffering from a wide variety of diseases and ailments. While genomic sequencing projects create a huge wealth of raw data, the technology needed to understand the data has not kept pace.

Brown and his research team will develop new ideas and software to understand DNA and protein sequences. The project focuses on finding genes, interpreting the structure of membrane proteins and identifying evolutionary sequences. The new tools will be used to better understand genetic diseases and develop treatments.

* Jan Kycia, professor of physics and astronomy. Project title: Studying and Applying Quantum Effects in Superconducting Devices.

Superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) are the most sensitive sensors of magnetic fields. For example, a SQUID can detect a change in magnetic field as little as 100 billion times weaker than the earth's magnetic field, which is responsible for moving compass needles.

Kycia leads a research team that will improve the devices by studying their intrinsic noise, a significant obstacle for use in quantum computing. The work will produce new measurement techniques that could be used in everything from medical scans to mineral exploration.

* Kate Larson, professor of computer science. Project title: Multi-agent Negotiation Mechanisms for Resource-bounded Environments.

With the move to open computing systems, such as the Internet, users of these systems have diverging information and interests. In particular, users are self-interested and will act to further their own goals, irrespective of the desires of others.

Using artificial intelligence, game theory and microeconomics, Larson and her research team will design protocols that are robust when faced with users' self-interest and are applicable in computational settings. A driving application of the research is the design of electronic marketplaces.

* Ashwin Nayak, professor of combinatorics and optimization. Project title: Efficient Quantum Algorithms and Protocols.

Experimental prototypes of the quantum mechanical computer have already been built and eventually they will process billions of calculations simultaneously. While this tremendous increase in computing power will be beneficial, quantum computers could be used to crack the most sophisticated data encryption schemes.

Nayak and his research team will devise new procedures to use the power of quantum computing to solve a variety of problems, such those found in statistical physics. The team will also devise protocols for cryptography that ensure the strongest possible security.

The Ontario government is investing $51 million over five years in the early researcher award program. This second round of the awards will support 104 leading early career researchers working at 22 institutions, including UW, in 10 communities across the province.

A $7-million education and training centre that will offer rural Ontario residents leading-edge teaching, learning and extension opportunities has opened at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus.

The 30,000-square-foot Rudy H. Brown Rural Development Centre houses classrooms, a lecture theatre, an auditorium, meeting rooms to support innovative research and learning, as well as administrative offices and community areas for local events. A grand-opening event was held today at Ridgetown, with a public open house planned for Nov. 10 from 2 to 8 p.m.

“This project is an incredible demonstration of the power of partnership,” said Guelph president Alastair Summerlee. “Thanks to the investment and support from the provincial government, the University, industry and the community, we now have a fabulous centre that will drive innovation.”

The provincial and municipal government’s provided some $4.7 million for the project, with the additional $2.3 million being raised by the Ridgetown College Agri-Food Foundation. The foundation was initiated by the late Rudy H. Brown, for whom the centre is named. He taught at Ridgetown for 33 years and was known across Ontario for his extension activities.

“The McGuinty government is pleased to contribute to a facility that supports Ontario’s rural communities,” said Leona Dombrowsky, Ontario’s minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “Ridgetown’s new state-of-the-art facility will provide students with innovative new programs, while also providing the community with space for local events.”

Ridgetown campus director Gary Ablett added: “We are enormously grateful to the many partners who have contributed to this project. With our increasing student numbers and expanding slate of academic programs, the new centre will provide much-needed space.”

Ridgetown has about 500 students and last spring saw its largest graduating class ever. The campus offers diploma programs in agriculture, environmental management (introduced in 2003), horticulture and veterinary technology, as well as certificate training in veterinary medical office administration and landscape management.

A new bachelor of bioresource management degree program, which teaches the science and business of environmental management, started in 2006. For this innovative Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) degree program, students spend two years at Ridgetown, followed by two years at the Guelph campus.

“This new centre will help strengthen Ridgetown’s role as a leader in agriculture and rural community and its commitment to excellence in agricultural education ,” said Mary Buhr, OAC acting dean.

Universities granted a record high 209,100 degrees, diplomas and certificates in 2004, up 5.3% from 2003, and an increase of more than 30,000 over the last three years.

An all-time high of 168,700 students received an undergraduate degree, a 4.7% gain from 2003 and the sixth consecutive annual increase.

Just over 31,600 students received a master's level qualification in 2004, up 9.0% from the previous year and the seventh annual increase in a row. For the first time, master's level qualifications represented more than 15% of all qualifications awarded.

The number of doctorates granted reached a record 4,200, up 7.7% from 2003. These account for 2.0% of all qualifications awarded.

Between 1996 and 2004, the number of bachelor's and other undergraduate degrees rose 15.8%, offsetting an overall decline in undergraduate diplomas and certificates of 6.4% for the same period.

Women continue to outnumber men at graduation ceremonies. About 124,800 women received some form of qualification in 2004, making up about 60% of the total number of graduates for the third year in row.

However, a record 57,400 men received a bachelor's and other undergraduate degree in 2004, a 4.7% gain from the previous year. Despite this increase, they represented almost 40% of all bachelors and other undergrad degrees.

In 2004, universities awarded master's degrees to 15,200 men, up 9.4% from 2003, and to 16,300 women, a 7.9% increase.

The number of degrees, diplomas and certificates rose in all fields of study in 2004, except one: agriculture, natural resources and conservation. Qualifications awarded in this field declined 5.3%, returning its share of the total to 1.7% where it was in 1996.

The largest gains occurred in health, parks, recreation and fitness, where qualifications rose 11.0%, and in visual and performing arts, and communications technologies, where they rose 9.0%.

For the first time, qualifications awarded in the social and behavioural sciences, and law field surpassed the 40,000-mark, reaching 41,800. This was a 6.9% increase from 2003.

For the third year in a row, the business, management and public administration field ranked above all others, with 43,200 qualifications awarded in 2004. They accounted for 20.6% of all qualifications.

University qualifications awarded by program level and gender
	1996	2002r	2003r	2004	1996 to 2004	2003 to 2004
					% change
Total qualifications1,2	178,100	186,200	198,500	209,100	17.4	5.3
Male	75,100	75,100	80,000	84,200	12.1	5.3
Female	103,000	111,000	118,500	124,800	21.2	5.3
Undergraduate level
Total degree, certificate and diploma1	149,700	152,300	161,200	168,700	12.7	4.7
Male	60,600	58,700	61,900	64,700	6.8	4.5
Female	89,100	93,600	99,200	104,000	16.7	4.8
Bachelor's, first professional and applied degree1	128,000	134,000	140,900	148,200	15.8	5.2
Male	53,000	52,300	54,800	57,400	8.3	4.7
Female	74,900	81,800	86,100	90,800	21.2	5.5
Undergraduate certificate and diploma1	21,800	18,300	20,300	20,400	-6.4	0.5
Male	7,600	6,400	7,100	7,300	-3.9	2.8
Female	14,200	11,900	13,100	13,200	-7.0	0.8
Graduate level
Total degree, certificate and diploma1	27,800	33,100	36,700	39,500	42.1	7.6
Male	14,200	16,100	17,800	19,100	34.5	7.3
Female	13,600	17,000	18,900	20,400	50.0	7.9
Master's degree1	21,600	26,300	29,000	31,600	46.3	9.0
Male	10,600	12,500	13,900	15,200	43.4	9.4
Female	11,000	13,800	15,100	16,300	48.2	7.9
Earned doctorate	3,900	3,700	3,900	4,200	7.7	7.7
Male	2,600	2,100	2,200	2,300	-11.5	4.5
Female	1,300	1,600	1,600	1,800	38.5	12.5
Graduate certificate and diploma	2,300	3,100	3,800	3,800	65.2	0.0
Male	1,000	1,500	1,700	1,500	50.0	-11.8
Female	1,300	1,600	2,200	2,200	69.2	0.0
Non-university level	500	700	600	900	80.0	50.0
Male	300	300	300	400	33.3	33.3
Female	300	300	300	500	66.7	66.7
r revised 1. Total includes sex unknown. 2. Qualifications figures may not add-up because of rounding to the nearest 100.

University qualifications awarded by field of study
	1996	2002r	2003r	2004	1996 to 2004	2003 to 2004
					% change
Total qualifications1,2	178,100	186,200	198,500	209,100	17.4	5.3
Male	75,100	75,100	80,000	84,200	12.1	5.3
Female	103,000	111,000	118,500	124,800	21.2	5.3
Education1	25,700	23,800	24,900	25,400	-1.2	2.0
Male	6,800	5,800	6,100	6,100	-10.3	0.0
Female	19,000	18,000	18,900	19,300	1.6	2.1
Visual and performing arts, and communications technologies	5,200	5,900	6,700	7,300	40.4	9.0
Male	1,800	2,000	2,100	2,500	38.9	19.0
Female	3,400	3,900	4,500	4,900	44.1	8.9
Humanities1	22,400	20,500	22,100	22,400	0.0	1.4
Male	8,300	7,000	7,700	7,800	-6.0	1.3
Female	14,100	13,500	14,400	14,500	2.8	0.7
Socialand behavioural sciences, and law1	39,000	37,400	39,100	41,800	7.2	6.9
Male	14,600	12,700	13,000	13,800	-5.5	6.2
Female	24,400	24,700	26,100	27,900	14.3	6.9
Business, management and public administration1	30,100	37,500	40,800	43,200	43.5	5.9
Male	14,300	16,800	18,500	19,500	36.4	5.4
Female	15,800	20,700	22,300	23,700	50.0	6.3
Physical and life sciences, and technologies1	14,600	14,300	14,700	15,200	4.1	3.4
Male	7,100	6,100	6,200	6,400	-9.9	3.2
Female	7,500	8,100	8,500	8,700	16.0	2.4
Mathematics, computer and information sciences1	7,000	10,000	10,600	11,100	58.6	4.7
Male	4,700	6,900	7,400	7,700	63.8	4.1
Female	2,300	3,100	3,300	3,300	43.5	0.0
Architecture, engineering and related technologies1	13,300	14,800	16,400	17,500	31.6	6.7
Male	10,500	11,200	12,200	13,100	24.8	7.4
Female	2,900	3,600	4,100	4,400	51.7	7.3
Agriculture, natural resources and conservation	3,000	3,700	3,800	3,600	20.0	-5.3
Male	1,700	1,700	1,700	1,700	0.0	0.0
Female	1,300	1,900	2,000	1,900	46.2	-5.0
Health, parks, recreation and fitness1	16,700	17,200	18,100	20,100	20.4	11.0
Male	5,100	4,500	4,600	4,900	-3.9	6.5
Female	11,600	12,700	13,500	15,200	31.0	12.6
Personal, protective and transportation services	100	300	300	400	300.0	33.3
Male	100	200	200	200	100.0	0.0
Female	0	100	100	100	...	0.0
Other	1,000	900	1,100	1,300	30.0	18.2
Male	300	200	300	400	33.3	33.3
Female	700	700	700	900	28.6	28.6
r revised ... not applicable 1. Total includes sex unknown. 2. Qualifications figures may not add-up because of rounding to the nearest 100.

Note: For Quebec and most of Alberta institutions, the Classification of Instructional Programs codes assigned to programs are under review. In addition, qualifications awarded in Quebec do not include microprogrammes and attestations.

The data are subject to revision.

Data on immigration status, country of citizenship and age should be used with caution due to a high level of non-response.

In total, there were 1.01 million registrations in universities, the seventh consecutive year in which enrolment hit a record high. However, this was up only 2.1% from the previous academic year, the lowest growth rate this decade.

Most of the growth in 2004/2005 was fuelled by students aged 18 to 24, whose numbers increased 2.9% to just over 654,000. They accounted for 64% of total enrolment, up from 59% a decade earlier.

University enrolment was on the decline throughout the mid-1990s, but started to pickup late in the decade. This was largely due to higher numbers of students aged 18 to 24, whose rate of growth outpaced total enrolment.

Between 1998/1999 and 2004/2005, these young adults accounted for three-quarters of the growth in total enrolment, likely the result of the echo-boom generation, that is, children born between 1980 and 1995.

As well, a record 75,200 students from other countries enrolled in programs at Canadian universities in 2004/2005, up 7.3% from the previous year. International students represented 7.4% of the total registrations.

Half of foreign students were from Asia, and China accounted for 46.4% of these Asian students.

Also, the impact of Ontario's double cohort carried over from the 2003/2004 academic year, when it had a substantial impact on enrolment. Registrations at that time jumped 6.4%, the strongest increase in 28 years.

In 2002/2003, two cohorts of students graduated from Ontario secondary schools at the same time because of the elimination of Grade 13 Ontario Academic Courses from the Ontario curriculum.

Women continue to outnumber men, especially as undergrads

Women still vastly outnumbered men in Canadian universities in 2004/2005, even though their enrolment increased at a slightly slower pace.

A total of 585,200 women were registered, up 2.0% from the previous academic year, while 429,000 men were enrolled, a 2.3% increase. Women students accounted for 58% of all registrations, compared with 56% in 1994/1995 and 51% in 1984/1985.

Total undergraduate enrolment hit 785,800, up 2.0% from the previous academic year, and a 19.4% increase from 1994/1995.

Undergraduate enrolment among men edged up 2.4% in 2004/2005, while the corresponding rise among women was 1.7%. Women accounted for nearly 59% of the total.

Some 92,100 students were enrolled in a master's program in 2004/2005, up 3.1% from the previous year and almost 33% higher than a decade earlier. Women accounted for about 53% of enrolment, a proportion that has remained relatively stable during the last decade.

At the doctorate level, enrolment climbed 7.9% to 34,500 in 2004/2005. This was the biggest increase compared to enrolment for all other degree programs, including the bachelor's and master's programs.

Men still outnumber women in doctorate programs, but their proportion has been declining because their growth rate in registrations has been slower. In 2004/2005, men accounted for 54% of doctorate registrations, compared with 61% in 1994/1995.

Full-time university enrolment hits record high

Full-time university enrolment increased 2.6% to a record high 757,000 in 2004/2005.

The number of full-time registrations rose in six provinces in the 2004/2005, with the biggest gains in Ontario, at 5.4%, and Manitoba at 4.3%. Other provinces registering growth in full-time enrolment were Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Alberta.

The provinces showing the largest declines in full-time registration were Saskatchewan, where full-time enrolment fell 6.4% and New Brunswick, where it dropped 3.3%.

Part-time university enrolment increased 0.9% to 257,500. The largest gains were in British Columbia (+14.1%) and Alberta (+6.2%).

Part-time enrolment fell in three provinces, most significantly in Nova Scotia (-5.9%). Ontario and Saskatchewan had declines of less than 2.0%.

Foreign students accounted for one-quarter of growth in enrolment

The increase of about 5,100 foreign registrations at Canadian universities in 2004/2005 represented about one-quarter of the growth in total university enrolment.

Foreign students accounted for just over 7.4% of total enrolment in 2004/2005, nearly double the proportion a decade earlier.

Several factors might explain this growth. These include strong economic growth in leading Asian countries, such as China; new university marketing strategies to counter competition from institutions in other countries; changes in immigration policies; and provincial agreements with other countries to attract foreign students.

Provincially, Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec attracted about 75% of international students. Ontario gained 2,700 international students from 2003/2004, and British Columbia 1,400, the largest increases, while Quebec remained unchanged.

Asian students accounted for the majority of the total increase in foreign students enrolled at Canadian universities. University registrants from China rose 60% to a record high 17,600.

Canadian universities also continued to register significant numbers of students from India, South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong. The number of students from all these countries increased in 2004/2005.

Overall, some 17.0% of foreign students came from Europe and 18.5% from the Americas and the Caribbean. About one-half of the European students enrolled in Canada were from France. The United States held a majority of the students enrolled from the Americas with 56%.

The proportion of female foreign students is slowly increasing. In 2004/2005, 45% of international students were female, while a decade ago this proportion was 40%.

Among foreign students, enrolments increased in every field of study, in particular in social and behavioral sciences, and law; and in business, management and public administration.

Majority of new enrolment from social and behavioral sciences, and law

Nearly 18% of all enrolments in Canadian universities in 2004/2005 were in social and behavioural sciences, and law, the highest proportion for any field of study. This proportion has been rising since 2002.

A record 178,100 students were registered in this field, up 13,300 from the previous academic year, which was the highest increase for any field.

Enrolment in social and behavioral sciences, and law surpassed business, management and public administration, for the second time since 2002. Business, management and public administration accounted for 162,900 enrolments, rising by 2,400 from 2003/2004.

The three largest fields of study (social and behavioral sciences and law; business, management and public administration; and the humanities) continued to account for 48% of total enrolment.

Student counts in health, parks, recreation and fitness increased by 6,100, while physical and life sciences and technologies gained an additional 4,700.

Enrolments fell in three fields: education; mathematics, computer and information; and humanities. Education decreased the most with a 4,200 drop.

In the mathematics, computer and information field, the drop reflected the continued decline in enrolment in computer and information courses from the peak in 2001/2002. Between 2001/2002 and 2004/2005, overall enrolment in this field dropped by 22.8%

University enrolment by registration status
	1999/2000r	2002/2003r	2003/2004r	2004/2005	1999/2000 to 2004/2005
					% change	actual change
Total1	847,500	933,900	993,200	1,014,500	19.7	167,000
Male	363,800	397,200	419,500	429,000	17.9	65,200
Female	483,600	536,600	573,500	585,200	21.0	101,600
Full-time1	592,700	675,500	738,000	757,000	27.7	164,300
Male	262,600	294,200	319,300	327,700	24.8	65,100
Female	330,100	381,300	418,600	429,200	30.0	99,100
Part-time1	254,800	258,400	255,300	257,500	1.1	2,700
Male	101,200	103,000	100,200	101,300	0.1	100
Female	153,500	155,400	154,900	156,100	1.7	2,600
Undergraduate level1	650,400	719,100	770,400	785,800	20.8	135,400
Full-time1	495,100	563,600	617,500	632,000	27.7	136,900
Male	213,600	238,300	258,900	265,600	24.3	52,000
Female	281,500	325,200	358,500	366,300	30.1	84,800
Part-time1	155,300	155,500	152,900	153,800	-1.0	-1,500
Male	60,300	60,800	58,800	59,800	-0.8	-500
Female	94,900	94,700	94,100	94,000	-0.9	-900
Graduate1	116,300	135,000	142,600	148,800	27.9	32,500
Full-time1	80,200	92,600	101,100	105,600	31.7	25,400
Male	41,100	47,300	51,800	53,400	29.9	12,300
Female	39,200	45,300	49,300	52,200	33.2	13,000
Part-time1	36,100	42,400	41,500	43,100	19.4	7,000
Male	16,600	19,300	18,600	19,100	15.1	2,500
Female	19,500	23,100	22,900	24,100	23.6	4,600
r revised 1. Enrolment figures may not add up due to the exclusion of the unknown sex category, the other program level category or because of the rounding to the nearest 100.

University enrolment by field of study and sex
	1999/2000r	2003/2004r	2004/2005	1999/2000 to 2004/2005	2003/2004 to 2004/2005
				% change
Total1	847,500	993,200	1,014,500	19.7	2.1
Male	363,800	419,500	429,000	17.9	2.3
Female	483,600	573,500	585,200	21.0	2.0
Personal improvement and leisure1	0	100	0	...	-100.0
Male	0	0	0	...	...
Female	0	0	0	...	...
Education1	66,300	76,800	72,600	9.5	-5.5
Male	16,800	18,600	17,400	3.6	-6.5
Female	49,400	58,200	55,100	11.5	-5.3
Visual and performing arts, and communications technologies1	25,400	34,000	35,500	39.8	4.4
Male	8,700	11,500	12,000	37.9	4.3
Female	16,800	22,400	23,500	39.9	4.9
Humanities1	119,400	147,900	145,100	21.5	-1.9
Male	45,100	54,500	54,900	21.7	0.7
Female	74,300	93,400	90,300	21.5	-3.3
Social and behavioural sciences, and law1	132,500	164,800	178,100	34.4	8.1
Male	47,600	56,900	61,300	28.8	7.7
Female	84,900	107,900	116,900	37.7	8.3
Business, management and public administration1	134,400	160,500	162,900	21.2	1.5
Male	60,300	73,400	75,500	25.2	2.9
Female	74,100	87,200	87,300	17.8	0.1
Physical and life sciences, and technologies1	79,300	91,700	96,400	21.6	5.1
Male	36,700	40,700	42,700	16.3	4.9
Female	42,600	51,000	53,700	26.1	5.3
Mathematics, computer and information sciences1	41,600	44,200	40,900	-1.7	-7.5
Male	29,400	32,300	29,900	1.7	-7.4
Female	12,100	11,900	11,000	-9.1	-7.6
Architecture, engineering and related technologies1	67,400	85,800	86,500	28.3	0.8
Male	52,000	66,500	67,300	29.4	1.2
Female	15,400	19,200	19,100	24.0	-0.5
Agriculture, natural resources and conservation1	16,400	14,600	14,600	-11.0	0.0
Male	8,100	6,600	6,600	-18.5	0.0
Female	8,300	8,000	8,100	-2.4	1.3
Health, parks, recreation and fitness1	74,800	91,900	98,000	31.0	6.6
Male	24,200	26,200	27,900	15.3	6.5
Female	50,700	65,700	70,000	38.1	6.5
Personal, protective and transportation services	400	1,300	1,700	325.0	30.8
Male	300	800	1,000	233.3	25.0
Female	100	500	700	600.0	40.0
Other1	89,700	79,600	82,200	-8.4	3.3
Male	34,700	31,400	32,500	-6.3	3.5
Female	54,900	48,200	49,700	-9.5	3.1
r revised ... not applicable 1. Enrolment figures may not add up due to the exclusion of the unknown sex category and rounding to the nearest 100.

University enrolment by province
	1999/2000r	2003/2004r	2004/2005	1999/2000 to 2004/2005	2003/2004 to 2004/2005
				% change
Canada1	847,500	993,200	1,014,500	19.7	2.1
Newfoundland and Labrador	16,300	17,600	18,000	10.4	2.3
Prince Edward Island	3,100	3,900	4,000	29.0	2.6
Nova Scotia	37,600	44,800	43,500	15.7	-2.9
New Brunswick	22,400	25,600	24,900	11.2	-2.7
Quebec	237,900	260,100	263,400	10.7	1.3
Ontario	312,300	397,800	413,400	32.4	3.9
Manitoba	30,700	38,000	39,300	28.0	3.4
Saskatchewan	31,500	34,600	32,800	4.1	-5.2
Alberta	81,600	86,100	88,100	8.0	2.3
British Columbia	74,300	85,000	87,000	17.1	2.4
Full-time student
Canada	592,700	738,000	757,000	27.7	2.6
Newfoundland and Labrador	13,500	14,400	14,900	10.4	3.5
Prince Edward Island	2,600	3,300	3,400	30.8	3.0
Nova Scotia	30,000	36,200	35,600	18.7	-1.7
New Brunswick	18,200	21,100	20,400	12.1	-3.3
Quebec	137,700	161,800	164,900	19.8	1.9
Ontario	237,200	316,100	333,200	40.5	5.4
Manitoba	20,900	27,800	29,000	38.8	4.3
Saskatchewan	23,900	26,500	24,800	3.8	-6.4
Alberta	55,500	65,000	65,700	18.4	1.1
British Columbia	53,100	65,800	65,100	22.6	-1.1
Part-time student
Canada	254,800	255,300	257,500	1.1	0.9
Newfoundland and Labrador	2,800	3,100	3,200	14.3	3.2
Prince Edward Island	500	600	600	20.0	0.0
Nova Scotia	7,600	8,500	8,000	5.3	-5.9
New Brunswick	4,100	4,400	4,500	9.8	2.3
Quebec	100,100	98,300	98,500	-1.6	0.2
Ontario	75,100	81,700	80,200	6.8	-1.8
Manitoba	9,800	10,200	10,300	5.1	1.0
Saskatchewan	7,500	8,100	8,000	6.7	-1.2
Alberta	26,000	21,100	22,400	-13.8	6.2
British Columbia	21,200	19,200	21,900	3.3	14.1
r revised 1. Enrolment figures may not add up due to rounding to the nearest 100.

Note to readers

University enrolment data for 2004/2005 are obtained using information from the Enhanced Student Information System (ESIS) and the University Student Information System (USIS).

Data on the fields of study are coded according to the new Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP). Before ESIS was implemented, the USIS classification for the coding of university level fields of study was used. USIS-to-CIP and CIP-to-USIS conversion tables are available upon request.

Data on program levels, immigration status and country of citizenship were coded using the new ESIS classifications. Conversion tables are also available for these variables.

For the purposes of this release, a foreign student is defined as a non-Canadian student who does not have "permanent resident" status and has had to obtain the authorization of the Canadian government to enter Canada with the intention of pursuing an education.

Historical data on enrolments starting with 1992/1993 were converted using ESIS variable definitions and code sets, so as to maintain the historical continuity of the statistical series.

For Quebec and most of the Alberta institutions, the CIP codes assigned to programs are subject to review.

The data are subject to revision.

The Faculty of Science at Wilfrid Laurier University continues to forge new links with top Chinese universities. On September 19, 2006, the Faculty of Science signed its second Sequential Degree in just over 5 months with another top Engineering school in China: Jiangsu University in Zhenjjiang, Jiangsu Province. In May of this year, a similar agreement was signed with Nanchang Institute of Aeronautical Technology. Under the terms of this new agreement, students from Jiangsu University's highly specialized Optical Electronics program in the Mechanical Engineering School will be able to transfer to Wilfrid Laurier University and complete their last two years of study for a Honours Bachelor of Science, Photonics degree.

The agreement was signed by the President of Jiangsu University, Dr. Yang Jichang, and Laurier's President Dr. Robert Rosehart. Dr. Yang led a four-member delegation to Laurier for the occasion that included the Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering, the Chair of the Optical Engineering program and the Director of the International Office. The Jiangsu delegation while visiting Laurier also had the opportunity to meet with three of their students who entered the Sequential Degree program this September. The three students are Deqiang Wang, Bing Yang and Xuefeng Zhang.

“We appreciate this opportunity,” says Zhang. “It’s a great chance to go abroad and learn something new and gain new experience.”

“In China,” explains Yang, “we don’t do so many things outside of the course lecture … there aren’t so many projects or assignments. Here, we have many more chances to use the knowledge we learned in lecture.”

“Labs are great because they emphasize ‘do it yourself,’” adds Wang. “This kind of knowledge is very advantageous – to have practical experience.”

“Also, it’s a great opportunity to practice our English,” says Yang, “since we can communicate with native speakers.”

During the summer months, the three plan to take some extra courses as well as explore Canada more by doing some traveling. So far, they have visited Niagara Falls during their orientation. After spending two years at Laurier, they are looking to apply for graduate school, probably in Canada or the US.

“One day we can work for a high-tech company or a research institute,” says Yang. “I also think it’s a good idea to become a professor in university!”

The agreement represents the continued commitment and importance being placed on internationalization by the Faculty of Science. "The Faculty of Science is looking forward to further collaborations with Jiangsu University beyond this agreement," said Dr. Arthur Szabo, Dean of science. "Our discussions during the delegation's visit focused on the opportunities for joint research and the exchange of faculty members and students, including our Biochemistry & Biotechnology program."

Jiangsu University has close to 35,000 students and 4,400 faculty members. The university has 68 undergraduate specialties in nine Faculties: engineering, science, medicine, history, economics, management, law, literatures and education. There are 25 doctoral programs, 60 master's programs and five doctoral research stations. Jiangsu University is located midway between Shanghai and Nanjing in Jiangsu Province, the Chinese province which has a twinning program with the Province of Ontario.

The University of Guelph has received nearly $5 million from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to enhance resource-poor livelihoods in Ghana and to restore the tsunami-affected areas of Sri Lanka, it was announced.

The Ghana project received funding from CIDA’s prestigious Tier 1 fund, totalling $3 million over six years. This is the first time U of G has received Tier 1 funding. Tier 1 projects are managed by CIDA’s Universities and Colleges Program and promote major development and institution-building projects.

The Sri Lanka project received $1.7 million from CIDA under the tsunami reconstruction facility program. The project was developed by a consortium of Canadian universities, including U of G, the University of Manitoba, Queen’s University and the University of Waterloo.

"These announcements reflect the efforts and commitment of people at the University of Guelph to become engaged globally," said Alan Wildeman, vice-president (research). "The University of Guelph has a distinctive presence on the international stage, to which many faculty, staff and students contribute. We are delighted that these two projects, and the people leading them, are being acknowledged with this support, and we welcome interactions with partners abroad."

Environmental biology professor Andy Gordon and research associate Naresh Thevathasan are heading the Ghana project. Their goal is to enhance livelihoods in resource-poor communities using agroforestry technologies.

Increasing degradation of the natural resource base relied on by rural communities is a major contributor to a persistently low quality of life in central and northern Ghana, said Thevathasan. “This is why agroforestry land-use technologies have been identified as a key aspect in promoting environmentally sustainable cropping practices that will foster food and income security for resource-poor farmers in the target areas.”

Gordon and Thevathasan’s project will improve income generation and food security, strengthen Ghana’s vision of becoming West Africa’s centre of excellence in agroforestry, train men and women as agroforestry techologists, and help develop national natural resource management policies. They will work closely with private and public institutions to expand and promote agroforestry practices and to train and hire community members, technicians and faculty in agroforestry research and technologies.

“We are very pleased that CIDA has recognized Guelph’s capacity in agroforestry research and development and are thrilled to be working on these serious problems in Ghana, a country the University has interacted with for more than 30 years,” said Gordon.

Retired rural extension studies professor Jana Janakiram is heading the Sri Lanka project, which aims to help reconstruct the shattered lives of communities affected by the tsunami in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. Emphasis will be placed on empowering women through skills training, entrepreneurship training and alternative livelihood training. It will also develop community-based early warning and emergency response plans for natural disasters.

“I am happy this project was funded because it addresses the needs of the tsunami-affected people and villages in specific areas of Sri Lanka,” said Janakiram. “I was born in Sri Lanka and am now able to give back to the recovery process of the country through the University of Guelph and CIDA.”

WATERLOO - A University of Waterloo computer science graduate, Bruno Dammizio, will pave the way for top students from the Niagara area to attend his alma mater with the establishment of new first-year scholarships.

The B. P. Dammizio Computer Science Entrance Scholarships, worth $5,000 each, will be awarded to six exceptional students from the Niagara Region entering computer science, computer engineering and software engineering. Dammizio has provided a $300,000 donation to the UW, with the faculties of engineering and mathematics adding $150,000 apiece to build an endowment of $600,000.

"This is a very generous contribution by one of our graduates," said Thomas Coleman, dean of mathematics. "It will provide bright young people with the opportunity to benefit from higher education and embark on a lifetime of solid achievements."

"Higher education is so important in the development of Canada's leaders of tomorrow, no more important than here in Niagara," said Dammizio, in explaining his gift. "I am honoured to facilitate scholarship opportunities to deserving Niagara Region students interested in the pursuit of technological innovation and a commitment to achieving the very highest standards of excellence."

Dammizio said it was "a transformational experience" to attend UW. "It established a solid foundation for future success, instilling a spirit of competitiveness and technological innovation, fostering a commitment to excellence -- taking me from a base level of understanding on a journey culminating in a remarkable 20-year career in information technology."

A Thorold native, Dammizio attended Denis Morris High School in St. Catharines and graduated in 1980 from UW with a bachelor of mathematics (computer science).

In 1985, he established DMC Inc., serving as its CEO and president over the next 16 years. DMC is one of Canada's leading private information technology consulting companies, delivering award-winning custom solutions, strategies and expertise for the digital economy. In May 2000, DMC Inc. was acquired by AT&T, a telecommunications company.

At present, Dammizio plans to invest more than $30 million to create a world-class golf and tourism venue in Niagara, working with community leaders to promote economic development in Niagara, as well as funding and facilitating major charitable initiatives that directly benefit Niagara.

The University of Guelph reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the annual Maclean’s rankings of universities released today. It’s the third national survey in recent days to name Guelph the top comprehensive university in Canada.

“Obviously, we are very pleased to once again be named No. 1,” said president Alastair Summerlee. “The Maclean’s ranking caps off quite an astonishing week for us — three top placements — and this remarkable achievement is due entirely to the extraordinary people and programs we have at Guelph.”

Tuesday, Guelph was ranked at the top of its class for overall educational quality, reputation and atmosphere in the 2006 University Report Card published by the Globe and Mail. Last week, U of G was named Canada’s top comprehensive research institution in the annual Top 50 Research Universities ranking.

In the Maclean’s overall survey, Guelph was named the top comprehensive university in Canada, followed by the University of Waterloo and the University of Victoria.

Guelph was ranked first in five of the key areas that determine the placements — quality of students, graduation rates, classes taught by tenured faculty, quality of faculty and student services. The university also maintained or improved its performance in 19 other categories.

In an accompanying reputational survey in the magazine, Guelph was ranked second overall and second in each of three categories used to determine reputation: highest quality, most innovative, leaders of tomorrow.

Maclean’s also published the results of its graduate survey, where participants were asked to rate their alma mater. In that survey, Guelph was No. 1 among comprehensive universities in seven of the eight categories for educational excellence.

U of G was also named the top comprehensive university by Maclean’s in 2003, 2002 and 1999.

The magazine defines comprehensive universities as those with a significant amount of research activity and a wide range of programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Its two other categories are medical/doctoral and primarily undergraduate. To determine the rankings, the magazine uses 23 indicators to measure overall quality within six general themes: student body, classes, faculty, finances, library and reputation.

The Maclean’s reputational survey is based on comments solicited from 11,430 people across the country, including CEOs of major Canadian corporations, high school counsellors and academic administrators.

This year, a number of Canadian universities declined to voluntarily participate in the Maclean’s survey and did not submit self-reported information. For those universities, the magazine obtained the data used in the survey through other means, including the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). In the comprehensive category, only one university in the top five did not submit information.

Summerlee adds that the Maclean’s ranking, University Report Card and other attitudinal surveys and rankings of Canadian universities are just some of the resources future students can use in deciding which institution best fits their needs.

“Achieving this level of success takes an incredible amount of time and effort,” Summerlee said. “I want to once again thank all of our faculty, students, staff and alumni for their caring and commitment, which is what sets Guelph apart from others.”

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo has maintained its reputation as the 'best overall' university in the comprehensive category of the annual Maclean's ranking.

UW again did well in the national reputation ranking that includes Canada's premier institutions. It finished first in the 'most innovative' category, second in 'best overall' and 'leaders of tomorrow', and finished third in 'highest quality.'

"We are extremely pleased that our reputation for excellence continues to be recognized by the business and education leaders who provide input to Maclean's," said UW president David Johnston. "Our faculty, staff, students and alumni deserve the credit. They are our best ambassadors."

The reputation rankings are derived from a survey of thousands of people across Canada, including high school guidance counsellors and principals from every province and territory, chief executive officers and recruiters of companies, heads of organizations and university officials.

Johnston is also pleased to be among the most highly ranked universities in the comprehensive category. He congratulated the University of Guelph for its first-place finish, a position the two universities occasionally trade.

"The fact that two of the area's universities consistently finish in first and second place attests to the tremendous quality of its post-secondary institutions," said Johnston.

Along with the reputation category, UW captured several other first places. They are 'student awards', 'scholarship and bursaries' and 'alumni support'.

The University of Waterloo values surveys of this kind, believing they provide important information to students and families as they make important decisions about post-secondary education. The university works with the creators of such surveys with the intent of improving the quality of the information offered.

University moves from 10th to 6th and stays in top four of all reputational categories

WATERLOO – Wilfrid Laurier University has gained ground in the annual Maclean’s rankings of Canadian universities, moving from 10th to 6th in the primarily undergraduate category, and placing first among Ontario institutions in this group. The university also maintained its top four placing in all four of the reputational categories: best overall, highest quality, most innovative and leaders of tomorrow.

Laurier did extremely well in the student satisfaction section of the annual rankings––a new addition this year that reports on an extensive survey of undergraduates across the country. Laurier was ranked first among all participating universities in “satisfaction with my decision to attend this university” and second in “satisfaction with overall educational quality”.

“We’re pleased with the overall improvement in rankings and with our continued strong showing in the general reputation categories,” said Robert G. Rosehart, president and vice-chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University. “And we’re gratified to know students are so satisfied with their decision to attend Laurier, and with the quality of education they receive here.”

The Maclean’s results come days after Laurier’s strong showing in The Globe and Mail University Report Card, where students gave Laurier excellent marks in key areas, including university atmosphere, quality of education and satisfaction with the university experience. The Globe and Mail identified Laurier as one of only two universities to show an improvement in the availability of spaces for students in courses necessary to complete their degrees, bucking a national trend where 25 universities showed decreases in this area.

Laurier’s overall improvement in the Maclean’s primarily undergraduate category is tied to gains in subcategories related to the library, student services budget, proportion of entering students with an average of 75% or higher, international first-year students, classes taught by tenured faculty, faculty with PhDs, awards per full-time faculty, and social sciences and humanities grants.

“By participating in the Maclean’s and other university ranking surveys, we can provide information to prospective students, remain accountable to current students, and identify areas for improvement,” explained Arthur Stephen, vice-president of university advancement. “We encourage people to use the Maclean’s results in conjunction with the information from other studies to gain a complete picture of Laurier from both a student and a raw data perspective.”

WATERLOO - Children and their parents can gain hands-on experience of the world of science at the annual science open house to be held this weekend at the University of Waterloo.

The free event offers activities and demonstrations geared to children from Kindergarten to Grade 8, as well as their families. Most of the events will be held Saturday in the centre for environmental and information technology, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The centre houses the Earth Sciences Museum, site of the annual gem and mineral show to held Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"Open house is child friendly with something to offer for all ages," said Peter Russell, curator of the museum. "Once a year, volunteers from UW's faculty of science come together to share their love of science with the community."

Activities include soapstone carving, turning pennies into gold, breaking glass with sound, piloting a remote-controlled airship, chemistry and physics experiments, along with hands-on demonstrations offered by the engineering science quest team.

The popular chemistry magic show will take place at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The science society carbon grill will offer lunch for visitors.

Carved in Stone is the theme of this year's gem and mineral show, Russell said. The show will feature displays on carvings from Gallery Indigina, of Stratford, and the Royal Ontario Museum. Mineral and gem dealers will be on hand with natural crystals and jewelry.

The show continues on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with demonstrations by Iroquois stone carver Roy Henry of Six Nations in Brantford and Sandy Cline of Lindsay. Jim Essary will help children and parents create their own soapstone carvings. Other hands-on activities include a fossil fish dig.

The Mining Matters program of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada will display a mineral identification table. Quintin and Willow Wight of Ottawa will give a presentation on Sunday at 2:30 p.m., entitled Gem and Mineral Trails in China.

Raptor Tickets.

The School of Business & Economics Student Council would like to acknowledge the organizing committee headed by Hamshy Raveendran and Shairoze Walji for all their hard work and dedication to creating a wonderful evening.

A portion of the proceeds from the SBE Formal will be donated to the Grand River Hospital Foundation.

About the School of Business & Economics Student Council

The School of Business & Economics Student Council is the official student run governing body within the School of Business & Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University.

About the School of Business & Economics

The Laurier School of Business & Economics is one of Canada's leading business schools. With more than 3,000 students enrolled in full-time, part-time, PhD, MBA, MABE, undergraduate and diploma programs, it is also one of the largest. The School has more than 100 full-time and 65 part-time faculty. Laurier is noted for its innovative programs and commitment to teaching excellence.

Once again, the University of Guelph is ranked at the top of its class for overall educational quality, reputation and atmosphere in the 2006 University Report Card published October 31 by the Globe and Mail.

“Our students continue to mark us very highly in a host of areas that are central to the educational process,” said president Alastair Summerlee. “As I often say, it truly is a reflection of the level of dedication our faculty and staff have to our students and to ensuring that we provide rewarding, stimulating and innovative learning environments."

The fifth-annual survey represents the opinions of some 32,700 undergraduate students across Canada. Universities are divided into four divisions based on enrolment — large, medium-large, medium-small and small. Guelph is in the medium-large division.

Letter grades are awarded in numerous categories and subcategories. A summary of results was published in a special magazine in the newspaper, and a more detailed listing is available on the Globe and Mail’s website.

Including both published and online results, in all, U of G earned three A-pluses, 14 A’s and 12 A-minuses on its report card,

Guelph was ranked No. 1 or tied for the top ranking in several key areas, including sense of personal safety and security, library services, overall satisfaction with the university experience, and reputation for undergraduate and graduate studies, professional schools and among employers.

Faculty received top marks for subject knowledge, availability outside of the classroom and for conducting leading-edge research.

Among the student services that received high marks are food services (Guelph was once again the top-rated school in the country), athletic programs and recreational opportunities and technology, including computers and online services.

“I am very pleased to see such high marks for quality of graduate studies and professional programs because we will be increasing our number of graduate students as per the recommendations of the provincial government,” Summerlee said.

He added that the University’s high marks in areas such as tolerance for diverse opinions, atmosphere, student safety and sense of community underscore the central values that are characteristic of Guelph.

“Ultimately, our focus is on maintaining our unique teaching and learning environment, which has contributed to our competitive edge and leadership in the quality of the educational experience for students.”

Summerlee added that the University Report Card, like other attitudinal surveys and rankings of Canadian universities, is just one resource future students can use in deciding which institution best fits their needs.

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo's school of architecture will officially open the Musagetes Architecture Library, which contains one of Canada's top collections of rare books on architecture and design, with a special ceremony today, Wednesday Nov. 1, 2006.

The event will also celebrate the $2.5-million gift to the architecture library by local philanthropists Louise MacCallum and Michael Barnstijn. Their donation assisted in the renovation and furnishing of the new library at the school.

When: Wednesday, Nov. 1
Time: 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: UW's school of architecture, second floor, 7 Melville St. S., Cambridge

"In collaboration with the UW library, we have created one of the best collections of rare architectural books," said Rick Haldenby, director of the architecture school. "The library not only fulfils the information needs of our students and faculty, but also celebrates our love of books and the printed image and shares the resource with the community."

The architecture library takes its name from the Musagetes Foundation, founded by MacCallum and Barnstijn. In classical mythology, Musagetes (pronounced Muse-a-get-ease) is the title attached to the god Apollo in his role as protector and promoter of the muses and, as such, reflects the couple's activities as patrons of the arts.

The library's earliest dated book (1535) is a treatise, in Latin, by the Northern Renaissance artist, Albrecht Durer. The rare books are preserved in a separate, environmentally controlled room.

The collection has been built up over the last 30 years with the support of UW's library and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Two private donations have also been key. A gift from Spencer Clark created the Rosa Breithaupt Clark Collection of rare books in architecture. And Canadian architectural historian William Dendy donated his entire personal collection to UW.

As a result, the Musagetes Library holds landmark titles in the history and theory of architecture, treatises from the 16th to the 20th century, as well as texts outlining architectural developments in Northern Europe and on the North American frontier, which have a profound effect on architectural theory and urban development in Canada.

The library contains more than 30,000 volumes and 75 current print and electronic journals. Most books are on some aspect of architecture, including architectural design, theory, history and criticism, as well as on historic preservation, building technology, industrial design, landscape architecture, interior design and urban design.

The collection also embraces reference resources, fifth-year and master's theses, a small product catalogue section, selected plans of local buildings, along with titles on art, interior design, industrial design and photography.

The space is open and luminous, giving the users comfortable places to browse, read and work. Wonderful views of the Grand River, the bridges and buildings of old Galt complement a collection dedicated to design. The furniture and light fixtures are simple and consistent the building's industrial past.

Donors, supporters to be recognized

Conestoga College will mark the official opening of its new campus in Waterloo (108 University Ave. E.) on Monday, November 6 with an event to thank and recognize donors and supporters who have made the initial stages of the project possible.

The new campus began operations this September as a centre devoted to skills education in the construction trades, hospitality services, and preparatory and English-language studies. The current 115,000 sq. ft. site is more than twice as large as Conestoga’s former Waterloo location.

Special guest for the occasion will be Mike Holmes, star of television’s Holmes on Homes and creator of The Holmes Foundation, which supports education and excellence in the skilled trades.

Official Opening
Conestoga College’s New Waterloo Campus
Monday, November 6
The Conestoga Room
108 University Ave. E.
Waterloo

The formal program begins at 4 p.m.

“The McGuinty government understands that a school is much more than a building for teaching and learning,” said Wynne. “Our schools should serve as hubs for Ontario’s communities, improving our quality of life and building the future prosperity of our people.”

One hundred new schools will be built with $1 billion worth of funding:

$700 million will be invested to replace schools that are in poor condition, as part of the government’s comprehensive $4 billion Good Places to Learn initiative to renew Ontario’s schools

$220 million will be invested to ensure French-language school boards can provide schools in areas where Franco-Ontarians live

$137 million will be invested in new school construction for school boards experiencing pockets of growth in new residential areas.

These 100 new schools are in addition to the 200 that have already been opened or are in construction under the McGuinty government.

“We’re all thrilled with this new school,” said Caroline Mochrie, principal of Oscar Peterson Public School, where Wynne visited with students today. “It is great for the school system to have new, state-of-the-art facilities. The magic is not in the bricks and mortar, but in the way that our teachers are able to connect with the children through the Arts. A modern, well-appointed school facility supports that connection and contributes significantly to student success."

School boards’ long-term planning about building new schools is closely tied to their decisions about where schools may no longer be needed. New guidelines that the government released today outline the process school boards must follow when considering closing a school.

The Pupil Accommodation Review Guidelines serve as an important tool for parents and communities — because they will ensure that such decisions are transparent and made with meaningful participation and consultation.

“Closing a school is never easy,” said Rick Johnson, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association. “These decisions should take into consideration a thorough and professional assessment of school facilities, provision to students of programs and services that are pedagogically sound, and an extensive, open consultation process with parents and school communities.”

Decisions about school buildings must now be based on a school’s value to its students and the community. Boards will use the guidelines to tailor their own policies to meet unique community needs and make local decisions that strengthen relationships with the public.

“These new guidelines will ensure a transparent process and that school boards carefully consider a school’s value to its students and to the communities they call home. We see schools as the heart of Ontario communities, hubs of activity, service and future building,” said Wynne. “By working in partnership with Ontario’s school boards, we’re making great progress on our plan to create good places to learn that support higher student achievement across the province.”

OTTAWA - The Ontario College of Teachers holds a regional forum today in Ottawa to present newly revised standards for the teaching profession to the public and other education stakeholders.

"Teachers and parents have very similar ideas about the qualities that exemplify ethical behaviour and professional excellence," says College Council Chair Marilyn Laframboise, who will speak to the forum participants. "Those ideas are embodied in the ethical standards and standards of practice."

"Standards express what every teacher wants to be. They are the ideals that guide and inspire teachers whether they are working with their students, their colleagues or with parents," says Laframboise. "They are tools for discussion and reflection that enable teachers to continually improve their teaching practice."
v The standards were revised this year after a review that relied heavily on consultations with members of the College and stakeholder groups including parents and students.

The revised ethical standards of Care, Trust, Respect and Integrity articulate the qualities that teachers bring to all their interactions with students. The five standards of practice identify the five areas in which teachers seek to develop best practices - Commitment to Students and Student Learning, Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice, Leadership in Learning Communities and Ongoing Professional Learning.

The revised standards are available on the College web site at www.oct.ca - Standards.

WATERLOO -- The University of Waterloo will hold a local book launch this week for UW history professor John English's first instalment of a two-volume look at the life and times of Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 2, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
WHEN: University Club, UW campus

English, an acclaimed biographer, is the author Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Volume One: 1919-1968. A former Member of Parliament for Kitchener, English is also the author of the acclaimed two-volume biography of Lester Pearson and executive director of the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

The by-invitation launch will be followed by a public event on Nov. 30. English will speak about his new work and sign copies for members of the UW and off-campus community. The event will take place at 7 p.m. in UW's theatre of the arts; tickets cost $2 each and available from the event's sponsor, the UW bookstore.

The book was written with exclusive, extensive access to Trudeau's personal letters and journals, and through interviews with friends, family and colleagues. As Canada's prime minister between 1968 and 1984, Trudeau fascinated Canadians and attracted international attention as no other Canadian leader has ever done.

"Citizen of the World is biography at its finest and is an indispensable look at the life and times of the most important and controversial leader of our time," said Ken Coates, UW's dean of arts and a historian. "We are honoured to be able to celebrate this accomplishment by one of our professors."

In Volume One, English takes readers from Trudeau's birth in 1919 to his election as prime minister in 1968. It is the story of a man who departs from his conservative, nationalist and traditional Catholic views to become a socialist in his politics, sympathetic to labour and a friend to activists and writers in radical causes.

Trudeau's story is well known but the details that English has uncovered from this exhaustive research offers an extraordinary portrait of a complicated man; one that, at times, even contradicts Trudeau's own 1993 memoir.

Until 1940, Trudeau attends Brébeuf, described as "the educational jewel of French education in Montreal." A Jesuit institution and nationalist in its views, it shelters Trudeau until he leaves the school at 21, but not before he displays his characteristically spirited and somewhat restless personality, challenging his peers and his superiors with his intellectual curiosities.

English describes Trudeau's early desires at Brébeuf to do great things for his country with traces of the doubt that would vex him politically for years: "I wonder whether I will be able to do something for my God and my country. I would like so much to be a great politician and to guide my nation."

As Trudeau sheds the confines of his Brébeuf education, it isn't until he travels the world, meeting with dignitaries, professors, monks and the public that his political philosophies shift to where they will inevitably stand as a leader. English explores Trudeau's complexity during these years and how he strives to understand society and his place within it.

An account of Trudeau's life would not be complete without acknowledging his relationships with women -- his true confidants.

From the respectful adoring relationship with his mother Grace, who Trudeau travelled (at times on his well-known Harley Davidson) and lived with until he was almost 40 to his first love Camille Corriveau to the intimate relationships up until he met Margaret Sinclair, we learn that his passion was not only reserved for politics.

In 1949, at a time where Quebec is undergoing rampant political change, Trudeau surprises many as he heads to Ottawa to become a civil servant. Working on diverse subjects within the Privy Council Office, he becomes fascinated with federalism and its relationship to Canada. His education in law and philosophy are a novelty among officials, drawing the attention of many people.

The attention continues as televisions become a regular household feature in the fifties and sixties. The handsome and brilliant Trudeau engages viewers with his bright smile and well-versed debating skills. The medium could not have come at a better time for Trudeau.

English provides a play-by-play of events in the decade leading up to Trudeau's election from winning his first seat in Parliament to his position as parliamentary secretary to Lester B. Pearson to the historic amendments to Canada's Criminal Code that include the first divorce reforms in 100 years.

Volume One ends with the exciting events of the 1968 election where Pierre Elliott Trudeau runs for office among what is said to be the "finest group of politicians ever to contest a party leadership in Canada" and is elected as leader of the Liberal Party.

A nonprofit council that monitors that Canadian IT landscape is set to release a study that shows a considerable gap between the number of new hires needed each year versus the number of graduates coming out of Canada’s universities

The report, which will be presented by the Software Human Resource Council (SHRC) at this week’s GTEC conference in Ottawa, found that the ICT sector requires 35,000 new hires each year. That number jumps to 89,000 for the next three to four years.

Compare those numbers to the amount of students enrolled in computer science and computer engineering programs at the post-secondary level, and SHRC’s president Paul Swinwood said they don’t add up.
“We’re looking at a maximum of 7,000 coming out of the school system,” said Swinwood. “We’re trying to figure out where the heck the rest of the people are going to come from.”

While SHRC cites declining in enrolment in science and engineering as one of the key factors that will hurt Canada’s high-tech sector in the future, a couple of Ontario universities report an up-tick in the number of enrolments in these programs.

Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont. said the number of applicants to its science programs are the highest since the double-cohort year in 2003, said Dr. Art Szabo, dean of the faculty of science at Laurier. (Ontario’s high schools switched from a five-year to a four-year system, which created double the amount of applicants than a normal year three years ago when students from both systems graduated at the same time.)

In 2006, Laurier had 750 first year science students, compared with 635 in 2005 and 532 in 2004. Dr. Szabo attributes the dip in student applications to the new math curriculum introduced with the four-year system. Many high school students were staying away from a math course called geometry and discrete mathematics (a prerequisite course for many science and engineering programs) for fear of getting a bad mark that would downgrade their overall average.

“It was quite clear that the number of geometry and discrete math was falling steadily, whereas the calculus was going up,” he said. “It was our attitude at the university that without the geometry and discrete math, we could teach them what they needed or they would not be handicapped.”
Likewise, Dr. Stalin Boctor, dean of engineering, science and architecture at Ryerson University in Toronto, noticed a similar pattern in that institution’s enrolment patterns.

“Starting from 2004 on we realized that particularly the math curriculum was not enticing too many students to take that route. We reacted to that by making the admission requirements flexible.

“All of the engineering schools have noticed that the numbers we’ve submitted this year have improved from last year and the year before,” said Dr. Boctor.
Ryerson’s statistics show there was a reduction in applications to science and engineering programs of roughly 30 per cent from 2001 and 2002 to 2004 and 2005 from 10,500 to 7,000 qualified applicants.

“Geometry and discrete math was a requirement in engineering. That became the bottleneck,” said Dr. Boctor, adding that some high schools didn’t even offer the course. “We said if you don’t have that course you can replace it with a biology course or an earth science course.”

But Ontario universities will have to change their game plans again after the Ministry of Education made changes to the math curriculum that will take effect in 2007.

“We are changing our admission requirements to respond to the change in curriculum,” said Dr. Boctor.

Aside from curriculum woes, there’s still a perception among many young Canadians that technology is not a reliable field to enter in terms of employment opportunities.

“There is a psychological impact from that IT bubble bursting in 2001,” said Dr. Boctor. “We are far removed from that. There are very lucrative jobs in IT and communication industry.”

SHRC’s Swinwood agreed, adding that his organization is seeing a growing demand for system integrator type jobs.

“That’s where the skills shortages are really becoming evident,” he said.
At the presentation of the study on Tuesday, SHRC will also announce that it is changing its name to the Information Communications Technology Council (ICTC). ICTC will cover many verticals in the ICT marketplace such as hardware, nanotechnology and wireless.

Three students from the Business Administration - Materials and Operations Management program of Conestoga College will be in Orlando, Florida this coming weekend as the result of winning scholarships to attend the annual conference of APICS - The Association for Operations Management. This marks the seventh consecutive year that Conestoga students have earned scholarships to attend the APICS international conference.

The three - Kerri-Lynn Kit, Jaime Nicoll and Brian Ward, all of Kitchener - each have received an $800 (U.S.) award designating them as APICS Scholars. Kit and Nicoll are in the final year of their three-year program, while Ward is in his second year.

APICS Scholars attend conference presentations as well as personal and professional development sessions, meet with general session and educational session speakers, network with conference attendees and visit the APICS exposition. In addition, each performs work duties by serving as room monitors at assigned conference workshop sessions.

The participating students also can attend the various plant and facility tours offered as part of the conference. This year, as the event is in Orlando, there are also tours of Universal Studios and the Kennedy Space Center.

APICS (www.apics.org) has more than 80,000 individual and corporate members, and is dedicated to professional awareness, development and education for materials resource managers in business, industry and the public sector. Conestoga’s student chapter is one of the largest of the 270 student chapters in North America.

In Conestoga’s Materials and Operations Management program, students gain the skills and knowledge required for careers in the highly specialized and expanding fields of production and inventory control, purchasing, traffic of goods and supplies for business and industry, logistics and value analysis. The program emphasizes all five of the basic management functions: planning, organization, staffing, coordination and control.

Kit, Nicoll and Ward have all gained practical experience related to their studies by working in industry - Kit with Husky Injection Molding Systems and Modatek Systems, Nicoll with Magna International and Ward with Rockwell Automation. In addition to their academic excellence, they are active members of Conestoga’s APICS student chapter.

Stark’s development came at a crucial time for the large off-road tire industry since there is currently a worldwide shortage. Many mines have machinery that is starting to be parked because they cannot get the tires they need, so Stark’s product will help keep the tires at an optimum performance, extending their life as long as possible.

Stark works for Control Fluid Power Inc., a company that manufactures hydraulic power units. He was originally hired to help with the production of those units and perform technical service over the telephone, and jumped at the opportunity to start a new, ambitious project.

“We had requests from individuals in the mining industry to use our technical expertise to create and/or find a tire pressure monitoring system that would stand up in the harsh environment of underground mines,” says Stark. “I started out with extensive market research and tested many existing systems on the market. Eventually, I found a company that manufactured a similar product for the RV industry. We created a unique partnership to allow us to use their existing product to produce a new product for the mining industry.”

Stark coupled their tire pressure monitoring system with an advanced memory storage device from the UK to create the basis for the physical part of the product. He then integrated it with software to allow users to fully track and record the history of their tires.

“Essentially, what we have designed is a live, real-time tire pressure monitor, which will alert the driver any time there is a low-pressure situation,” explains Stark, “but at the same time, the unit will maintain a running history of the pressures to be downloaded and viewed at a later date. The software is also completely web-based, which helps many of the mining companies since they operate in many different geographical areas, and now the management teams can view this important information from almost anywhere in the world – even underground!”

Currently, Stark is completing the final testing of the product in the field. The units have been tested out in open pit mines, but have not yet been fully tested underground. After the results come in from the underground testing, Stark hopes to have full implementation and sales by the end of the summer.

“It has taken a lot of time to get everything right,” admits Stark, “but I found the methods I learned at Laurier really helped me to save time. The same design methods I learned in software engineering, and even the scientific model I followed in Physics courses, I used while developing the product. I was able to study a range of topics that interested me, and I know that they have all helped me in my career. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Laurier – what a fantastic school!

“I found that you need to get involved in your own way – the university experience is for you, so make it your own. Tailor your projects to your own interests, and always try to cross reference course materials! Even a simple business analogy made in a science course can help you see a difficult concept in a new light. Everything is connected eventually, so discover these connections, and diversify yourself!”

WATERLOO -- The Carnegie Foundation has recognized the University of Waterloo's leadership in teaching and learning as well as St. Jerome's University's strong emphasis on the liberal arts, selecting both institutions to participate in the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) institutional leadership program.

The program recognizes institutions with demonstrated commitment to and capacity for action, inquiry and leadership in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

UW and St. Jerome's join other North American and British post-secondary institutions for a three-year program of collaboration and inquiry focused on improving student learning and promoting institutional change in the support of teaching and learning.

UW was chosen for its commitment to supporting the improvement of student learning, promoting significant institutional change and demonstrating collaborative leadership, all recognized by the Carnegie academy as vital contributions to the scholarship of teaching and learning. It will be joining nine other research-intensive institutions to explore the theme of undergraduate research.

"The University of Waterloo is strongly committed to the advancement of the scholarship of teaching and learning, to the integration of best practices in teaching, and the establishment of benchmarks to gauge the impact of new approaches to teaching and learning across the disciplines," said UW president David Johnston.

UW has established a campus-wide core of faculty leaders and researchers in the scholarship of teaching and learning, who are committed to the continuing development of teaching excellence.

"Our selection as an institutional leader significantly deepens and broadens opportunity for collaborative research in undergraduate learning with other North American and international research universities," said Gail Cuthbert Brandt, UW's associate vice-president, academic.

St. Jerome's, federated with UW since 1960, was selected because of its long-standing commitment to liberal arts education as well as its current plans for innovation and enhancement in the delivery of higher education. It will be joining seven other institutions to explore the theme of core curriculum in liberal education.

Myroslaw Tataryn, acting president as well as vice-president and academic dean, points to some specific elements in St. Jerome's educational plan as key to its recognition by CASTL.

"This coming fall, St. Jerome's will launch a new mentoring program for first-year students, designed to help them with the transition to university," Tataryn said. "The concept of this program builds on the learning community which has long been at the heart of the St. Jerome's student experience."

He said St. Jerome's plans to expand the program to include all aspects of the student experience and the establishment of educational benchmarks that chart a student's progress throughout their degree.

St. Jerome's is also completing its inaugural year in the Intercordia program, an innovative service-learning opportunity that allows students to spend three months in a developing country after a year of study and preparation. Twelve St. Jerome's students are currently in the midst of their three-month placements in countries around the world.

The Carnegie Foundation was founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 with the aim of upholding and advancing the cause of higher education. Today, it is a North American leader in educational research, program development and policy initiatives.

Other Canadian institutions participating in various themes of the CASTL program are Ryerson University, Queen's University, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia and University of Victoria.

The College Network for Industry Innovation (CNII) is an alliance of Ontario colleges (Algonquin, Centennial, Conestoga, Fanshawe, George Brown, Humber, Niagara, Seneca, Sheridan and St. Clair) that have come together to mobilize their collective expertise and resources for applied research and commercialization activities. The focus of the CNII is on incremental innovation, through the development and testing of products and services that directly address real world challenges and scientific uncertainties faced by business and industry.

CNII research and commercialization activities will be industry-driven (“market pull”) and assist Ontario companies, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises, develop and maintain market competitiveness. The CNII’s research activities will both complement and differ from university research activities as they will primarily be industry-driven, very applied in nature and quick to commercialize.

“We are pleased the provincial government has confirmed the important contribution colleges make to applied research and development in Ontario, and the important role small- and medium-sized companies play in the provincial economy,” says Conestoga President John Tibbits. “Opening research opportunities for colleges is essential to a creative, effective strategy for Ontario’s economic growth. Conestoga has a long history of working with regional companies to provide advanced training support. We look forward to building on this strong foundation to expand our research and commercialization services and maximize use of our research facilities.”

The CNII will provide direct assistance to industry to:

• Assess needs and capacities using Network-common tools and techniques.

• Conduct applied research activities for product or process development that result in effective technology/knowledge transfer to industry.

• Access specialized equipment and expertise at individual colleges or through the CSII.

• Identify technologies to meet industry goals (including university-based technology), and test and evaluate these technologies as they apply to specific situations.

An Industry Strategy Board consisting of industry leaders will govern the CNII to ensure the Network and its activities maintain an industry-driven focus.

Network activities will be supported through College Industry Innovation Centres (CIICs), co-located with college research offices, to serve as a focal point for industry access and research and development activities. Individual colleges will operate as specialized resources or “nodes” in sectors key to Ontario’s economy. These include:

• Manufacturing and Materials – Conestoga College and St. Clair College

• Alternative Energy – Humber College

• Digital Media – Sheridan College and Centennial College

• Environmental Technologies – Fanshawe College

• Hospitality and Tourism – Niagara College and George Brown College

• Information and Communication Technologies – Algonquin College

• Health and Life Sciences – George Brown College

• Viticulture and Agri-Business – Niagara College

• CNII Lead and Secretariat – Seneca College.

Working as a network, the CNII will use the Ministry funding to assist Ontario companies adopt and adapt new discoveries, experiment with solutions to problems, and explore opportunities to meet market needs and enhance their competitive position.

Billions owed to provinces in cash transfer payments

St. John's, NL, - Canada's premiers must collaborate with the federal government to develop a national vision for post-secondary education that includes massive re-investment in core transfers to the provinces. Little progress has been made on the post-secondary education commitments made last year by the Council of the Federation; students are calling on the premiers to use the opportunity of this meeting to reaffirm the importance of affordable education.

"It is clearly in the national interest for the federal government to collaborate with the provincial governments to improve access to post-secondary education", said Amanda Aziz, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. "Reducing economic inequality and strengthening Canada's skilled workforce should be national priorities."

The federal government contributes more than two billion dollars less in transfers to the provinces for post-secondary education than it did in 1993. As a direct result, tuition fees have more than doubled and equality of access to post-secondary education has been severely compromised. This summer, total student debt under the Canada Student Loans Program surpassed $12 billion. When debt from provincial loan programs is factored in, public student debt stands at $20 billion.

"As with access to universal public health care, affordable public education is best dealt with through federal-provincial collaboration and joint financing," continued Aziz. "Tuition fees are hampering access and generating student debt that lasts a lifetime. Students and their families shouldn't have to wait any longer for restored funding."

The Canadian Federation of Students is an alliance of more than 80 university and college students' unions in ten provinces with a combined membership of over one-half million students. Students in Canada have been represented by the Canadian Federation of Students and its predecessor organisations since 1927.

“This will be Laurier's first new professional program in over 30 years,” Rosehart said. “Through WLU and UW’s collaborative efforts, and thanks to John Milloy and Minister Bentley, we have been able to achieve this important milestone as we progress on Laurier’s Century Plan initiative to become a more comprehensive university.”

Dr. Robert Rosehart
President and Vice-Chancellor, Wilfrid Laurier University
(519) 897-2700
rrosehart@wlu.ca

or Dr. Sue Horton
Vice-President, Academic, Wilfrid Laurier University
(519) 884-0710 ext. 2221

TORONTO - Studies conducted among college students show a new generation of trans-fat free, "high oleic" canola oils can ease the transition away from partially hydrogenated oils

When college students return to campuses this fall, they won't just be cracking open new books, they'll be cracking open new cafeteria menus, too...menus that are trans-fat free.

At a combined annual meeting of the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) and the Canadian College and University Food Service Association (CCUFSA), a number of colleges and universities reported taking steps to reduce trans fats and saturated fats from cafeteria menus.

"It's important to us to provide healthier options for our customers," said Marc Zammit, Director, Culinary Support and Development at Bon Appetit Management Company, which manages cafes at universities such as Georgetown Law Center, MIT and Case Western Reserve University. "This oil has allowed us to offer students their favorite fried foods that taste great and are healthier too."

These colleges and universities are some of more than 400 cafes and restaurants managed by Bon Appetit Management Company that have switched to a new generation of healthier canola oil. Referred to as "high oleic" oil because of its fatty acid profile, the new oil has zero trans fats and lower saturated fats, and is a viable alternative to partially hydrogenated (PH) oils. PH oils, which are the industry standard, are notoriously high in trans fats and have been linked to a significantly increased risk of heart disease. "This oil performs equal to, or better than, existing frying oils without compromising taste," said Bill McCullough with Bunge Oils, whose Nutra-Clear NT(TM) brand is used at all Bon Appetit cafes and restaurants. "And it offers a longer fry life than other trans-free alternatives, which makes it cost-effective for school cafes to switch."

These decisions come on the heels of important regulatory developments in both countries. In January, the Food & Drug Administration began requiring food processing companies to list trans fat content on their labels. And, earlier this month, the Canadian Trans Fat Task Force released recommendations on ways to reduce trans fats of contents in food all across Canada. One area that directly affects the food service industry is the Task Force's recommendation to use high oleic canola oil as a healthier alternative to medium and high stability vegetable oils in food preparation, processed foods, and baked goods.

"We have been impressed with the variety of ways in which we can use this oil -- from frying to salad dressing," said Zammitt. "The students certainly don't notice a change in taste but they benefit from fewer bad fats in their food."

Superior Taste

Students actually helped confirm the viability of the oil. A taste panel of Canadian students demonstrated significant consumer preference for the new oils compared to commercial standards. Sensory scores for french fries, chicken strips, and fish sticks prepared in the healthy oil were rated twice as high compared to partially hydrogenated canola respectively.

An American consumer product study of 170 adults and 179 teenagers conducted by Jeffrey Gross Marketing Research found that french fries prepared using Nutra-Clear NT(TM) oil were equally preferred to fries prepared using today's commonly used frying oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil. When compared to a new, trans fat-free soybean oil, however, both the adults and teenagers significantly preferred the taste of fries cooked in the new trans fat-free canola oil...by a margin of two to one.

Superior Performance

A study by the University of Lethbridge in Alberta found that this new oil has more than a 50 percent greater fry life when compared to other cooking oils, making it cost-effective for restaurants to switch. The study, led by Roman Przybylski, PhD, compared the fry life and performance of 10 cooking oils used to prepare three different foods (french fries, chicken, and fish) in a restaurant-style rotation. In the study, the new oil performed well in the kitchen. The study measured the presence of total polar material (TPM) formation to determine the oil discard point. The research team used 24 percent TPM, which is a recognized international analytical standard at which oil should be discarded. The high oleic canola oil, which has high oxidative stability, never reached the 24 percent TPM mark, even after 88 hours of frying over the course of 11 days. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, low linolenic soybean oil, low linolenic canola oil, and regular canola oil all passed the discard point at day six after 48 hours of frying.

Superior Nutrition

Research confirms that french fries, chicken fingers, and fish sticks prepared and fried in this new canola oil can achieve "zero trans fat" and "low saturated fat" per-serving claims in both the U.S. and Canada. In nutritional tests conducted as part of the Lethbridge study, food prepared using the high oleic canola oil had the lowest combined level of trans fats and saturated fats of any oil tested. Nutrition analysis demonstrated that the foods fried in this canola oil had 65 percent lower levels of combined trans fats and saturated fats than the same foods fried in partially hydrogenated oils.

Commercially Available

The oil is produced from NEXERA(TM) canola seeds, developed by Dow AgroSciences, whose oil represents a new foodservice oil category given its reduced levels of trans and saturated fats and performance profile. A recent survey conducted by Dow AgroSciences found that 87 percent of North American (94 percent of Canadian) restaurant owners and operators would definitely or probably consider changing frying oils if they knew it could decrease trans fats and saturated fats in fried foods without compromising taste or cost. It is estimated that over 17 billion pounds of partially hydrogenated oils are used each year in North America. Dow AgroSciences significant volume growth

On July 24 WLU announced Dr. Ruth Cruikshank, a professor from Laurier’s school of business and economics (SBE), has been appointed faculty associate for educational development.

During her three-year appointment, Cruikshank will provide teaching-related support to all departments, faculty and teaching assistants. Her range of responsibilities will augment existing educational development programming by assisting the office of teaching support services in responding to the needs of faculty and students across the university.

“Ruth has a lot of energy and values teaching,” says Sandy Hughes, director of teaching support services. “Her interest in teaching and her enthusiasm, as well as her ideas for new programs, makes her an excellent fit for this position.”

Cruikshank, who has been a Laurier faculty member for ten years, has been a strong force in the school of business and economics; she is also the director of undergraduate business programs and works on the SBE’s integrated case exercise.

Prior to her time at Laurier, Cruikshank was a commercial banker before completing her PhD at York University.

“I feel my greatest advantage in this position is my experience,” says Cruikshank, who has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She’s also done research related to teaching and has a degree in education from the University of Western Ontario.

Cruikshank is eager to sit down and discuss goals with the department chairs, “especially in growing departments,” she says.

“With rapid growth in the number of students and faculty it’s harder to maintain the level of teaching excellence that Laurier is known for,” says Cruikshank. “We also need to pay attention to the large number of part-time faculty and the TA workforce and support them. It will be fun; I’m looking forward to it.”

The appointment began July 1, 2006 and will run until June 30, 2009

Laurier will be moving to a new version of WebCT, Campus Edition 6.0 (CE6), on September 1, 2006. With this move, Laurier will enter into an additional three-year commitment to use WebCT as the university’s supported learning management system (LMS).

There are many changes and improvements to the new version of WebCT, including:

Updated Styling

CE6 has a new look. The style of the application has been updated throughout. The designer interface has been divided into three tabs that clearly separate the designer, teacher and student views, making it easier to design and preview courses.

Gradebook Advances

The gradebook feature now allows instructors to import and export grading information between CE6 and Excel. As well, students' first and last names are frozen into place as an instructor scrolls through the gradebook, making it easier to locate and view specific grades.

Detailed Tracking

With CE6, student activity tracking has been significantly expanded to include new information that can be viewed per student, or per student per session.

Easy Content Upload

With CE6, instructors can easily move files — more than one at a time if desired — from their computers into their courses. Instructors can move files using intuitive desktop-style navigation and place them directly on a page, in a folder or in a learning module for presentation in their courses.

CE6 has been installed and course conversion to the new version has begun. All active courses for fall term will be using the new version. CE6 training camps for instructors will be held on Thursday, August 31, 2006 and Friday, September 8, 2006 at the Waterloo campus and on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 at the Brantford campus.

Content for courses offered through distance education will be migrated to the new version by the distance education office. On-campus instructors wishing to have content migrated to CE6 should complete the form found at www.wlu.ca/upgradewebct.

WebCT is a tool that facilitates the creation of sophisticated Web-based educational environments. It can be used to create entire online courses, or to simply publish materials that supplement existing courses. WebCT requires minimal technical expertise on the part of the developer of the educational material and on the part of the student. There are currently more than 25,000 student ‘enrolments’ in WebCT each term.

Laurier has adopted a new student response system called i>clicker that will be implemented in classrooms for the coming fall semester. Student response systems – commonly known as “clicker technology” – represent an evolving in-class student polling technology which will allow faculty to poll their students with multiple-choice questions to keep the students engaged in the material or determine whether students understand concepts during lectures.

The new i>clicker system is designed to create an engaging and inviting learning environment that will maximize active learning in the classroom, and can also be used to award participation marks, take attendance or track changing opinions. Individual results from i>clicker sessions can be posted by instructors and viewed by students on WebCT.

“Clicker technology provides an innovative approach to keeping students engaged in the classroom, especially large-enrollment lectures,” says Sandy Hughes, director of teaching support services. “The i>clicker system is useful to help pace student learning and get input and feedback from students.”

Over the past two years, Laurier has experimented with clickers from several companies, and a committee was formed over the past months to review the various clicker technologies and choose one system to be adopted at Laurier. Having only one system will help to reduce the cost to students and allow for better support to both faculty and students.

The unanimous decision of the committee to adopt i>clicker was based on a number of considerations, including the following:

Cost
Ease of use for both faculty and students
Reporting capabilities of the system
Integration with WebCT
Compatibility with a variety of software programs

Clickers will be available for purchase by students through the Laurier Bookstore, which will also be offering a buyback policy. Faculty who wish to use clickers in their teaching for fall term 2006 should contact Mike Zybala in the Bookstore (ext. 3476) to place their clicker order and Sandy Hughes (ext. 4104) to receive hardware and software for the i>clicker system.

An information session concerning the use of clickers will be held on Monday, July 31, 2006 at 10:00 am for the Waterloo Campus and 2:00 pm for the Brantford Campus (locations to be announced).

A training session is available for faculty on Wednesday, August 16, 2006 at Waterloo Campus at 1:30 pm (location to be announced). Please register to attend this event from the Educational Development website at http://www.wlu.ca/edev.

WATERLOO- A new centre at the University of Waterloo will increase the range of psychological services available in the tri-city area and facilitate the development of innovative, new research on mental health.

The UW Centre for Mental Health Research will include both clinical services and research, making UW’s clinical psychology program one of only two in Canada offering on-site clinical training in a research setting. It will be the only program to fully integrate clinical research and training into the course curriculum.

The centre will promote new research into the development and persistence of mental illness in children, adolescents and adults, as well as research on new and effective means of treatment. This will increase the availability of assessment and treatment at the local level and will lead to improvements in treatment across the country.

“It really is a unique arrangement,” said Mike Dixon, chair of the psychology department. “While other clinical training programs train students and conduct research, what makes our program unique is that we have the rare opportunity to both train clinical students and conduct research -- all within a clinic setting. The combination provides a number of advantages and will impact the research we conduct as well as the services we provide in several important ways.”

First, the centre will immediately increase the number of people served by the university’s existing clinic. The UW psychology clinic currently sees about 40 children, adolescents and adults each year. That will increase to between 80 and 100 adults during the first phase of the centre’s development.

The nature and scope of services offered in later phases will depend on the expertise and research interests of three new faculty members.

Second, the centre will contribute to the quantity and quality of practitioners across the country. The very best graduate students will be attracted by one of the few programs that includes a clinic featuring independent, faculty-run research programs. As a result, the program graduates will be better prepared to service clients in practices across Canada.

Third, it will allow for UW clinical faculty to have greater independence in developing and running their programs of research.

“Without the centre, we must rely on our contacts with researchers at hospitals and clinics for research collaboration,” explained Christine Purdon, director of the UW Centre for Mental Health Research.

“Although this leads to great opportunities to participate in exciting research projects, it also leaves us without the autonomy or the degree of access to the populations of interest that we require to run our programs of research independently. Instead, we need to integrate our research with the ongoing work of other researchers.

“Having our own centre allows us to determine our own priorities, which in turn means that we have greater control over the research we conduct, the assessment and treatment we provide, and, ultimately, our ability to attract faculty and research funding.”

Finally, the arrangement will increase research collaborations, and not just within the department of psychology and the university. Once clinical faculty have the resources required to recruit, assess and treat individuals with mental health problems on a larger scale, they can establish significant partnership roles in the development of national and international studies.

The centre will begin operating in the very near future. It hopes to have a physical home established on campus near the existing clinic by fall 2007.

UW’s clinical psychology program is already a leader in its field. Its students are generally offered their first choice for highly competitive internship spots, while its graduates are offered jobs in premier clinical and academic settings.

The University of Guelph has added four more faculty members to its growing cohort of distinguished Canada Research Chairs (CRCs). The Guelph researchers are among 90 new chairs unveiled today in Ottawa by Industry Minister Maxime Bernier.

“Today’s announcement brings to 30 the number of prestigious Canada Research Chairs at the University of Guelph,” said Alan Wildeman, vice-president (research). “The four new recipients are representative of the exceptional creative capacity that reaches across the institution, and all of them should feel very proud of what they have accomplished.”

The federal government established the CRC program in 2000 as a way of enabling Canadian universities to attract and retain excellent faculty. There are two types of chairs: Tier 1 and Tier 2. Tier 1 chairs are acknowledged as international leaders in their fields and are awarded $200,000 a year for seven years. Tier 2 chairs are considered to have the potential to become world leaders in their fields and receive $100,000 a year for five years.

Guelph physics professor John Dutcher received a Tier 1 chair in soft matter physics. Dutcher co-ordinates Guelph’s interdisciplinary Centre for Food and Soft Materials and is a theme leader (structure-dynamics-function of foods and biomaterials) for Guelph’s Advanced Foods and Materials Network, part of the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence. The development and use of soft materials such as polymers and proteins are expected to revolutionize many sectors of Canadian industry, including aerospace, pharmaceuticals, microelectronics and packaging.

“Receiving the CRC is certainly a great honour,” said Dutcher, who has also developed an internationally-renowned research program in the physics of polymers, biopolymers and bacterial cells. “The CRC brings with it resources that are necessary to allow me to continue to develop my already strong collaborations with researchers in physics and in several other disciplines, while creating flexibility to capitalize on new opportunities. It's a great thing!”

Food science professor Milena Corredig received a Tier 2 chair in food nanostructures, which she called “a tremendous honour and great responsibility. This type of award will give me the opportunity to open up new research areas and new collaborations both nationally and internationally, and to attract high-quality researchers.”

Corredig’s research focuses on incorporating more functional, healthier ingredients in food products. The stability, structure, good taste and quality of food products are a determining factor in dietary choices, she said. “To help consumers eat healthier foods, we have to become more sophisticated in designing food products. Guelph’s Department of Food Science is one of the best in the world, and there is no better place to create a world-class centre in food ingredient functionality.”

Mathematics and statistics professor Hermann Eberl was named a Tier 2 chair in applied mathematics, with a focus on applications in life science and engineering. He will be developing and analyzing mathematical models of biological and physical systems, and apply them to study various problems and questions by computer simulations.

“We have quite a number of people in our department doing very exciting research in biomathematics and biostatistics,” he said. “Guelph is a good place to do this kind of work. I would like to see this chair award as a recognition of the departmental research strength in this area and I hope that it will further reinforce these efforts.”

Madhur Anand, formerly a biology professor at Laurentian University, recently joined U of G as a Tier 2 chair in the Department of Environmental Biology. She will study global ecological change and forest biodiversity.

Her overall objective is to improve understanding of biodiversity structure and dynamics on a global scale, and to use this understanding to predict responses to accelerated change. She will focus on forest systems, with the methodology developed having applications to other complex systems.

The CRC program is governed by a steering committee made up of the presidents of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and Canadian Institutes of Health Research as well as the deputy minister of Industry Canada.

The University of Guelph has appointed Anthony Vannelli, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and associate dean of research and external partnerships at the University of Waterloo, as dean of the College of Physical and Engineering Sciences (CPES).

He will begin a five-year term January 2007 pending approval by the Board of Governors. The announcement was made today by Maureen Mancuso, U of G provost and vice-president (academic), who chaired the search committee.

“Tony has incredible enthusiasm and infectious energy, and brings with him a wealth of expertise as an administrator, teacher and researcher,” Mancuso says. “He has strengths in engineering, mathematics and computer science, and this unique background underpins his approach to teaching and research. It’s also in keeping with Guelph’s educational philosophy that emphasizes the sharing of ideas. We are delighted that he is joining U of G as our new dean.”

Vannelli held the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada University Research Fellowship in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto from 1984 to 1987, and in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo from 1987 to 1993 .

A faculty member at Waterloo since 1987, Vannelli chaired the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering from 1998 to 2004. During his tenure as chair, the department introduced interdisciplinary programs in software engineering, nanotechnology engineering and a new online graduate degree program in the power area. The department also grew from 40 faculty members in 1998 to 70 faculty members in 2004.

Vannelli says he is looking forward to coming to U of G and joining CPES. “The University of Guelph continues to move to a bright future by integrating newer disciplines and strategic directions into its existing well established strengths. I strongly believe that the physical sciences, mathematics, computer and information sciences and engineering disciplines housed in CPES are well positioned to develop into exciting opportunities for the College and university.”

The author of more than 100 journal articles and conference publications, Vannelli is an award-winning researcher who is known internationally for his work in electrical and computer engineering. His current research involves using advanced large-scale optimization approaches to solve integrated circuit layout problems.

He has been nominated for university-wide teaching awards at both Waterloo and Toronto and has continued teaching while holding administrative positions. He has also been a visiting professor at McMaster University and at the Mathematical Science Department, Shell Research and Technology Centre, in Amsterdam.

As a senior administrator, Vannelli is known for using consensus building to develop numerous joint math, engineering and science programs and partnerships. “I strongly believe that the future opportunities for universities to serve the research communities and society lay in developing interdisciplinary areas,” he says. But he also notes that “interdisciplinary areas can only emerge from strong foundational disciplines.”

Vannelli earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied mathematics from Concordia University and holds a PhD in electrical engineering Waterloo. From 1983 to 1984, he was an IBM postdoctoral fellow at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Centre in Yorktown Height, New York.

He serves on the boards of Materials and Manufacturing Ontario and Communications and Information Technology Ontario.

In making the announcement, Mancuso also appointed an interim CPES dean for fall semester, as Peter Tremaine’s term ends Aug. 31. “I am happy to announce that Prof. Bob Balahura, chair of the Department of Chemistry, has graciously agreed to serve as interim dean until Tony’s arrival,” she says.

WATERLOO -- The next generation of public health professionals will soon be able to receive advanced training at the University of Waterloo on the wide range of professional skills needed to prevent disease as well as protect and promote the health of populations in Canada and abroad.

A recently approved master of public health (MPH) degree is being offered for the first time through the health studies and gerontology department in UW's faculty of applied health sciences. The first session of the MPH program begins this fall, with an initial offering of four of the program's core courses. More than 100 people have applied for the 30 places available in the first year.

The MPH program was conceived in response to a widely recognized need for new opportunities for current public health practitioners and aspiring health students to build on their prior academic training and expand their applied skills.

"We at the University of Waterloo are proud to be part of a national effort to build public health human resources," said Dr. Christina Mills, the MPH program leader and a public health physician formerly with the Public Health Agency of Canada.

"This program will make a major contribution to training the next generation of leaders and managers, and we believe that the health of Canadians will be the better for it," Mills said. "Several disease episodes in recent years, including outbreaks of fatal infectious diseases such as SARS and the Walkerton tainted water crisis, have highlighted the need to expand the public health system to better protect the health of Canadians."

Primarily aimed at working health professionals wishing to upgrade their training on a full-time or part-time basis, the program will help meet the needs of growing public health agencies at the local, provincial, federal and international levels -- all seeking highly trained public health planners and managers.

"It is with great pleasure that I welcome the new master of public health program at the University of Waterloo," said Dr. David Mowat, deputy chief public health officer, public health practice and regional operations branch, Public Health Agency of Canada.

"UW has long been a forerunner in the health field," Mowat added. "Therefore it comes as no surprise to me that the university is stepping up to address the growing need for highly trained public health professionals in Canada. The MPH program will produce a new generation of graduates fully able to fill much-needed roles in the field of public health."

The program draws on established strengths at UW in health behaviour and population health promotion, health informatics and environmental health sciences through a course-based curriculum that enables public health professions to manage emerging issues in public health.

It builds on the successful master's and doctoral degree programs in population health, also offered by the health studies and gerontology department.

The program's initial and final courses will be held on the UW campus during the summer and spring, respectively, as two-week block sessions. To accommodate working professionals, the remaining seven core courses and three elective courses will be provided using self-directed learning packages offered through UW's distance education system, with extensive two-way interaction between students and instructors provided via the Internet.

As well, students will be expected to complete a 12- to 16-week practicum working in a local public health unit, a provincial and federal governmental agency or a non-governmental organization in the health sector. The MPH degree will be completed over a period of 20 months for full-time students taking three courses each term.

Students may elect to focus their program on a specialized area of concentration in the sociobehavioural aspects of public health, which addresses health behaviour and related issues in health promotion and disease prevention. Or they can work toward a non-specialist MPH degree, which examines broader public health issues.

Core MPH courses include foundations of public health, public health and the environment, public health and society, health and risk communication, health policy, management of public health services, biostatistics and epidemiology. Elective courses will cover a variety of topics including public health surveillance, health economics, public health informatics and environmental health.

The University of Guelph today officially established North America’s first distance learning agricultural communications diploma program. The initial cohort of students will begin studies in September.

The program, sponsored by the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) and delivered through the Office of Open Learning, combines technical skills and theory in journalism, communications and public relations with a focus on issues specific to the agri-food and environmental sectors. An international panel of instructors and coaches will lead students through a series of courses designed to enhance knowledge and applied skills in communications theory and practice.

“We are confident that this will become an internationally recognized program in agricultural communications,” says OAC dean Craig Pearson. Development of the 16-month program was overseen by an advisory committee chaired by Prof. Mary Buhr, OAC associate dean (academic), with representatives from media, the agri-food sector and the academic community.

Much of the program will be delivered on-line, and the distance learning components will be augmented by three on-campus sessions. It also includes a project-based internship, where students will apply their skills within the context of an agricultural workplace.

“The internship component will provide new opportunities for nourishing connections between students, professionals, employers and the university,” says Owen Roberts, U of G’s director of research communications who will serve as the program’s academic co-ordinator. Roberts also created Guelph’s highly successful SPARK (Students Promoting Awareness of Research Knowledge) communications program.

Support for the program has been provided by a number of industry partners, including Ontario Pork, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited, Syngenta Crop Protection Canada, GROWMARK Inc., and the Agricultural Adaptation Council.

“Our industry is growing increasingly complex, accelerating the need to develop effective communicators who can make complicated issues such as the various perspectives on biotechnology or nutrient management more understandable to the Canadian public,” says Art Stirling, government and industry affairs manager for Pioneer. For more information, visit the program website: www.agcommunications.ca

Dr. Carol Duncan, associate professor and chair of Laurier’s Religion and Culture Department, will be joining Harvard University this September as a visiting associate professor in its Women’s Studies in Religion Program.

Duncan is one of five visiting faculty selected to join the Harvard Divinity School’s program, which focuses on interdisciplinary research projects studying women and religion, and attracts scholars from around the world.

“I am hoping to experience a community of scholars dedicated to looking at issues of gender and religion during my time at Harvard,” says Duncan, who will be both researching and teaching as part of the 10-month program.

“I’ll be part of an environment where I will not only be supported in conducting research, but I’ll also have the opportunity to communicate my research to the larger community through a public lecture,” explains Duncan, whose research will explore visual cultural production among immigrant Caribbean women in the post–Second World War era.

Duncan welcomes the chance to work with Harvard students through her course: Gender, Religion and Visual Culture in the African Diaspora, where she will examine how gender, sexuality, class, race and 'color' interact to shape the lives of African Diasporan women and their religious experiences.

“As the result of my time at Harvard, I hope to bring a broadened perspective back to my work at Laurier,” says Duncan. “Broadened both in a tangible sense through my writing and research, and by virtue of leading to more focused work and an enriched approach.”

As the 2004 Laurier Faculty of Arts Teaching Scholar and the recipient of the 2004 Wilfrid Laurier University Award for Teaching Excellence, Duncan says she looks at teaching and research as a journey and as a craft. “I believe this phase of my journey will enhance my development as a scholar and a teacher and allow me to hone my craft.”

In addition to Caribbean Religion and Visual Culture in Canada, Duncan is co-author of two soon-to-be-published books: Black Church Studies: An Introduction, and Approaches in Black Religion, Culture and Society, as well as numerous papers.

As of July 1, 2006 Professor Michel Desjardins is serving as the acting chair of the Religion and Culture department.

A leading expert in “tourism security” who facilitated a conference in Aruba following the disappearance of a U.S. high school student will visit the University of Guelph starting July 10.

During a meeting with faculty and students from the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM), Peter E. Tarlow will discuss plans for a conference in Guelph next year on security risk management.

“Tourism and travel are highly volatile industries, impacted by politics, world events, health and economics,” said Prof. Marion Joppe, HTM’s director. “While many of these circumstances are beyond our control, there are things that industry leaders can do to prepare for such challenges and to lessen the negative effects. That will be the focus of next year’s conference.”

Tarlow is an author and expert on the impact of crime and terrorism on the tourism industry, event risk management and economic development. He was in Aruba in June as co-ordinator of the First Caribbean Tourism Security Conference held one year after Natalee Holloway, an Alabama high school student, disappeared during a graduation trip.

Holloway’s disappearance was another reminder of how high-profile crimes, terrorist acts such as 9/11 and the anthrax episodes, and health concerns such as SARS and avian flu may wreak havoc on tourism, said Joppe. “The industry must face this reality.”

Other tourism-related discussions during Tarlow’s visit are expected to focus on taxation, fuel costs, security and safety issues, wireless communications, and poor travel conditions.

Tarlow has a PhD in sociology from Texas A&M University. He also holds degrees in history, in Spanish and Hebrew literatures, and in psychotherapy. He is a contributing author of Tourism, Crime and International Security Issues, the first major book on tourism security, and co-editor of War, Terrorism and Tourism.

Laurier psychology professor Dr. Sukhvinder Obhi has been awarded the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award worth $7,500 to study the functional and neural processes involved in the planning, perception and performance of human motor actions. Dr. Obhi’s work attempts to uncover interactions between the cognitive, perceptual, and motor systems in a variety of task contexts, including interlimb coordination and real-time and memory guided movements.

Obhi joined WLU in July 2005 and continues to develop the Cognition in Action Laboratory. “We’re very interested in how the brain processes information when people perform a given motor action in different contexts,” says Obhi. “We are always looking to recruit outstanding graduate students who are interesting in studying how the brain generates, controls and consciously perceives motor actions.”

Obhi received a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from University College London, in England. As a graduate student he also spent time at Harvard Medical School in the USA where he had the opportunity to use a state-of-the-art technique called, TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation). TMS is a very useful tool for investigating the brain areas involved in various action tasks. He hopes to bring this type of technology to Laurier. Upon completion of his PhD, Obhi came to Canada to do a post doctoral fellowship at the University of Western Ontario.

“We’re very fortunate to have Dr. Obhi join the Laurier team,” says Dr. Arthur Szabo, Laurier’s dean of science. “This award will help strengthen cognitive neuroscience research.”

Students interested in joining Dr. Obhi’s lab can contact him via email at sobhi@wlu.ca

The Petro-Canada Young Innovators Award was created by an endowed donation from Petro-Canada to Campaign Laurier in 1999. The award supports young faculty whose academic work is particularly innovative and has the potential to be significant for society at large.

Petro-Canada created the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Awards Program in 1995 to recognize and help support the work of outstanding young faculty researchers at Canadian universities, colleges and major research institutes. The program has been established at more than 20 centres across Canada and is administered by the respective institute.

Since its inception, nearly $5 million has been contributed to the program and there have been 87 recipients from 24 institutes.

Issues surrounding which animal species really feel pain and experience suffering will be explored at a public lecture hosted by the University of Guelph July 14 at 2 p.m. in Room 141 of the Animal Sciences and Nutrition Building. The event is free and open to the public.

The “Are Fish Sentient?” symposium, organized by U of G’s Aquaculture Centre and the Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, will include two talks followed by informal discussion and debate at 5 p.m. in Gryphs Sports Lounge.

“Which animal species feel pain in a way that matters like it does to humans is an issue wrestled with by neuroscientists, philosophers and biologists alike,” said conference organizer Georgia Mason who holds a U of G Canada Research Chair in animal welfare. “It’s an issue that raises tough questions about what current scientific methods can actually measure and how we should treat food, research animals and pets.”

At 2 p.m., philosophy professor Gary Varner of Texas A&M University will discuss “Something Fishy? Animal Consciousness and Arguments by Analogy.” Varner wrote one of the first dissertations on environmental ethics and has since published a book and over 30 articles on related topics. His book, In Nature's Interests? Interests, Animal Rights and Environmental Ethics, examines the alleged divide between animal rights views and sound environmental policy. His published papers cover related topics in medical research, cloning, animal agriculture and human nutrition, and pet ownership. He is currently working on a second book, Sustaining Animals: Envisioning Humane Sustainable Communities.

At 3:45 p.m., Victoria Braithwaite, a behavioural biologist from Edinburgh University, will speak on “Can Fish Perceive Pain? And Do They Have the Capacity to Suffer?” Braithwaite specializes in fish behaviour, including their pain responses, and has published many scientific papers on animal cognition and navigation. By combining information about an animal's sensory and neural capabilities with information about its evolution and its environment, she hopes to gain a better understanding of how and why animals vary in their cognitive abilities and behaviour.

Leaving school to take their place in the labour market

Canada's young people were leaving school to take their place in the workforce between 1999 and 2003, YITS data showed.

They did this through a complex set of pathways. Some dropped out of school and subsequently returned to their studies. Others were high school dropouts who went on to postsecondary studies without having completed their high school diploma.

These transitions may have enabled young people to finish their education and enter the labour market, or to leave the labour market and return to school. However, the most common transition was to complete school—either secondary or postsecondary—to go to full-time work.

During this four-year period, the composition of this group of young people gradually changed.

In 1999, 46% were pursuing postsecondary education, 13% were still in high school, 21% were working full-time and 12% part-time, whereas 9% were not in school and were not working.

Four years later, it was apparent that fewer of this group were in school. The proportion pursuing postsecondary education had declined to 31%, and only 1% were still in high school. Meanwhile, the proportion working full-time had more than doubled to 45%, while only 9% were part-timers.

About 14% were neither working nor in school as of December 2003, but for most of these individuals, it seems that the situation was temporary. Less than 1% of young people were neither working nor in school for all three cycles of the YITS.

Distribution of youth school/work status
	December 1999	December 2001	December 2003
	%
School/work status
In school	58	46	31
Not in school, working full-time	21	31	45
Not in school, working part-time	12	8	9
Not in school, not working	9	15	14
Note: Percentages in table may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

More difficult to return to school as young people get older and have children

The realities of family life and work are apparently starting to encroach on the ability of these young people to pursue postsecondary studies, according to the survey. Some of them had married and some had children, and the longer these young people waited, the more difficult it generally became to return to school. Time appears to be becoming an issue.

People who continued in postsecondary education were less likely to be married than graduates or dropouts. Among the individuals who had children, the proportion who had never undertaken postsecondary education was much higher than the average, while the proportion that had participated in postsecondary education was lower.

During the first two stages, many young people reported that they had not pursued any form of postsecondary education. However, by December 2003, some (5%) had had a change of heart.

However, returning to school seems to have been more difficult for young people as they got older. Among young adults aged 22, about 8% started their postsecondary studies in cycle 3. However, this proportion fell to 5% among those aged 23, and to only 3% for those aged 24.

Many who started their postsecondary studies in cycle 3 reported to the survey that they continued working either full-time or part-time, or had returned to a non-traditional institution, that is, not a college or university.

It should be noted that of all young people who had pursued postsecondary education at the start of the study in 1999, about 69% had graduated, and nearly 17% of them were still in school. Only 14% had dropped out. The majority of graduates were in the labour market, most working full-time.

Vast majority had graduated from high school by December 2003

The proportion of young people who had graduated from high school increased steadily during the four-year study period.

In 1999, three-quarters (75%) of all young people aged 18 to 20 had their high school diploma in hand. By the end of 2003, this had increased to almost 90%.

What was also notable was that nearly half of these high school dropouts took advantage of the "second chance system" to return to school at either the secondary or postsecondary level.

As a result, over one-quarter of high school dropouts finally managed to graduate during this period. As of December 2001, about 8% of these dropouts had graduated from high school. By the end of 2003, this proportion had more than tripled to 27%.

Data revealed that about half of these new high school graduates had even undertaken postsecondary studies. In total, one-quarter of the high school dropouts had undertaken postsecondary education as of December 2003.

However, youth had more difficulties completing high school as time went on. Between 1999 and 2001, about 70% of young people who were attending high school graduated during this time. However, between 2001 and 2003, this proportion fell to just over 40%.

In addition, a larger proportion of them dropped out over time. Between 1999 and 2001, 17% of young people attending high school dropped out. This rose to 45% between 2001 and 2003.

Between 1999 and 2003, the proportion of women who had dropped out and then returned to school more than tripled. Among men, however, the proportion did not change much over the four year period.

This difference in male-female distribution may be related to the initial reasons for dropping out. In a larger proportion, young men wanted to work, whereas women had dropped out for family reasons.

Note to readers

This report uses data from the Youth in Transition Survey (YITS), a longitudinal survey undertaken jointly by Statistics Canada and Human Resources and Social Development Canada. This survey is designed to examine the major transitions in the lives of youths, particularly between education, training and work.

YITS contacts the same respondents at two-year intervals and can therefore provide information on patterns of education and work activities over time for the same individuals.

This report uses data from the first three cycles of YITS to examine the education and labour market status of young people and their pathways. In the first cycle of YITS, collected in 2000, youths were aged between 18 and 20. Their education and labour market status were assessed as of December 1999. Two and four years later, in 2002 and 2004, the same respondents were re-interviewed and their activities measured as of December 2001 and December 2003.

WATERLOO – The Laurier board of governors recently welcomed business and community leaders Farouk Ahamed, Cal Bricker, Claire Duboc and Phil McColeman to the university’s governing body. The new board appointees will join University Chancellor Bob Rae and the existing board to bring Laurier into its second century.

“The range of expertise of our new board appointees complements that of our existing members to create a well-rounded board, familiar with both the private and not-for-profit sectors and well-positioned to implement the university’s strategic plan, the Century Plan,” says Laurier Board of Governors Chair Beverly Harris.

Farouk Ahamed, senior vice president, Ernst & Young Orenda Corporate Finance Inc. and partner, Ernst & Young LLP, brings financial expertise to his position on the board’s Audit and Compliance Committee and Pension Committee. He partners his business knowledge with leadership experience on community boards such as Freeport Health Centre, Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo (K-W) and the United Way of Kitchener-Waterloo and area.

Claire Duboc, who has extensive governance experience gained through her current position on the board of directors of the SickKids Foundation, as well as her involvement with the Canadian Paraplegic Association, Special Olympics Canada, and Laurier Women’s Athletic Association, will serve on the board’s Nominations Committee.

Cal Bricker, vice president of public affairs at Waste Management Canada, will also serve on the Nominations Committee and as a board member appointed to Senate. Bricker’s background includes work experience in the Ontario government, at the University of Calgary and at Molson and Labatt breweries, as well as community service in Ontario and Alberta.

Phil McColeman, a Brantford native who played a significant role in the creation of Laurier Brantford, will serve on the Audit and Compliance Committee and Chair the inaugural Brantford Advisory Committee. McColeman owns a Brantford property management and real estate development business. He is the co-chair of this year’s Brant United Way Campaign with his wife Nancy. He has also served as the president of the Lansdowne Children’s Centre, chairman of the mayor’s task force on Brantford downtown revitalization, and a director of the Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant.

All of the new board members are also Laurier alumni, something that, according to Harris, is particularly significant at this point in the university’s history. “We welcome their perspective and passion as alumni as we approach our centenary year in 2011,” says Harris.

Laurier’s Century Plan focuses efforts on sustaining a student-centred environment, expanding the university’s graduate and professional programs, furthering research intensity, increasing the school’s international profile, and promoting teaching excellence.

In addition to the external board appointments, Laurier faculty member Dr. Peter Tiidus, professor and chair of Kinesiology and Physical Education, was Senate-elected to the board and will serve on the Employment Practices Committee. Dr. Joann Freed, professor and chair of Archaeology and Classical Studies was University Faculty Council-elected and will serve as a Nominations Committee member.

The board of governors works with the Senate and the university chancellor as the governing body of Wilfrid Laurier University. Its role includes strategic planning, regulatory compliance and accountability, university employment practices, resource allocation and the university pension plan. Board member appointments range between two- and three-year terms.

A University of Guelph food scientist is part of a team that has made a breakthrough in finding a safe, effective way to decontaminate seeds used to produce bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts and other types of sprouts – culprits in several major food-borne illness outbreaks around the world.

Prof. Keith Warriner and his four colleagues have developed a sanitizer made of the same chemical used in toothpaste and contact lens solutions that is harmless to the sprouting seed but lethal to pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. Their research is published today in the Journal of Food Protection.

“We developed a sanitizer that you just add to the steep water when the seeds start to germinate,” said Warriner. “No one has ever done this before because if you add most sanitizers to the steep water, not only would the pathogens be killed, but also the developing sprouts. The secret of our development is that it’s phytocompatible – it doesn’t affect plant tissue; it affects only pathogens.”

A $4-million industry in Ontario and a $260-million industry in North America, sprouts are popular because they’re a rich source of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that reduce the risk of cancer and help lower cholesterol levels. Yet even after 600 people in Ontario contracted Salmonella from bean sprouts in November 2005 and 6,000 people in Japan fell ill and 13 people died after contracting E. coli 0157 from radish sprouts in 1995, there are still no safety measures in place to ensure pathogen-free sprouts.

The way sprouted seeds are produced is the biggest reason they have caused at least one food-borne outbreak every year since 1980, said Warriner. Salmonella or E. coli bacteria can lodge in tiny seed cracks and are difficult to eliminate. The seeds are germinated in a warm, humid environment for three to seven days – ideal conditions for the exponential growth of bacteria. Also, because most sprouts such as alfalfa can be eaten only raw, they are not exposed to temperatures high enough to kill bacteria that may be present.

In 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recommended that sprout producers treat seeds with calcium hydrochlorite (bleach), but a year later, scientists tested the bleach decontamination method and found it didn’t work, said Warriner. “This is one reason the number of food-borne illness cases linked to sprouts keeps rising.”

For years, scientists have tested several decontamination methods, but all have failed to successfully decontaminate seeds or have detrimentally affected sprout development. Sprout producers have been left to either continue using the bleach method or to do nothing at all, and the CFIA has advised consumers who belong to high-risk groups, such as young children, seniors or people with weak immune systems, to avoid eating sprouts of any kind.

“There’s obviously an identified need for this technology,” said Warriner, whose team received funding from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Unlike bleach, which is extremely harmful to the environment and to workers, Warriner’s stabilized oxycholoro-based sanitizer called Germin-8-or is completely safe, he said. “There’s actually no residue at all,” he said.

A global patent has been submitted, and the producers of Germin-8-or are seeking regulatory approval and distributors in North America. Now that a safe, effective decontamination method is available, the researchers hope sprout producers will adopt the technology and enable consumers to enjoy the nutritional benefits of sprouts without worrying about contracting food-borne illness.

WATERLOO -- A leading Canadian researcher in communication systems design, Amir Khandani, has been appointed director of the Nortel Networks Institute for Advanced Information Technology at the University of Waterloo, effective July 1.

Khandani, who is also a UW professor of electrical and computer engineering, takes over from Ric Holt, a computer scientist at Waterloo. As well, Vic Diciccio, also a UW computer scientist, will serve as associate director of the institute.

"Dr. Khandani is a world-class expert in wireless communications with an impressive track record of publication and successful collaboration with industry," said Adel Sedra, dean of the engineering at Waterloo.

"The Nortel Networks Institute will benefit from his leadership and awareness of the need to have input from many disciplines, which Dr. Khandani has successfully accomplished over the years in his collaborative research program."

The institute, founded in 1999, is part of Nortel's overall education support strategy to invest in education, training, research and development at universities over the past two decades. The company has investments in 50 innovative technological initiatives with more than 20 major universities around the world.

Khandani was recently awarded a senior research chair to study technologies that will help shape the future of wireless networks. He also holds a Canada Research Chair in wireless systems funded by the federal government.

He is the author or co-author of more than 200 refereed articles and several noteworthy patents, including a patent on symbol-based turbo-codes, a technique incorporated in multiple telecommunication standards. Another major contribution is his shell-mapping algorithm, widely used in wire-line modems.

The Nortel Networks Institute seeks to create global leadership in advanced information technology research, innovation, education and training; develop high-quality students in electrical and computer engineering, and computer science; and provide a focus for education and research to advance computing and communications networks.

TORONTO - Ontario's colleges are pleased with the arbitrator's ruling released today that establishes a new four-year contract with faculty at the province's 24 colleges.

"The arbitrator's decision is consistent with the offer that colleges had made to faculty and it provides a good package for our faculty," said Dr. Rick Miner, the chair of the colleges' committee of presidents. "This decision recognizes the excellent and important work done by our faculty and the quality education that our faculty provides to the students."

The arbitrator, William Kaplan, was appointed following a three-week strike at the colleges in March. The key highlights of Kaplan's ruling today are: <<

- A salary increase of 15.3 per cent over four years, which will move the maximum salary to $96,529 by 2009 (the first year is retroactive to 2005). The colleges had proposed a 12.6-per-cent salary increase
- No change to workload
- The establishment of pilot projects and a task force to study workload
- No change to class size, which is currently an average system-wide of 28 students per class
- Incorporating the extra hour of out-of-class assistance that had been previously agreed to by the parties. >>

Miner said there is a recognized need for further investments into colleges, and it will be essential in the years ahead that governments support college education and training. As Premier Dalton McGuinty has said, even with new funding, Ontario colleges still receive the lowest per-capita investments of any province in Canada.
"Ontario must make a serious commitment to the education and training of our workforce, and that requires significant investments," Miner said. "We must ensure that education and training become priorities in Ontario."

Wilfrid Laurier University Press is thriving after a successful spring with the release of more than ten titles in April and May alone. Laurier Press has grown into a diverse and vital publisher that is excited to present a bountiful showing of Laurier professors’ academic work alongside other world-class scholarship.

Released this spring, The Dominion of Youth: Adolescence and the Making of Modern Canada, 1920 to 1950 by Cynthia Comacchio offers the first detailed study of Canada’s original modern teenagers.

Comacchio, a professor in Laurier’s history department, is editor of the acclaimed Studies in Childhood and Family in Canada series. Canadian Historical Review said that “the series…under the general editorship of one of Canada’s leading historians of the family, Cynthia Comacchio, is clearly an important part of [the] resurgence [of] interest [in the history of the family].” The Dominion of Youth is the eighth book in the series and there are two forthcoming titles currently in production.

The Language of Canadian Politics: A Guide to Important Terms and Concepts is a book from Laurier’s political science department edited by professor John McMenemy that has been praised by The Globe and Mail.

With nearly 600 cross-referenced entries, The Language of Canadian Politics offers brief essays on the many facets of the Canadian political system, including institutions, events, laws, concepts and public policies. Concisely written, it is an important resource for people interested in contemporary politics, as well as those interested in the historic context of contemporary political behaviour.

“All students of Canadian politics will want this thorough, cross-referenced guide to our surprisingly complex political landscape by political scientist McMenemy,” says Martin Levin of The Globe and Mail. “The first mini-essay, interestingly, is on Accountability.”

McMenemy has published in the areas of Canadian political parties and provincial government, urban government and politics, and political communication. He is the author of previous editions of The Language of Canadian Politics and for many years was administrative editor of the Canadian Journal of Political Science.

Another professor from Laurier’s department of political science, Yasmine Shamsie, has partnered with Andrew S. Thompson to co-edit Haiti: Hope for a Fragile State, a book co-published with CIGI. Both Shamsie and Thompson are Fellows at the Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) at York University.

“This book…avoids the political debates about Jean-Bertrand Aristide that dominate so many current writings about Haiti,” says Terry Copp, Director of the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies (LCMSDS), and Executive Director of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) John English in the Preface. “Its focus is the society itself, the sources of difference, the origins of violence, and the possibility of change. …The superb work done by the editors has established a high standard for future efforts.”

“What makes this book unique is that it brings together diverse perspectives, discusses the peace-building efforts of the past,” says English, “and suggests ways for moving forward so that Haiti can one day become a stable state.”

Irrelevant or Indispensable? The United Nations in the Twenty-First Century, another book from Laurier’s political science department has been co-published with CIGI. Patricia Goff partnered with Paul Heinbecker from the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) to edit the book.

A new book on the way, Vimy Ridge: A Canadian Reassessment, edited by Andrew Iarocci and Mike Bechthold from Laurier and Geoffrey Hayes from the University of Waterloo, will be co-published with LCMSDS.

Also coming soon to Laurier Press is a brand new series: Film and Media Studie featuring co-editors Phillippa Gates, Russell Kilbourn and Ute Lischke, all from Laurier’s department of English and film studies. Projects being considered include a study of religion and cinema and a critical examination of Canadian television

“Co-publication with organizations like CIGI and LCMSDS, as well as attendance at international rights fairs have raised the profile of the Press and the university,” says Clare Hitchens of publicity and marketing for the Wilfrid Laurier University Press.

New marketing strategies for the Press are global as well as local. Distribution has also moved from Laurier’s office to the University of Toronto Press Distribution service, which has allowed Laurier Press to concentrate on the acquisition, editing, production and marketing of its books.

“A larger distributor allows our books to reach a larger continental market,” says Hitchens, “enhancing the reputation both of the press and the university, attracting new authors, new sources of funding, and new interest.”

“I can’t say enough good about Wilfrid Laurier University Press,” says Laurier Press author Julie Rak, editor of Auto/Biography in Canada: Critical Directions.

“The Press is about people and new ideas first, and that makes its staff wonderful to work with. I always feel like each one of them is in my corner and is doing everything possible to make my book a success. The editors are aware of the latest developments in my field and are on the cutting edge of its scholarship. And everyone works fast! While other large academic presses take a long time to accept and edit work, Laurier Press moves the process along efficiently, without sacrificing quality. I hope to work with Laurier Press again.”

For more information on the Wilfrid Laurier University Press or any of the books, visit www.wlupress.wlu.ca.

Mallory O'Brien
Public Affairs

WATERLOO -- Renowned children's entertainer Eric Nagler will be one of the main attractions at the 22nd annual Canada Day celebrations on Saturday (July 1) staged by the University of Waterloo at Columbia Lake.

The public is invited to attend the Canada Day events, which begin at 2 p.m. and continue throughout the day, wrapping up at 10:15 p.m. with the grand finale of fireworks. The celebration also features live musical entertainment throughout the day and evening.

The annual event, organized by UW's external relations and the Federation of Students, is expected to attract up to 60,000 people to celebrate Canada's 139th birthday at the Columbia Lake fields on the university's north campus (off Columbia Street West).

Entertainment highlights include family entertainer Eric Nagler of Eric's World and The Elephant Show, who will perform on the main stage at 5 p.m. Other music acts are Matthew Barber and The Union Dues, who headline the show at 9 p.m. and Dala with a 6:15 p.m. performance, after opening ceremonies.

Among dignitaries attending the official opening ceremony at 6 p.m. are Acting Waterloo Mayor Gary Kieswetter and Andrew Telegdi, MP for Kitchener-Waterloo.

This year's celebration will focus on respecting the environment, says Natai Shelsen, administrative co-ordinator for the celebrations and a UW student in speech communication, as well as peace and conflict studies. "Although red and white are the official colours on Canada Day, this year we want people to 'think green.' "

"We are encouraging all of our attendees to 'think green' on Canada Day by being environmentally conscious and by taking the Grand River Transit (GRT) buses, riding a bike, walking, rollerblading or skateboarding to the celebrations," she said.

The Canada Day "think green" tent will offer environmental information and showcase green initiatives on campus, such as UW's Midnight Sun solar race car, alternative fuels team and sustainability project. The public can receive a free ride on the GRT by going to the tent and reciting the GRT phrase: "This Canada Day, think green and ride clean with GRT."

As well, "green games" will be held to encourage children to think about the environment and how best to improve it.

The event's popularity is credited to the big list of free activities and events planned for the entire family. Water slide, dunk tank, obstacle course and magic shows are just a few of the many activities, along with an arts and crafts fair featuring a wide selection of hand-made goods and kid-friendly products.

While most of the children's activities wrap up at 8 p.m., the main stage performances, the arts and crafts fair continue until 10 p.m. Parking is free in all UW lots for the day; please enter via University Avenue, as Columbia Street and Hagey Boulevard at Bearinger Road will be closed.

The event is made possible by the support of many local businesses and organizations. Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate on-site to the UW food bank.

On a regional basis, proportionately more principals in Quebec and the three territories reported problems with students dropping out, student apathy and teacher turnover.

Higher-than-average proportions of principals in Quebec and Ontario also reported problems with bullying. In the territories, principals noted problems with student consumption of alcohol or drugs, student absenteeism, disruption of classes by students and student tardiness.

In contrast, lower-than-average proportions of principals in British Columbia and the Prairies reported problems with conflicts among students, bullying, and student disrespect for teachers.

In total, Canada had about 8,000 male principals and 7,000 female principals at elementary and secondary schools in 2004/2005.

Women accounted for 47% of all principals. At the elementary level, they represented 53%, but only 42% at the secondary level. The territories had the highest proportion of male principals (81%).

Typically, principals begin their careers as teachers, advancing once they have gained classroom experience and taken further training. As a result, they tend to be older than the average for the labour force as a whole.

About 57% were aged 50 or over in 2004/2005, compared to 32% of managers in the labour force as a whole. Similarly, 12% of principals were aged between 20 and 39, compared to 33% of managers in the labour force overall.

Two-thirds (66%) of secondary school principals held either a master's degree or a doctorate, compared with 57% of their elementary counterparts.

A second article examines trends in apprenticeship training in Canada between 1991 and 2003. It provides information on total registrations, new registrations, and completions. There are also details on trends across major trades groups that participate in the registered apprenticeship training system.

Note: The Survey of Principals was part of a research project sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. It was developed in partnership with a team of researchers from the faculties of education at the Université de Montréal, University of Toronto, Simon Fraser University and Université de Sherbrooke.

The University gave an Outstanding Leadership Award to Chancellor Lincoln Alexander Thursday night and announced that the award will be an annual honour bearing his name.

President Alastair Summerlee presented the award during a dinner hosted by the College of Management and Economics (CME) and the Centre for Studies in Leadership. Summerlee said it’s fitting that the new award is named for Alexander and that the chancellor is also the first recipient.

Alexander is an exemplary leader, he said. “Not only has he been our chancellor for an unprecedented five consecutive terms, attending almost every convocation, but he also spends virtually all his waking hours in public service.”

Alexander said he was surprised by the award. “I came here tonight not knowing what was going to happen. Leadership is a great word; it means so much. A few leaders are born, and some are taught to be leaders. I always strived for excellence, and I think I reached some of that.”

Michael Cox, associate director of the Centre for Studies in Leadership, said the Lincoln Alexander Outstanding Leadership Award will be bestowed each summer. “The University of Guelph is committed to building the best leadership program in the world,” he said.

Summerlee added: “The whole concept of the leadership program centres around engaging our students in learning in order for them to make a difference in people’s lives.”

Established in 2003, the leadership centre undertakes and promotes research on leadership issues, develops new educational programs and participates in community outreach and promotional activities.

It also brings together the University’s interdisciplinary research expertise and programming, including the CME’s master’s degree in leadership studies. First- and second-year students enrolled in the executive MA leadership program also attended Thursday’s event.

This is the third U of G honour to carry Alexander’s name. The University also has the Lincoln Alexander Medal of Distinguished Service and the Lincoln Alexander Chancellor’s Scholarships, which reflect his commitment to enhancing the diversity of Canada’s university student population.

Alexander, a lawyer who has served as chancellor since 1991, was also recently named “The Greatest Hamiltonian.” He was elected to the House of Commons in 1968 as member of Parliament for Hamilton West, became federal minister of labour in 1979, and was appointed Ontario lieutenant governor in 1985. He was the first black Canadian to hold all three positions. Alexander also served as a United Nations observer and as chair of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. In 1992, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada and to the Order of Ontario.

The University of Guelph will soon be home to some research “firsts” in Ontario and Canada, thanks to more than $1.3 million in funding announced today by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

Among other things, CFI is investing in building at Guelph Canada’s first one-micron nuclear microprobe; Ontario’s only microneurography facility; and new laboratories for studying nutraceutical encapsulation and tissue, cell and protein dynamics.

The national agency is also supporting U of G projects that will advance knowledge in pest management, cardiovascular health and disease, physics, and food packaging and design.

“One of the most striking aspects of this announcement is the diversity of research that is going to receive a boost at U of G,” said Alan Wildeman, vice-president (research). “These faculty members are representative of the excellence right across the university. We are proud of their success.”

The $1.3 million in funding has been awarded to eight U of G research projects. The investments were made through CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund, which is designed to help launch the careers of new and talented faculty and help institutions attract and retain exceptional scholars in priority research areas.

“I’m thrilled,” said nutritional sciences professor Amanda Wright of receiving $126,045 to set up a nutraceutical laboratory. “It will mean so much, not only for my budding program but also for our food-nutrition collaborations in general. There’s so much to learn about how to encapsulate bioactive compounds for successful incorporation into food products and delivery to the body. The CFI infrastructure will allow my group to contribute to this understanding and related technology development.”

Prof. Leah Bent, also of the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, received $87,000 to establish a microneurography facility where she’ll study sensory contributions to balance, posture and walking, work that will especially benefit the country’s elderly population.

“The data acquisition hardware, software and amplifiers are specifically designed to record from single peripheral nerves in humans,” she said. Bent seeks to understand which foot sole skin receptors are involved in functional postural control reflexes. Ultimately, she hopes to develop more sophisticated and applicable prosthetic devices for sensory-deficient groups such as the elderly and diabetics.

Peter Sikkema of the Department of Plant Agriculture received $380,282 for equipment that will support an extensive research program for sustainable pest management in field and horticultural crops at the University’s Ridgetown campus.

Back at the Guelph campus, physics professor Diane de Kerckhove received $145,795 to buy a complex lens system for the microprobe she’s building in the basement of the MacNaughton Building. She’ll use the state-of-the-art facility to study semiconducters and to fabricate microscopic light-emitting devices.

The new technology will provide a “50-fold” improvement in spatial resolution, she said. “This new microprobe will have the ability to identify trace elements to within a few parts per million, with depth resolution as well as high lateral resolution. It will help keep Canada competitive in the area of ion beam analysis and modification of materials.”

Other Guelph CFI Leaders Opportunity Fund recipients are:

• Douglas Fudge, Department of Integrative Biology, $252,319 to establish a world-class tissue, cell and protein dynamics laboratory that will advance research in human health, biotechnology, nanotechnology and materials science.

• Paul Garrett, Department of Physics, $149,364 for technology to improve the high-efficiency gamma-ray spectrometer used for beta-decay experiments. Among other things, the new equipment will improve studies of neutron halos in light-mass systems and research on the evolution of nuclear shell structure.

• Ron Johnson, Department of Biomedical Sciences, $126,828 for equipment to advance investigations of altered venous function in chronic heart failure and to support long-term research into cardiovascular health and disease.

• Loong-Tak Lim, Department of Food Science, $84,418 to apply and develop innovative technologies to improve the performance of food packaging and to advance fundamental knowledge of how food interacts with packaging.

English professor Dr. Tamas Dobozy awarded Fulbright Visiting Research Chair

Waterloo - Laurier English professor Dr. Tamas Dobozy has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Visiting Research Chair at New York University.

The five-month appointment begins in January, during which time Dobozy will be attached to NYU’s creative writing department, whose members include E. L. Doctorow, Paule Marshall and Sharon Olds.

“I’ll teach one class and the rest of the time I’ll be researching and writing,” says Dobozy, author of the critically acclaimed book of short stories, Last Notes and Other Stories.

Dobozy, 36, who has been at Laurier for two years, says much of his writing is focused on Hungarian immigrants (like his parents), and art and artists.

While in New York, he intends to conduct research on Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, who fled Europe and lived in New York from 1940 until his death in 1945.

“He found New York City noisy and perplexing, with blaring radios and people yelling,” says Dobozy. The family had little money and couldn’t even afford to have a piano in their apartment. When he became ill with leukemia, his medical expenses were paid by the American Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Bartók’s New York experience may have been a demoralizing time for the composer, says Dobozy, but it “would be a rich thing to write about.”

Dobozy, who will receive $5,000 U.S. monthly for the duration of his Fulbright award, is currently working on another collection of short stories as well as conducting research on American writer Toni Morrison and American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Barry Ries, WLU Public Affairs

University of Guelph graduates continue to give their alma mater high marks when it comes to the quality of the undergraduate experience, a new survey by Maclean’s reveals.

Guelph was No. 1 among comprehensive universities in seven of the eight categories that make up the magazine’s new University Graduate Survey, which was published Tuesday. In the remaining category, U of G placed second.

“It’s always gratifying to receive positive feedback from our graduates, and I’m delighted that our former students rated us the best comprehensive university and among the best in the country,” said president Alastair Summerlee.

For the survey, Maclean’s randomly selected people from 23 participating universities who graduated with undergraduate degrees in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Nearly 14,700 people participated. As usual, the magazine divided universities into three categories: primarily undergraduate, comprehensive and medical/doctoral.

Participants rated their alma maters in six areas related to undergraduate educational quality: teaching, learning environment, library resources, student services, extracurricular activities and overall educational experience. They were also asked if they would recommend their school to a friend and if their university experience was beneficial to their lives.

U of G topped the charts in seven categories and was ranked second in library resources. Some highlights include:

• 83 per cent of survey respondents said they’d recommend U of G to a friend.

• 76 per cent rated Guelph’s overall educational experience as “very good.”

• 82 per cent said their U of G experience was of significant benefit.

In addition, Maclean’s also published some of the results of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) in this week’s issue of the magazine. Some 12,600 students were asked more than 100 questions about specific aspects of their undergraduate experience. Eighteen Canadian universities took part in NSSE in 2004 and 2005, and Maclean’s published the most recent results for each school.

The premise of this survey comes from work in the United States, where it’s been shown that the level of student engagement at a university is directly related to the quality and depth of the learning achieved. Summerlee said that although Guelph is pleased with its performance in NSSE, the University does not support using the survey’s results for university rankings. “NSSE is just one of a suite of tools Guelph uses to gauge institutional performance and accountability,” he said.

One of NSSE’s important features is that it gives U of G the ability to compare its level of student engagement with benchmark institutions in the United States, Summerlee added. Guelph was among a small number of Canadian universities that performed better than their American counterparts.

“At a time when the Ontario government is seeking independent proof of the quality of the learning experience, the results of this survey speak strongly to the unique learning environment at Guelph created by the dedicated work of faculty and staff,” he said.

The University released the NSSE findings earlier this month, and complete results can be found online .

· Jim Chownyk – (Cambridge)
· Ruthann Fisher – (Kitchener)
· Christopher Gehan -- (Kitchener)
· Ann Haller-Lovell -- (Kitchener)
· Rev. Robert Hetu -- (St. Clements)
· Dan Lajoie -- (Cambridge)
· Pat McMahon – (Cambridge)
· Sonya Monsberger – (Petersburg)
· Suzanne Mary Philp – (Kitchener)
· Kathy Stauffer -- (Ayr)

The Board of Trustees will interview applicants in the Boardroom on Wednesday, June 28, 2006 – beginning at 9 a.m. Candidates will be interviewed in two groups of five, determined alphabetically by last name.

Voting to select the new Trustees will commence immediately following conclusion of the final group interview, at approximately 11:15 a.m.
The interview and voting process is fully open to the public.

Each member of the Board of Trustees who is present will have two votes per ballot -- and there will be no abstentions. Voting will continue until two candidates each receive the votes of a clear majority (50% plus one) of the Trustees present. The successful candidates will then be sworn in as Trustees.

Where necessary, any ties will be broken by the drawing of lots, as prescribed in the Education Act. Copies of each candidate’s application and supporting documentation are available for viewing by any member of the public during normal business hours at the Waterloo Region Catholic Education Centre -- 35 Weber St. W., Unit A, Kitchener. Call 578-3660 ext. 2239.

WATERLOO, - What's red and white and green all over? Canada Day at the University of Waterloo.

This 22nd annual celebration, to be held at Columbia Lake on July 1, will focus on respecting the environment, says Natai Shelsen, administrative co-ordinator for the celebrations and a UW student in speech communication, as well as peace and conflict studies. "Although red and white are the official colours on Canada Day, this year we want people to 'think green.' "

Shelsen said that, besides celebrating Canada, it's important to go a step further "by respecting and celebrating part of what makes Canada so great -- our environment."

"We are encouraging all of our attendees to 'think green' on Canada Day by being environmentally conscious and by taking the GRT buses, riding a bike, walking, rollerblading or skateboarding to the celebrations."

Shelsen said Grand River Transit liked the idea so much that the public service has come on board as a presenter sponsor of the event.

Canada Day organizers will set up a green booth to offer environmental information and showcase green initiatives on campus, such as UW's Midnight Sun solar race car, the UW alternative fuels team and the UW sustainability project.

As well, "green games" will be held to encourage children to think about the environment and how best to improve it.

Organizers are seeking volunteers from the community to help out at the green-tinged celebrations, widely seen as Waterloo Region's premier Canada Day event. Volunteers are needed on June 30, July 1 and July 2 for a variety of roles, from helping with the children's activities to working in the food tent.

Ahinsa Mansukhani, volunteer event manager, stressed the need for volunteers at Canada Day. To sign up as a volunteer, visit www.canadaday.uwaterloo.ca.

"It is remarkable that the University of Waterloo's Canada Day celebrations is largely the result of the hard work and dedication of volunteers," she said. "Without their participation and support it would simply be impossible to execute such a high-quality event for our community. So come on out and help us make this the most memorable Canada Day yet."

The public is invited to attend the Canada Day events, which begin at 2 p.m. and continue throughout the day, wrapping up at 10 p.m. with the grand finale of fireworks. This year's family entertainer will be Eric Nagler of Eric's World and The Elephant Show, who will perform on the main stage at 5 p.m.

The annual event, organized by UW's external relations department and the federation of students, is expected to attract up to 60,000 people to celebrate Canada's 139th birthday at the Columbia Lake fields on the university's north campus (off Columbia Street West).

The event's popularity is credited to the big list of free activities and events planned for the entire family. Water slide, dunk tank, obstacle course and magic shows are just a few of the many activities, along with an arts and crafts fair featuring a wide selection of hand-made goods and kid-friendly products.

Canada Day at UW also features live musical entertainment throughout the day and evening as well as a fireworks display. Performers include Matthew Barber and The Union Dues, who headline the show at 9 p.m.

While most of the children's activities wrap up at 8 p.m., the main stage performances, the arts and crafts fair continue until 10 p.m. Parking is free in all UW lots for the day; please enter via University Avenue, as Columbia Street will be closed.

The event is made possible by the support of many local businesses and organizations. Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate on-site to the UW food bank.

Construction is now well under way at Laurier now that Willison Field and the surrounding parking lots have been demolished to make way for the improved Alumni Field. Construction on the Doctor Alvin Woods Building (DAWB) will also begin shortly as a general contractor has been appointed and a building permit has been granted by the city of Waterloo.

Alumni Field

The earth has been moved and the ground leveled to the proper grade. Physical Resources has acquired approval from the city of Waterloo for a second one-way exit onto King Street near the Athletic Complex. This exit will be controlled by a gate and will keep the flow of traffic moving quickly and in one direction. This will be helpful for sports teams’ buses letting off students or for other busy Laurier events.

Laurier is also currently working on raising additional funds to upgrade walkways and seating and for additional landscaping. With only a small percentage of the additional funds left to go, Alumni Field is in good shape.

“We’ve already paid for the base project,” says Kent MacLennan of University Advancement. “Now we’re fundraising for those extra enhancements that will make this a first-class renovation.”

The discovery of old storm and sanitary sewers under the field has delayed the project approximately a week and a half. Current work on the field has been dedicated to replacing the sewers and relocating them so they will be positioned around the field instead of under it.

The contractor is trying to make up time by overlapping some projects and is still positive for a September completion.

“The parking lots, the artificial turf and the lighting will be completed,” says Ron Dupuis, assistant vice president for Physical Resources. “All of the planting and details may not be finished but that won’t effect the university.”

The digging for the new sewers will be completed by next week, and the following week the field drainage tiles will be laid. After that, the installation of curbs for the new parking areas will begin.

Two new parking lots will be located beside the Athletic Complex and Science Building running parallel to the field, and another lot will be relocated beside the Willison Hall residence.

Doctor Alvin Woods Building

All the departments have moved from the DAWB to their temporary locations in Leupold and Euler residences, 195 and 205 Regina Street and the Bricker Academic Building. The first site meeting for the reconstruction occurred this past Tuesday.

The DAWB is now officially closed and pedestrian access prohibited.

Next week, the contractor will begin hoarding the site and access to the immediate area around the DAWB will also be restricted. Demolition will be occurring shortly thereafter.

The University of Guelph’s Alumni Association will present its 2006 awards June 24 during Alumni Weekend.

Peter Hannam, BSA '62, will be named Alumnus of Honour; Martin Bosch, B.Sc. '69, M.Sc. '71 and PhD '04, will receive the Alumni Volunteer Award; and the Alumni Medal of Achievement will go to Crystal Mackay, B.Sc.(Agr.) '92. The Ontario Veterinary College Alumni Association will honour retired pathobiology professor Carlton Gyles, DVM '64, as OVC Distinguished Alumnus for 2006.

The awards will be presented at noon during the President’s Lunch in Peter Clark Hall in the University Centre.

Hannam has become a pivotal figure in Canadian agriculture, specifically the soybean industry. He established First Line Seeds in 1982 and grew the company into one of Canada's largest soybean seed suppliers. His vision and strong belief in research have helped to propel soybeans to their position as Ontario's largest field crop and to develop value-added soybean products. In 2001, he assisted with the launch of Soy 20/20, a program designed to match soybean research with market opportunities.

Students are best acquainted with Hannam through his creation of Project SOY (Soybean Opportunities for Youth), a contest that encourages students to develop innovative uses for soybeans. His family also made a $1-million contribution to U of G that is being used to promote innovative medical, industrial and nutritive uses, as well as marketing strategies for Ontario soybeans.

Bosch is a three-time chemistry graduate and chair of the Guelph Soap Co. Inc., a company he established and developed into a major player in the privately labelled soap-processing industry. In 1987, he established the Guelph Soap Co. Inc. Scholarship, an annual award that recognizes a top chemistry student at Guelph. He has served as a volunteer director on the UGAA board, was an alumni senator, and played a significant role in developing and promoting the University's recent fundraising campaign, including funding and garnering support for the installation of the clock on Rozanski Hall.

In 2001, Bosch helped a team that submitted a successful application to the Canada Foundation for Innovation for a $3.2-million grant used to found the Electrochemical Technology Centre. He was also the visionary behind the Historical Plaque Project on campus and continues to work with the College of Biological Science and the College of Physical and Engineering Science to raise funds for the science complex.

Mackay has been an innovator in agricultural communications since graduating from the Ontario Agricultural College. She worked for the Ontario Farm Animal Council from 1993 to 1997, where she worked to improve public awareness and understanding of Canada's agricultural sector and spent more than 100 days a year speaking with audiences across the province.

In 1997, she joined Ontario Pork as a communications specialist and started her own company, Crystal Clear Communications. One of her greatest professional accomplishments was the development of the “Speak Up” team concept, which trained pork farmers to be agricultural ambassadors and media spokespeople in Ontario. She produced the first “Faces of Farming” calendar in 2001, featuring photographs of Ontario pork producers, which won a “Best in Show” in the public relations category at the Canadian Agricultural Marketing Awards ceremony. She was also a key member of the team that developed Ontario Pork's award-winning “Farm to Fork” campaign.

Gyles, who came to Canada from his native Jamaica in the late 1950s, has spent his entire career at U of G, where he successfully combined research with numerous administrative responsibilities as a department chair, associate director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety, dean of graduate studies and interim dean of OVC.

He began studying Escherichia coli more than 35 years ago and his widely-recognized research has focused generally on understanding how bacteria cause disease and especially on controlling the risk of contamination through food, water and human contact with animals. His contributions on the public health aspects of the bacteria have helped make Canada's food supply safer. Since “retiring” last summer, his work has focused on the creation of the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses and planning for a new building to house the Animal Health Laboratory and the Department of Pathobiology.

Research in the arts, humanities and social sciences at the University of Guelph received a $900,000 boost today.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) announced it's investing nearly $81 million in research projects at 94 universities and colleges. U of G's share is for 12 projects. These projects range from the history of Canada’s health food stores to the earnings and employment outcomes of post-secondary graduates to comparing and understanding the differences between aboriginal traditional and western science knowledge systems.

“I was very pleased to learn that my study had received funding from SSHRC,” said integrative biology professor Steve Crawford.

He received $189,963 to support his effort to improve communication between aboriginal and western science knowledge systems. The award will allow Crawford to develop a model to represent the structure and function of both knowledge systems. “This model should be a very practical tool to compare and contrast aboriginal traditional knowledge and western science in a neutral environment,” he said.

Anthropology professor Renée Sylvain received $70,973 to study human rights and social justice from the perspective of marginalized indigenous San living in remote areas of three southern African countries.

“I'm quite pleased because this is an opportunity to contribute to research capacity-building among San, publicize human rights issues that don't get a great deal of attention internationally, and promote networks between the academics at the University of Guelph and southern African scholars,” said Sylvain.

History professor Catherine Carstairs received $43,009 for research on the history of Canada’s health food stores. She’s conducting interviews with 30 of Canada’s health food leaders and examining health magazines to trace the history and trends of the industry.

Other professors who received SSHRC funding are:

• James Amegashie, Economics, $35,401 to study revenge and third-party intervention in conflicts.

• Rob de Loë, Geography, $97,030 for a study of water allocation in Alberta and in New South Wales, Australia

• Michael Hoy, Economics, $38,900 to research the effectiveness of private and social insurance policy options

• Ric Knowles, English and Theatre Studies, $68,258 for a study of how Toronto’s multiculturalism is reflected in its performance arts

• Jesse Palsetia, History, $107,022 to examine the public career of Indian businessman Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy

• Troy Riddell, Political Science, $65,842 for a study of the federal judicial appointment process

• Norman Smith, History, $75,015 to research Chinese narratives of alcohol and opiate addiction in the popular culture of Manchuria from 1900 to the 1940s

• Henry Thille, Economics, $47,377 to explore the link between the size of firms in a market and the use of inventories to smooth prices

• David Walters, Sociology and Anthropology, $54,772 for a study on the earnings and employment outcomes of post-secondary graduates.