The Retirees' Newsletter

The Retirees's Association ( Faculty, Librarian, Administrator), University of Windsor, Windsor, Ont. Canada

Vol IX, No. 2, April 1999

Dean of Law Leaves Post To Become A Judge

Professor Juanita Westmoreland-Traore, Dean of Law since1996 leaves Windsor to be a Judge in the Court of Quebec. A farewell party was arranged in the Law School on April 15.

NEW HOME-MADE STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM GIVES OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE FIRST TIME OUT

A new computerized system to handle student applications, acceptances and other information has the people in the Registrar's Office singing high praise for the program's creator, David Wilbur of the university's Information Technology Services.

Most Ontario universities recently purchased expensive American-made, off-the-shelf software, then tried to modify it to the Ontario system. Windsor took a chance on a home-grown solution to the problem of handling growing number of applications and making the thousands of acceptance decisions.

The admissions run was only the first use of the new system. The system will track who has applied and who was accepted. It will also track prospects, note if they apply, are accepted and keep track of their marks right through to graduation. The system replaces separate systems used for registrations and applications, class lists and academic standings, student accounts receivables, and financial aid and awards. Now academics and administrators can all have access to the single, complete file.

This fall, the system will be accessible by students and faculty through the web. No special software will be needed. Students will be able to select courses and register for the Fall 2000 semester. Faculty will be able to check class lists and carry out administrative tasks.

STUDENTS PACK SENATE TO PROTEST MORE HIKES IN TUITION FEES

Students packed the Senate chamber on March 25, as an outline of the university's 1999-2000 budget, still in development, was presented by President Ross Paul and Vice-President Administration and Finance Eric Harbottle.

Titled "Investing in a New Era," the expenditure side of the budget includes bridge financing to speed up the hiring process for new faculty, a proposal for a new drama building, an endowment for scholarships, funds to upgrade labs and classrooms, support for improvements in the university's Information Technology services, and other items.

However, the students were there to say they were against any further increases in tuition.

Details of the 1999-2000 Budget will be reported in the June Newsletter.

COU STUDIES - REPORTS RELEASED
SURGE PREDICTED IN STUDENT DEMAND
ONTARIO UNIVERSITIES NOT READY

The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) held a news conference at Queen's Park to focus on the magnitude of a projected surge in student demand for university education over the next decade and the urgency to address the capacity of Ontario universities to handle it.

Two major studies compiled by COU have been released. One is an analysis of projected student demand and its implications done by Price Waterhouse Coopers. The other is a report by the Angus Reid Group, a public opinion researcher, that establishes public expectations of Ontario universities.

COU will offer cost models to assist with the next stage of analysis.

COMPUTER SCIENCE - DEBUT OF SPEECHNET

It immediately reminds one of HAL, the computer from the movie 2001: A Space Odessy, or the talking computer systems on Star Trek.

But you don't need to leave the planet today to have a conversation with a computer. SpeechNet, a system designed to hear and speak on the internet, was demonstrated in Room 510, Chrysler Hall Tower.

SpeechNet has been designed by Computer Science Professor Richard Frost and graduate student Sanjay Chitte. It is intended to become a collection of speech-accessible hyperlinks distributed across the internet. Two visual challenged Windsor students have been helping with the project as well.

"What is completely new about this, is that it means we can have speech-accessible objects deployed over the internet. The Daily News, for example, could be loaded into SpeechNet and become accessible. A non-sighted person could ask questions and get answers about the content of the Daily News," says Frost.

The unique element about the program is that it also contains grammars, as well as information, so that people who access the site can ask questions out loud and the program should be able to respond out loud.

LOOKING FOR WAYS TO CELEBRATE THE MILLENNIUM

How will the University of Windsor campus celebrate the new Millennium? That's what EDUCATION 2000, a subcommittee of WELCOME 2000, would like to know.

EDUCATION 2000, comprised of representatives from the local education sector, is gathering information about any educational initiatives being planned to commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Plans are underway to produce a video highlighting students of all ages from across Essex County in a variety of activities. Once complete, the video will be available to all school boards, St. Clair College, the university, and other selected venues as a way to remember this historic moment.

Campus groups who have already begun planning a millennium activity are urged to write or fax information regarding their plans as soon as possible to: Jennifer Barone, External Affairs, 484 Sunset Ave., University of Windsor, Ext. 3242, fax: 973-7067. An interactive form will be available soon on the WELCOME 2000 website at www.Windsor2000.com.

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