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President supports weather office
Memorial President Dr. Axel Meisen has joined the chorus of provincial
voices asking that the national weather office in Gander remain in place.
In a letter to Environment Minister David Anderson, Dr. Meisen said that
he supports the findings of the provincial position paper on the regional
importance of the station, and added that scientists at Memorial working
on environmental science prediction have indicated their support of the
general arguments in the position paper.
Environment Canada announced March 13 that forecasting and research staff
would be integrated into units in five offices across Canada, with much
of the capacity at the Gander weather office transferred to Halifax.
“The diversity of conditions and the geographic scale support the
case for a centre that can develop awareness of and a focus on the relevant,
regional meteorological processes,” writes Dr. Meisen, noting that
the province spans a geographic range equal to that of Western Europe
and that Miami is nearly as far from Halifax as is northern Labrador.
Dr. Meisen also indicated to Mr. Anderson that Memorial University strongly
endorses a proposed partnership arrangement leading to a joint research
program between the university and the Meteorological Service of Canada
(MSC). Memorial has a strong program in environmental science and marine
science, one of its areas of strategic concentration.
Board approves oil and gas program
A new graduate program aimed at executives in the oil and gas sector was
approved at the recent meeting of Memorial University’s Board of
Regents. The University Senate, the university’s governing body
on academic affairs, had previously approved the new master’s in
oil and gas at its March 11 meeting.
The master’s in oil and gas studies is a professional, non-thesis,
interdisciplinary degree program aimed at educating professionals already
working in the oil and gas industry. The program is open to individuals
with an undergraduate degree and who have several years experience in
the petroleum industry, either in the private sector or with a government
agency and who have been earmarked as having senior executive potential.
The Board also appointed Dr. Alex Faseruk as academic director for the
program for a three-year term beginning April 1, 2003.
Recognizing very important volunteers
The Student Volunteer Bureau and the Centre of Career Development and
Experiential Learning launched the new Volunteer Incentive Program (V.I.P.)
March 26, during MUN Volunteer Day. Designed to promote, recognize, and
reward student volunteerism, the V.I.P. challenges participants to achieve
at three levels: bronze, silver, and gold. Each level requires V.I.P.
participants to complete a set number hours of volunteer work on campus
and in the community.
During Volunteer Day ceremonies, Michelle Biles was named recipient of
the Volunteer of the Year Award, recognized for her work with Students
for Literacy. Also, Dr. Lilly Walker, dean of student affairs and services,
presented Edward Roberts, Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador,
with a honorary Gold Level V.I.P. pin and certificate for his work as
chairman of the Board of Regents of Memorial University from 1997-2002.
A dialogue on traditional music
Who Owns Traditional Music: A Dialogue is a one-day symposium taking place
April 10 in room M-1032, School of Music, Memorial University of Newfoundland.
The symposium is designed to initiate a dialogue about issues of access
to traditional music. The symposium will bring together musicians, archivists,
folklorists, and ethnomusicologists.
“The issues we will consider include legal definitions of copyright,
international conventions concerning oral traditions, diverse cultures'
customary “law” regarding intellectual property, the impact
of contemporary systems of circulation such as the Internet, the responsibilities
of archives to collectors and communities, and the ethics of rearrangements
of traditional music, said Dr. Beverley Diamond, Canada Research Chair
for Traditional Music.
Guest presentations will be made by John Joy (Lawyer) and Dr. Michael
Taft (head, Archive of Folk Culture, Library of Congress). For further
information, contact Dr. Beverley Diamond, 737-3701 or bdiamond@mun.ca
Board makes key admin appointments
The Board of Regents has made several key appointments at its March meeting.
Glenn Collins was appointed acting vice-president (administration and
finance) for the period May 1, 2003, to Dec. 31, 2003, or earlier if a
new vice-president (administration and finance) is appointed. Maire O'Dea
appointed acting registrar, effective May 1, 2003, and continuing until
the registrar returns to his position or vacates it. The board also approved
a change in the reporting structure of the International Centre from the
portfolio of the vice-president (research and international relations)
to the portfolio of the vice-president (academic). The Board approved
a recommendation that the portfolio of the vice-president (research and
international relations) be renamed the portfolio of vice-president (research).
