I'm fortunate that I'm not married . . I can Or take a lower paying job for awhile. But I sympathize with my lfellow students who have more responsibilities to face.
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I have friends who are unemployed grads . . . they are trying to think of toDics lo do a in so they can come back to school.
Larry Mark, B.Sc. '73.
I think university grads must realize that a degree doesn't guarantee I think a job there are jobs to be found if you're willing to start at the bottom.
...
Anne McKelvie, Mac '73.
Ron Reid, OAC '72.
the UN-JOB CRISIS for young graduates
UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH January-February, 1972, Vol. 5, No. 1
CREDITS: Design: Cover, Ken Chamberlain. Photography: Cover, Ted Carter, AudioVisual S_ervices;p. 4, 9, 10, 11, Dave Bates; p. 12, photo of S. L. Carr courtesy W. H. Carr, Mississauga; p. 14, AudioVisual Services.
UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HONORARY PRESIDENT: Dr. W. C. Winegard. PRESIDENT: DR. V. C. R. WALKER, OVC '47. SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT: T. R. Hilliard, OAC '40. VICE-PRESIDENTS: Mrs. J. D. (Virginia Shortt) Bandeen Mac '57, Dr. C. R. Buck, OVC '46, D. W. ~ t h o n e l l ,OAC '70, and T. B. Radford, Well '67. SECRETARY: Mrs. G. M. (Joan Anderson) Jenkinson, Mac '66. TREASURER: J. J. Elmslie, Development Officer, University of Guelph. DIRECTORS: Miss Elizabeth Brandon We11 '70; Dr. Sandra J. (Kelk) Chernesky O ~ C '63. Mrs. R. R. (Patricia Schoenau) bavies M ~ '57; C Miss Jean Dewar, Mac '28; Dr. G. R. 'Doidge, OVC '52; J. R. Flegg, Well '68; Miss Patrlcia Moll Well '70; A. C. McTaggart, OAC '35; Dr j H Millin on OVC '69 Dr W H ~ h & a l i , OAC $3; And G. ~.'~ri;er;, O*C '67. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS: R. G. Bennett OAC '43, President, O.A.C. Alumni ~ssociation! Miss Rosemary Clark Mac '59 ~resliient, Macdonald Institute klurnnae '~ssociation: P. D. Ferguson We11 '67 President Arts and Sciences ~ l u m h ~ssoci'ation; i Dr. L. Jones, OVC '34, President. O.V.C. Alumni Association; and J. K. Babcock OAC '54, Director, Alumni Affairs and Develdpment.
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The Guelph Alumnus i s published by the Department of Alumni Affairs and Development, University of Guelph. The Editorial Committee is comprised of, E d ~ t or D. A Bates OAC '69 A l u m n ~Offlcer; Art Director Prof k E Chainberiain. J K. Babcock OAC '54 birector of Alumni Affdirs and ~ e v e l o p A e n tD. Waterston Director of , Information; ID.W. {ose, O A C ' ' ~ ~Assistant Director of Information.
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The Editorial Advisory Board of the University of Guelph Alumni Association is comprised of: Mrs G M (Joan Anderson) Jenkinson Mac '66 c h a / r r n a n . ' ~ r s . J. M. (Kay Murdoch) Gttle ad '59 vice-dhairman. Dr. A. E Austin De t bf ~ nlish. ' G 8. ~ o v j !We11 '64: Dr. J. k. &llington, O V 6 '~91; a;?d G. B.'~owell, OAC '62. Exofficio: J. K. Babcock OAC '54 and Dr. V. C. R. Walker, OVC '47. ~orrehpondingmembers: D. R. Baron, OAC '49 G. M. Carman, OAC '49, , and H. G. Dodds, O A ~ '58. Undelivered copies should be returned to Alumni House, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontarlo, Canada.
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The coffee table fleet If magazines like Macleans and Esquire, Saturday Review and Saturday Night, are the flagships of the magazine publishing industry, then most alumnl magazines rank somewhere between drydock and barges. That's my opinion, of course, but I think It's a fairly sound one. A lot of alumnl publications cross my desk, and the difference between the best and the worst is like night and day. The best relish in providing for their readers a wellbalanced collection of provocative, informative. and entertainlna articles, 1972-style, that scream "re& me." The worst languish in dull, repetitive, and soporlflc rehashes of frosh-soph egg-fights. When I first got into the alumnl publishing business, I was naive enough to think alumni magazines would be very similar to one another; a closely-knit group of publications willing and eager to compete with other magazines the likes of which appear above -for an alumnus' attention. The only positive thing I can say now is they appear to be united in purpose although I doubt many enjoy much success. Alumni editors aren't the comrades-inarms I expected them to be (except a few who are mentioned later) and it seems most editors are content to let their magazines stagnate. I'm not. Aided and abetted by the alumni volunteers who are keenly interested in this magazine, I propose to continue the efforts of previous edltors to improve its level of journalistic competence. Incidentally, biased as I am, I think the Guelph Alumnus left drydock soon after its first issue and currently ranks above barge status. So that Guelph alumni may enjoy the maturing of thelr magazine I think it's important that they know what this magazine is all about and what it's trying to do. I confess that the following is a partially cribbed philosophy, borrowed from the successes of a small group of alumnl editors. I believe future edltors will amend it from time to time, and I hope they tell Guelph alumni what they are trying to do. I think every Guelph alumnus has the right to know.
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Traditionally, alumnl magazines have offered their readers a rather unstlmulating potpourri of class notes, campus gossip, and repetitive reports whlch seldom change year after year on campus happenings that any loyal alumnus, as the theory goes, remembers with heartstringtugging emotion. Granted, yesteryear had its good points; however times change as do alumni. And if the changes some
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editors have observed are true, then today's alumni resent being talked down to by the same Institutions that once treated them as intellectually alive. Such is the case with some alumni magazines, and if you read them it appears times haven't changed all that much. I recently asked an alumna of an eastern Canadian university what she thought of her alma mater's current issue, which was loaded with notes and nostalgia. "There's not much in it," she said. "It's not very interesting." More recently, some alumni editors have added a reportorial function to thelr magazines to complement the public relations one of reporting notes and nostalgia. In doing so, they are acknowledging that alumni realize their alma mater isn't perfect and that if alumnl magazines are honest with their readers, then alumni will probably be much more willing to assist their universlty whenever the occaslons arise. This reportorial undertaking has been necessitated by what editors describe as the "battle of the coffee table." Alumni publications compete with many slick magazines for an alumnus' few moments of Idle time. It's doubtful he'll even glance at his alma mater's effort if it's not as "right, bright, and tight" as its competitors. And, if he can get better news coverage on events happening in higher education by reading other magazines or by watching TV, then it's likely he'll come to regard his alumnl magazine as junk mail. This move to journalistic credibility hasn't always proven easy at some campuses. One editor described his attempts as adventures to the "edge of brinkmanship." The double jeopardy implied in his coined phrase reads: "The university president is giving me hell for printing this article and the alumnl aren't too pleased either." In most cases, however, the editors who treat alumni as thinking human beings agree that alumnl are interested in contemporary lssues and want to know what's happening at their alma mater, and why. To satisfy yourself, you might ask Harvey Schachter, editor of the McGill News, currently the sixth-ranked alumni magazine in North America as judged last summer at the American Alumni Councll annual competition for alumnl publications; or Clive Cocking, editor of the UBC Chronicle. You might also ask George Keller, a 1951 graduate of Columbia University in New York Clty, who edited in 1968 a 100-page edition of Columbia College Today whlch detailed the lssues
surrounding the student occupations of campus buildings. The furor, which erupted over a proposed gymnasium site, made national headlines, and became a tactical prototype for student activists across the country. That issue of CCT was a result of Columbia alumni letters asking for more in-depth coverage of what really happened. Alumni wanted more than the headlines revealed, and as one alumnus put it, alurnni "trusted" CCT to present a fair and factual account.
Which brings me at last to those two questions: What is the Guelph Alumnus and what is it trying to do? Like other alumni magazines, it is attempting to keep alumni interested in their aima mater. By presenting articles that are informative, provocative, or entertaining, it Is hopefully creating that interest by conveying, more by implication than by direct statement, the scope and quality of the University of Gueiph. If that sounds more like a fund-raising pitch than an editorial philosophy, you are partially correct. Alumni publications are linked very closely to fund-raising, and as some editors have discovered, the mild breeze a housewife stirs with her rolling pin is nothing compared with the gale force winds a disgruntled alumnus unleashes by waving his chequebook. And since Gueiph aiumni contributed over $85,000 to the 1971 Alma Mater Fund (see Vol. 5, No. 2 for a full report) an aiumni editor can't ignore the effects alurnnioriented journalism may have on fund-raising. However, some editors, myself included, want to build an open, honest relationship with alumni so that when alumni do give, they do so willingly. I think it's important that alumni know why they want to support financially this unlversity. Such support is much more substantial than dollars given with all the enthusiasm of filling out an income tax return. But there are other forms of alumni support too. Three good examples appear on the following pages. Alumni contributions such as these, and the occasional remarks I hear about this magazine are encouraging. I am starting to believe that one day Guelph Alumnus will become an aiumnus' handbook to his alma mater and a respected magazine that aiumni will look forward to reading. I think it's reportorial efforts are improving with every issue. i would like to think that it is beginning to hold its own on the coffee tables of Guelph alumni around the world. rn DAB
Contents
Editorial 2 The coffee table fleet
The un-job crisis A young arts aiumnus describes the ups and downs of job-hunting. David Barnum
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Memolrs of a lob hunter From a professional agrologist's point of view, there's hope for the future if
Ciive Tisdale
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6 Demand no longer exceeds supply The unemployed are statistics; percentage figures that will go up before coming down.
Alfred Hales
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Unemployment: Worst since '29 All is not gloomy for young grads however. If you can't find a job, make one.
B Beating the recessfon, Establo-style
Athletes are students. When athletics clash with studies, these men want to help. 10 Rapport: A casual means to an academic end
12 Campus Highlights
15 Appointments and Alumni News
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of a job hnter
By DAVID BARNUM
AM ONE of the unemployed university graduates. Much has been written about us: There have been news items and magazine articles; there have been surveys conducted and questions asked. There has been much said but little accomplished for we are still without jobs. We are statistics. When I was a university student, such statistics had vague meanings and my reaction to them ranged from 'I saw them in an economics text' to 'Really, they don't apply to me.' But now they have taken on much more meaning: I am part of the group who represent about six per cent of Canada's labour force. My degree is of little comfort for my background as a university graduate places me in a group whose employment expectations are pre-selected. To find the proper job, ah yes. Whatever else I gained from university was a system of ideals. A proper job has opportunity. It has increasing increments of challenge built in. It offers money and prestige; it is work that I can tell others about with pride. However, unemployment is producing in me a growing disenchantment with ideals, and I am now coming to grips with what I am and what work is available. Time magazine calls 1972 a tough year to launch a career for this year's grads and, I might add, last year's. A career is what I want, but as Time says, the finding process is a rough one. Repeatedly I have been told "no opportunity exists here," yet I believe there are opportunities somewhere. The difficulty Is finding one and, of course, surviving while you wait for it to open up. Thus a real problem with being unemployed is time. As you are longer and longer unemployed, the danger exists that you may begin to think the reason you're continually turned down is because you're too worthless to be employable. Thls reaction is, of course, symptomatic of an advanced stage of "unempioyability", brought about by the emotional ups
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and downs of job-hunting. For most university students, job-hunting is initially a much more relaxed activity because of the services provided by Gueiph's Career Planning and Placement Office. Students save a lot of time by arranging interviews between classes and obtain valuable information on the interview process. In addition, there are no resumes to write and no long distance telephone cails to make in arranging for the interview. However, whatever ontampus interviews gain in simplicity and convenience, they lose in inefficiency. According to my experience, interviews on campus are used as a rough screening device, a means to find out what sort of talent (and how much) is available in the least amount of time. I think there are better ways of sorting applicants than by rushing through 30-minute interviews. The interviews serve more to put forth a good company image than to recruit seriously new personnel. interviewers seldom divulge salary ranges; detail duties, responsibilities, chances for promotion, etc.; and, in some cases, do not even attempt to bring out what the applicant's ideas and feelings are about this career area. In such an atmosphere it's understandable that applicants appear uncertain and don't possess the enthusiasm, drive, motivation and other characteristics that Interviewers are usually looking for. The best an applicant can do under such circumstances is to appear flexible enough to bend whichever way the corporate winds blow. I'm sure many interviewers interpret this flexibility in much harsher terms which rule out the applicant as a serious candidate for the position.
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HE transformation from university student to an unemployed person is a process highly tempered by pride. It is hard to admit to relatives and friends that the expensive years of college
David Barnum, BA '71, graduated last May. To press time he was still unemployed.
have produced only an educated yet unemployable person. You tell yourself that you didn't go to university only for career possibilities, but within, you know this isn't exactly the truth. You begin to notice the wages gained by the trade unionists and are resentful. It becomes difficult to explain that you are not educated for anything, although you are more highly educated than most people. Eventually, my pretensions of a degree holder disappeared into a struggle for self-survival. Could government agencies help in this struggle? Manpower is the branch of government most concerned with jobs. Logically, it was the first government agency on my list. After an interview and clearing my name for province-wide use, I was hopeful that something would come up. After three months and several checkup phone cails, my faith in this branch has died somewhat. Realistically, Manpower's openings are not for the university graduate. The arts graduate Is 'too educated' to fall into trade classifications; he lacks work experience; and he wants 'too much money'. Still I phone their office occasionally; they might eventually refer me to that extensive civil service list. The unemployment office did. The answer from the unemployment office was brief: No benefits, yet the office does have an appropriate service for the unemployed -job finding assistance. The assistance takes the form of an interviewer who reviews your attempts and gives worthwhile suggestions. Improvements were made in my resume and I obtained many new leads for job possibilities. I was impressed and pleased to learn the federal government does care about the unemployed. I wish I t would adopt the same attitude toward student loans. Without unempioyment insurance, I had two alternatives left to end the financial struggle; go on welfare or get a part-time job. i got part-time employment as a taxi-driver in the City of Guelph. I make usually less than the suggested provincial minimum, but my hours are flexible and working with the public breaks down the isolation that unemployment brings. Also, I can now afford stamps. I need lots of them because i do a lot of writing when contacting personnel agencies and answering newspaper advertising. 'Personnel agencies caught my attention because in many listings you wiil see descriptions like 'recent university
graduate desired'. Incidentally, the agencies work for companies; they do not work for you, at least not in the direct sense. So I, the novice, was Interviewed and with a few exceptions got excellent soft soap treatment. 'Gosh times are rough, but we wiil try'. However, in a couple of cases, agencies have taken an appreciable interest in me. They have been active and have invested time and money on my behalf. Answering newspaper advertisements has also had some results. Of course, in some cases there have been no replies -the old box number routine. In any case, you do get some practical experience by learning to write covering letters and thank-you letters. You also learn to accept the "Dear John" jargon of refusal.
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ACH TIME it looks that I am under serious consideration, I become emotionally committed. Perhaps this is one of the shortcomings of being unemployed; you have to be emotionally involved to radiate a little of that good corporate enthusiasm. Naturally, the 'Dear John' letters make me vow the next time 'no more'. So I suppose this process is making me a little more hardened; perhaps a little more unemployable. Undoubtedly, there are many things that have ruined my chances as a job hunter. Recently, I got a phone call from a company representative who explained that the discussed position required a married person and one who lives in Toronto. Knockouts, but perhaps these reasons only hide the true ones, i wiil never know. Sometimes in applying I have the idea that university graduates aren't welcome candidates. You get tired of asking why. Unemployment is messy. It need not be. It will never be pleasant, but new approaches and evaluations of our education system are necessary if some of the dismay and anxiety is to be dismissed. New approaches are also necessary In the employment market. Adams, Cameron, Hill, and Penz (Ed. Note: Authors of the REAL Poverty Report) should be taken a little more seriously. However, at present, the best an unemployed person can do is try and hope.
Demand no longer exceeds supply
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HERE IS little doubt that today's employment market belongs to the employer - a decided turn-about from a few years ago when the demand far exceeded the supply of university graduates. The unsettled economy has squeezed profits, and industry has reacted by either cutting back on staff or hiring few, if any, new personnel. As a result, the employed are burdened with increased responsibilities and pressures; the unemployed, with or without experience, are having a much more difficult time finding a job. However, there is hope for the future. These same employers must eventually replenish their depth of personnel. There is real hope here for qualified graduates. Employers generally are still quite cautious about hiring additional staff, a partial consequence 'of the unsettled
Clive Tisdale, OAC '49, is president of Agrology Consultants Limited, Toronto.
current and future market conditions. If they are hiring, they appear to be much more selective in their recruiting and, therefore, take longer to make a hiring decision. Interestingly enough, there has not been an excessive supply of qualified personnel - people presently employed seeking new positions or, at least, openly declaring their intentions to change jobs. Again, the unsettled economy is responsible, and thereby is keeping the supply and demand situation in reasonable balance. However, there appears to be an oversupply of middle and senior management personnel ($15-25,000 salary range) presently unemployed due to staff reductions. Any hiring that has occurred has taken place primarily to fill existing vacancies rather than new openings, mostly $8-1 2,000 positions. Having very briefly set the stage, let us now look at the employment market potential for agricultural and food graduates. Statistics and survey information are sadly lacking in this area
and so I shall be conveying some personal observations and trends as I see them developing. Generally, I foresee a gradual upturn in employment opportunities during 1972, particularly for graduates with two to five years experience. There will be limited opportunities for 1972 graduates, particularly those who are aggressive in their approach to finding employment and can sell themselves and their skills effectively. Employers are continually searching for potential leaders; people who get involved and are willing to accept risks and responsibilities. As 1 see it, the greatest single demand for professionals will be in the field of marketing -the creative, planning, merchandising, business and financial management aspects related to the retail and wholesale distribution of agricultural and food products at home and abroad. There are just not enough qualified and lrienced personrel available now to meet the present and future demand. The reasons for this are obvious. Our
Unemployment:Worst since '29 By ALFRED HALES NEMPLOYMENT is a topic that more and more Canadians are discussing with great concern. In fact, a recent Gallup Poll showed that 38 per cent of the Canadians interviewed felt that unemployment would be the basls on which the next federal election would be fought. The reason for such widespread concern is understandable; the present bout of unemployment is unprecedented in the degree to which it has affected all strata of Canadian society -young and old, skilled and unskilled, rich and poor. There are several reasons to which we could attribute the present unemployment levels. Canada's winter is one of the world's most severe and so the number of jobs that can be performed during the winter months is limited; therefore, a high level of winter unemployment is inevitable.
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Alfred Hales, OAC '34, is the Member of Parliament (PC) for Wellington.
However, winter today is less of a factor because of the advances in technology and the increasing proportion of employment in service industries which are not affected by winter. Furthermore, other countries - including Canada in the past -have managed much less unemployment under the same climatic conditions as here in Canada today. President Nixon's economic controls program might be blamed for Canada's unemployment which was already claiming 6.5 per cent of the 455,000 Canadians labour force -the same week in August as Mr. Nixon's announcement. Although this program will take its toll in Canadian jobs, it will be the cause of only a fraction of Canada's unemployment statistics.
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Then, there is the claim that there are many jobs in Canada, but that these jobs remain unfilled because Canadians will not demean themselves to take jobs that do not fulfil their hopes. However, one enterprising reporter has discovered that there is a 10 to one ratio of job seekers to job vacancies. In fact, a Statistics
Canada survey has shown that the number of job vacancies this year will be only half the figure of 1968. It is, therefore, very difficult to find a valid basis for the cause of present high unemployment rates. In late 1969, unemployment began creeping upwards in response to the government's tight-money campaign. By 1970, the rate of increase in the number of unemployed was becoming alarming. At that time, many economists were sounding warnings of a recession and of a disastrous acceleration of the unemployment problem. In May 1970, the unemployment rate passed the 6 per cent mark. Late in 1970, Prime Minister Trudeau even admitted the gravity of the unemployment problem. Following a Cabinet meeting on December 23, 1970, the Prime Minister, when asked by a reporter for his opinion on the main problem facing the country at the beginning of 1971, replied: "Unemployment, I guess". By September of 1971, the unemployment rate had hit 7.1 per cent. The outlook for 1972 remains a grim one.
academic lnstitutrons have just begun to realize the crying need for this type of individual and are attempting to re-structure thelr programs accordingly. Our own alma mater has just recently added an agribusiness specialist to its teaching staff in agricultural economics, and this is a most encouraging development. However, the product of this endeavour, the qualified graduate with several years of practical business experience to his credit, is five to eight years away. What do we do in the meantime? To meet the current need, some companies have hired qualified mass merchandizers and marketing people from outside the agrlcultural and food Industries to assume these important roles. Others have taken thelr own sales management personnel and given them the larger marketing responsibility with varying degrees of success. But these are stop gap measures for the most part and not the most effective overall answer to the problem. A much more effective answer to the
current need, in my vlew, is a wider acceptance within the total industry of the MBA graduate. Depending upon the individual and his business experience prior to or following his obtaining an MBA degree, this graduate offers many of the basic business management and marketing concepts that our industry requires. In my experience, there are some excellent people available with farm backgrounds, a bachelor's degree In agriculture, and this business training. However, employers have been reluctant to hire these people and make the most effective use of them. It is only a matter of time, 1 feel, before the industry will realize how important this type of training can be in a rapidly changing, marketing-oriented agricultural economy. In a teaching sense, I feel that much more consideration should be given to exposing the student to the practical realities of the business world. Thls can be done In several ways. Guest lecturers from industry should be recruited to conduct classroom sessions on speciflc
As far as post-graduate training is concerned In a research and technical service sense, and the need for it in the private sector, I hold some strong reservations. There is certainly an oversupply of qualified graduate students on the market currently seeking employment. Industry is hiring fewer post-grad students as research activities tend to centre in U.S. or overseas-based parent companies. Provincial and federal governments have also been exercising tight controls on the number of postgraduates hired. With' academic research
Most forecasters are estimating for 1972 an unemployment rate not lower than this year's expected 6.4 per cent average. Also, many analysts believe that the unemployment situation will deteriorate even more during the winter of 1972. The reasons for such a pessimistic outlook are many. Rapid growth in the labour force will mean that new job seekers will continue to offset the new employment opportunities opening up. Further large additions of young workers to the labour force are expected in 1972, and the problem of unemployment among workers under the age of 25 will likely remain. Even a repetition of the probable 1971 achievement of 250,000 new jobs is unlikely to reduce unemployment significantly among these younger workers. The Economic Council of Canada has estimated that employment opportunities must increase at an average annual rate of 3.3 per cent between 1970 and 1975 just to absorb the growing labour force and reduce unemployment to a 3.8 per cent level by 1975. Yet in most months of this year, the annual rate of growth of the
labour force has outstripped the annual increase in jobs, and job growth rate has repeatedly been below the prescribed 3.3 per cent level. A labour force growing at a faster rate than employment can spell only one thing -more unemployment. There is an Increased number of layoffs that are hitting ail types of industry, all sectors of the economy, and all regions of the country. in October, 1971, Canada Manpower Centres reported that, to thelr knowledge, 3,068 persons had lost their jobs through major layoffs in the manufacturing industries alone. All provinces are being hit. in Ontario, which may be described as the industrial heartland of the country, the list of recent layoffs runs for pages. And these layoffs come hard on the heels of a period (June 1970 to June 1971) when, according to an Ontario Federation of Labour report, 138 plants closed down, resulting in temporary or permanent layoffs for 16,244 workers and causing "the greatest unemployment crisis since the stock market crash of 1929". The Increasing number and variety of these layoffs during
the past few months presages more unemployment and more layoffs to come. The economy is already in difficulty, and the full brunt of Mr. Nlxon's controls program is yet to be felt. By mid-1972, these factors will have taken their toll of jobs and job prospects: -By then the rise in the exchange rate since June, 1970, will have begun to take a heavy toll of export prospects. It takes about two years for a major change in a rate of exchange to work Its way through the economy, some economlsts maintain. -By then the surcharge and the DISC (Domestic International Sales Corporation) proposals (If passed) will have bitten into our important exports. The surcharge began to have some effect almost from the time i t was announced, but until now It has only been for marginal exports. - By then the decrease in business confidence should reach Its lowest ebb. The psychological impact of the government's determination to press ahead with tax reform in spite of the considered objections to many of its measures, and
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aspects of business such as sales, market research, product development, etc. A co-operative, semester-type program similar to that offered to some students at the University of Waterloo also has tremendous merit. In this program, students work in related industries for several months during their undergraduate training. They are exposed to a variety of job sltuations and have some valuable experience on which to base their decisions for a career.
funds under increased scrutiny, I see a general trend to fewer, but better overall quality graduate students being hired over the next few years. For many students considering post-graduate work and a long-term goal of employment in private industry, I suggest they get out and work for a year or two, and then reassess their position and career goals relative to their need for, or interest in, further education. When one compares degree with diploma graduates' qualifications for employment, there are strong points on both sides. Certainly the more mature degree graduate Is more qualified technically and therefore better equipped to assume a variety of employment roles in government, industry and the academic sphere. On the other hand, many of the younger diploma grads have a more practical farm back ground and do well in sales and some technical service roles in industry. as well as in farm management positions. I am impressed generally by the increasing number of opportunities opening up for diploma
In a planning and academic training sense, I see an urgent need within the agricultural and food science faculties across Canada for a much freer, but still organized, interchange of ideas concerning future employee requirements for themselves, industry and government. Advisory councils or panels representative of major employers of graduates meeting on a regular basis seem to be a very sensible way to match academic programs to employers' needs. And in these constantly changing, technological times, continuous communication becomes very important. If effectively co-ordinated, graduates should more consistantty meet the employers' need than has sometimes been the case in the past. Not an easy assignment. granted, but a definite responsibility for those of us gainfully employed in the agricultural and food industry. In recent years, numerous attempts have been made to assist third and
the tactics being pursued against the United States are destroying business confidence. All of these could be at least partlally accommodated if Canada's manufacturing sector were stronger. But many industries are in serious trouble. The volume of durables production has remained relatively constant since mid-1968. Our economy is now quite vulnerable to Mr. Nixon's program and to the Impact of our up-valued dollar. This problem will be translated Into more lost jobs and more unemployment by mid-1972. Given the gravity of the unemployment situation and the very real possibility that it will worsen, the question arises as to what should be done to correct it. This is a very difficult question, and one that is not easily answered. When business confidence is at such a low ebb, and when the tax cuts granted do not result in substantial increases in take-home pay to the ordinary consumer, then tax cuts such as the ones the Government granted take a long time to work their way through the economy and make their
job-creating impact felt. A winter works program may take the edge off the unemployment problem this winter, but it will not solve the long-term problem of creating the permanent jobs Canada needs. One of the most positive statements of a long-term government policy to relieve unemployment and help Canada grow has been voiced by the Science Council of Canada. The Science Council studied the problem of unemployment in a vital sector of the economy -the manufacturing industry-as part of its analysis of that industry. Its conclusion was that Canada needs to formulate a co-ordinated industrial strategy that stresses medium and high-technology manufacturing in the fields related to our production resources. The Council has decided that such industry would provide a mixture of the unskilled, semi-skilied and highly-skilled jobs that are necessary to absorb Canada's unemployed and her growing labour force, both of which straddle all skill levels. This strategy has been reinforced although rather obliquely - by the latest Economic Council of Canada Report.
graduates as compared to the degree holders.
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fourth year students with their choice of careers through special seminars and lecture activities on campus. The O.A.C. Alumni Association and the Canadlan Agri-Marketing Association (CAMA) have been prime movers in this regard. There appears to be a continuing interest on the part of the students in thls type of educational forum, with a more recent suggestion that a similar activity be directed at first and second year students. I expect alumni and CAMA will work more closely together in the future to make these events even more meanlngful. The student is particularly eager to obtain this type of information and should receive it if he is to make reasonable decisions regarding various employment opportunities. I forecast a bright future for the well-trained agricultural graduate, one who is In tune with the changing times because the academic institutions and the employers have recognized the need for flexibility and constant change in a very dynamic agricultural economy. [7
And indeed, the idea is to be commended. One Important reason to study seriously this proposal by the Science Council concerns a problem about which all universities and their alumni have heard a great deal -the inability of young, highly-trained university graduates to find jobs. A recently released report by the Department of Manpower and Immigration revealed that the overall demand for graduates with a general Bachelor's degree declined by 28 per cent between 1970 and 1971; for Honours graduates, 20 per cent; and for PhDs, 31 per cent. In some disciplines, the job situation was even bleaker. Already this year indications are that there will be another substantial decline, currently estimated at about 35 per cent, in the availability of jobs for new grads. The Science Council's suggestion is not the only one, however. During the next few years, it will be the task of the government in power to be imaginative but realistic in the programs it undertakes to relieve what is evolving daily as a more and more serious problem.
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ITH THE un-job crisis threatening to get worse, any young graduates considering the posslbiiities of starting their own businesses; creating their own jobs; and enjoying the benefits of being their own bosses, should take advantage of two things they have going for themselvesyouth and time- and jump into the realm of Nixonomics, a floating Canadian dollar and other sundry horrors of private enterprise in the 1970s. At least that's the advice offered by two young alumni who, as one of them puts it, "have managed to survive" 1% years in the business world. "What have you got to lose?" asks Rick Repta, OAC '70, co-founder along with classmate Peter Overend of the Establo Importing Company which operates the Estabio Leather Shop on Wilson St. In Guelph. "In a year you should know whether you're going to continue and in that time the most it can cost is the $8,000 maximum salary you might have made along with your initial investment. "If you have an idea for your own business," the agricultural economics graduate says, "and you believe strongly enough in it, it will likely work."
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This "whistle while you work" philosophy permeates Establo, from the business signs which proclaim: "We is open" or "We is closed" and the business hours for which there's "a possibility only" of being open Mondays to Rick's and Peter's natty attire of leather boots, belts (which hold up comfortable blue jeans) vests, or jackets out of which stick leather dyestained wrists, hands and fingers. This craftsman-entrepreneur lifestyle, says Rick, is away ahead of holding a "conventional" job which they shied away from upon graduation. "We realized then we had to earn a living doing something but we both wanted to be happy in whatever career we chose," Rick says. The job market in May, 1970 wasn't too appealing, so while Peter toyed with the idea of opening a hot-dog stand for the summer followed by a year or two travelling, Rick lounged the summer away with a "soft job" and considered entering graduate school in the fall. A friend's suggestion that someone could successfully operate a leather shop In Guelph appealed strongly enough that Rick and Peter were open by midSeptember despite the state of the economy, a dearth of working capital, and little knowledge of either the leather or importing businesses.
Although having faith in yourself and your ideas isn't a Did all that bother them? trait restricted to youth, "Sure", says Rick, "we were possessing the time to wait worried at the start. The while your business venture economy was in a mild or takes root knowing that you severe recession depending have many years still ahead upon whom you talked to, and of you should your efforts we couldn't do leather work, disappear in a whiff of tariffs, we didn't know how. But we surcharges, and declining thought we could buy good markets- is a big plus for leather products in Mexico and younger alumni. sell them here. We figured we Using Establo as an example, had nothing to lose." Rick says that even if the company folded tomorrow it So possessing only a oneyear lease on the Wilson St. would still show a profit, albeit store, a few dollars of Investa modest one, and at the ment capital, and a homemade very worst, all they'd have lost is the 18 months they put trailer, they made the first Entrepreneurs Rick Repta (left) and Peter Overend. into the business. Even if there of what has become five were a financial loss, the experience and enjoyment they have annual buying trips to Mexico. (At time of writing, Peter was unavailable for comment as he had just returned from a had so far would more than compensate them. Work today is something many people endure rather than hectic month-long buying trip, and was resting at home in enjoy, says Rick, and since jobs are scarce these days he feels Niagara Falls.) If that first trip proved fruitless, says Rick, young graduates shouldn't be in any rush to get a job until they were prepared to sell everything and anything, from they're reasonably certain of being "genuinely happy" in "kindling wood to light bulbs" and if necessary, to get that career. He heartily recommends opening your own business "conventional" jobs in order to pay the rent. but hastens to add: Today, Estabio's survival phase is a thing of the past as a major expansion is planned. Estabio Importing is now a limited "I think too many people look at a self-employed career as an easy way to make a living and that by being their own company with four equal partners including Burke Roberts, BA boss they'll be happy. It's not quite that easy; even having '70, who operates his own store in nearby Kitchener. Rick, your own business isn't worth it if you're not happy and Peter, Burke and Chippewa businessman, Sandy Smith, plan five retail outlets by mid-1972. DAB contented operating it."
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Earl Hunt
Jack Pos
Rapport:A casual means.. .
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F YOU happened to see Jim Stevens launching his six-foot, six-inch frame into the clouds and depositing a ball through a hoop on his descent, you'd be tempted to say that he was playing basketball. You'd be only partially correct. He'd be working as well he'd tell you, all part of the duties of being the faculty advisor to the basketball team. Earl Hunt, OAC '51, Jack Pos, OAC '50, and George Smith, OAC '60 -faculty advisors to the the football, hockey and cross-country teams respectively -would agree. As faculty advisors, their main function Is to assist any of Guelph's athletes who find themselves in academic difficulty. Although it can be a year-round job, they are usually the busiest during a particular sport's competitive season when athletes can find themselves pressed for time. Any help the faculty advisors give is all above board. They wield no special power and refuse to coerce from fellow faculty members any special consideration for athletes who may be facing academic oblivion. Their only ally is rapport. That's why Dr. Stevens, a physics professor, occasionally arranges for a game between the junior varsity squad and the downtown team he plays for. "One of the duties of the faculty advisor, as I see it," he says, "is to get to know the boys on the team, and let them get to know me as a person rather than as some distant faculty member (whose
time they must share with up to 200 or more classmates) so that they understand that they can talk to me-if they want to, of course - about any academic problems." By getting to know the runners on the cross-country team, says Mr. Smith, a computer scientist in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science, he can get an idea of how they are doing academically. I f exams are approaching, or a student's marks are slipping, he suggests a little less time training and more time studying. "We're defeating the purpose of the University if athletics interfere with studies," he says. Solving an athlete's problem can be as simple as phoning a faculty member and setting a time when the instructor and the student can meet to talk the course over, or as regrettable as suggesting to the athlete that unless his marks improve drastically he might have to consider giving up athletics. Fortunately, most of the problems are "technical" according to poultry scientist Earl Hunt, the most recent to surface being evening examinations which conflict with scheduled events. Professor Hunt is hopeful that as such conflicts occur faculty members will permit athletes to write exams earlier than classmates usually from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on home game dates while others write from seven to nine -so that they're available for most, if not all of the game. Occasionally, however, a serious problem
can develop, and a successful solution often depends upon the athlete's willingness to double, even triple his efforts using whatever help or advice the faculty advisor is able to give. Depending upon how long the student has let the problem slowly slip out of hand, the faculty advisors may find themselves powerless. Prof. Pos of the School of Engineering explains: "lt's not our responsibility to act on the students' behalf, but to encourage them to apply themselves more diligently in problem areas so that they don't get behind the eight-ball. They should sense that they're going to have trouble; that's when they should seek asslstance and not a week before final exams. That's when they panic, and we're not here for that purpose - for the panic period. We can't help them then." Why some students do leave academic problems to the last minute is something Dr. Stevens finds perplexing. "lt's amazing the difficulty that some students have in establishing contact with the faculty," he says. "For some reason I don't understand, there seems to be a barrier to overcome." Such barriers are, in part, the price a university pays for growth. Before Guelph achieved university status, many professors doubled as coaches, and faculty involvement in athletics was keen. The faculty advisors were introduced in 1956 by Director of Athletics, Bill Mitchell,
George Smith
Jim Stevens
...to an academic end OAC '38, to heighten that involvement. Everyone on campus knew everyone else. Today, the campus is too blg for those Informal relationships to be as strong as they once were. In athletics, a School of Physlcal Education and professlonal coaching staffs have replaced many of the volunteer faculty coaches. That's why the faculty advisors are more important than ever today, says Dr. Stevens. The athletes do know at least one faculty member informally, and because he's sympathetic to their athletic endeavors they may feel less hesitant about approaching him for help. How the faculty advisors establish that rapport Is Interesting. Although they agree on what they're trying to do, each has his own style of accornplishlng the job. At six-feet, two inches, and "somewhat over" his playing weight of 230 Ibs., Prof. Hunt faculty advisor to the football team since 1956 Is the prototype football advisor. His hair Is cropped neatly in a footballet's brushcut and his bulllsh neck oozes up and over his shlrt collar as muscles contract. Confined to the sidelines by middle-age, the ebullient ex-OAVC Redman seldom misses tralning camp or practlces (5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and following supper another hour or two of occasional chalk-talks) and is a famlllar figure behind the Gryphons' bench, both at home games and away. He sees the faculty advisor as a "llalson person" between the players and their professors;
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however, that's far too clinical a description for a man who enjoys his job. He's more like 'one of the boys.' To Prof. Pos, the faculty advlsor is a "father Image" which he reflects by his concern for the effects "liberallzed viewpoints" are having on once "strong and wholesome family backgrounds." Like Prof. Hunt, he's been a faculty advlsor for 16 years, but because he hasn't always shared the viewpoints of some of the coaches he hasn't made a habit of regularly attendlng practlces. He meets the players at tralning camp every year and makes a point of attendlng most games. Because he's "engineering and systems-oriented" he feels It's essential that athletes learn to budget their time properly; accordingly, he has devised a time-table divided into half-hour slots that athletes can use to program thelr study hours around academlc and athletic commitments. Prof. Pos played intra-mural hockey but says that he's not too good despite having played with some pretty good talent that "never mbbed off on me." Dr. Stevens, one of the most respected academics on campus, says he's a faculty advlsor because he thinks that "what a teacher is and does beyond the classroom Is as important as inside." Since he occasionally works out with the varslty basketball team, he thinks his image is something like a "favoured uncle" although he prefers to be thought of as an "academic link" between the players and the University. A former coach of the
junior varslty team, he's been a faculty advisor for the past seven years. "I get a sense of well-being from going for a jog," says George Smlth, one of the more physically active faculty advlsors. That's why he trains with the team two-hour runs after classes on weekdays and another two-hour "fun run" on Sunday afternoons. As a faculty advlsor, he provides an "ear to listen," and in most cases, he says, just talking problems over helps to clarify them. Within the closelyknit structure of the cross-country team (seven to 10 athletes who break the monotony of long distance running by training as a group) solving academlc problems is simplified by the camaraderie of the runners; quite often they help each other. Mr. Smith differs from most faculty advlsors in that he seldom phones an athlete's professor when a problem develops. "I wouldn't appreciate that," he says,. "and I thlnk that if the athlete approaches the professor concerned by himself, the professor looks much more kindly on it." Mr. Smlth has been associated with the cross-country team for 10 years, the past eight as faculty advisor. Prof. Mitchell is rather proud of the lndivldual approach each faculty advisor has developed. "I don't try to be too specific about thelr duties," he says. "I wouldn't want to say 'these are your duties, thls Is what's expected of you.' I thlnk there's a lot of merit In thls casual DAB set-up we have now."
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University. They've been thoroughly exposed to faculty and students as well as to the administrative operations of the University. The Board itself has established a tradltlon as to the kind and balance of membership, and their length of term that sets a precedent for other universities. A philosophy of membership involving two terms of three years each as the standard has been set." Mr. Ritchle, who is senior vice-president and director of Imperial Oil Limited, Toronto, has recently accepted a special federal government appointment as chairman of the Institute for Research on Public Policy. An outstanding leader in the business world, Mr. Ritchie is well known in public affairs in Canada. He was a gold medalist in economics and political science on graduation from the University of Western Ontario. Following graduate work at Queen's where he obtained an M.A., he taught economics at OAC. Mr. Ritchie joined imperial Oil Limited in 1947 as an economist, and has subsequently risen to his present position of senior vice-president and director. Mr. Ritchie has been active in such organizations as the Canadian lnstitute of Public Affairs, the Social Science Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Economics Association. He has written many articles on education and
international affairs and has published a book on the economics of NATO. Mr. Ritchie has served on several government commissions, including the Glassco Commission on Government Organization of which he was executive director from 1960-62. He also prepared the study which recommended the formation of an Institute on Public Policy.
Students pocket $22,000 at 1971 awards ceremony Awards totalling $22,000 were presented last fall to 80 OAC students at the 1971 awards ceremony. The Governor-General's Medal for a student who has completed four semesters with the highest general proficiency was awarded to David Morris, '73, of Welland, Ontario. The top entrance awards of $1,000, made available by the O.A.C. Alumni Foundation, were awarded to Ontario residents Janet Shapiro of Toronto, Brenda Hamilton of Kemptville, Shane Renwick of Gloucester, Stewart Cressman of Petersburg, Margaret McLaren of Paris, Robert Friendship of Guelph, and Dennis Dow of Staffa. After welcoming guests to the ceremony, President W. C. Winegard said: "Meetings such as this Indicate that people still believe in universities and still believe In
students, and support them In the most tangible way. "These awards," he said, "are going to a fine group of concerned students who will promote the real story of this university today." In addressing the students, OAC Dean N. R. Richards, OAC '38, said: "I hope that the award you receive will not only make it possible for you to contlnue in your program with less concern about financing your education, but will also impress upon you that others are interested in your well-being." Dr. W. H. Minshall, OAC '33, pastpresident of the O.A.C. Alumni Association and a member of the University Senate thanked the donors of the awards: "Your recognition of excellence at the University of Guelph will significantly Influence our lives In the future," he said.
Guelph biologist depollutes pollution A Guelph scientist has discovered a way garbage to combine two pollutants to create a beneficial and animal wastes soil additive compound. Dr. Graham Bell, an environmental biologist, has developed a composter which first shreds decomposable garbage and then mixes it with chlcken manure.
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Alumni elections to Senate Use form o v e r l e a f for nominations, and return prior to March 15, 1972.
It is again time to call for nominations to fill alumni seats on the Senate of the University of Guelph. Each year, the three-year terms of office of three of the nine alumni senators expire. Retiring June 30, 1972 are Mrs. R. (Helen West) Bates, Mac '30, Mr. P. W. Couse, OAC '46, and Dr. M. A. Chernesky, OAC '65. Dr. G. C. Fisher, OVC '44, Dr. W. H. Minshall, OAC '33, and Mrs. D. M. (Marilyn Inglis) Robinson, Mac '55, will sit on Senate until June 30, 1973. (Dr. Minshall's term originally expired June 30, 1971, but he was re-appointed to fill the vacancy created when alumni representative Dr. W. D. Morrison, OAC '49, was appointed chairman of the Department of Animal and Poultry Science. All academic department chairmen are automatically members of the Senate.) The terms of office of Mr. J. E. Moles, OAC '36, Dr. D. C. MacKay, OVC '50, and Mr. P. D. Ferguson, Well '67, expire June 30, 1974. All alumni who have graduated from the
University of Guelph or its founding colleges are eligible to nominate and to vote in the election of alumni members to Senate. Since the Senate meets at least once a month from September to June, the position of alumni senator is a working position, not an honorary one. Accordingly, senate regulations stipulate that nominees must be graduates ordinarily resident in Ontario to be eligible to be elected. Moreover, nominees must not be registered for a degree or diploma at this University, nor be a member of the teaching or administrative staff of this University, as these groups are otherwise represented. The form overleaf must be signed by three graduates as nominators and may be used to nominate up to three candidates. To be accepted, this form must be returned duly completed by March 15, 1972. Nominations in envelopes postmarked on or before this deadline date will be accepted if received at Alumni House by March 20, 1972.
Dr. Graham Bell sorts garbage prior to shredding and composting operations carried out by machine he's invented. The resultant dark brown matter takes six days to mature before it can be applied as a soil conditioner. , The $600 machine, built from farm machinery parts, is located at the Arkell Research Station, just south of the University. Every morning, Dr. Bell puts through 120 cubic feet of garbage. Following the shredding operation, a mixer blends three parts garbage and one part manure to produce between seven and 10 tons of soil conditioner per week. Dr. Bell's two-year-old project makes use of the City of Guelph's municipal garbage dump. The high-carbon content of this garbage improves the quality of the manure as a soil conditioner. Despite the prototype's modest price, the composter is too expensive to mass produce. Dr. Bell estimates a manufactured version would cost between $50,000 and $60,000. He is presently trying to develop a less expensive composter, and is also exploring the possibility of creating a co-operative set-up in which several farms could share one machine. The expense of a similar compost operation discourages its use in small cities which dispose of garbage In land fill operations. It is estimated that landfill costs 50 cents per ton as compared with $5 per ton for composting.
In larger cities, the composting process approaches the cost of incineration although higher expense is involved in sorting and garbage pick-up for composting operations. Waste products which break down must be kept separate from cans and bottles. Pre-sorting of garbage in the household and separate collections are necessary for large clty compostlng operations. At a central location biodegradable products could be milled with a sewage solution to produce a compost. Though garbage collection costs more In this process, some of the expense can be retrieved in selling the resulting compost product. Large commercial operations of this kind are presently in operation in Europe as well as some cities in the United States. None exists in Canada at present. Dr. Bell thinks the economics of the situation may change if cities run into enough trouble finding space for landfill.
Chinada '72 organizers awaiting Peking's reply Campus organizers are presently awaiting Peking's reaction to a 20-point proposal that would establish a cultural exchange program with the People's Republic of China.
Nomination Form We nominate the following graduate(s), ordinarily resident in Ontario, for election to Senate for the three-year term commencing July 1, 1972: NAME OF NOMINEE(S) (Please print)
ADDRESS
COLLEGE & YEAR
NOMINEE'S SIGNATURE ACCEPTING NOMINATION
NOMINATORS' NAMES (Please print)
ADDRESS
COLLEGE & YEAR
NOMINATORSr SIGNATURES
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Mail to: The Secretary, University of Guelph Alumni Association, Alumni House, University of Guelph, GUELPH, Ontario
Myers Chinada '72, a program developed by a committee of Interested students, faculty, and administrative personnel, is highlighted by a proposed series of exchange visits between the University of Guelph and China. Having recelved a favourable response from both the University Senate's committee on international relations and the Department of External Affairs, the program has been forwarded to Peking through the Chinese embassy in Ottawa. While awaiting Peking's reply, the commlttee is sponsoring activities designed to acauaint interested G u e l ~ hresidents with iarious aspects of ~ h i n e s elife. Two film programs on China were presented last fall. Thls winter a course entitled "China - One-Fourth of the World" is being organized through the University's Office of Continuing Education. Featured speakers include Alvin Hamilton, former federal minister of agriculture, and officials of the External Affairs Department. Several Guelph faculty members are also taking part including John Melby, a recognlzed expert on China.
7,677 enrol at Guelph For the second time in the current academic year, enrolment has surpassed ail pro]ections: More than 7,677 students have registered for full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate programs. Total undergraduate enrolment Is 7,060. Projections called for 6,701. Total graduate enrolment Is 617, almost on a par with the projected figure of 620. Most surprising, 336 students are registered for the first semester of the Bachelor of Arts program. Only 230 were projected late last year. Last year at this time, the University had a total enrolment of 6,454 students, 293 of these being first semester Arts students.
Appointments Professor Kenneth Myers, an internationally known ecologist, has been appointed chairman of the Department of Zoology. Born and educated in Australia, Professor Myers has lectured In countries around the world before coming to the University of Guelph a year ago. In Australia he carried on a 15-year study of the population biology of the rabbit, almed at developing means for regional systems for control of the animal. In particular, he looked at the damaging effect that overpopulation had on its health and social activities. He expects to continue this work at Guelph by studying population cycles in the snowshoe rabbit.
Jukes
Alumni News An internationally-known alumnus, who serves as a consultant to the United States' National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at winter convocation ceremonies held January 28. Thomas Hughes Jukes, OAC '30, professor-in-residence of Donner Laboratory's division of medical sciences, and associate director, Space Science Laboratories, University of California at Berkeley, received his award for his many contributions to science. Dr. Jukes was first to report that nicotinic acid (niacin) cured pellagra in humans, a disease caused by a diet deficiency. He also discovered that a Vitamin B6 deficiency caused convuisions in experimental animals, and subsequently showed that the same deficiency had a similar effect in bables. In the field of chemotherapeutic treatment of human leukemia, Dr. Jukes showed that folic acid antagonists reduced the white blood count of animals thereby opening a new avenue of treatment for leukemia victims. A native of Hastings, England, Dr. Jukes, 66, immigrated to Amherstburg, Ontario, and later attended the Ontario Agricultural College. In 1933, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. Following a number of years of university teaching, Dr. Jukes, in 1942, became director of nutrition and physiology research of American Cyanamid's Lederie Laboratories. In 1963, he joined the staff of the division of medical physics, and in 1968, the Space Science Laboratory in California. The University also conferred 149 undergraduates and 64 post-graduate degrees at the January convocation.
Harold D. Shield, OAC '51, has been elected president of the Association of Trade and Consumer Exhibitions. The Association represents 18 memberfirms that organize annually approximately 75 shows in Canada. Presently general manager of the Canadian National Sportsmen's Show, Mr. Shield joined Toronto Elevators Ltd. -now Maple Leaf Mills - upon graduation. An avid boater and curler, Mr. Shield has been with the Sportsmen's Show for the past 18 years.
Campaign Chairman Bill Chrlstner, OAC '49, has announced that the 1971 Alma Mater Fund has surpassed its minimum goal of $80,000. At press time, final results still in process of tabulation
Shield indicated some 2,700 graduates and ex-officio alumni had contributed over $85,000 to the annual fund drive. Mr. Christner said a 12.5 per cent increase in the number of donors and an increase in the average size of gift were responsible for the improved results over the two earlier campaigns. Some 2,400 alumni gave $70,816 in 1969 and $73,772 in 1970. It is anticipated that the 1971 Fund may reach $87,000 when all year-end receipts are tallied. "We are very pleased with the response this past year," Mr. Christner stated. "It shows that when you have meaningful projects to support and an interested and concerned alumni body, the base of participation can be broadened." In expressing thanks to the donors, he paid tribute to the 288 hard-worklng alumni volunteers who served as class agents, special gift canvassers, ovas members of divisional commlttees. Allocation of the proceeds of the 1971 Alma Mater Fund will be announced by Dr. Mel LeGard, OVC '23, chairman of the Alma Mater Fund Advlsory Council after project priorities and donor preferences have been considered. A full report on the campaign will appear in the March/April issue of the Guelph Alumnus.
If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then distance makes the mind more curious as Ottawa-based alumni recently proved. About 60 members of the UGAA's Ottawa chapter turned out to meet University President W. C. Winegard at the chapter's first 1972 function, an informal get-together at the University Centre on the Carieton campus. Following a slide presentation on the University of Guelph which is shown at high schools across the province, Dr. Winegard fielded questions for well over an hour from alumni representing all the colleges and ages, from two OAC '16 grads to several '71 arts alumni.
Ottawa alumni listen to University President Dr. W. C. Winegard at Carleton.
January-February, 1972, Vol. 5, No. l ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED: If your son or daughter is an alumnus of Guelph and has moved, please notify the Alumni Office, University of Guelph, so that this magazine may be forwarded to the proper address.