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Are Canada’s intellectual property laws too stringent when it comes to digital art and literature?
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Instead of a relaxing vacation, staff and students used Reading Week to help a community in need.
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As a lab coordinator, Terry Sturtevant teaches students hands-on science.
University takes steps to be more ‘green’ CAMPUS CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY VOL. 1 Laurier commits to minimizing environmental impact | NO.sustainability VOL. 1with 1 | APRIL 7,2008policy |
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legs to Laurier’s sustainability efforts, and now there is even more awareness on campus.” Laurier has been taking signifThe policy commits Laurier icant steps toward becoming a to “enhancing, wherever more environmentally friendly possible, the quality of the institution, the most recent social, economic and ecological of which was opening a new sustainability, both for people sustainability office. who live and work in the Sustainability coordinator university and for the wider Sarah English runs the office, community.” which was made possible After the policy was through a partnership between | | COMMUNITY CAMPUS CONNECTIONS approved, Laurier’s first Laurier’s Physical Resources act was to hire engineering department and the Students’ company Conestoga-Rovers & Union. English splits her time Associates to draft an energy between an office at 202 Regina management plan for the St. and the sustainability office, university. Laurier expends located on the third floor of the over $4.5 million annually Fred Nichols Campus Centre. in utility costs, and the plan “Part of my job is to facilitate makes recommendations for the completion of environways to conserve energy and mental initiatives on campus, minimize costs. and ease collaboration between Some particular conservation students, staff and faculty,” suggestions include specific said English, who encourages building upgrades, such as anyone with questions or ideas replacing heating and ventito stop by the sustainability lation systems, and the instaloffice and speak with her. lation of a utility monitoring She plans to form a system to track the university’s committee that will provide gas, electrical and water use. guidance for the community“Ultimately we’ll end up led initiatives, and will start with performance dashboard implementing the commitindicators, visual cues of a ments outlined in the universpecific building’s energy sity’s sustainability policy, consumption,” said Ray which was approved by Robichaud, manager of Laurier’s board of governors business operations: physical last year. resources. “When we see how The policy outlines ways much we consume and what it in which the university can costs, hopefully people will get guide its operations to be more a better sense of why energy conservation is needed.” Some of these initiatives are already underway. When Laurier’s swimming pool was renovated, solar panels were installed on the roof of the Athletic Complex to heat the pool water. “They are working out great,” said Nower. “We’re going to put more up there. There are lots sustainable, including reducing of opportunities for physical waste output, reducing energy resources to play a big part in and water consumption, and sustainability on campus.” encouraging alternate modes of Nower also noted the transportation. Brantford campus’ new “Our students are very Research and Academic Centre, engaged in sustainability, and which will incorporate environa lot of corporations already mental and energy-efficient have similar plans in place,” design elements. The university said Gary Nower, assistant-vice hopes to achieve Leadership president: physical resources. “Having a concrete policy gives SUSTAINABILITY see page 2
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By Mallory O’Brien
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Ray Robichaud (left), Gary Nower and Sarah English are working to make Laurier more environmentally friendly.
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
New academic plan is approved Identifies Laurier’s core principles, academic domains By Lori Chlamers Morrison The senate of Wilfrid Laurier University has approved a new academic plan that will guide the university’s academic planning over the next five years. The plan merges the 2005 Century Plan with the values, vision and mission statements created through the 2008-09 Envisioning Laurier process, and identifies the core principles and academic domains that make Laurier unique. “The academic plan is intended to be foundational as well as aspirational,” said Deb MacLatchy, vice-president: academic and provost. The academic plan emphasizes Laurier’s tradition of teaching excellence, sense of community and student experience, along with the university’s growing
research intensity and graduate programs. “The plan describes Laurier’s uniqueness as an institution while identifying that we need to work from our foundation to address our role as a university of the 21st century,” said MacLatchy. The academic plan recognizes that as a multi-campus university, there is value in having variety in scope, specialization and core academic strength among Laurier’s campuses. This variety is dictated by the strategic location, history, vision, academic profile and student-learning environment of each campus. By reflecting Laurier’s values, vision and mission statements, the academic plan serves to unite the campuses that form the Laurier community, while enabling each campus to continue to develop distinct specializations.
In setting out the university’s nine core principles and six domains, the plan first puts them into context: “At Laurier, we focus on preparing people for lives of leadership characterized by responsibility, commitment and compassion. Acquisition of academic knowledge and critical thinking skills are balanced with opportunities for engaged and relevant application and reflective practice. This requires that we accommodate — indeed encourage — analysis and scrutiny of society’s most difficult and complex problems.” Laurier’s core principles, the overarching characteristics and key intellectual areas that define the university institutionally, are defined in detail in the ACADEMIC PLAN see page 3
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president’s message
and international recognition. The new academic plan merges the previous academic plan — the Century Plan, which was introduced in 2005 — with the Values, Vision and Mission statements that were created through the Envisioning Laurier initiative of 2008-09. It is important to note that the academic plan is the product of a highly consultative and collegial process. Envisioning Laurier was a senate-led and inclusive initiative; similarly, the work that went into drafting the academic plan involved our deans and much feedback from academic divisional councils and the library council. Finally, the plan itself was discussed and unanimously approved by the university senate in March. It is fair to say, then, that Laurier’s academic plan is a widely supported consensus document. You can find the plan online at www.wlu.ca/ academicplan. The second development I would like to highlight is the
creation of the President’s Task Force on Multi-Campus Issues. Laurier has been a multicampus institution since 1999 with the opening of the Brantford campus. In 2006, our Faculty of Social Work moved from the Waterloo campus to downtown Kitchener. Interactions between our campuses have evolved in a step-by-step manner as issues presented themselves. This progressive evolution has taken place without benefit of an overarching model of governance between the campuses. In short, Laurier is a federation of campuses, but we have not fully determined what type of federation we should be. We need to answer that question. To this end, I have struck a President’s Task Force on MultiCampus Issues. The recent work of David Docherty in his capacity as senior advisor, multi-campus initiatives, has been critical in clarifying key issue areas that the Task Force must address. They include, but are not limited to: changes
the sustainability policy commits Laurier to educating faculty, staff and students about sustainability in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification practices, as well as sharing for the centre, which is scheduled those practices with the wider community. to open later this year. Part of that comes from being In addition to infrastructure a member of the Council of and operational improvements, Ontario Universities, which has committed to its own sustainability policy. Ontario universities will assist each other in finding solutions to the challenges of environmental sustainability. To help the Laurier community better understand the importance of energy conservation, an energy conservation awareness plan was created alongside the energy management plan. “For a lot of people, global warming is the driving force in their decision to go green,” Staff and faculty can help make Laurier more said English. “But the environmentally friendly by doing simple things bottom line is our society such as turning off lights when leaving an office is inefficient in our or classroom.
resource use, and whether or not global warming is a real threat, we can achieve better efficiency in everything we do.” The awareness plan outlines ideas to inform and engage the university community, with campaigns such as Lights Out Wednesdays — or LOW — which will challenge employees to turn off the lights or conserve energy through other means for one Wednesday each month. The next step for Laurier, said English, is to turn the sustainability policy into a guiding document that can identify targets and track the university’s success in reaching them. “I think it’s important to have goals, so you can see if you’re achieving them and whether or not an initiative is successful,” she said. “I’d like to see Laurier as one of the top sustainable universities in Canada. We have the ability to get there and, more importantly, we have the student, staff and faculty desire to get there, which a lot of other universities don’t have.”
I would like to draw your attention to two important developments that have taken place at Laurier recently. First, the university senate has approved a new academic plan. This important document recognizes the strengths and unique characteristics that distinguish Laurier from other universities, and it identifies areas that the university will continue to emphasize and upon which we will focus. The new plan outlines the core principles and academic domains that will be used to guide the university’s academic programming and resource allocation. While the term “core principles” is readily understandable, the word “domain” may benefit from a little explanation. As we use it in the academic plan, “domain” refers to those strategic areas where Laurier has acknowledged or potential excellence and where the university will strive to maintain or develop national
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
SUSTAINABILITY continued
InsideLaurier is published by The Department of Public Affairs Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5
InsideLaurier Volume 2, Number 8, March 2010 Editor: Stacey Morrison Assistant Editor: Lori Chalmers Morrison Design: Erin Steed Contributors: Tomasz Adamski, Kevin Crowley, Mallory O’Brien, Dean Palmer
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InsideLaurier welcomes your comments and suggestions for stories. Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 3341 | Fax: (519) 884-8848 Email: insidelaurier@wlu.ca InsideLaurier (circ. 2,500) is published nine times a year by the Department of Public Affairs. Opinions expressed in InsideLaurier do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the university’s administration. Printed on recycled paper.
in board composition as one campus grows relative to another, senate composition, faculty and departmental structures, decanal areas of responsibility, administrative functions, and academic support services. David’s work has also underlined the importance of ensuring that the decisions we take at this time are made with the larger picture and long-term future in mind, and with a firm understanding of our broader governance model. The Task Force has been asked to provide recommendations to the university community, including senate and the board of governors, as to how a “Laurier federation” should be structured. Its work, which will begin quickly, will be grounded in the Envisioning Laurier initiative and the new Academic Plan. The considerations of the Task Force will include issues that transcend faculties, departments, campuses, and administrative units. Active consultations will be held as appropriate throughout. David Docherty and Shereen
Photo: Tomasz Adamski
Planning for the future
Ann Weir, wife of late former Laurier president Dr. John Weir, and Dr. Max Blouw present the Dr. John Weir Economics Award of Distinction to student Leila Bautista at the university’s Awards of Distinction ceremony.
Rowe, university secretary and general counsel, will be working closely to support and complement the work of the Task Force, which includes members of staff, faculty, students, senate and board of governors. I look forward to providing updates to the university community as the work of the Task Force progresses.
Dr. Max Blouw, President and Vice-Chancellor
‘Green’ initiatives on campus Environmental initiatives already being implemented on campus by different university groups include: • The WLUSU and Food Services reusable food containers program. • The Laurier Biking Network and Parking & Transportation Services are making the campus more bicycle-friendly. • Ecohawks and Residential Services are launching a composting trial at University Place residence. • Parking & Transportation Resources is working with existing organizations to offer carpooling and car-sharing services.
Send us your news, events & stories
Email: insidelaurier@wlu.ca Deadline for submissions: March 17
All submissions are appreciated, however not all submissions will be published. We reserve the right to edit all copy for accuracy, content and length.
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March 2010 NEWS
Counters outreach program. • Pierre-Andre Pashley, Laurier student and developer of a soccer Laurier alumnus and former program in Haiti. varsity football player Ian Troop (BBA ‘81) was named CEO of the • Brendan Lowther, manager of exhibits and facilites at 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. the Children’s Museum, and Troop, a former food executive part-time Laurier student. with ConAgra Foods and Several other members of Proctor & Gamble, will leave his the Laurier family, including consulting alumni, were also named to the position list. For a complete list and to with OMERS Private Equity, view the profiles of the 40 under 40 community leaders, visit an arm of the http://40under40.therecord. large OMERS com/index.aspx. pension plan company, to lead the InsideLaurier wins award $2.4-billion InsideLaurier won a bronze Ian Troop project. medal in the Internal Publication The Pan Am Games are held category in the 25th Annual every four years. The Toronto Educational Advertising Awards. event will be held across more Sponsored by the U.S.-based than 50 venues, including six Higher Education Marketing new facilities. Report, the Educational Advertising Awards program is one of the largest educational adverLaurier well represented on tising awards competitions in the region’s top 40 under 40 list world. Wilfrid Laurier was well represented on the list of Waterloo Region’s 40 Under 40 community Outstanding Women of Laurier leaders, including: to be honoured • Keith Goulet, coordiLaurier will celebrate its excepnator: systems support for tional female student athletes Advancement Services and at the fifth annual Outstanding president of the Wilfrid Laurier Women of Laurier Luncheon on University Staff Association. March 31. • Dr. Joanne Lee, assistant The Outstanding Women of professor of development Laurier Award will be presented psychology at Laurier and to the nominee who best demonco-developer of the Littlestrates athletic success, academic
academic plan. They include: • Discovery and innovation • Civic engagement • Diversity • Integration • Global citizenship • Sustainability • Justice • Quantitative and scientific analysis • Communication and performance “The goal is to weave these principles, in a purposeful fashion, into the academic, academic-support and studentlife experiences of each campus,” said MacLatchy. “Laurier graduates will be distinct from graduates of other universities because of what we choose to
make meaningful within our Laurier degrees.” The academic plan also outlines Laurier’s six domains, defined as the strategic areas, or spheres of influence, where Laurier faculty and students excel and where the university seeks to maintain or develop national and international recognition. The domains emphasize the global impact and influence of Laurier’s graduates, scholarly output and community and professional outreach. They include: • Professional programs • Governance • Environment • Health and well-being • Social and cultural analysis • Cultural and artistic production
achievement and commitment to the development of young athletes through community teaching or coaching. Emceed by Daiene Vernile of CTV Southwestern Ontario, the luncheon will feature keynote speaker Carole Bertuzzi-Luciani, a “moodivator” and inspirational speaker. Since 2006, The Outstanding Women of Laurier luncheon has raised more than $195,000 for women’s athletic programs, scholarships and Laurier’s mentor coaching program. Last year’s winner was kinesiology and physical education student and Golden Hawks curling team member, Hollie Nicol. This year’s event will take place on March 31 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at The Waterloo Inn. For ticket information, visit www.laurierathletics.com/owl or contact Heather Ferris at hferris@wlu.ca.
snack, and have a warm place to sit. Joyal has volunteered at St. Louis Church’s Out of the Cold program since its inception in Kitchener-Waterloo 11 years ago. She began handing our the tabs to people using the program as they left the church after a meal and an overnight stay. “In the past, I’ve collected enough to give each person a coffee tab and a muffin tab a few times over the course of the contest,” said Joyal. “It gives people somewhere warm to go when they leave the
University mourns former fine arts professor Michal Manson, former professor of fine arts at Laurier, passed away Feb. 5 from pneumonia. A respected painter, Manson came to Laurier as an artist-inresidence in 1973, and later joined the faculty as a studio instructor of drawing and painting. Manson received Laurier’s Honorary Alumna Award in 1991 and the Hoffmann-Little Award in 2001 for excellence in teaching. Manson’s passion for art led her to create a gallery at Laurier, which she ran by herself for many years, organizing and chairing a selection jury and setting up the numerous exhibitions. This impermanent gallery in Laurier’s concourse eventually became the Robert Langen Art Gallery. Manson retired from Laurier in 2005. She spent her retirement in Bancroft, Ontario, where she was a valuable member of the Art Gallery of Bancroft.
Former geography professor John McMurry dies Former Laurier geography professor Dr. John McMurry passed away Feb. 5 after suffering a fall that led to heart failure. He was 89. McMurry was considered one of Wilfrid Laurier University’s most celebrated geography professors.
“The domains are supported by the comprehensiveness of our programs and our commitment to excellence in teaching, learning and scholarly activities,” said MacLatchy. “These clusters will grow in size and distinction by being magnets at Laurier for programming and scholarly activity.” MacLatchy calls the academic plan a consensus document that represents dedicated work by the deans as well as feedback from the divisional faculties and the library council. To read descriptions of each of Laurier’s principles and domains, view the Laurier Academic Plan: 2010-2015 at: www.wlu.ca/academicplan.
Roll up the rim for those in need When you roll up the rim on your Tim Hortons coffee this year, consider donating your winning tab to the region’s homeless. Five years ago, Laurier development officer Cec Joyal began collecting winning tabs and distributing them to the working poor and homeless, allowing those in need to enjoy a coffee or
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What’s new and notable at Laurier
Alumnus will lead 2015 Pan Am Games
ACADEMIC PLAN continued
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church in the morning.” Since Joyal has been collecting the tabs, she has received an enthusiastic response and helped hundreds of needy people in the region. This year she is hoping to collect 500 tabs. Those wishing to donate their winning Roll up the Rim tabs can drop them off at the Centre Spot, or send them to Joyal in Alumni Hall. For more information, contact her at cjoyal@wlu.ca. Winning tabs must be redeemed by May 30, 2010.
He joined Laurier (then Waterloo Lutheran University) in 1962 as the founding chair of the Department of Geography and Geology. McMurry was instrumental in establishing the graduate program in geography in 1965. In 1973, he successfully transitioned the Geography and Geology department at Waterloo Lutheran to establish the Department of Geography at Wilfrid Laurier University. McMurry was credited with introducing resource management studies to geography at Laurier, which integrated the study of the physical environment with human activities. He made sustainable development the focus of geographical studies long before it became the buzzword it is today. Among other awards, McMurry won the Wilfrid Laurier University Teaching Award in 1974. He retired from Laurier in 1986. In September 2009, Laurier received an anonymous $2.5-million donation to establish the Dr. John McMurry Research Chair in Environmental Geography. Dr. Scott Slocombe was named the inaugural chairholder. McMurry leaves behind his wife, Mary, and sons Charles, James, Andrew and Cameron and their families.
Laurier hosts violence and risk assessment training program By Lori Chalmers Morrison Violent incidents such as those at Virginia Tech and Dawson College are often preceded by telltale signs that could lead to early intervention. But recognizing these signs cannot be accomplished in isolation or by one university department — it requires a multi-disciplinary approach and means training people from throughout an institution to connect the dots. In February, Laurier hosted a Violence Threat and Risk Assessment Training program for more than 100 representatives from Laurier, Conestoga College, University of Waterloo, University of Guelph, Sheridan College, Fanshawe College and community partners such as the Waterloo Regional Police, Guelph Police and the Ontario Police College. “Without formal training, the likelihood of over-reacting or under-reacting to high-risk and threat-making behaviour is increased,” said Rod Curran, director of Laurier’s Special Constable Service. “A trained threat assessment team will
give the Laurier community an edge when dealing with serious concerns and make our campuses safer for all.” The 30 people from Laurier’s Waterloo and Brantford campuses who participated in the training included senior-level employees from a cross-section of departments and faculties. They will form the university’s Safe Campus Committee. Attendees learned to analyze information to determine how high risk a person may be to carry out a violent act towards themselves or others, and to choose an appropriate intervention based on this information. Laurier was selected as one of eight sites in the province to host the training program, developed and delivered by the Canadian Centre for Threat Assessment and Trauma Response. The Ontario Association of College and Universities Security Administrators (Curran is president of this organization) is bringing the program to Ontario post-secondary institutions through a grant from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. 3
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people at laurier
New appointments: Michael Bittle, administrative assistant, English and Film Studies. Ted Collins, events assistant, Athletics & Recreation.
Sarah English, sustainability coordinator, Physical Resources.
Laura Kirkland, disability consultant, Accessible Learning. Stephanie Massel, administrative manager, Faculty of Music.
For a complete list of appointments visit www.wlu.ca/hr
Sandra Walters, custodian, Physical Resources.
Charlene Mak, administrative assistant, Business.
Maria Zaczek, custodian, Physical Resources.
Ruth MacNeil, manager, Student Awards.
Changes in staff appointments:
Bridget McMahon, director, Alumni Relations.
Breanna Brooks, international recruitment officer, Student Recruitment. Peggy Freymond, administrative assistant, Faculty of Social Work. Ari Grossman, associate director, business operations, Athletics & Recreation.
Jaime Philip, marketing specialist, Retail/Printing Services.
Lauren Holder, intermediate administrative assistant, Student Recruitment.
Joanne Roberts, human resources generalist, Human Resources.
Martin Illingworth, shipper/ receiver inventory clerk, Bookstore.
Gary Wagner, supervisor: IT/ media services, Brantford.
Joan Leach, administrative manager, Faculty of Arts.
Jillian Perkins, coordinator: career information, Career Development Centre. Lisa Rebelo, area manager, Custodial.
women, skipped by Danielle Inglis, won silver at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships in February. The team advances to the CIS championships in Alberta later this month. In hockey, the women’s team claimed their seventh consecutive provincial gold medal, beating the Guelph Gryphons in the best of three series. The victory grants the team the only Ontario berth in the national championships.
Do you know an accomplished Laurier MBA graduate who is a leader in their field or provides service to the community? If so, nominate him or her for a 2010 MBA Alumni Award! Awards are presented in six categories: Executive Leadership Award, Outstanding Innovation & Achievement Award, Outstanding CMA/MBA Award, Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association Award of Distinction, Community Leadership Award and the MBA Alumnus of the Year Award. To submit an application, contact Megan Harris at mharris@ wlu.ca.
Sondra Schwartz, acting manager, Academic Events. Anjelisa Skinner, intake/crisis counsellor, Counselling Services.
Raymund Trinidad, applications developer, Library.
Do you have a milestone to share with the Laurier community? Email insidelaurier@wlu.ca.
Kathryn Elton, an accomplished development professional, has been appointed to the role of assistant vice-president, Development. Elton will play a leadership role in raising funds to support the university’s mission and in developing relationships with a variety of constituents. She will also play a key role in preparing the university’s next major fundraising campaign. Elton enjoyed a successful career at the University of Guelph, where she most recently served as executive director of advancement, life and physical sciences. Previously, she held increasingly progressive positions in principal giving, donor relations and alumni programs.
Women’s curling, hockey win medals Laurier’s women’s curling team, representing Canada, claimed the gold medal at the Karuizawa International Curling championships in January with a 12-11 win over Sweden. The team, consisting of skip Hollie Nicol, Laura Hickey, Danielle Inglis and Hillary McDermott, advanced to the tournament after claiming its second consecutive CIS championship in Montreal last March. In other curling news, the
Nominate a friend or colleague for a 2010 MBA Alumni Award
What are you reading
?
Name: Kelly Ough Job Title: Assistant Director: Food Services Book Title: Last Night in Twisted River Author: John Irving
What are you reading Members of the women’s hockey team celebrate their OUA win.
Music at noon
?
What are you listening to?
This is the story of a young boy who mistakes a woman for a bear, kills her and has to go on the lam. It is yet another wonderfully crafted tale that keeps you wondering right up to the last minute. I am always sad to finish a John Irving book because it means I have to wait for the next one!
What are you listening to?
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
Name: Lois Wood Job Title: Associate Registrar, Undergraduate Admissions CD Title: Songs About Jane Artist: Maroon 5
Jeremy Bell, right, on violin, with Consortium Aurora Borealis of Thunder Bay members Elizabeth Ganiatsos on harpsichord and Mateusz Swoboda on violoncelle entertain a crowd during a Music at Noon performance in the Maureen Forrester Recital Hall.
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This award-winning CD was released back in 2002, but it’s still one of my favourites. The songs, most of which were written by the band’s front man, Adam Levine, were influenced by the breakup of a relationship. With cuts like Sunday Morning, Tangled and The Sweetest Goodbye, you can turn this on and jump on the treadmill, put on your walking shoes, or just flop on the couch and enjoy the “blues infusion.”
March 2010
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RESEARCH FILE
Is Canada’s cultural policy stifling digital art? By Lori Chalmers Morrison When it was established in 1965, the Canadian literary institution Coach House Press seemed to outsiders like a bunch of “unwashed hippies in a garage.” But to Laurier communication studies professor Darren Wershler, who spent five years as senior editor at the independent publishing house, it was always on the leading edge of publishing technology. “They were unwashed hippies with computers,” said Wershler with a smile. It’s an important distinction, and one that shaped the course of Wershler’s career and his current research. In 1997 — years ahead of its time — Toronto’s Coach House Books (the latest incarnation of the company) became the first publishers in the world to simultaneously publish and digitize full-length editions of its front-list books. Soon after came the difficult policy questions around intellectual property. The questions directed at Coach House eventually led Wershler, a bestselling poet and author, back into academia to find the answers. “No one knew (in 1997) what to do with digital books, and that hasn’t changed,” he said. “There are huge questions about cultural policy that need to be asked.” In theory, today’s networked digital technologies have the potential to democratically transform Canadian cultural life by making art and literature more accessible. But Wershler says this clear-sky forecast for cultural innovation is clouded by a policy climate that is decidedly riskaverse. He says Canadian intellectual property laws don’t serve the needs of creators and pose unnecessary threats of potential liability for publishers — threats that stifle cultural exchange. “Moreover, there is a financial, technical and legal bottleneck that is stalling the creation of Canadian online arts archives,” said Wershler. Wershler explains the concept using an analogy from the animated television show South Park. “It’s like the episode with the underpants gnomes,” he said. In the episode, a group of gnomes went around the town of South Park stealing people’s underwear. When someone asked the gnomes what their business plans were, they said, “Step one: collect underpants. Step two: (long pause). Step three: profit!”
Wershler says digital publishing has an underpantsgnome business model — no one knows how to go from creating digital literature to delivering it to the reading public in a sustainable manner. Instead, he argues, it is time to move away from the government’s “polite fiction” of literature as an industry, to conceiving it as a public good that requires government funding. “If we want an interesting and vibrant culture, we need what (U.S. scholar) Siva Vaidhyanathan calls ‘leaky copyright,’” said Wershler. “If we make policy and copyright regimes airtight, creativity and cultural production stagnates and dies. We have to allow for mistakes and oversights.” Then Google, Amazon and Apple became dealers in the process. With the Kindle, Sony Reader and iPad set to change the way we buy, read and share books, questions about the rights of creators, publishers and users and the importance of fair dealing were pushed to the front page. “We have single companies wanting to channel all content into their proprietary, hermetically sealed platforms,” said Wershler. “This not only affects right of first sale for readers (the right to resell your used books), but because of automatic updating technologies, Apple and Amazon can also reach into the devices you’ve purchased from them, change their terms of service and delete content you’ve purchased at any time.” In addition to radically delimiting users rights, Wershler says that publishers now have to give these companies, which have essentially replaced bookstores, a slice of their tiny earnings. Through his research, Wershler is working to bring about policy change. For more than five years, he has been a principal investigator for Artmob, an initiative to build an online archive of
Photo: Lori Chalmers Morrison
Dr. Darren Wershler studies online intellectual property policy and pushes for change
With companies such as Apple channeling digital content into single platforms, Dr. Darren Wershler says it delimits the rights of creators and users.
publicly licensed Canadian art and literature. Along with other researchers, Wershler wants to encourage people to think about issues that come up when people digitize cultural objects. They hope the actual practices of people will move policy, rather than waiting for policy to be developed, which is a notoriously slow process. “If you wait around for government to make the rules, you get the culture you deserve,” said Wershler. “We need to have a national conversation about how we think about cultural objects and intellectual property. We need to think about it in a messy way that puts aside conveniences of theory and deals with what people actually do when they make art.”
To further the conversation, Wershler and fellow Artmob researcher Rosemary Coombe, Canada Research Chair in Law, Communication and Culture at York University, are editing a volume of essays by a diverse spectrum of writers, legal scholars, artists, anthropologists and cultural studies professors called Dynamic Fair Dealing: Creating Canadian Culture Online. Wershler and Coombe will explore current practices of dynamic fair-dealing. They will look at how artists and writers are actually creating, circulating and managing digital cultural objects, and how these practices can present alternatives to traditional intellectual property and cultural policies. “We hope that the book will provide some insight into what
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sane Canadian cultural policy would be,” said Wershler. As someone who writes, designs and edits books, studies new media and, as he recently told The Globe and Mail, thinks the new digital cornucopia is wonderful, Wershler has a unique perspective on digital literature. “It’s not like literature is becoming less material, but its materiality is changing,” he said. “Digital writing and the iPad have their own materiality, but it’s different than the materiality of a book. Books are not going away, but they might not be at the centre of print culture for long.” Wershler says the “manuscript culture” of Toronto’s literary scene in the early 1990s might find a new way of expressing itself. “At literary events in the ’90s, there was always a flurry of people exchanging manuscripts,” he says. “Literary culture was a process of exchange, and there’s no reason we shouldn’t have a digital way of doing that.” In the meantime, Wershler will continue to push for policy reform and pose important questions about how digital books will be produced, under which conditions we will read them, how the Canadian Arts Council will fund them and what will become of independent publishers. As for the unwashed hippies in the garage, they’re still on the leading edge. Coach House Books just launched its own iPhone application. Wershler’s research is funded through the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Ontario Research Foundation and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Wershler has written 10 books, including five on technology and culture. He is currently working on a monograph about Kenneth Goldsmith, American poet and founder of UbuWeb.
There is a financial, technical and legal bottleneck that is stalling the creation of Canadian online arts archives.
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CAMPUS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
VOL. 1 NO. 1 APRIL 7,2008
CAMPUS CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY
VOL. 1 NO. 1 APRIL 7,2008
March 2010
Science alumni share career success stories Life After Laurier Science speaker series ends this month By Mallory O’Brien Stephanie Ratza doesn’t have to think too far back to recall one of her best Laurier memories. Just last year, 20 years after graduating with a degree in math, Ratza and her former university roommates celebrated their 40th birthdays by going on a cruise together. “Laurier helps build those bonds,” she said during a recent talk that was part of the Life After Laurier Science speaker series. The alumna has enjoyed a successful business career and is one of the most accomplished female executives in Waterloo Region’s renowned high-tech sector. She currently serves as chief financial officer (CFO) of Descartes Systems Group, a global logistics company based in Waterloo. For Ratza, one of the best parts of her Laurier experience was the student environment, which encouraged the building of strong relationships. Other benefits include the university’s strong reputation, excellent academics, innovative programs and exceptional learning
finance, and the Intellectual experience. Property and Innovation And learning at Laurier Company (IPICO) as chief occurs inside and outside of the financial officer, before taking classroom, she said. “Although on her current role as CFO at you are fortunate that the Descartes Systems, a logistics calibre of faculty here is also network provider that helps outstanding.” companies ship products and The ability to interact with track their delivery efficiently. faculty outside of classroom hours, and the many opportuShe was proud to note that nities to build leadership skills, five of her 30 team members at sets Laurier apart, she told the Descartes are Laurier alumni. audience. (More than 1,000 Laurier After graduating from Laurier alumni work in the thriving in 1989, Ratza earned her high-tech industry in Waterloo Chartered Region.) Accountant “My motto has been to work designation global, stay local,” she said. and became “Although my work has taken “employee me places, I have been lucky to number stay based in Waterloo.” 35” at Open Ratza was the third guest Text Corp., speaker in the five-part Life creators After Laurier Science speaker of the first series, which was designed as Stephanie Ratza search-engine an opportunity for students, technology for the Internet. As faculty and community controller, Ratza helped the members to meet science company grow by completing 11 alumni who have built inspiring acquisitions. Today, Open Text and successful careers. Other produces content-management speakers included psychology software and employs over alumna Gail Czukar, computer 4,000 people worldwide. science graduate Michael Stark Ratza went on to work at and chemistry alumnus Paul MKS Inc. as vice-president of Smith.
The science of the Olympics Rebecca Watts attended all 17 days of the Vancouver Olympics, but the Laurier alumna wasn’t always taking in the excitement of the games. Instead, she was behind the scenes, working with hundreds of other volunteers who formed the Olympics’ anti-doping team. Watts spent most of her time in the anti-doping “command centre” assisting with the program’s day-to-day needs. A kinesiology and physical education grad, Watts’ interest in anti-doping was piqued after taking Dr. Tim Elcombe’s Ethics in Sport, Exercise and Health class at Laurier. Her urge to attend the Olympics, however, came after taking a class with Dr. Stephen Wenn. “Anyone who has taken his Modern Olympics class wants to go to the games,” said Watts. After graduating in 2008 and earning a sport business management degree at Algonquin College, Watts took on two internships that would give her the relevant experience to be an Olympics volunteer. One was with Speed Skating Canada and the other with the Association of National Anti-Doping Organisations (ANADO). Watts recently accepted a full-time position at ANADO, which works on behalf of several national organizations to strengthen global antidoping efforts. Her job involves liaising with international sport federations and the World Anti-Doping Agency to plan and deliver Rebecca Watts at the Olympic Oval in testing programs. Vancouver.
Laurier students, staff volunteer in Costa Rica Alternative Reading Week teaches community service, reflection By Mallory O’Brien Laurier students and staff members have returned from the third-annual Alternative Reading Week trip. This year, the group volunteered in Costa Rica, and worked on several community-service initiatives. In February, 15 students and four team leaders joined local service agency Solidarity in Action to help communities in San Jose and the province of Limón. Some of the placements in San Jose included working at a home for the elderly, renovating a house, teaching English and leading educational activities in a school. “This was the first time we tried a multi-faceted social justice approach,” said Adam Lawrence, diversity coordinator and one of the trip’s organizers. “It gave us a diverse cross-section of the challenges faced by many people living in Costa Rica.” Laurier students also volunteered with the Pan para mi Hermano (Bread for my Brother) program, where they worked alongside Costa Rican students to deliver food to homeless people in downtown San Jose. In the province of Limón,
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students prepared a campaign to educate children about health and dental hygiene. They also spent time planting trees and exploring the rainforest. In addition to volunteering, Laurier’s Alternative Reading Week has a strong reflection component, said Lawrence. “Students spent one to three hours a night on the trip working on structured reflection exercises to maximize learning. What did the day’s situation mean, economically and culturally?” Students are then asked to take their experience and apply it to social-justice issues in Kitchener-Waterloo. “This isn’t just a trip, it’s more of an experience,” said Drew Piticco, manager of Laurier’s Student Leadership Centre. “We try to give students as much autonomy as possible, so they can see it all with their own eyes, and when they come back home, take what they’ve learned and apply it to life here.” Participants of this year’s Alternative Reading Week will be hosting an exhibit in the Concourse March 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Images, reflections and mementos will be on display, and students and staff will be on
hand to share their experiences and answer questions. “This trip, after some reflection, has proven to be one of the best Alternative Reading Week experiences that students and staff have ever had,” said Piticco. “It was an incredibly impactful experience for everyone involved.
Communication studies student Dan Towers, above, and the rest of the Laurier group, top, with children from a school in Limón. The volunteers ran a dental-hygiene campaign at the school, planted trees and played soccer with the kids, losing 3-2.
March 2010 coffee with a co-worker
CAMPUS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
VOL. 1 NO. 1 APRIL 7,2008
CAMPUS CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY
VOL. 1 NO. 1 APRIL 7,2008
A look at staff and faculty across campus
A spark for singing Name: Paul Wagg Job: Electrical Lead Hand Where you can find him: In front of a circuit breaker or on stage. How he takes his coffee: Medium regular.
Members of the barbershop quartet, Amour, from left: Ted Kobak, John Duggan, Paul Wagg and Lorne Brubacher.
Can you tell us about your history at Laurier? I started here in ’75 as an electrician. I became an honorary letterman in ’78 — I still have the letterman’s jacket, but somehow it shrunk! Two of my sons graduated from Laurier and met their wives here, and my son Steve works here (as a custodian in Alumni Hall). My first grandson was even born on Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s birthday. How did you get into singing? I played hockey until I was 55, and after facing knee surgery, I started looking for something else to get into. A guy from my church invited me out to the
coming Events
Laurier Brantford Bookstore Spring Sidewalk Sale When: Mar. 24 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Where: Grand River Hall foyer Shop early for the best selection of discounted items. Information Session on Parkinson’s Disease When: Mar. 24 11:30 a.m. Where: Laurier Toronto Office Cost: Free
Twin City Harmonizers. I liked it so much I joined.
We sing for birthdays, Valentine’s Day and events.
Did you know you had talent? No, but my father told me that my school report card once said, “If he could sing all day, he’d be a perfect student.”
What led you to perform in musicals? I remember fixing an electrical problem at Maureen Forrester Recital Hall and listening to the students practice on stage. I thought, “I’d much rather be out there than back here.” My voice coach (Laurier alumna Carol-Anne Treitz) and my wife, Judy, encouraged me to take acting lessons and get into musical theatre.
How did you become involved in a barbershop quartet? The Twin City Harmonizers held a fundraiser for Harmonize 4 Speech (which created a scholarship for master’s of music therapy students at Laurier). Four of us sang on Valentine’s Day as part of the fundraiser and liked it so much that we formed Amour, our barbershop quartet, in 2002.
For a complete list of events visit www.wlu.ca/events
Department of English and Film Studies will speak as part of the library’s popular “Ideas & Issues” noon-hour lecture series. Music at Noon When: Mar. 30 12 p.m. Where: Maureen Forrester Recital Hall Cost: Free Bring your lunch and enjoy Jerzy Kaplanek on violin and Christine Vlajk on viola.
Are you at risk for Parkinson’s disease? Do you know someone affected by the disease? Meet expert Dr. Quincy Almeida and learn more.
Nutrition Myths & Truths When: Mar. 31 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: DAWB 2-106 Cost: Free
Screening the Caribbean: Tropic North/Tropique Nord When: Mar. 26 7 p.m. Where: BA201 Cost: Free
How well do you know your nutrition facts from fiction? Learn the myths and truths from a registered dietician. Visit Human Resources’ Training & Development web page to register.
This film by Governor General Michaëlle Jean and Jean Lafond looks at the Haitian diaspora in Montreal and black-Quebecois identities. As Time Goes By: The Representation of Memory on Film When: Mar. 29 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: Kitchener Public Library Cost: Free Dr. Russell Kilbourn from the
What roles have you played? I had a chorus role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat at the Centre in the Square
Outstanding Women of Laurier Awards When: Mar. 31 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Where: Waterloo Inn Cost: $80/person For tickets, visit www.laurierathletics.com/owl. Laurier Brantford Walk/Run When: Apr. 1 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: Carnegie Lounge Cost: Free
Take a step for good health by participating in this inaugural event. For more information or to register, contact Rachel Mahrer at rmahrer@wlu.ca. Innovation & Entrepreneurship Speaker Series: Tom Jenkins When: Apr. 5 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: Senate & Board Chamber Cost: Free Join Tom Jenkins, executive chairman and chief strategy officer of Open Text, as he discusses the Future of Digital Media and Canada 3.0.
in Kitchener and the Petrolia community theatre. It was the hardest thing I ever did and the most rewarding thing I ever did. I just began rehearsals for the Community Players of New Hamburg’s production of Cats. What is your role in Cats? I play Gus, the theatre door cat. He’s the oldest cat in the play, and I’m the oldest cast member! Do you have a cat? I do, and we’ve been told to watch them closely. What else can you tell us about your music? In 2007 I won Barbershopper
of the year, and the Twin City Harmonizers won CBC’s “Good ol’ Hockey Game” competition. We raffled off some of our winnings for Harmonize 4 Speech. Starting in a new direction at 55 is inspirational. Do you have any advice? Well, it’s never too late — if you’ve got a thought, do it! I want to lift the spirits of other people — if they’re inspired by some old guy like me, then that’s important. Anyone can sing. If you’re singing, you’re making a beautiful sound.
By Lori Chalmers Morrison
Sabbaticals 101 Is there a sabbatical in your future? Before you go, here are a few tips to keep your family safe and healthy: • Get medical check-ups at least two months before departure and obtain prescriptions for all medications, listing the generic and brand names of each drug. • Be sure your immunizations are up to date. Check with your local travel clinic to find out what shots are recommended for your destination.
Resources about supplementary coverage if necessary. • Pack a first-aid kit in your checked luggage, including over-the-counter medications that may not be available at your destination. Adopted from the Joint Health and Safety Committee’s SafetyNet newsletter, available at www.wlu.ca/eohs.
• Check your health insurance to make sure you are covered — contact your provincial health office for details. Speak with Human
Brent McFarlane Run for MDRC When: Apr. 11 9:30 a.m. Where: Bricker Academic Building Cost: $15/3-km run or $25/10-km run Join the third-annual run and help raise money for the study of Parkinson’s disease. For details, contact Connie Palenik at cpalenik@wlu.ca. How to Fit Exercise Into Your Busy Life When: Apr. 15 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: Paul Martin Centre To register, visit www.wlu.ca/ hr/registration/index.php. 7
CAMPUS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
VOL. 1 NO. 1 APRIL 7,2008
CAMPUS CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY
VOL. 1 NO. 1 APRIL 7,2008
March 2010
In the classroom
A look inside the lecture hall
Hands-on learning Professor: Terry Sturtevant Class: PC120/CP120, Digital Electronics Description: Students design, build and test circuits for the lab portion of this course.
As a physics lab coordinator, Terry Sturtevant covers the practical side of science courses, and takes a more empirical approach to teaching. “I find I’m much more intrigued by the learning process than by the subject matter of any specific course,” said Sturtevant. “How students learn — or not — fascinates me.” In this lab, students use the theories they learn in lecture to produce circuits with a specific goal, such as the ability to judge an electronic game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. “As the term progresses, the circuits change but the process is fairly consistent. My goal is to get students to see the similarities and differences of each of these processes, and that each has its own strengths and weaknesses. “Since the tasks themselves are ‘real,’ I think it helps students see value in what they’re learning.” By Mallory O’Brien
Terry Sturtevant leads a physics lab for the Digital Electronics course.
Photo: Dean Palmer
Artist invites viewers into the Hive Hive, a site-specific art installation by Janet Morton, runs until April 3 at the Robert Langen Art Gallery. Admission is free. Hive takes viewers on a voyage to understand and re-evaluate their relationship with the environment. It also serves as a fascinating metaphor for the creativethinking process. Lush green knitted and sewn vines travel the length of the gallery and envelop a large central structure constructed out of transparent plastic containers: the hive. The hive is found within a garden that features hybrid plant-like sculptures made from found/rescued objects and green recycled sweaters. “In my art practice, issues of reclamation, transformation and labour resurface consistently,” says Morton. “By using stereotypically domestic techniques and recycled materials, I shift the axis from private to public, mundane to monumental, and attempt to address the confounding and complex ways that ‘value’ is assigned to both objects and time investment.”
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