Feb. 2011 insideLaurier

By Sandra Muir

Move over Michael Bubl. Laurier will be represented at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards with a nomination for a choral recording involving Laurier alumnus Noel Edison (BMus 95), Faculty of Music Professor Leslie DeAth and instructor Carol Bauman.The nomination in the

category of Best Small Ensemble Performance features the world-renowned Elora Festival Singers, which is conducted by Edison. DeAth contributed piano on two tracks and Bauman contributed percussion on one track for Eric Whitacre: Choral Music. The CD features 11 choral masterworks by Eric Whitacre, a

renowned American composer.Its an overwhelming vote of

confidence that the singers have done well and an honour to be in such prestigious company with the others that have been nominated. Regardless of the outcome, I am looking forward to attending the awards in

February, said Edison.DeAth, who teaches piano

and lyric diction and directs Lauriers opera productions, plays piano on little tree and Little Birds.The Grammy nomination

doesnt surprise me in terms of its performance quality. The choir sounds magnificent, said DeAth. Bauman, who teaches musical

skills and percussion techniques at Laurier, provided percussion on Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine.Im always excited to work

with Noel and the choir. Their consummate musicianship is inspiring, said Bauman.

CAMPUS | COMMUNITY | CONNECTIONS VOL. 1 | NO. 1 | APRIL 7,2008

CAMPUS | CONNECTIONS | COMMUNITY VOL. 1 | NO. 1 | APRIL 7,2008







7 Picturing inequality: what the images in annual reports can tell us about organizational bias.

February 2011

Mr. Laurier says goodbye but not farewell

Photo: Dean Pa

lmer

5 Strange trip: did controversial beat poet Allan Ginsberg really visit Laurier back in the day?

By Sandra Muir

In the sun-filled foyer of the brand new west wing of Laurier Brantfords Research and Academic Centre (RAC), Laurier officials, politicians from all levels of government, business professionals, donors and students gathered Jan. 21 to celebrate the latest addition to the campus. Laurier President Max Blouw

applauded the work of the many people involved in making the state-of-the-art building a reality, noting that it was completed on time, on budget and in good spirit.The new building, which

includes a 3,700 sq. m east wing

that will open later in the year, will help Laurier Brantford develop innovative academic programs, said Lesley Cooper, acting principal/vice-president of Laurier Brantford. It will also allow the campus to expand from its current 2,600 students to 4,500 students in the next five years, she said. The new 2,800 sq. m west wing

houses advanced teaching and research facilities, administration and student facilities. It is also home to the new storefront Stedman Community Bookstore, which opened in December. The bookstore was built with the support of community philan-

Mike Belanger, director of residential services, retires after a long and varied careerBy Sandra Muir

In a ballroom at the St. George Banquet Hall in Waterloo, hundreds gathered Jan. 13 to honour Mike Belangers contri-butions to Laurier. When the outgoing director of residential services was asked for his guest list of family, friends and colleagues, he admits it was hard to put people into different groups. Family is easy. But there is a

whole world of people I know from Laurier, and I dont really think of them as colleagues. I think of them as friends. In many ways, they are more of a family than anything else, said Belanger.The feeling is mutual for

many of those friends and family members including some who still affectionately call him Bones because he was so tall and skinny when he first came to campus as a student in 1971. Hes also known to many as

Mr. Laurier for the various staff and volunteer roles hes held on campus over the last 40 years including, but not limited to, manager of the Turret, director of housing and coach of the varsity golf team. One of

his most notable contributions was the creation of a renowned residence-life program that fosters a supportive student environment and encourages mutual respect.Hes been here forever.

Hes touched every part of Laurier, said Chris Dodd (92), manager of housing services and residential life. He is Mr. Laurier.When Belanger arrived on

campus four decades ago as a first-year geography student, he planned to go on to do an MA. But after finishing his undergrad degree, he decided to pay off his student debt first and got a job managing the Turret. Thats where he met Leah, who worked in the games room. The two were married in 1980.That same year, while

Belanger was helping to launch the original Wilfs, the director of housing position opened up. It was a doorway to a new career path, and an opportunity to fully showcase the leadership skills that former dean of students Fred Nichols recog-nized in him. I kind of watched him grow

from when he first enrolled here. I saw leadership qualities in him right away, said Nichols, who

Laurier garners Grammy nomination

Mike Belanger, retiring director of residence life. Hes been here forever. Hes touched every part of Laurier.

Professor and instructor perform on disc, alum conductsLaurier Brantford unveils new RAC west wing

hired Belanger. Hes one of the best things to happen to Laurier.The opportunity to show

those leadership skills came early on when Belanger decided to revamp the don system. Back then, don camps were held the weekend before students

arrived. The majority of the time was spent socializing, with a few hours of instruction on first aid and what to do when kids got into trouble. We started to think about how

could we can change things, said Belanger. We thought,

why dont we try teaching students not to do things, rather than waiting for them to do something wrong. And so we started to take more proactive measures.

GRAMMYS see page 2RAC see page 3

MIKE BELANGER see page 5

8 Staff and faculty get festive at the annual seasonal lunches in Waterloo and Brantford.





February 2011

2

programming and research activity at one campus can be extended to students and faculty members at other campuses, enriching opportunity for all.The proposed Milton

campus will help the provincial government satisfy the urgent need for university spaces in

the Greater Toronto Area. Demographic projections

suggest that tens of thousands of university spaces will be needed in the GTA in the coming decades. Our own research suggests that a Laurier Milton campus could accommodate 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students by 2019-20, and 10,000-15,000 domestic and international students over the following decade.You may ask: Why should

Laurier be the one to satisfy this challenge in the GTA? Well, for starters, many of our current students come from the GTA. If we dont satisfy the demand for education, another university surely will with the potential for impact on enrolment at our Waterloo and Brantford campuses.Framed in a more positive

light, a Milton campus will provide Laurier with an extraor-

dinary opportunity: the ability to design a brand new campus with exciting programming and research opportunities, all with financial support from a range of community, government and private-sector partners.Capital funding is the big

question, and it has not yet been resolved. It is clear, however, that we need a firm and substantial commitment from the provincial government in order to proceed with a Milton campus. It is also clear that we need

to continue discussion of this opportunity within the Laurier community. We have provided regular updates and input opportunities since 2008 (see www.wlu.ca/miltoncampus) and we have scheduled a joint meeting of the universitys Senate and Board of Governors on Feb. 17 to share information and discuss the proposed Milton campus.I look forward to hearing your

thoughts and opinions about this important opportunity for the future of the university.

Max BlouwPresident & Vice-Chancellor

Edison is the conductor and artistic director of the Elora Festival Singers and Torontos Mendelssohn Choir - world-class choral ensembles. He

is a former part-time faculty member and conductor of the WLU Choir. In 2009, he was made a member of the Order of Ontario.The Grammys will be

broadcast Feb. 13, 2011.Laurier is reviewing its visual identity, and is looking for your input.The university is conducting

a visual identity review, which means examining the univer-sitys graphic elements such as the crest and wordmark. Building on the work already

done during the Envisioning Laurier and Academic Planning processes, the review will answer two questions: should we update or change the universitys visual identity, and if so, how can we update the visual identity in a cohesive way that reflects our strengths, values and traditions?The university engaged design

firm Scott Thornley + Company (STC) in 2010 after a compre-hensive RFP process. STCs client list includes Columbia University, University College London, the Fields Institute, the National Arts Centre, the Royal Conservatory, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, and the Trudeau Foundation and many others.STC has come to know Laurier

well in recent months. They conducted focus groups with Lauriers Centennial Steering Committee and did extensive secondary research before developing the LAURIER100 logo. Theyve since designed the centennial banners, website

and advertisements that are beginning to appear in national publications.Now, STC is consulting with

students, faculty, staff, alumni and others prior to developing the creative brief that will answer the questions noted above and guide their design work.You can share your thoughts

via an online forum or on Lauriers official Facebook page. Visit www.wlu.ca/vir or visit http://www.facebook.com/LaurierNow beginning February 10 to leave your comments!For more information about

Lauriers visual identity review, please visit www.wlu.ca/vir.

The recent grand opening of the Laurier Brantford Research and Academic Centres west wing was an exciting success.More than 100 people braved

a cold and snowy morning to celebrate a significant milestone in the development of the Laurier Brantford campus.The Research and Academic

Centre provides our students and faculty in Brantford with a landmark building that was specifically designed to enhance the campuss learning and research environment. When the east wing opens later this year, we will have a superb educa-tional facility that will enable the campus to accommodate an additional 2,000 students in future. As I celebrated the opening

of the west wing alongside representatives from the city, the federal and provincial govern-ments, and the community, I was struck by the transformative power of partnerships and the leadership role that education can play in enriching all aspects of a community.It was clear to all who

witnessed the BRAC opening that Laurier has provided Brantford with a welcome foundation upon which the community is building its future. This is a fantastic opportunity,

a fantastic moment for our city, said Mayor Chris Friel. Weve gone through a process where, industrially, we got kicked in the teeth now we have recovered, with this university.The same high level

of enthusiasm exists in the Town of Milton, which has invited Laurier to partner in a proposed state-of-the art Education Village adjacent to the magnif-icent Niagara Escarpment.Miltons circumstances are

different than those of Brantford. Milton is a fast-growing community on the edge of the Greater Toronto Area with a strong and diversified economy. Nonetheless, the town like the City of Brantford understands that a post-secondary educa-tional institution is critically important to be competitive in the new economy and will contribute significantly to the intellectual, social and economic health of the community.Laurier has been exploring

the Milton opportunity with the town since early 2008. Last month, a number of additional partners formally joined the process. This broader partnership reflects a level

of cooperation and common purpose that, I believe, will ensure the long-term success of Miltons post-secondary aspirations.As in Brantford, a campus

in Milton has the potential to strengthen the local community. And, as in Brantford, it has the potential to enrich Wilfrid Laurier University as a whole by leveraging community and government funding to support new academic and research programs that the university would not otherwise be able to support. State-of-the-art communications technology, as well as the proximity of Milton to the Waterloo and Brantford campus (less than an hours drive to either), will enable a significant degree of interaction between students and faculty at all Laurier campuses. Academic

Brantford success shows potential for a Milton campusPRESIDENTS MESSAGE

InsideLaurier

Volume 3, Number 7, February 2011

Editor: Nicholas Dinka

Assistant Editor: Lori Chalmers Morrison

Design: Erin Steed

Contributors: Amanda St. Marie, Sandra Muir, Mallory OBrien, Lori Chalmers Morrison, Kevin Crowley, Dean Palmer

InsideLaurier is published by Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing (CPAM)

Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5

InsideLaurier welcomes your comments and suggestions for stories.

Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 3341 | Fax: (519) 884-8848 Email: [email protected]

InsideLaurier (circ. 2,100) is published eight times a year by CPAM.

Opinions expressed in InsideLaurier do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the universitys administration.

Available online at www.wlu.ca/publicaffairs.Printed on recycled paper

Next issue of

March 2011





Send us your news, events & stories

Email: [email protected]

All submissions are appreciated, however not all submissions will be published. We reserve the right to edit all copy for accuracy, content and length.

Deadline for submissions: February 17

University initiates visual identity review

Correction: On page one of the December 2010 issue, it was incorrectly stated that Barry Ries is a former member of the Board of Governors. Ries is a current member.

Design firm engaged, input sought from Laurier community

GRAMMYS continued

Dr. Max Blouw and Federal Minister of State Gary Goodyear attended the Laurier Brantford RAC opening in January.

Photo: Sandra Muir





3

February 2011

thropists Mary and the late Ruth Stedman, who each contributed $250,000. The Stedman family is known for the chain of book and stationery stores that originated in Brantford over 100 years ago.At the opening of the west

wing, Laurier officials paid tribute to the support of federal Minister of State Gary Goodyear, Brant MP Phil McColeman and Brant MPP Dave Levac.We can put the dollars out

but I know the hard work that goes into it, said Goodyear. Thank you for helping us get the economy on its way back on track.The federal and provincial

governments each contributed $13 million toward the building. The provincial government committed to supporting the project in its 2009 budget as part of its investment in post-secondary institutions across Ontario. The federal contribution was part of the Government

of Canadas Knowledge Infra-structure Program. Blouw made note of the

shared vision between Laurier and the city, while Brantford Mayor Chris Friel applauded the university for helping to turn the city around.Weve gone through a

process where, industrially, we got kicked in the teeth, he

said. Were not unique. Other cities have gone through the same thing. But we just kept getting kicked and kicked. Now we have recovered, with this university.Laurier Brantford has

expanded rapidly since it first

opened in 1999. Originally a one-building institution located in the Carnegie building, which once housed the Brantford Public Library today it is a campus of 19 refurbished or new buildings spread throughout the downtown core.I get six or so requests every

year from other communities to have us build a campus for them, said Blouw. Why dont they call some other university? The answer is very clear. Whats happening here is known province wide. Retired Laurier president Bob

Rosehart, who presided over the first years of growth in Brantford, encouraged Blouw to keep building. He said in the early days when there were fewer buildings, students didnt think the campus had the atmosphere of a full-fledged university.Im very pleased to see Maxs

leadership and the leadership in Brantford, he told the crowd. Walking around, I can see that it now has the university feel.

By Kevin Crowley

Efforts to bring post-secondary education to the Town of Milton will continue through a new memorandum of under-standing (MOU) that identifies specific areas to be examined in the development of the proposed Milton Education Village a 450-acre neigh-bourhood centred around a 150-acre university campus.Eight municipal, business

and education partners, including Laurier, are part of the new MOU, which was announced Jan. 24 at a meeting of Milton Town Council. The new MOU complements an existing memorandum between Milton and Laurier.Similar to the first

memorandum, the new three-year MOU outlines the intention of Laurier and Milton to continue inves-tigating the potential for a university campus on 150 acres of land on the southwest side of the community, adjacent to the Niagara Escarpment. The new MOU includes additional partners with the expertise and financial resources to round

out the partnership needed to develop the broader concept of a Milton Education Village a comprehensively planned, 450-acre neighbourhood that would include a university campus, research park with a technology commercialization centre, a variety of housing

options, and retail support services. Funding remains a

major consideration. The new MOU, which must be approved by the Laurier Board of Governors, states

that the proposal requires an acceptable level of funding from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities for construction, capital and operating costs for the university campus. The provincial government is currently preparing its 2011-12 budget, which is expected to include a new 10-year capital plan, including investment in post-secondary education infrastructure.Academic programming at a

Laurier Milton campus would be governed by the Wilfrid Laurier University Senate, which governs all academic programming at Lauriers multi-campus sites.This new memorandum

of understanding brings new partners to the Milton Education Village initiative and continues the exploratory work that is needed to assess the feasibility of establishing a Laurier campus in Milton, said Max Blouw, Lauriers president and vice-chancellor. A Laurier Milton campus

could produce significant benefits for the university, for the local community, and for students and residents in the broader GTA, said Blouw.

However, we must proceed with due diligence. To this end, we will continue to share information and seek input from the Laurier community as we examine all aspects of this exciting opportunity.The university and its senior

administrators have provided numerous updates and opportunities for discussion about a Milton campus since the first MOU was signed in March 2008. To continue the discussion about the possi-bility of a Milton campus, a joint meeting of the univer-sitys Senate and Board of Governors is scheduled for Feb. 17, starting at 1 p.m. in the Senate and Board Chamber.In addition to Laurier, the

other signatories to the new MOU include: the Town of Milton, Sheridan College Institute of Applied Arts and Technology, the Regional Municipality of Halton, Milton Hydro Distribution Inc., Mattamy Homes Ltd., Del Ridge Investments, and Milton Land Four Investments Ltd.

To read the takeaway notes from the various sessions, visit http://www.accoonline.org/ccls/Summit2010/

New MOU supports continued exploration of Milton campus

Areas identified for further investigation

The need for adequate provincial funding for capital and operating costs for the proposed Laurier and Sheridan campuses.

Laurier and Sheridan College will develop their own MOU to explore joint academic programming and the devel-opment of the Milton Education Village and their individual campuses.

Laurier and Milton will work together on a proposal in which the Town would finance the construction and operation of a parking infra-structure for the Laurier campus.

Laurier, Milton and Mattamy Homes will jointly explore student residence needs.

Laurier, the Town of Milton, and Milton Hydro will jointly inves-tigate best practices in developing a sustainable, economical and energy-efficient campus that incor-porates principles of green and clean technologies.

Laurier, Sheridan and the Town of Milton will work together to investigate a universal transit pass.

Back row: Laurier President Max Blouw, Brant MPP Dave Levac. Front row: City of Brantford Mayor Chris Friel; Federal Minister of State Gary Goodyear; Acting Princi-pal/Vice-President: Laurier Brantford Lesley Cooper; and Brant MP Phil Coleman.

Town of Milton

We just kept getting

kicked and kicked. Now

we have recovered, with

this university.

-Brantford Mayor Chris Friel

RAC continued

Photos: S

andra Muir

The RAC building incorporates environmental and energy-efficient design elements. Both wings are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver registered projects.

The RAC has the following environmental features:

High recycled and regional content in construction materials Low VOC interior materials Energy-efficient design and construction 25 per cent to 33 per cent more efficient than standard buildings Reduced indoor water use by over 30 per cent Water cistern for use of roof water for irrigation purposes Construction waste diversion diverted over 90 per cent of construction waste from the landfill, instead of sending it for

recycling or reuse Carpooling parking spots and bicycle racks installed to reduce reliance on cars Living wall in the lobby of the RAC-West





February 2011

4

Name: Mike WhitehouseJob Title: Coordinator, Communications & Tech-nology, AthleticsMovie Title: Scott Pilgrim vs. the WorldDirector: Edgar Wright

Ive been a video game fan for almost two decades, and this movie hit a soft spot for me with its highly stylized look and feel, which brought back memories of killing time with my favourite games back in the day. This is a film that will immediately appeal to a specific demographic, yet the strong script, music and cinematography make it an enjoyable ride for anyone.

What are you reading?

What are you eating?

What are you watching?

What are you listening to?

What are you reading?

What are you eating?

What are you watching?

What are you listening to?

Name: Megan Piticco Job Title: Administrative Assistant, Office of the PresidentFood Item: Seagram WrapWhere To Get It: Wilfs Restaurant and Bar

The Seagram Wrap has a little bit of everything. The chicken is coated in a wing sauce of your choice, which gives it tons of flavour. Its also filled with cheese as well as lots of fresh veggies, so it doesnt feel too bad for you. To top it off I get a side order of sweet potato fries a perfect complement. The price is just right for a meal out, and it will definitely fill you up!

Photo: Sandra Muir

On a snowy day in mid-December, the Atriums glass walls werent letting in much sunlight. Winter came early this year, and it did not tread lightly. On Jan. 24, the mercury at the Waterloo International Airport touched -24.6 C, close to the record low of -25 C set in 2004. But average winter temperatures in Ontario have been relatively balmy in recent years cold comfort on those blustery winter days.

By Mallory OBrien

Laurier Professor Thomas O. Hueglin explores his family history in a new book from WLU Press titled We All Giggled: A Bourgeois Family Memoir.We All Giggled shares the

intimate stories of two families that came together when Hueglins parents met and married in 1945. The Hglins, as they were known then, lost most of their fortune over the course of the two world wars. The Wachendorffs survived the wars despite their Jewish ancestry; the book features a photo of Hueglins half-Jewish uncles with Adolf Hitler. Hueglin wrote the book

based on his own memories, but he also read family journals and diaries and spoke with his 91-year-old aunt in Germany. He recollects growing up in postwar Germany in an environment of stability and comfort, and chronicles his familys ups and downs and abiding love for music, food

and art.When you put your mind

to it, its amazing what you remember, said Hueglin, who wrote the book for his children. I just wanted to write down

the old stories. What emerged was an entire family memoir, spanning several generations.We All Giggled weaves a rich

tapestry of anecdotes about opera singers, restaurants and travels, as well as family relations, romance and the kind

of impromptu reactions to people, places, and situations that often result in uncontrol-lable giggles, Hueglin wrote in the book.This book reminds us what

the ideal family actually is: a collection of colourful, delight-fully imperfect people who have, for better and worse, made up the music of our lives, said Alison Wearing, author of Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey, in a review of the book. May we all remember and honour our families with such care, respect, and willingness to giggle and forgive.Hueglin grew up in Germany

and moved to Canada in 1983. He has been a professor of political science at Laurier since 1985. His recent book publica-tions also include Comparative Federalism and Classical Debates for the Twenty-first Century: Rethinking Political Thought. We All Giggled is available

now through WLU Press. For more information, visit www.wlupress.wlu.ca.

Remembering the way it wasProfessors new book explores his familys colourful history

A real Canadian winter

Senior Laurier officials served up accolades and ice-cream sundaes to over 1,000 students on Lauriers Waterloo campus Jan. 27, thanking them for eight years of support for Lauriers Student Life Levy.Since its inception in 2003, the

levy, funded entirely by students, has provided $8.5 million in support for projects that enhance student life at the university. A total of 90 enhancement projects have been funded, focusing on student life, technology, library acquisitions, and scholarships and bursaries.This was an extraordinary

gesture of generosity from Lauriers students, said Rob Donelson, vice-president of development and alumni relations. We were delighted that so many of our students came out today to have their contribution acknowledged.The fund supported a wide

range of projects, including a new floor for the AC gym, enhancements to the MyLaurier.ca portal, and acquisitions for the Brantford library, among many others. A total of 71 projects were funded at the Waterloo campus, while 19 projects were funded at the Brantford campus.The students decided to help

the school, said Richard Diodati, a first-year Bachelor of Business Administration student who attended the recognition event. I think [this event] shows the school cares about the students and our contribution.The recognition event included

speeches celebrating the students and their gift by Donelson, Vice-President Student Affairs David McMurray, and Laurier President and Vice-Chancellor Max Blouw. Its the student leadership at

Laurier that makes such a signif-icant difference to the quality of education we provide here, said

Blouw. Its subsequent genera-tions of students who actually benefit. That is a true act of philanthropy and generosity, and I congratulate all of you for that.In 2003, Andy Pushalik, then

WLUSU president, and Ben Durrer, then WLUSU chair of the board, signed the current Student Life Levy agreement on behalf of the students. Several current and former WLUSU presidents and board chairs attended the recognition event on Jan. 27.The Student Life Levy gives

us the ability to shape our own student-life experience, because when youre a donor of that magnitude the university takes you seriously, said Allan Cayenne, President of WLUSU from 2006 to 2007. Its really helped the students here.A recognition event at the

Brantford campus will be held in the near future.

Giving thanks for a generous giftUniversity acknowledges $8.5 million in student support

Over 1,000 students attended the Student Life Levy recognition event on Jan. 27. Above: Dr. Blouw thanks students for their donation.





5

February 2011

leadership and purpose. Im passionate about

creating social change and learning through action, and these are integral components of Lauriers Community Service-Learning program, said Conway. Im excited to join the Laurier team and to develop projects that target specific community issues by fostering collaboration and working towards innovative, multi-sector solutions. Conway recently served as

director, strategic planning,

evaluation and research at Mosaic Counselling in Kitchener, and as the director of Pathways to Education. She is in the final stages of her PhD in Urban Planning at the University of Waterloo, and holds a M.Phil. degree from Cambridge University and a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from Queens University. Established in 2006,

Lauriers CSL program has grown to more than 1,600 Laurier students taking CSL courses in 12 different academic departments. The program includes curricular CSL, where service learning is incorporated into academic programs, and co-curricular CSL, where a service-learning and reflection component is built into volunteer initiatives like Shinerama. Laurier is a leader in the

number of psychology courses incorporating mandatory CSL and has the only mandatory 40-hour community service component in a Canadian MBA program.

Today, dons arrive almost 12 days before students to undergo 10 days of training. The program still includes team building, but also incor-porates instruction on how to help students participate in residence life.When you come to university,

your first year should be fun. But you have to be responsible, and learning to take responsi-bility is an important part of it, said Belanger.There were also physical

changes to housing that Belanger helped lead. He played a key role in the creation of the Bricker Residence, which opened in 1991 and was the first residence on a Canadian university campus to feature an apartment-style rather than dormitory-style layout.The students told us what

they wanted, and I helped organize it.Amid these successes have

been challenges. Enrollment has outpaced housing space in recent years, resulting in a scramble every summer to secure additional beds for students. Mike he never gets excited.

He takes challenges and makes them work. And I think thats amazing on his part, said Nichols.There are also calls from

parents with day-to-day issues. And then there are the devas-tating tragedies Belanger has had to deal with. I remember getting a call in

the middle of the night in 1986.

A young fellow had collapsed in one of our residences. So I got up and got dressed and went down to the hospital in time to the meet the don who was there. The doctor came out and said, he didnt make it. It was just such a shock. And then the doctor said

Ive got another critical emergency that Ive got to go to. Could you stay here and meet the parents?Belangers ability to deal

with any challenge has made him a sought-after member of the Laurier community and he has been a willing participant. He volunteered on several committees, many of them for athletics (his tenure as Lauriers golf coach lasted for almost 25 years). He helped implement the Laurier One Card, was a head negotiator for staff, and served as acting director of Information Services.Going forward, his ties to

the university will also include a $1,000 bursary in his name

co-founded by Chris Dodd and Rob Hums (92). The Mike Belanger Residence Life Award was created to provide financial support for future student members of the Residence Life team who both improve the Laurier experience for students and demonstrate financial need. There are so many people

who have gone through residence life and been affected by Mikes work, said Dodd. After all that hard work,

Belanger is looking forward to some down time. There are lots of things I

think I want to do, he said. But for the first three or four months, I kind of want to have no schedule and do nothing as a change. And then Ill see.In the meantime, its likely

that Laurier will still play a big part in Belangers life.Most of the activities and

events and things that we do as a family are with Laurier people, or at Laurier events or Laurier activities, he said.

For a complete list of appointments visit www.wlu.ca/hr

New AppointmentsPatricia Belland Administrative Assistant, Dean of Arts

Claire Bennett Sustainability Coordinator, Physical Resources

Linda Bennett Administrative Assistant II, Sociology

Donna Braund Coordinator: Financial & Biographical Services, Advancement

Troy Caplan Custodian

Ben Clifford Coordinator: Programs, Athletics

Tracey Ens Manager, Procurement Services

Kory Jeffrey Coordinator: Digital Media Hub & Presi-dents Innovation Seed Fund, University Communications

William Paul Johnson Technical Support Specialist, Brantford

Terry Newlove Custodian

Joan Saraco Director, ICT Solutions

Changes in staff appointmentsDan Dawson AVP, Student Services

Chris Floto Leadhand Electrician

Ross Fraser Student Support Specialist (Student Services), Brantford

Cora Hennel-Greer Commu-nications Coordinator, Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Vanessa McMackin Records and Data Management Coordi-nator, Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Bridget Parris Information Specialist, Registrars Office

Jennifer Porritt Manager, Training and Development

Dorota Rams Skazinski Human Resources Assistant

Andrea Swinson Sr. Admin-istrative Assistant (PhD & Masters Prog), SBE

Janice Vilaca EA Office of VP / Principal Brantford

RetirementsSusan Pequegnat Information Specialist, Registrars Office

New Director of Community Service-Learning appointed

At a recent screening of the new movie Howl, about the work of legendary beat-generation poet Allen Ginsberg, a friend of mine mentioned shed heard a rumour that Ginsberg once gave a poetry reading at Laurier. Is it true?

It really all depends on how you define the concept of truth. For Ginsberg, a leading counterculture figure with a habit of questioning authority, those claiming to know the capital-T truth were always suspect. But putting all philo-sophical queries aside for the moment, yes, he was here.Ginsberg recited poetry to a

packed house in Lauriers room 1E1 on Feb. 4, 1980. It was the year of the Mount St. Helens eruption and the US govern-ments landmark bailout of the Chrysler Corporation to the tune of $1.5 billion. Ginsbergs impact at Laurier seems to have been only slightly less momentous. You see, Ginsbergs

appearance was somewhat of a controversy given the nature of his poems and his ability to freely express himself. According to the Cords article on the performance, people in the audience heaved sighs of

relief (that it was over) and of disbelief at the use of his crass language and vivid descrip-tions. Tough crowd. The performance was part of

the Festival of Contemporary Arts, organized by Lauriers English department. Ginsberg was asked to attend the conference by Dr. Gary Waller, head of the English department at the time and an expert on creative writing.Ginsberg was no stranger to

controversy, although most of his big battles were far in his past by the time he came to Laurier. Howl, his great early long poem, was the subject of a lengthy obscenity trial in the 1950s. He was cleared of all charges a verdict that may have troubled some visitors to the Festival of Contemporary Arts.

Ginsberg passed away in 1997, but thanks to the magic of film he was able to make a more recent appearance in the Waterloo area, at the Princess Cinema on King Street. This time around, Ginsbergs performance was met with admiration, awe and accep-tance. Perhaps pretty boy actor James Franco played a part in this, but it depends on who youre talking to.

CAMPUS DECODER Got a question? Send it to [email protected]

Photo: Rpo

ger T

schanz

Laurier has appointed Megan Conway as the new director of the Laurier Centre for Community Service-Learning (CSL), effective February 1. Conway will apply her academic and professional experience to Lauriers CSL program, which integrates meaningful community-service placements with theoretical learning in the classroom. David McMurray, Lauriers

vice-president: student affairs, says hes delighted to have Conway leading what he describes as a transformative, high-impact teaching and learning practice with proven educational benefits. Megans extensive

community background and her academic and professional expertise will bring strong leadership to the strategic development of our CSL program, said McMurray. Through its strong reflection

component and specific learning outcomes, Lauriers CSL program aims to enrich students learning experi-ences while benefitting community organizations and the individuals they serve. The program supports Lauriers focus on inspiring lives of

Megan Conway

PEOPLE AT LAURIER

Allan Ginsberg blows minds in Lauriers room 1E1 on Feb. 4, 1980.

Mike Belanger (right) with a well-wisher at his retirement party last December in the Paul Martin Centre.

MIKE BELANGER continued

Photo: Sandra Muir





February 2011

6

How long have you been at Laurier?Since July 1, 1980 31 years!

Youre retiring in July how do you feel?Its been a great pleasure being here. Im feeling good about retiring I have a lot of irons in the fire. Im working on events that will happen when Im retired, like a Shinerama tennis tournament for Cystic Fibrosis that Im organizing with four MBA students.

You do a lot of work around the reflection process in community service-learning (CSL) why is it so important?Many people dont realize how powerful the learning outcomes from community-

service learning and volun-teering are until theyve articulated them through the reflection process. When I was 15, I was

the leader of a rock band that played at an event for the public school patrols sponsored by the Ottawa Police (it was around the time of The Beatles so we had a lot of 11-year-old screaming fans). I didnt recognize it as a valuable volunteer experience until years later. I reflected on it and realized it involved leadership development, clarifying values, personal self-development and collaboration. Reflection allows you to look at an issue or experience from a what, so what, and now what? perspective.

What is the biggest impact of CSL on students?The awareness they gain. They help others and they learn about themselves. They look at where theyve been, where theyre at and ask themselves what is it about their experience that they want to do more of. What are they passionate about? What are they good at? What community needs fit? It helps students to be more reflective and more strategic about their volunteer opportunities and their career path.

Please tell us about the Corporate Service Club you helped to start at Laurier.Corporate Service Clubs of Canada applies the service-

club model within workplaces, over the lunch-hour, making it easy for members to help their communities. Participation benefits the employee, the university and the community. The ripple effect is incredible in ways people may not even appreciate. One Laurier employee invited her son to come along, and they went through the reflection process together. Her volunteering not only helped the community but it also benefitted her as a mother, as a role model, as an employee and it brought a new dimension to her relationship with her son.

What are your plans for retirement?I plan to travel with my wife

and strengthen the networks and relationships Ive already got around music, tennis and church. My relaxation comes through music (Baetz is in the band Professional Misconduct) and tennis. I also enjoy watching others benefit from getting actively engaged. Ill stay involved with my research on academic integrity and work with the Volunteer Action Centre. And theres a lot of oppor-

tunity out there for retirees around volunteering and reflection!

By Lori Chalmers Morrison

COFFEE WITH A CO-WORKER

Name: Mark Baetz

Job: Professor of Business; As-sociate Director, Laurier Centre for Community Service-Learning; and Academic Integrity Advisor.

Where you can find him: On the third floor of the Peters building.

How he takes his coffee: I drink green tea every morning. I went to a nutrition seminar and the speaker said the single most important piece of advice was to drink green tea every day.

Lunch and Learn: Happiness in Your LifeWhen: Feb. 9, noon-1 p.m.Where: Read Lounge, Carnegie Building, BrantfordCost: Free to all Laurier staff and facultyBring contentment into your life by altering the way you view challenges, by becoming more aware of your blessings and by living in the moment.To register, visit https://www.wlu.ca/hr/registration/login.php

Music at NoonWhen: Feb. 10, noon 1 p.m.Where: Maureen Forrester Recital HallCost: FreeThe New Art Quartet performs in this weeks installment of the regular series.

Womens Hockey vs. WaterlooWhen: Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m.Where: Sunlife Financial Arena, Waterloo Recreation ComplexCost: VariesThe womens hockey Hawks battle local rivals University of Waterloo. Visit www.laurier-athletics.com for more infor-mation.

Monteverdi VespersWhen: Feb. 13, 7 p.m. 9 p.m.Where: St. Marys Catholic ChurchCost: $10In celebration of Lauriers centennial, the Faculty of Music presents Claudio

Monteverdis Vespers. Tickets are $10 at the door. This epic 90-minute work includes eight soloists, Lauriers combined choirs and a 30-piece orchestra.

Music at NoonWhen: Feb. 10, noon 1 p.m.Where: Maureen Forrester Recital HallCost: FreeDavid Rose, viola, performs in this weeks installment of the regular series.

Gaza, the Goldstone Report, and the International Criminal CourtWhen: Feb. 17, 4 p.m. 7 p.m.Where: Paul Martin CentreCost: FreeWilliam A. Schabas, director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the National University of Ireland, Galway, analyzes the Goldstone Report on the 2008-9 Gaza war.

The Limitations of Nuclear-Family Living: Tales of the Journey into ParenthoodWhen: Mar. 1, 1 p.m. 3 p.m.Where: Paul Martin CentreCost: FreeProfessor Bonnie Fox of the University of Toronto discusses research on parenting and on the problems experienced by mothers in traditionally struc-tured nuclear families.

Opera Production: The Magic FluteWhen: Mar. 4-6, 2011, 8 p.m. 10 p.m.

COMING EVENTS For a complete list of events visit www.wlu.ca/events

Professor Mark Baetz displays an award he received for helping to start Lauriers Corporate Service Club.

Where: Theatre AuditoriumCost: $20/$10 (St/Sr)This Laurier production of Mozarts great opera was directed by Michael Kavanagh and conducted by Leslie DeAth.

Leupolds Legacy: Inspiring lives of leadership and purposeWhen: Mar. 5, 1 p.m. 5 p.m.Where: Waterloo Lutheran SeminaryCost: Free and open to the publicThis celebration of Ulrich Leupolds contribution to music and theology will include historical displays throughout the seminary as well as lectures at 1:30 and 4 p.m.

In Elegy for the Stolen Land, Peter Sibbalds ongoing exhibition at the Robert Langan Art Gallery, the photographer explores the changes that humans have wrought on the landscape in Southern Ontario.His starkly beautiful black-

and-white images explore how

waves of development, from farming through to suburban development, have impacted the landscape and pushed aside its aboriginal inhabitants.Sibbald grew up on the

shores of Lake Simcoe, on lands previously inhabited by his pioneer ancestors. He

currently resides in the GTA.I try to challenge viewers

to explore how contemporary land-human relationships have evolved and to consider their own involvement in this ongoing process, Sibbald says.Elegy for the Stolen Land

runs to Feb. 19.

Photo: Lori C

halm

ers Morris

on





7

February 2011

By Mallory OBrien

If theres one thing AMCs hit television series Mad Men has taught the younger female generation, its that women in the corporate world have come a long way since the 1960s. But the more some things change, the more others stay the same, as the work of Laurier accounting professor Bruce McConomy unfortunately attests.McConomy and his research

partner, Merridee Bujaki of the University of Ottawa, have found a unique way to study corporate attitudes towards women. Theyve analyzed the photographs in annual reports, and looked at the ways in which women are represented in these images or arent represented, in some cases. What we found was that

while the percentage of women who work in many industries was quite high, the percentage of photos that featured women was very low, McConomy says. This seems to indicate that women are not portrayed as being a critical part of the company.On average across all indus-

tries, 47 per cent of the workforce is female, but McConomy and Bujaki found that only 18.5 per cent of the pictures of people in annual reports include women. Not a single industry showed a greater percentage of women in pictures than actually work in the industry. McConomy says it may have

something to do with the fact that the annual reports are representing senior management instead of the workforce. The numbers seem to back that up.Take the health care industry,

for instance, where only 21.5 per cent of annual report pictures feature women. Fully 82 per cent of the workforce is female, but women only account for 13 per cent of senior management positions and 10 per cent of boards of directors.In the information technology

industry, meanwhile, 46 per cent of the workforce is female, but only 8.7 per cent of senior management is female and a meager 4.4 per cent of people on the boards of directors are female. In the annual reports of infor-mation technology companies,

only 16 per cent of the pictures of people featured women. The energy industry comes

closest to accurately reflecting its workers, but that may simply be because the percentage of women working in the industry is so low a mere 18 per cent. In the annual reports of energy companies, 14 per cent of the pictures included women. It is unlikely that Mad Mens Peggy Olson would be particularly heartened by this statistic. Another thing the researchers

looked at is how women were treated relative to men in annual report pictures. In one study, they coded each photo based on a number of dimensions, including age, ethnicity and manner of dress. When they tallied up the

results, they found that women were more likely to be shown as youthful, or even as children. Women were less likely to be dressed professionally, more

likely to be smiling and more likely to be shown as customers instead of employees. Less than five per cent of the pictures showed men being a customer, but 33.3 per cent of the pictures showed women being a customer.Women are depicted as

being less serious and having less important roles while men are more likely to be shown as skilled employees or executives, McConomy says. Maybe thats just their role in these industries, but part of it is just how theyre being presented in the industry its difficult to disentangle the two.Past research has shown that

men are more likely to be talking in photos, and scholars have argued that such images, taken together, imply that men have more to say about the organi-zation.The pictures can represent,

however subconsciously, discriminatory beliefs of senior

management, because these reports do have to be approved by senior management, McConomy says. But just how conscious are they of whats in them?All told there were 2,884

pictures in the 100 annual reports McConomy and Bujaki reviewed, which averages about 29 pictures per company. Of those 29 pictures, about 17 were of people. Of those 17 photos, 12.5 were pictures of just men, 2.5 were pictures of just women, and two were pictures of men and women together. In a second paper that looked

more closely at the subset of photos that included both men and women 106 of them 73.5 per cent of men were speaking but only 20 per cent of the women were. McConomy says you will often see male promi-nence, such as a male manager standing with a woman working on the computer. McConomy

found that men were more prominent 65 per cent of the time, while women were more prominent only 25 per cent of the time. There is a small amount good

news. We found that companies that are more inclusive of women, reflected by the fact that women were represented in more photos, tend to have better financial performance, McConomy says. Diversity is good for the bottom line.But overall, the annual report-

picture is still cloudy. Comparing his recent work with studies done in other countries more than a decade ago, McConomy notes there hasnt been much change over the years.Youd kind of expect that over

time things would be improving, but they arent, he says. Its the kind of research you could revisit in five to 10 years to see if things have changed Im hoping they will have.

RESEARCH FILE

He reads corporate annual reports for the picturesBruce McConomy analyzes the photographs in annual reports and finds some disappointing patterns

Photo: Dean Pa

lmer

Laurier Business Professor Bruce McConomy studied corporate annual reports and found that the pictures tell their own story.

Selected statistics from McConomy and Bujakis paper The Portrayal of Women in Canadian Corporate Annual Reports published in Volume 27, Issue 3 of the Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences.

Industry

Energy

Consumer goods

Healthcare

Financials

Information technology

Women in pictures

14.1%

26.3%

21.5%

23.5%

16%

Women in the industry

18.3%

55.2%

82.1%

57.8%

46%

Women on the board

8.5%

13.3%

10%

11.5%

4.4%

Women in senior management

9%

19.2%

13.4%

15.5%

8.7%





February 2011

8

IN THE CLASSROOM A look inside the lecture hall

Photo: Dean PalmerAlicia Sliwinski uses a dynamic, physically active teaching style to enliven her lectures.

Faculty and staff get festive at the seasonal lunchWaterloo and Brantford campuses meet December 13 and 14 to celebrate the holiday season

Classroom engagement

Photos: Tom

asz Ad

amski

On Dec. 13 and 14, staff and faculty at the Brantford and Waterloo campuses took a breather from the pre-holiday rush to enjoy some seasonal cheer with co-workers.

But it wasnt just about conversation and chocolate fountains. The seasonal lunch raised over $790 for the food bank, as well as a huge box of toys for the annual Laurier toy drive.

Professor: Alicia Sliwinski

Class: GS211, Theories of Devel-opment

Description: This course introduc-es students to the themes and is-sues that comprise development studies, and how these contrib-ute to or impede social justice at the national and international levels.

To ensure students stay engaged during class, global studies professor Alicia Sliwinski uses the full space of the classroom. I walk up and down the aisles,

which allows me to have more direct contact with students, she says. This not only makes the formal lecture format livelier but also seems to enhance students knowledge acquisition. Even within a large class, its possible to create safe spaces for students to ask questions. Sliwinski hopes students

leave the course with a better appreciation of the complexities within the field of development and a curiosity to learn more.Ultimately I hope I opened

their eyes and stimulated their concern regarding global devel-opment issues that not only have an impact out there but also in their own daily lives.

By Mallory OBrien

Documents

Feb. 2011 insideLaurier