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PrintThis Month with the President - December 2011
If the video does not load properly please visit: http://www.youtube.com/embed/EEYXniActHc?rel=0.
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Did you hear? McMaster Marauder’s won the Vanier Cup!!!
We are extremely proud of our McMaster Marauders football team on their Vanier cup win.
See the highlights at http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/story.cfm?id=8547.
Did you know?
McMaster University was named one of Canada's top five cycling schools by Maclean’s. Visit the Office of Sustainability website to learn more about sustainable transportation options at McMaster, including incentives for carpooling, local and regional transit stops on campus, our focus on pedestrian priority, short-term car rentals through Hamilton CarShare, as well as various amenities that support cycling on campus.
http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2011/11/07/canadas-best-cycling-schools/#more-33164
http://www.mcmaster.ca/sustainability/
Campus Tours
McMaster is among the first universities in Canada to have its campus walkways mapped by Google's Street View project, which provides 360-degree, street-level photographic imagery. For more details visit the Daily News article.
McMaster University can be found on Google maps here. To use Street View, drag the orange figure from the navigation area to the map of campus.
Regular Campus Tours
Tours will run Jan 9 – Apr 5 for 2012.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED (at least 2 business days prior to your desired visit date is recommended)
A campus tour takes approximately 90 minutes and includes visits to academic areas, a library, student service areas, and one residence building. It’s the best way to find out more about the university, get a feel for the campus, and meet people – students, staff and faculty. Our tour guides (current McMaster students) are eager to show visitors the campus and share their experiences with you http://future.mcmaster.ca/tours/in-person-tours/
March Break Tours (March 2012)
Visitors can explore our campus on a regular campus tour, a campus tour and a faculty specific activity or a faculty specific activity only. Registration will be required as spaces are limited. Details TBA in early 2012.
Academics
Important Dates
Mid-term recess runs from Monday, February 20 to Saturday, February 25.
The last day to cancel term 2 or 3 courses without academic penalty is March 9, 2012.
For other important dates and deadlines visit: http://registrar.mcmaster.ca/registered/.
Rhodes Scholar
We are so proud to announce that Sheiry Dhillon, a fourth-year bachelor of health sciences student specializing in global health at McMaster University, has been chosen as one of two students who will represent Ontario as Rhodes Scholars.
The full story is available at http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/story.cfm?id=8579.
Student Accessibility Services
Learn2Learn Mentorship Program
Student Accessibility Services (SAS) has been fortunate to introduce a new mentorship program called the Learn2Learn Mentorship Program this September 2011. Following the great success of workshops offered in the summer, SAS was determined to continue providing programs beneficial to incoming students.
Learn2Learn has allowed first-year students to be paired with upper year students who provide guidance through their role as mentors. Mentors assist with studying methods, on and off campus resources, and lots of other new experiences unfamiliar to first-year university students.
Along with weekly support, there is a new innovative tool available to the program to guide the mentorship process: an interactive website called Learn2Learn. This website, developed by students for students, offers a format through which mentors help their students to gain specific study skills, learn better time management, set goals and track their progress.
In addition to all of this, the mentorship program offers monthly social gatherings for Learn2Learn students and those using SAS services to further enhance their academic experience. So far we have had three very successful social networking events in which students had the opportunity to make new friends and learn more from other mentors. The Learn2Learn program will be continuing throughout the Winter semester. Contact Carol Hartung at hartung@mcmaster.ca for further information.
Assistive Technology Short Term Lending Program
Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is pleased to announce a new program focused on putting technology in the hands of students to aid in evaluating what the most effective hardware and software solutions could be for them with respect to their disability. Made possible by the Student Life Enhancement Fund, a variety of hardware and software is available for loan such as organizational tools, recording and note taking devices, and reading software. Having the opportunity to take a tool to class, and then home, allows one to answer questions like “Is this going to reduce work, or add to it?” and “This is useful, but is it worth the price?” without having to purchase the technology.
Students can access the lending program by speaking with their Disability Coordinator, Assistive Technologist, or Learning Strategist at SAS http://sas.mcmaster.ca/.
When high-tech solutions need a little low-tech knowhow
Technology can be a great leveler for people with disabilities – but sometimes it can benefit from some traditional engineering knowhow.
High-tech gadgets and devices are opening a new world of mobile communications and entertainment for everyone, but in particular they can be a lifeline for people with (dis)abilities. People, who struggle to hold a book, let alone turn the pages, find the modern portable readers much more controllable.
But not necessarily perfect. This technology tends to be miniaturized and can be challenging for anybody with restricted arm and hand function. That’s where the Tetra Society of North America comes in.
Tetra provides volunteer engineers to design and construct customized assistive devices for people across Canada with significant physical (dis)abilities. Volunteers work one-on-one with people with specific needs that cannot be met by commercial assistive devices.
Tetra’s low-tech, custom devices make Kobo and Kindle e-book readers, iPads and cell phones more accessible.
As an example of how low tech materials can make a big difference to electronic gizmos, Calgary volunteer Brian Graham has created a functional and elegant holder for a Kobo.
The client, who has severe multiple sclerosis, has no arm movement. She’s an avid reader who used to use a plastic book holder, requiring her to “find people to ask them to turn the page for her,” said Graham.
Another Calgary volunteer created a mechanism that allows the client to advance text in the reader – head switches attached to her wheelchair send a signal, via a custom cable connection, to control the device.
When Graham came to create the holder to position the reader at the correct angle on the client’s wheelchair tray, he was initially concerned that he didn’t have a strip heater to bend Plexiglas. But he knew he could -shape laminated veneered wood.
“I made the form, and steamed and bent the veneer over that. There is a tight radius, half-an-inch diameter curve on the outside, and three-eighths of an inch on the inside. It’s a tight curve around the book reader.
“It’s made in two parts. There’s the part that goes around the book reader, and the other piece that forms the base. It holds up very well.”
Graham made a prototype which then led him to create an improved model that holds the reader at a more comfortable angle and includes an arm to support the cable. He even carved a Tetra logo on the holder.
His holder was one of the winning entries in a Summer 2011 Southern Alberta Woodworkers Society competition, being accepted by the technical standards committee for public display during a September woodworking exhibition in Downtown Calgary.
The Tetra Society of North America is driven to improve the quality of life for children, adults and youth who have a (dis)ability so that they can pursue higher education, work, or a variety of activities that may not have seem possible.
Our organization is made up of committed skilled volunteers – engineers, skilled community members and technicians – to customize mobility devices, furniture, and many other items for individuals that cannot be met by commercial items. We believe that it is not a disability that limits individuals, but the obstacles and barriers in the environment.
The Tetra Society of North America does not have a restrictive eligibility criterion. For more information visit our website www.tetrasociety.org . The McMaster campus representative is Amanda Lemus. She can be reached at tetrarep.amanda@gmail.com.
Financial Front
OSAP, Grants, Summer Work Programs, Travel and Exchange Scholarships...
2012 Winter OSAP Pick Up
The Winter OSAP Pick Up will be held in CIBC Hall in the Student Centre from January 3rd to 22nd, weekdays from 9-4pm. To pick up OSAP students must have the required pieces of identification and direct deposit banking information. For further details regarding OSAP Pick Up please go to http://sfas.mcmaster.ca/osap.html.
Prior to OSAP Pick Up, students should check their status on the OSAP website at http://osap.gov.on.ca and confirm their outstanding balance on their McMaster student account via MUGSI. Students will be asked how much of their OSAP should be sent to McMaster to pay off their outstanding fees. If the McMaster student account is paid in full, the full amount of the OSAP funding for the winter term will be deposited to the student’s bank account.
Ontario Access Grants (OAG)
The Ontario Access Grant is non-repayable funding deposited directly to the student bank account by the provincial government. It is part of the total entitlement from OSAP. Students should check their OSAP status online at http://osap.gov.on.ca for further details regarding their entitlement to the OAG. A cheque will be mailed to students who have not provided banking information to the National Student Loans Service Centre. Students who have an outstanding balance on their McMaster student account will need to make a payment at the Student Accounts and Cashiers Office, if their OSAP (loan and/or Canada Study Grant) does not fully cover the outstanding fees.
Apply Early for 2012-2013 Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)
The 2012-2013 OSAP online application will become available in the spring. Dependent students who include parental information on their OSAP application should wait until their parents have received their 2011Notice of Assessment from Revenue Canada, before applying online. Watch the OSAP website at http://osap.gov.on.ca for the online application and APPLY EARLY. OSAP procedures for the 2012-2013 study period are changing! Stayed tuned for regular communications regarding these “new steps”….
2012 Summer Work Programs
McMaster Summer Work Programs sponsored by the Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships (Gilmour Hall, 
120) continue to grow each year. When summer work programs began just over ten years ago, there were just over 30 campus employers involved. In 2011, the program helped 177 employers fill over 520 full and part-time jobs. Funding is provided by McMaster University (including income from student tuition) and some of its donors; funds are directed toward the creation of meaningful employment opportunities for students.
Summer jobs are a great way for students to help fund their education and to gain valuable job experience. Job postings for 2012 will be available online (March 1, 2012) through ‘OSCARplus’ (Online Student Career and Recruitment) on the Student Success Centre’s website (see http://studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca/ for more details). There is always a wide variety of positions available and students can find work to match their skills and interest in the areas of research, administration, day care, library, physical plant and more.
To be eligible, students must be registered McMaster students in the current fall/winter session, be returning to McMaster in the next fall/winter session in an undergraduate program and demonstrate financial need by way of an application which is available through MUGSI (https://adweb.cis.mcmaster.ca/cis/ahtml/login.htm).
For more information, please visit http://sfas.mcmaster.ca/work_study/jobs.html.
* McMaster University is strongly committed to employment equity within its community and to recruiting a diverse faculty and staff. The University encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including women, members of visible minorities, Aboriginal persons, members of sexual minorities, and persons with disabilities.
Travel and Exchange Scholarships
Students planning to study on exchange during the 2012/2013 fall/winter terms or students planning travel during the summer of 2012 are encouraged to review the 2012 Travel and Exchange Scholarship available by application. Information regarding these scholarships is available on-line at http://sfas.mcmaster.ca/facts_forms.html?tab=4 (look for “Travel & Exchange Scholarships”).
To be considered, students must be returning to McMaster University after their travel or exchange experience. The application and compete terms & conditions can be found online at http://sfas.mcmaster.ca/facts_forms.html?tab=4. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure eligibility by reading the terms & conditions online. Completed applications must be submitted to the Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships no later than February 15, 2012 and late applications are not accepted. Successful applicants will be notified by e-mail by the end of March 2012.
Financial Aid counseling is available to students, Monday to Friday, 9-11:30 and 1-4pm in the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships in Gilmour Hall, Room 120.
Qs & As - new 30% Off Ontario Tuition grant
Q) What is the new 30% Off Ontario Tuition grant?
The new 30% Off Ontario Tuition grant is a new grant for full-time undergraduate university and college students.
For the January semester, students can get 30% off their tuition:
- $800 for university and college degree students
- $365 for college diploma and certificate students
Starting in September 2012, the grant pays:
- $1,600 for students in a degree program at a college or university
- $730 for students in a certificate or diploma program at a college
More than 300,000 students could benefit from the grant each year.
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Message from Student Accounts – January 2012
Importance for students to review Account Statement on MUGSI
Parents, now is a really good time to speak to your children about reviewing their Account Statement on MUGSI. While they should be doing this regularly throughout the year, it’s especially important this month as they will be dropping and adding courses. They should be aware of the changes in their accounts due to any change in course load. They should be also paying particular attention to make sure all payments expected have been received.
Avoiding Payment Plan Fees and Limiting Interest Charges
For students who still have a balance owing on their student account, payment in full can be made as late as the March 15th deadline. However, the second “$35 per-term Payment Plan Fee” will be assessed to each student’s account if a balance still exists on January 31st, 2012. Paying their student account balance in full by January 31st will avoid this fee being assessed.
Also, interest continues to be assessed on the balance owing on the last day of each month. Paying in full before January 31st will also stop any additional interest charges.
Reminder about paying through INTERAC Online
INTERAC Online is available to all students who bank with BMO, RBC, Scotiabank and TD. Students can access this through their Account Statements on MUGSI. It’s easier and faster than paying online through their bank’s website. All payments should be made online.
Dropping Courses vs. Cancelling Courses
Also important, students who drop term 2 courses during the drop and add period (before Jan 11th) will be credited the full amount of the course they drop. Courses cancelled after January 11th, 2012 are subject to cancellation charges. Here is a link to our Cancellation Policy.
OSAP Release (part 2)
Every year, despite all the information we release, there are still some students who don’t realize they need to go in person to negotiate the second part of their OSAP loan. Please send a little reminder that they need to do this again in order to receive the remainder of whatever funding they have left to receive.
T2202A Tax Receipts
T2202A Tax Receipts will be available and can be accessed by the student themselves online through MUGSI as of the end of February 2012.
Jobs
Who’s Hiring 2012: Spring/Summer Employment
The Who's Hiring Spring/Summer Employment Fair will be taking place on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 in the McMaster University Student Centre Marketplace. This Fair is an opportunity for students to meet with employers looking to hire for full-time, part-time, summer, internship and volunteer positions.
The week prior to the fair, students will be able to participate in a comprehensive program of activities that will help them prepare for their full-time or summer job search. Activities may include: networking opportunities with employers, job search workshops, resume reviews, special presentations and interview practice opportunities.
More information about the Spring/Summer Employment Fair and the special events taking place throughout that week are posted on the Student Success Website. The list of participating employers will also be posted.
Visit our website at: http://studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca/employers/events/employment.html.
Past Social Media Conference
On November 10 and 11th, the Student Success Centre hosted a Social Media and Job Search Conference. The conference which was sponsored by Student Life Enhancement Fund aimed to inform students and recent graduates about how to build a personal brand, make use of popular networking sites, and understand issues of privacy and professionalism associated with social media use. The event was open to all McMaster students and alumni who have graduated within the past five years.
"This was a chance for students to get a unique, inside perspective on today's job market," said Jacquie Hampshire, events and marketing coordinator at the Success Centre. "Research shows that social media is being used for recruitment at record levels, and we want students to be able to effectively use the tools at hand."
The conference hosted 25 speakers, including faculty, employers in the Hamilton community, and a representative from the professional social networking site LinkedIn. The Keynote speakers included Max Valiquette, founder of Youthography and an expert on innovation and trends, Martin Waxman, social media and public relations strategist, and Terry Fallis, McMaster alumnus and author of the award-winning novel The Best Laid Plans.
Students and Alumni who attended had the chance to meet and speak with the experts for advice on professional development. In a labour market that is quickly making a switch to online recruitment, it is more important than ever for students to be social media savvy in their job search activities.Hamilton Employment Crawl
The Student Success Centre will pilot a unique event this spring called the Hamilton Employment Crawl. The event will take place April 25th and 26th, 2012. The aim of the event is to highlight Hamilton as a place to live, work and play. Final year students will have the opportunity to visit employers and learn about their organization and potential job opportunities. Four sectors have been selected to showcase, Art and Culture, Recreation, Finance and Marketing and Communications.
For more information please visit the Student Success Centre website at: http://studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca/.
Career
Career Field Experience – Reading Week
Career Field Experience will take place from February 20-24, 2012. Students can gain work-related experience during Reading Week by participating in a Career Field Experience. Placements are normally 3 to 5 days in length, with the start and finish time determined by the employer. During the placement students will have the opportunity to meet with different staff members and/or departments to broaden your understanding of the career field.
Benefits of participation include the opportunity to:
- Connect with employers and professionals working in your career of interest
- Develop your professional networking skills and gain a better understanding of various career options within a particular field
- Make decisions and determine whether or not the field is a good fit
- Provide experiences to add to your resume and professional portfolio
- Make the connection between your academic studies and their application to the world of work
- Broaden your exposure to different types of industries and employers
- Practice acceptable workplace etiquette, e.g. punctuality, reliability, proper attire
Placements are posted on OSCARplus. Students must apply by the deadline date (January 31, 2012) and be accepted by employers. The Career Field Experience is an unpaid placement.
Examples of 2012 Career Field Placements include:
- Art Curation
- Teaching / Administration
- Physiotherapy
- Sports Medicine
- Publishing
- Human Resources
- Speech Pathology
Job Shadow – Student perspective
The Student Success Centre completed another successful Job Shadow event this year. Here is what one student had to say about the experience...
“The Job Shadow host was extremely nice and all of his coworkers warmly welcomed me into their lives for the day. I had the opportunity to meet each one of them and see what they do on a daily basis. I also had the chance to do some entry level work for them, even attended a meeting with a pair of clients. It was a great experience in terms of being in someone’s shoes for the day; now I have a lot more information on the field and individual jobs that are potential careers for me in the future. It is really cool that these opportunities are offered, more students should take advantage of them!”
Leah Pantich – 2nd Year Student – Health Studies and Gerontology
Health and Wellness
Recognizing Depression
Feeling down once in a while and for a short period of time is normal for most people. But when someone experiences more severe bouts of depression and it begins to interfere with other parts of their life, this may be more than just the blues.
Many young adults look forward to having more independence as they leave home. That independence also comes with new responsibilities and stresses, as well as freedoms. For some young people, this period of transition can have an unexpected twist as it may coincide with the emergence of a mental illness like depression.
How to recognize depression
Depression is much more than simple unhappiness. Clinical depression, sometimes called major depression, is a “mood disorder” that is a significant mental health problem.
Symptoms
The main symptom of depression is a sad, despairing mood that:
- Is present most days and lasts most of the day
- Lasts for more than two weeks
- Impairs a person’s performance at work, at school or in social relationships
Other symptoms of depression may include
- Sleep problems and feeling fatigue
- Loss of interest in work, hobbies, people
- Withdrawal from family members and friends
- Feeling useless, hopeless, excessively guilty, pessimistic or low self-esteem
- Trouble concentrating, remembering and making decisions
- Thoughts of suicide (which should always be taken seriously)
Getting Help
If you have recognized these symptoms in your student’s behaviour encourage them to book an appointment at the Student Wellness Centre with a counsellor by calling 905-525-9140, ext. 27700 or in person in MUSC B101. The Student Wellness Centre offers both personal and psychological counselling in individual and group settings. Counselling services offered through the Student Wellness Centre are free and confidential (counselling records are kept separate from other University records). This also means that without a release of information signed by your son/daughter, the counsellor will not be able to reveal information to you about your their appointments.
Try to be as supportive, understanding and as patient as possible. Do not blame them for the way they feel or tell them to snap out of it. This will only reinforce their guilt, loneliness and isolation. Often, depressed people cannot identify what made them depressed or what will be helpful. Just recognizing that depression is an illness can help your child feel less guilty about his or her impaired functioning. Take your student seriously and reassure them that lots of students have found it helpful to talk with someone who is knowledgeable and objective. After they have seen a counsellor a general question like "How did it go?" is a door opener that will encourage them to share with you while respecting their right for privacy.
Student Wellness Centre
MUSC B101/B106
Phone: 905-525-9140, ext. 27700
Email: wellness@mcmaster.ca
Website: wellness.mcmaster.ca
Award Nominations
2012 Albert Lager Prize
Do you know any students who demonstrate outstanding support, leadership and community involvement or service to their faculty, program or to McMaster University? The McMaster Alumni Association is calling for nominations for the Albert Lager Prize for Student Initiative Awards. For eligibility requirements and to submit a nomination online, please click here. Students selected will be recognized at the Alumni Gallery & MAA Awards Dinner and Ceremony on
May 31, 2012.
All nominations must be accompanied by at least one reference from a McMaster faculty or staff member, or a committee chairperson. It is strongly recommended that those nominations submitted by student peers be accompanied by a letter of support from a faculty or staff member. Preference will be given to students in second year and above.
Nomination Deadline: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2012
Call: 905.525.9140 ext. 27255
Fax: 905.524.1733
Email: roydm@mcmaster.ca
President’s Award of Excellence in Student Leadership
Faculty, staff and students are invited to submit nominations for the President’s Award of Excellence in Student Leadership. The deadline date is Friday, March 9, 2012.
This annual award recognizes students that have demonstrated a commitment to the University’s belief in excellence in its student body. For more information on the award or to obtain a nomination form, visit http://studentaffairs.mcmaster.ca/president_award_student.html.
Policies and Procedures
Storm Emergency Policy and Procedures
The University will “close” because of severe winter weather when normal operation would pose a danger to students, staff and faculty (including Mohawk students at the Institute for Applied Health Sciences) while on campus or would prevent large numbers of them from coming to campus or returning safely to their homes.
When the University is “closed”:
- classes are not held
- meetings and other scheduled events are cancelled
- all areas and operations not defined as “essential” are closed
- examinations are cancelled and rescheduled
- deadlines for student assignments and other submissions due on a “closed” day are postponed until the same hour on the next academic day on which the University is not “closed”
- deadlines for job applications and other employment requirements are postponed to the same time on the next business day on which the University is not “closed”
To determine whether the University is closed check the McMaster homepage, Daily News or check for announcements concerning closings on:
- Hamilton Spectator website: http://www.thespec.com/
- OLDIES 1150 am/K LITE 102.9 fm
- CHAM 820 am
- CHML 900 am/Y108 (107.9) fm
- WAVE 94.7 fm
- CKPC Brantford
- CFMU 93.3 fm
- CHCH Television
Read the full Storm Emergency Policy and Procedures.
Giving to McMaster
McMaster’s annual giving program has the mission to reach out to as many people as possible to raise unrestricted support for the University. Gifts are vital to the health and continued growth of students and the entire university. To join over 200 parents that support McMaster annually CLICK HERE.
Faces of Your Gift - Sarah Hasselman - view video
Update Profile
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Past Issues
For links to past issues and some of the other publications at McMaster visit http://studentaffairs.mcmaster.ca/parents/news.html.