The University of Windsor will take steps to enhance the student experience within the three buildings that handle the highest amount of student traffic volumes on campus.

The CAW Student Centre, the Human Kinetics Building and St. Denis Centre complex and the Leddy Library have been identified as the buildings that require increased custodial services, given the University of Windsor’s growing enrolment.

Upon careful consideration of budget constraints and the increasing demand for custodial services, custodial work within these three buildings will be provided by an outside provider. This will not affect any currently employed custodial staff and is in accordance with the CUPE 1001 collective agreement.

“Across the institution, we are looking for ways of using our resources most effectively for our students, while protecting the jobs of our current custodial employees,” said UWindsor president Alan Wildeman. “We recognize the need to increase the service levels of custodial work across campus and have an affordable approach for the three facilities with the highest volumes of student traffic. The changes will take effect in January 2013. At that time, existing employees in these buildings will be redeployed to other buildings on campus to increase service levels in those areas.”

The CUPE 1001 collective agreement states there is an “obligation of the Employer to undertake the operations and administration of the University of Windsor in the most efficient and economic manner possible in order that it may satisfactorily discharge its public responsibilities.”

The changes fully respect the collective agreement: “… no Bargaining Unit Employee employed by the Employer before July 31, 2010, and who has completed their probationary period shall be laid off by reason of the Employer contracting out the work being performed by such employee at the time of contracting out.”

The University will follow standard procurement practices to identify a provider of custodial services in the weeks to come.

A UWindsor nursing student has won acclaim for her contributions to the community-based programs and activities of the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Lisa Halley, who is studying toward her BScN while she works as a stroke rehabilitation nurse at Hotel Dieu-Grace Hospital, received the foundation’s Heart and Soul Award at its annual leadership forum.

“Receiving this award was quite a surprise and an honour because I got it for doing something I love—helping and being there for people and patients that need it most,” Halley told the hospital's newsletter. “I am blessed to have a job I love that allows me the opportunities to work with stroke patients and their families and to help them cope with changes in their lives as a result of their stroke. The Heart and Stroke Foundation has given me opportunities to get patients involved in fundraising and raise awareness in our community and have a lot of fun in the process.”

Andrea Drummond, coordinator of the hospital’s District Stroke Centre, called Halley a deserving recipient.

“Lisa is passionate about stroke care and committed to the patients we serve,” Drummond said. “The District Stroke Centre is proud to have such a dedicated individual as a team member.”

Philosophy professor Gail Presbey of the University of Detroit Mercy will deliver a free public lecture Thursday in downtown Windsor to celebrate World Philosophy Day.

Her lecture, entitled “Revolution and/or Evolution? Grace Lee Bogg’s sustainable activism for Detroit,” begins at 7 p.m. at the Phog lounge.

Jeff Noonan, head of the UWindsor philosophy department, will follow with a commentary. He says Philosophy Day provides an opportunity to remind everyone of the universal scope and public importance of work in the discipline.

“Our aim in the department has been to get philosophy out of the university on World Philosophy Day to share what we do with interested community members,” Dr. Noonan says. “Dr. Presbey is an engaging speaker. I hope everyone will turn out for her talk and stick around to socialize and celebrate the value of philosophy, in our community, and in our world more generally.”

The event will wrap up with music by DJ Stephen Pender. Phog is located at 157 University Avenue West.

Students, faculty, and staff are reminded that the seventh annual Celebration of Teaching Excellence is scheduled for 4 p.m. today—Wednesday, November 14—in the CAW Student Centre's Ambassador Auditorium.

The event, jointly hosted by the Office of the Provost and the Centre for Teaching and Learning, will highlight the achievements and initiatives of faculty who have received international, provincial, and campus-wide awards.

It will include a poster session in which faculty, with collaborating staff and graduate students, will present the findings and outcomes of initiatives supported by the Centred on Learning Innovation Fund (CLIF) grants and the annual University of Windsor-Oakland University Teaching and Learning Conference.

Visit http://www.uwindsor.ca/ctl/awards-and-recognitions, or contact Marilyn Powley, mpowley@uwindsor.ca for more information.

The Art Gallery of Windsor’s monthly art lounge will have a University flavour Thursday, as instructor Marty Gervais hosts and two of the three featured poets are UWindsor alumnae.

“Girls Night Out” will feature Kate Hargreaves (BA 2010, MA 2012), Vanessa Shields (BA 2002) and Melanie Janisse reading humorous works dealing with everything from roller derby to pregnancy.

Patrons will also have an opportunity to tour current exhibitions “Paris/Ojibwa” by Robert Houle, “The Wildcraft” by Kika Thorne, and “Mean Machines” by John Scott.

The event is free and open to the public and runs 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, November 15, in the gallery’s third-floor Rodzik Gallery. The Art Gallery of Windsor is located at 401 Riverside Drive West.

Faculty, staff, and retired members of the University of Windsor retirement pension plans are invited to attend the annual open pension meeting, Wednesday, December 5, at 3 p.m. in room 104, Odette Building.

Representatives from the university’s actuarial firm, Mercer, and the investment management firms will make presentations on the university’s retirement pension funds.

Pay parking is available in the Visitors Parking Lot D on the northwest corner of Sunset Avenue and Wyandotte Street.

With campus offices already having committed to helping about 30 families through the Children's Aid Society this holiday season, organizer Mary Anne Beaudoin reminds the university community that it’s not too late to join in.

The Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society developed the Adopt-a-Family program to ensure happy holidays for local children. The society asks sponsors to provide clothing and food to assist families through the holidays and beyond, in addition to toys.

“A couple of the groups that usually participate have pulled out this year,” Beaudoin says. “The need is still there, so we hope to identify some people who are able to join us for the first time.”

Under the program, offices or individuals sponsor a needy family and pull together a gift package of food, clothing, and toys—items that are often financially difficult for the families to obtain. Sponsors may choose a small, medium or large-sized family or a child on extended care.

To adopt a family, contact Beaudoin at 519-253-3000, ext. 3240, or e-mail mbeaud@uwindsor.ca. You will receive a profile of the family members, a list of their wishes, and instructions to keep in mind when delivering your gifts.

All gifts are due by Wednesday, December 5, in the parking lot behind Assumption University—a truck will take delivery of donations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Faculty of Law’s Transnational Law and Justice research group will host sociology and law professionals to examine issues of worker protection, human rights and immigration on Thursday and Friday, November 15 and 16 at the Ron W. Ianni Law Building.

The free public event, entitled “Temporary Migrants in Canada: Towards a Rights-Based Policy,” will include three panel discussions focusing on the rights, policies and legal issues affecting temporary migrant workers.

Thursday’s discussion, “Temporary Workers in Canada”, will be held in room G102 at 7:15 p.m. Panelists are Tanya Basok, sociology and anthropology professor and director of the Centre Studies in Social Justice; and Shelley Gilbert, coordinator of Social Work Services at Legal Assistance of Windsor.

Dr. Basok’s presentation will be on “Under a Threat of Deportation: Strengthening the Right to Assert Rights.”

Gilbert is responsible for the creation and coordination of Legal Assistance of Windsor’s community development initiatives. She will address the policies of the Temporary Foreign Worker program that lead to exploitation, abuse and human trafficking.

The panel discussion, “Policies, Vulnerabilities and Options,” Friday in the Farmer Conference Room, will feature:

• Patricia Landolt, professor of sociology at the University of Toronto-Scarborough on Legal Status Trajectories and the Fragmentation of Rights;”
• Jill Bucklaschuk, research assistant and Ph.D. candidate in sociology at the University of Manitoba on “The Temporariness of Being Temporary: Pathways to Permanency for Low-Skill ‘Temporary’ Migrants in Manitoba, Canada;” and
• Kerry Preibisch, professor and graduate coordinator of the International Development Studies program at the University of Guelph, proposing policies to reduce the vulnerability of migrant workers in Canada’s agri-food industries and promote their enjoyment of rights.

Panelists for Friday’s second discussion, “Human Rights and Legal Challenges,” are Yessyl Byl, Northern Alberta educator with the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre; Fay Faraday, lawyer in Toronto; and Naveen Mehta, general counsel to the United Food & Commercial Workers Canada.

For more information on the forum, including speaker profiles, please visit the event Web site.

Vice-provost, students and international Clayton Smith invites all faculty and staff to a reception Thursday, November 15, to bid farewell to academic integrity officer Danielle Istl, who is leaving the University’s employ at the end of this week.

The event promises refreshments as well as the chance for colleagues and friends to wish Istl well; it will run from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Katzman Lounge, Vanier Hall. RSVP to Maureen Friest at 519-253-3000, ext. 3929.