The University of Windsor minted more than 800 new alumni last weekend during its 104th Convocation ceremonies. Among them were FCA Canada president Reid Bigland and former US ambassador to Canada Gordon Giffin, who received honorary doctor of laws degrees.

Law professor Jeffrey Berryman, a former dean of the faculty, was invested to the rank of Distinguished University Professor.

Also centred out for recognition were winners of the Board of Governors Medals, awarded to the graduating student with the highest academic standing in each program:

• Civil and Environmental Engineering: Amal Ghamwari
• Electrical and Computer Engineering: Vicki Bousaba
• Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering: Blake Gecse
• Mechanical, Automotive and Materials Engineering: Kevin Brooks

These medallists are in-course, did not graduate this fall, and await recognition in their individual faculties:

• Arts: Hannah Robinson
• Social Sciences: Rebecca Pillon
• Business Administration: Tommaso Iacobelli
• Engineering: Alex Michael Smith
• Law – JD: Josiane Rocca
• Law – Dual JD: Anita Marinelli
• Human Kinetics: Paige Coyne
• Nursing: Nicole Couvillon
• Science: Adham Ayman
• Inter-Faculty: Elisabetta Kerr

The Centre for Teaching and Learning produced video recordings of both sessions which will air on Cogeco cable local access channel 11:

• The 10 a.m. session, featuring the conferral of degrees in engineering, nursing, science and inter-faculty programs, will air at 3 p.m. Sunday, November 1, and 3 p.m. Saturday, November 7.
• The 3 p.m. session, with graduates of arts, humanities, social sciences, education, human kinetics, business and law programs, will air at 9:30 p.m. Sunday, November 1, and 3 p.m. Sunday, November 8.

Watch DailyNews for an album of images from the University of Windsor’s 104th Convocation.

With the transformation of electronic communications, students are no longer passive consumers of information, says Heidi Jacobs, acting associate university librarian.

“As new patterns of communication emerge and develop in the academy, our students are eager to engage in this disruptive digital environment,” she says. “They want to add their voices to the growing digital scholarly record.”

The Centre for Digital Scholarship will address this desire as the campus hub for activities of digital publishing, research and knowledge creation. Tuesday, the Leddy Library will officially launch the centre with a reception starting at 1 p.m. in room 4111.

“The growing array of digital research initiatives across campus at all levels points to the need for a dedicated space where the expertise, technology and training are made available,” Jacobs says. “We are hoping to foster an atmosphere that encourages collaboration, intellectual discourse, discovery and creativity.”

The launch reception is part of the library’s celebration of Open Access Week. It is free and open to the university community.

University of Windsor parking lots to the west of the Ambassador Bridge will remain open and driving access to the lots is available from Indian Road.

The University has been advised by the City of Windsor that officials have received no comments of concern regarding the parking lots. The city has installed covered walkways for pedestrians—including those who use the parking lots—to provide access under the bridge.

Receiving an award for their service to the campus was an honour, says Shelly Scurr, one of the staff in the Faculty of Engineering’s Office of the Dean who received the 2014 team service excellence award at a reception in January.

“It was nice to be recognized by faculty and staff alike,” she says. “I encourage all faculty and staff to nominate a team of people or an outstanding person in your department or office who goes above and beyond to give students, faculty and staff a positive experience and enrich their time here at the University of Windsor.”

Nominations are now open for the Employee Recognition Awards, designed to celebrate the outstanding contributions of employees to the achievement of the mission and vision of the University.

Joyceln Lorito, a residence life coordinator, received a service excellence award for employees in the first five years of campus employment. She says she appreciated recognition from students for work she loves.

“It was a warm fuzzy moment that continues to last, as I have placed my award on the wall of my office and often get asked about it,” Lorito says.

These awards reinforce the importance of service, innovation, teamwork, leadership, safety and community involvement, and include the following:

• Excellence in Leadership Award
• Service Excellence Award – Individuals
• Service Excellence Award – Team
• Service Excellence Award – the First Five Years of Employment
• Excellence in Health and Safety Award
• UWindsor Spirit Award
• “U” Make A Difference Award 
• Impact Award

The campus community is invited to nominate an individual or team for an employee recognition award, as being recognized and recognizing others builds a supportive and positive workplace and contributes to making the University of Windsor the best place to work and learn.

These awards are coordinated by the Department of Human Resources. Submissions are reviewed by a committee composed of employees representing departments across campus.

Find details, including award criteria, nomination forms and tips for completing a nomination at http://www.uwindsor.ca/hr/employee-recognition-awards. The deadline for nominations is November 16.