The University will start the collective bargaining process this week with the first of its seven bargaining units, whose collective agreements are due for renewal in 2016. On May 18, the University will be meeting with CUPE Local 1393 whose collective agreement expired on March 31, 2016.

In order to facilitate the bargaining process and to assist the parties, the University filed a Request for Appointment of Conciliation Officer with the Ontario Ministry of Labour. A conciliation officer has since been appointed and will be joining the parties on May 18.

The University’s Bargaining Committee includes:

• Rita LaCivita, vice-president, human resources;
• Nancy Kuntz, employee relations manager;
• Christopher Busch, director of the Centre for Executive and Professional Education;
• James Coates, employee relations associate;
• Susan Holiga, assistant director of Information Technology Services;
• Susan L. Mark, executive director of Facility Services;
• David Smith, senior budget analyst;
• Rosemary Zanutto, executive director, Institutional Analysis.

The University will continue to provide updates on its bargaining website at: www.uwindsor.ca/bargaining.

Ground-level light from backyard lights and streetlamps is causing a significant shift in the way nocturnal migratory birds fly though Southwestern Ontario, according to new UWindsor research. Biology professor Dan Mennill and undergraduate student Matt Watson (BSc 2014) found that 30 times more birds are flying over lighted areas than un-lit ones.

“This is most definitely a concern because the light is obviously changing how birds are flying and is causing them to spend excess energy on migration,” says Dr. Mennill. “It means they are arriving exhausted at their wintering and breeding grounds after flying in a circuitous path, or changing the altitude of their path. It is not good news for the birds, regardless of the explanation.”

The research was published as the article, Anthropogenic light is associated with increased vocal activity by nocturnally migrating birds, in the April 2016 edition of the Condor, the journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society. The newsmagazine Newsweek also covered the research results.

Mennill says it is well known that high-level light from skyscrapers and communications towers affect migratory patterns, but the influence of low-level and ground lighting has not been studied previously.

Since the researchers cannot see the nighttime flyers, they place microphones in the field and record the unique calls. The audio files are analyzed in the lab and used to identify the species.

“In addition to the significantly larger number of birds flying over lighted sites, we also found that around six to seven species were flying over the lighted sites, whereas only three to four were detected over dark sites,” Mennill says.

The researchers recorded the migratory birds’ unique nighttime calls as they flew over 32 sites in the Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie region during the fall 2013 migration season. The sites were paired up as sister sites, half shrouded in darkness and the others located nearby in well-lit areas.

“Now that we know the lights change their behaviour, we want to figure out exactly how the behavior is changing,” he says. “The birds may be flying closer to the ground when passing over lights so the recording equipment is able to more easily pick up the calls, or the light could also be confusing the birds because they navigate the night sky by the stars.”

“The results from this study suggest we can help birds by turning off our lights during migration season,” he says. “In September and October or April and May, we can turn off our backyard decorative lights and really make a difference.”

Agents of the network recruiting students to the University of Windsor from around the world will be on campus this week to see for themselves what it has to offer.

The familiarization tour (FAM Tour) will showcase the University’s facilities, setting and programs, making these partners more effective ambassadors, says Ram Balachandar, vice-provost for international development.

“The goal of the FAM Tour is to turn our educational agents into firm believers of our organization and educational services,” he says. “Educational agents who participate in FAM Tours become more knowledgeable, confident, and motivated to promote our University, especially once they have experienced first-hand our location, academic programs, and our most important competitive advantage—outstanding faculty and staff.”

The tour will include visits to the Centre for English Language Development, the Automotive Research and Development Centre, residences and athletics facilities, downtown campus buildings, and classrooms and laboratories in the Odette Building, Centre for Engineering Innovation and the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research.

“Seeing is believing, especially when we talk about individuals responsible to promote our institution,” Dr. Balachandar says. “And there is nothing more effective than hosting our recruitment partners on campus.”

He hopes members of the campus community will extend a warm welcome to visitors if they cross paths during the tour.

The Let’s Talk Science Challenge is a great opportunity to learn about science and math, says Luca Quenneville, but what he really appreciated was the chance to engage with classmates.

“I thought the team-building challenges were great,” says the grade 8 student from Kingsville’s St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic Elementary School. “We all worked together to get the answers.”

Quenneville and his teammates were among more than 100 senior students from Windsor-Essex grade schools on campus Friday to participate in the event, staged by UWindsor student volunteers, faculty and staff as part of the national outreach program. Teams must apply their knowledge and problem-solving skills in a series of contests, from a trivia quiz to a design competition.

His teacher, Connie Hillman, says it’s important for her students to engage in competition besides athletics.

“They come in and have practical ways to experiences science,” she says. “There is no one right answer, so it builds their confidence.”

This is her third time bringing grade 7 and 8 students to the annual event, and each year, interest has grown.

“I started out with one team of four and this year, we had four teams,” Hillman says. “It has been fantastic.”

One of her teams took a silver medal and the spirit award in the competition, which was won by a squad from Academie Ste. Cecile. A team from Lakeshore Discovery took third place honours.

UWindsor’s campus-wide resource planning system project now has a name: UWinsite.

“UWinsite captures the insight the new platform will provide, enhancing the abilities of faculty and staff to better serve our current and future students as well as alumni and other members of the University community,” says the project’s executive director, Ryan Kenney.

The project addresses concerns that some of the University’s current core systems no longer meet the growing institutional needs for timely, accurate, information and do not adequately support its commitment to service excellence.

UWinsite will entail transformative changes to the Student Information System (SIS) and the Financial Information System (FIS), as well as incorporate a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. These core systems changes, along with enhancements to corresponding business processes and other ancillary technologies, will touch on all aspects of University operations.

“UWinsite will be the informational and technological backbone that supports faculty and staff as they provide a purposeful and enriching experience to all of our key constituents, most importantly our students,” says Kenney.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to visit www.uwindsor.ca/uwinsite to learn more about the project, ask questions and provide feedback. The site will be maintained throughout the project’s multi-year implementation, with updates added as they become available

Friends and colleagues of UWindsor professor Anne Forrest came together Thursday, May 12, to honour her as the 2016 recipient of the Mary Lou Dietz Equity Leadership Award.

Dr. Forrest, director of the women’s and gender studies program and president of the Windsor University Faculty Association, was nominated by colleague Charlene Senn, who spoke to her many contributions to equity and diversity throughout her academic career.

The award was established by the association’s Status of Women, Diversity and Equity Action Committee in memory of Mary Lou Dietz—a late UWindsor faculty member and former head of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology. It honours members who demonstrate the spirit of leadership through their contributions to creating an equity culture on campus.

Thursday’s reception at Kerr House, 366 Sunset Avenue, was an opportunity to celebrate and honour Forrest as an outstanding advocate and leader for equity. Adding to the special occasion was the presence of members of Dietz’s family: her daughters Evanne and Niki Dietz, son Leif Lorenz, and granddaughter Nadia Dietz.

The Campus Bookstore has named The High Mountains of Portugal as its book of the week.

By internationally best-selling author Yann Martel, this novel follows three people on three separate quests who find their stories intertwined in Portugal. Regularly priced at $32, it will sell for only $24.99 through May 22.

Adidas apparel discounted

The store, located on the lower level of the CAW Student Centre, is also reducing prices on its wide selection of Adidas apparel—it’s all 25 percent off until Friday, May 20.