Canadian Interuniversity Sport Championship coach to headline seminar

The 29th Annual University of Winnipeg Volleyball Coaching Seminar will take place in the Duckworth Centre Friday, Sept. 18. Former Wesmen women’s volleyball head coach and three-time CIS Championship-winning coach Doug Reimer will headline the seminar. The seminar will include a variety of presentations by celebrated Manitoba volleyball coaches, as well as skills sessions. The seminar attracts approximately 200 coaches each year. Participants in the seminar will receive free season passes to all Wesmen home games.

To register visit http://www.wesmen.ca or call 786-9418.

Rise and Shine, Toastmasters!

The University of Winnipeg Toastmasters will hold an open house on Friday, Sept. 18 beginning bright and early at 7:15 a.m. in room 3D06.

Toastmasters, a global organization that aims to help people overcome public speaking anxieties, has over 200,000 members worldwide. The U of W Toastmasters group was chartered in 1990.
Club president Kurt Penner encourages students to join the group. He said that there are many benefits for students getting involved, like the opportunity to practice oral presentations and receive feedback in friendly environment.

Penner also said the group aids students both academically and socially.

“In addition to education, Toastmasters also is a great place to make new friends,” he said. “Our members share a sense of camaraderie with each other.”

For more information visit www.district64.ca.

More for the many, less for the few?

Canada’s top-five universities have called for an increase in federal government funding for research initiatives.

Of the $2.5 billion of federal government funding distributed to universities for research, the top-five universities, including McGill, Toronto, Alberta, British Columbia and Montreal receive more than 30 per cent, reported Jacob Serebrin of the Canadian University Press.

But the requests from the top-five have other Canadian universities and student groups concerned. Some feel it is unfair to increase funding to the elite five and that other universities will suffer as a result.

Arati Sharma, national director for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, encourages student groups across Canada to voice their concerns around the issue. She called for a national conference where students, university administration and faculty and government discuss the distribution of research funding.

Students, save your money – and the trees!

There may be a solution for students struggling to fork over the funds for outrageously priced textbooks. The University of Alberta’s student newspaper, The Gateway, reported last week the use of digital textbooks has been increasing in the United States and is now catching on in Canada as well.

The University of Alberta Students’ Union sponsors Coursesmart.com, a website that sells digital textbooks for approximately half the price of hard copy books.

New pilot program at U of W

The University of Winnipeg’s Division of Continuing Education has partnered with Information and Communication Technologies Association of Manitoba to begin a pilot program that will aim to increase the numbers of Metis, First Nation and Inuit individuals employed in Manitoba’s information and communication technology industry.

The program will accept a maximum of 16 students. It is set to begin in October and will run for one year.

Published in Volume 64, Number 2 of The Uniter (September 10, 2009)