🚀 go-pugleaf

*************************************************************************

               A M A L G A M A T I O N   B U L L E T I N
                        No. 13 - March 6, 1997

To:    All members of the Technical University of Nova Scotia
       and Dalhousie University

From:  Presidents Ted Rhodes and Tom Traves

*************************************************************************

It is our pleasure to inform you that the Technical University of Nova
Scotia, which becomes a college of Dalhousie at the beginning of April,
will be known as DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY POLYTECHNIC. This name was approved
unanimously by the Board of Governors of TUNS on Feb. 26 and subsequently
by the officers of the Dalhousie Board. Dalhousie University Polytechnic
will be a proud successor to TUNS and its parent institution, the Nova
Scotia Technical College.

The campus of Dalhousie University Polytechnic will be known as the Sexton
campus, in honor of F.H. Sexton, the first principal and president of the
Nova Scotia Technical College.

We are very grateful to the members of the naming committee for all the
time and careful thought they devoted to the process. Thanks also to those
of you who provided suggestions to the committee. We hope that all members
of the Dalhousie University Polytechnic will bear this name proudly. We
certainly will.

On the employee relations front, we are pleased to report that the
Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) and the Technical University of Nova
Scotia Faculty Association (TUNSFA) have agreed to a memorandum of
agreement proposed by the universities in response to an earlier joint
proposal by the DFA and TUNSFA. A formal signing will take place shortly.

Subject to ratification by the Nova Scotia Labour Relations Board, this
means that, on April 1, there will be one bargaining unit for faculty
members at the amalgamated university and the DFA will be the bargaining
agent. TUNSFA members will, at that time, become members of the DFA. The
DFA contract will cover members of TUNSFA in all areas except monetary
items. Both sets of monetary provisions will remain in effect until they
are renegotiated and a new collective agreement is entered into. Once the
memorandum has been signed, further details will be provided in a future
Bulletin.

All unionized faculty appointments made after April 1 will be governed by
the DFA collective agreement. However, any proceedings (e.g. tenure,
promotion, appointments, grievances) that began prior to April 1, under
TUNSFA contract provisions, will continue to conclusion under those
provisions.

The memorandum of agreement will also see the TUNS benefits program come
under the auspices of the Dalhousie Employee Benefits Committee.

Although the implementation of this amalgamation will take many months,
April 1 is, as you know, the official date upon which Dalhousie and TUNS
will become one. In accordance with the amalgamation legislation, there
will be a special meeting of the University Senate and Board on that day to
formally create DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY POLYTECHNIC. The meeting will take
place at 4:30 p.m. on the Sexton campus (location to be announced). It will
be followed by a reception at 5 p.m. We invite you to join us then to
celebrate this historic event.


President Ted Rhodes                     President Tom Traves
Technical University of Nova Scotia      Dalhousie University


-----------------------------------------
Centralization of administrative services
-----------------------------------------

Beginning April 1, one of the most visible signs of amalgamation for people
at TUNS will be the centralization of a number of administrative services,
now offered at both Dalhousie and TUNS. Dalhousie University Polytechnic
will receive the following services from central university sources: Public
Relations, Development, Computing Services, Financial Services, Personnel
Services, Physical Plant and Planning, Registrarial Services and Student
Services. Many of these units will have offices on both campuses.

As April 1 approaches, many people at TUNS are naturally wondering where to
turn after that date for services ranging from purchasing to travel expense
claims, from classroom scheduling to getting things fixed.

"The simple rule of thumb is: unless you are notified otherwise, proceed as
you would now," says Bryan Mason, Dalhousie vice-president (finance and
administration), the senior administrative official responsible for many of
the amalgamated administrative units. "There will, of course, be changes as
administrative services now provided by TUNS are replaced by central
administrative services, but clients will be advised in advance. If you
haven't received notice of a change in the way to obtain a service or the
nature of the service, please carry on as you are now."

Ian Nason, who will head up the combined Financial Services unit, says that
merging financial services and systems involves many complex challenges.
"The integration of financial systems and of a host of policies, procedures
and processes -- these are but some of the challenges involved." Financial
personnel on both campuses are working on these issues now. "We don't yet
know all the answers, but we are working very hard to arrive at them. We're
committed to serving all of our new clients well. We would ask for their
patience and co-operation during this challenging transition phase."

A list of administrative services which will be centralized after April 1,
with contact names, phone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses, will appear
in an upcoming bulletin. There will also be orientation sessions for
members of Dalhousie University Polytechnic who routinely use such
services.

In addition to the merger of administrative units and services which are
currently duplicated at Dal and TUNS, April 1 will see the mandates of a
number of offices, which exist only at Dalhousie, enlarged to serve the
entire amalgamated university. These are: Environmental Health and Safety,
Instructional Development and Technology, Employment Equity, Status of
Women/Sexual Harassment, Institutional Affairs, and Legal Counsel. Contact
points for these offices will also be publicized.

------------------------------------------
Financial Assistance Programs for Students
------------------------------------------

Dalhousie is a national leader in the provision of financial assistance to
students, ranking second among 13 medical/doctoral universities in this
year's Maclean's university ranking.

In fact, Dalhousie provided $16 million in financial support to students in
1996-97.

Although there are still many details to work out concerning the nature of
post-amalgamation student financial assistance programs, especially with
regards to scholarships and fellowships, it has been determined that
students at Dalhousie University Polytechnic will become eligible for
Student Assistance Program bursaries beginning in September. They will also
take part in the larger student employment program, as they did previously
at TUNS.

The Student Assistance Program is supported by a portion of tuition fee
income that the university sets aside specifically for this purpose. The
bursary program provides funds to students based on financial need. The
employment program currently offers on-campus jobs for about 900 students
during the year. The program provides students with up to 10 hours of work
per week at jobs that pay between $6 and $10 per hour. Many of these jobs
are challenging. Some have inspired students to set new career directions.

It is a win-win situation, says Eric McKee, vice-president (student services).

"The university gets valuable employees, who are enthusiastic workers and
are helping departments through some hard times when budgets are tight.

"As well, many students get 'real world' experience they can put on their
resume. Some discover they have talents and skills they never realized they
had, and that can translate into a career they didn't know about before
they were exposed to it at Dalhousie. This program provides money that is
truly well spent."

Details about these and other student financial assistance programs will be
provided in a future Bulletin.

---------------------
Questions and Answers
---------------------

Q:    I am a student at TUNS. What academic regulations will I be governed
by on the day after amalgamation?

A:    You will continue to be governed by the academic regulations in the
1996/97 TUNS Calendar. These regulations will remain in effect for students
and faculty now at TUNS until the beginning of the regular 1997/98 academic
session (i.e., the session beginning in September 1997), unless otherwise
determined by the Senate. Furthermore, as a student currently enrolled at
TUNS, you are entitled to complete your degree under the existing degree
and program regulations, subject to a time limit.