Please see below for the minutes from the May 24 meeting.
* Carman :
* Shed is under construction
* Please be careful when driving around it
* When purchasing under university name please add your name so that we do not need to chase thing down
* Canola planting done and moving to Soy beans
* Point:
* Seed storage building
* in short term we do not know if and when we can get back into building
* Please get as much off of south side of seed storage building
* 4 permanent seed storage containers
* Each group will have ½ a container to fill with seed
* Working on locks for storage containers
* Tentative updates for Seed Storage and Processing
* Dept Heads and the Dean of research (Nazim) meet to look as a space currently vacated by Animal Science
* The layer barn has 6000sqft divided in to 3 spaces
* It is on campus with parking
* In the next 3 months this space will be emptied of equipment
* It would be a permanent space possibly to use as a drying and processing facility
* Anything stored there would need complete rodent proof containers
* Cooler in Basement (plant rm 008)
* Waiting for parts that have expected arrival in June
* It is expected to be a quick installation
* Vernalization room: is not currently included in this update but the hope it to apply for funding this summer
* Touch base with Cathy if you need this space
* Hort Shed at the Point
* When it is ready the cooling will be tested for 3 months with potatoes
* There may not be space to put in any other items in while it is being tested
* Safety Training
* A copy of safety training video will be email to department along with a form
* The form will confirm the completion of training and both the trainee and advisor sign and send to PSHEAD(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:PSHEAD@umanitoba.ca>
* This will possibly be adding on another platform soon
* Fire Drills
* Drills will happen in the building in the next couple of week
* Two Muster Points: ag engineering and architecture
* Security Meeting for May 18, 2023
* This will possibly be followed up on with a more direct conversation with the department
* Labs equipment
* Clean out form Hills Lab glassware, stopper and pipette. Please contact Jon Rosset. (email of specifics to come later)
From: Ralph Kowatsch <Ralph.Kowatsch(a)umanitoba.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2023 3:08 PM
To: Emily Wolverton <Emily.Wolverton(a)umanitoba.ca>
Subject: Fire warden and Fire extinguisher training
EHSO is offering Fire Warden and Fire Extinguisher training in May. Information is through EHSO Fire Safety site.
Fire safety | Environmental health and safety | University of Manitoba (umanitoba.ca)<https://umanitoba.ca/environmental-health-and-safety/fire-safety>
Risk Management - Calendar (umanitoba.ca)<https://eventscalendar.umanitoba.ca/site/risk/?view=grid&search=y>
There are some potatoes that have been left at the gate to the point since earlier this week. To prevent them from unadvertedly walking away through theft or rotting, I wanted to bring awareness to whoever those may belong to so they can pick them up and store them properly. See attached image.
Cheers!
Jonathan Rosset
Hello All,
Please see below for the minutes from the last (April 26) Department Council meeting. If you have any comments/questions please let me know.
Becky
CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mask mandate
Wearing of masks at UM will no longer be mandated as of May 1. Mask wearing is however encouraged.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Graduate Studies Committee
Increase PhD departmental assistantships to $24,500/year (currently $24,000) and MSc departmental assistantships to $21,500/year (currently $21,000) effective September 1, 2023.
REPORTS
Graduate student report
Lauren Gislason reported that two PSGSA events were cancelled lately due to lack of interest and poor weather. The FAFS graduate student get-together was successful.
Dr. Entz asked Lauren what the PSGSA thinks about Dr. Paliwal's proposed integrated agriculture course to be taken by all FAFS graduate students. Lauren thinks this would be very useful.
Support staff report
Becky Dueck reported that the safety seminar on May 1 will be held in 290 Education. Dr. Cattani responded to Becky's question about a new lunch/coffee room. Room 310 will remain a meeting room but when not booked for meetings, can be used as a staff lunch/coffee room. A sink will be re-installed in the room.
NEW BUSINESS
Visit by Dr. Scanlon
Dr. Scanlon reported that he is willing to extend his term as Dean for two more years and that he will not seek re-election. He asked members what issues they want dealt with in the next two years:
* Building security: Members do not feel safe. The entire campus will eventually be accessed using key cards. Dr. Scanlon can ask for the Agriculture Building to be moved up in this process. He was asked if the Plant Science wing could be secured separately during evenings and weekends. He will look into this as well as securing the greenhouse area during evenings and weekends.
* Replacement of our Point facilities and adding storage space to the prairie crops and soils research facility
* Curriculum and student experience: Spaces for students to get together are needed in the Agriculture complex. The Dean responded that with reduced need for computer facilities, space for this will become available.
* Classroom equipment: In the ideal world, all classrooms would have a web cam to facilitate the hybrid experience.
* Controlled Environment Facility: The Dean reported that he has received no feedback on the request to UM for the controlled environment facility. There is currently no new funding at UM for infrastructure.
* To enhance the curriculum, establish a space in the new controlled growth facility for a farmers market.
* Department Head: Dr. Cattani has agreed to extend his acting head role until June 30, 2024. They are currently looking at re-structuring departments within FAFS to facilitate greater ownership of degrees.
Adjunct Professor recommendation
Recommendation of Dr. Malcolm Morrison as adjunct professor in Plant Science.
Dr. Morrison made a presentation to Department Council for a recent appointment as adjunct professor so he was not asked to present again.
Seminar attendance
* Dr. Entz indicated that attendance at seminars is low and thinks graduate student attendance at the Plant Science Seminar series and the master's seminar series should be mandatory. As well, attendance by faculty members should be monitored. The Seminar Committee should put a policy in place to require attendance.
* Faculty members should be required to attend defenses.
* Faculty members should present.
* Lauren Gislason added that attendance at events in general is poor. Graduate students no longer know each other.
* There was a consensus that the department in general is fragmented since COVID.
* Lauren Gislason, Dr. Entz, Dr. McCartney and Dr. Chawla agreed to form a committee to investigate strategies to reunite the department.
* Dr. Cattani added that a "meet and greet" will be held in the summer.
Good afternoon all :)
I've been reminded that it is Vehicle Rental time for some groups.
We've gathered some information regarding the vehicle rental process so I thought I would share. Some of this is old news to you and if so, just treat this as a reminder ;)
Obtaining a rental vehicle:
1. You will need to go on Enterprise's website and get a quote. The quote should include the dates of the rental (pick up and return) and the make and model of your preferred vehicle.
**Please keep in mind that the cost on the quote will be significantly higher than University pricing**.
2. Send your quote along with an purchase requisition to psorders(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:psorders@umanitoba.ca> . The order desk will then create a PO using University pricing and send it to Enterprise.
Picking up your rental:
1. Rental vehicles are covered under the University insurance policy and therefore the insurances that Enterprise wants to charge should be declined.
Once you have picked up your rental:
1. Please send an email to psorders(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:psorders@umanitoba.ca> with the make & model of the vehicle along with the license plate number to arrange the following:
a) Gas Cards:
- Gas cards are for Red River Co-Op (St. Norbert).
- Gas cards are registered to the vehicle, so they are to remain in the vehicle and cannot be used to put gas in another.
- Gas cards are available in the General Office once we have the information requested.
- I also use the information to allow access to the UofM fuel pumps located at the back end of Lot E.
b) Parking passes:
- All vehicles on campus (including The Point) MUST have a parking pass.
- There are summer passes available up to (and including) August 31st. Any vehicles to be parked on campus after this date will need to renew for another year. This poses a problem sometimes, so please be mindful of dates in this regard.
- Parking passes will be charged to the PI and is not covered by the University.
- There is a field on the parking pass where we can request a lot that is preferred. The Parking Office will try to accommodate the request, but if not, they will make an alternate suggestion.
I think that's it, however if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact psorders(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:psorders@umanitoba.ca>.
Thank you,
Amanda
Amanda Bonne
University of Manitoba
Department of Plant Science
Rm 222, Agriculture Building
66 Dafoe Road
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2
* phone 204.474.8224 | * fax 204.474.7528
* e-mail amanda.bonne(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:amanda.bonne@umanitoba.ca>
