Flash Q&A (cont'd)
Published by Allan Rock on Monday March 15th, 2010 – 11:57 AM -During my recent visits to campus residences, students also shared their views on campus food services and restaurants. Below are the answers to their questions.
Improving food quality
We’re working with Food Services to improve value for quality when it comes to food services, as well as the overall quality of the products available.
In addition, since last fall, the University Centre’s Jazzy restaurant has expanded its services by offering breakfasts, lunch-time meals, dinners and weekend brunches at affordable prices.
Business hours
To meet the needs of students whose classes end after campus food outlets close down for the day, we’ve launched a pilot project that will see the outlet at 90 University remain open 24/7 until the end of the current session.
Menu variety
Menus are on a three-week cycle during the year to provide the University community with varied meal selections. More improvements are slated over the coming weeks, including some at the pasta counter.
Food Services online
Consult this site for regular updates on business hours and menus.
Tags: alimentaire, food
Posted in General |
Monday March 22nd, 2010 at 01:04 PM
March 22nd, 2010
M. François Houle
Vice-recteur aux études / Vice-President Academic and Provost
Université d’Ottawa / University of Ottawa.
550, rue Cumberland Street
Ottawa (ON) K1N 6N5
téléphone / telephone : 613 562-5737
télécopieur / fax : 613 562-5103
http://www.uOttawa.ca/vr-etudes-academic
francois.houle@uottawa.ca
Dear Mr. Houle:
Friends directed my attention to your recent letter to Miss Ann Coulter, an American author and columnist who is on a speaking tour of Canada.
In that letter, you essentially inform her that Canadian freedom of speech isn't free, and that so she might be arrested. Is this the state of modern universities and political science today at the Université d’Ottawa / University of Ottawa?
Your letter is ungracious, dishounourable, soft-totalitarian, and risable.
You are a teacher at a publicly funded university. Were you advised by university lawyers or leaders to write this letter? By whose authority and in whose name is it written? Do you profess to speak only for yourself, or presume to represent the university leadership, or the entire university student & faculty body, or merely speak for all Canadians?
Against your deeply intolerant letter and notions via the University of Ottawa in 2010, I stand proudly with the remarks of a proud and tolerant Quebecer and McGill grad (Class of 1964):
“Canada is free and freedom is its nationality”.. The good Saxon word, freedom; freedom in every sense of the term, freedom of speech, freedom of action, freedom in religious life, and civil life and last but not least, freedom in commercial life.”
~ 7th Prime Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, 1896
Perhaps–for such extreme views– Mr. Laurier would be sternly scolded via the new & improved University of Ottawa, where censors and opinion-police propect everyone from open debate and discussion, lest their feelings get hurt and sloppy thinking gets corrected. That's not Canadian: that's Soviet.
Shame on you, Mr. Houle. You plainly owe Miss Coulter and freedom-loving Canadians and free people everywhere an apology. It's examples like yours which make this honours-list post-grad student glad not to have gone on to Ph.D. studies, which too often involve a removal of humility, common sense, and honour.
Sincerely yours,
S.A. Taylor
B.A. Double Major Hist. & Phil. (Acadia)
M.Div. Wycliffe College, (University of Toronto).
=============================================
http://blogs.canoe.ca/corenscomment/freedom-of-expression/free-speech-in-canada-a-fairy-story/
“Dear Ms. Coulter,
I understand that you have been invited by University of Ottawa Campus Conservatives to speak at the University of Ottawa this coming Tuesday. We are, of course, always delighted to welcome speakers on our campus and hope that they will contribute positively to the meaningful exchange of ideas that is the hallmark of a great university campus. We have a great respect for freedom of expression in Canada, as well as on our campus, and view it as a fundamental freedom, as recognized by our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I would, however, like to inform you, or perhaps remind you, that our domestic laws, both provincial and federal, delineate freedom of expression (or “free speech”) in a manner that is somewhat different than the approach taken in the United States. I therefore encourage you to educate yourself, if need be, as to what is acceptable in Canada and to do so before your planned visit here. You will realize that Canadian law puts reasonable limits on the freedom of expression. For example, promoting hatred against any identifiable group would not only be considered inappropriate, but could in fact lead to criminal charges. Outside of the criminal realm, Canadian defamation laws also limit freedom of expression and may differ somewhat from those to which you are accustomed. I therefore ask you, while you are a guest on our campus, to weigh your words with respect and civility in mind. There is a strong tradition in Canada, including at this University, of restraint, respect and consideration in expressing even provocative and controversial opinions and urge you to respect that Canadian tradition while on our campus. Hopefully, you will understand and agree that what may, at first glance, seem like unnecessary restrictions to freedom of expression do, in fact, lead not only to a more civilized discussion, but to a more meaningful, reasoned and intelligent one as well.
I hope you will enjoy your stay in our beautiful country, city and campus.
Sincerely,
François Houle.”
‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑
Vice-recteur aux études / Vice-President Academic and Provost
Université d’Ottawa / University of Ottawa
550, rue Cumberland Street
Ottawa (ON) K1N 6N5
téléphone / telephone : 613 562-5737
télécopieur / fax : 613 562-5103
http://www.uOttawa.ca/vr-etudes-academic
Thursday March 25th, 2010 at 11:49 PM
I am encouraged that the President of U of O is improving lunches at the university. How about standing up for something more important, like freedom of speech. And how about sending your provost to remedial to learn what academic freedom really means and not to bully people he does not like.
Friday March 26th, 2010 at 08:49 AM
The Anne Coulter affair has turned into a public relations nightmare for uOttawa.
You have editorials in the local and cross Canada media calling uOttawa a bush-league university and questioning our understanding of the concept of free speech.
You have the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) asking that Mr. Houle apologize for his e-mail to Anne Coulter.
You have the specter of a possible complaint to Human Rights Commission dragging uOttawa's name through the mud for months to come.
Ignoring all this will not work in this case. Some serious damage control needs to be done. It requires some positive action.
Monday April 12th, 2010 at 10:48 PM
I personally do not care about Ann Coulter, but I do care when I paid $6.00 for a Powerade and a cookie this morning. I think improving the quality of our cafeteria is a much more important issue than Coulter.