/'
' Canadian engineers
by Peter Kuitenbrouwer of Canadian University press
OTTAWA (CUP) —- Research spending on U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s space-based defense system could engineers out of universities here to vast demand in the States, warns Canada’s national professors group.
The U.S. Department of Defense plans to spend almost $3vbillion on the Strategic Defense lnitiative next 'year, $26 billion in the next five v years.
Many U.S. university engineers will be lured into defense labs, creating shor- tages in American Univer- sities, said Donald Savage, executive director of the Canadian Association of ' University Teachers. .-_“lfthey put up that kind of money for the research, private universities will comb the world for researchers, and the closest place to come is Canada.” Savage said.
“I don‘t see how you can spend billions and billions 0n 'SDl research without having a dramatic effect on the market for engineers and scientists," Savage said.
suck Canadian
Volume [II
Star Wars ‘ draws
U.S. immigration laws(NSERC) in June says there ‘f‘lreildy haVe exemptions for is already a serious lack of immigration ofengineers,_ and scientists and engineers in the U.S.ClongresmsconSIder- Canada, and that Canada mg Immigratlof‘ reforms can‘t import manpower for Wthh Wl“ make It Easier for'rcscarch and developing“!M in- these groups to enter the novation and technology dif- United States. fusion “due to the world—wide
Savage said even before shortage of researchers in Reagan announced the 31)] these high-demand fields.” plan in April, I984, he can US ‘Defense Secretary remember meetings in Caspar Weinberger said Washington where on plans recently that there was little for g0vernment research Worry of a “brain drain” where people were saying Caused by SDI researCh “where are we going to find Spending. the Momreal Paper all the people to do these 1:" 09W)!" FCPOFth- But things?" European governments have
The last big drain of Cana- been calling the threat of lost dian engineers came in 1959 engineering talent a “reverse when Prime Minister John MgrglrlggnplfibNabb res. of programme. Hordes o Cana- 99”” ha" on}? “S e" meets dian engineers went south to 'Hhe unwers'tles CO“ d open work in US. universities or up {We fawn}: and-reseamh help the space race. poi???“ ,here‘ . .
Savage did not know if the 0 dc": S "0:01:10" as yet m Canadian decision Sept. 9not all? 3 ,EO U" “5.6”” to officially support SDI POS'“°"S~ MfNabb 53”- research would mean less SDI McNabb said one NSERC
crintracts at Canadian univer- program’ the Un‘vers‘w Smes “If mal happens, “as Research Fellowships has at-
. for 0m. tracted foreign engineers to Llifngfprlgitx i315? y Canada. One' third or, the 50 A study released by the fellOWShlPS last Year went to Natural Sciences and foreI‘gners. “We’re getting Engineering Research council LON. on page 2
UniVersity threatens
to shut down i newspaper
WINNIPEG (CUP) —— The University of Lethbridge threatened to close down the student newspaper. recently if that paper published the name of a professor three students had accused of sexual harass- ment.
The paper ran the story with the professor’s name blacked out, after getting a threatening letter for the U of L administration.
“We got a sharp lesson in the merits ofautonomy," said Meliorist editor Sue Ward. The Meliorist is independant from control by the U of L student’s council.
The administration told the Meliorist not to publish the name of the professor or the professor would sue the paper for libel, Ward said.
I I
said “the board recognizes that the publication at this time might have consequences that would necessitate the review of arrangements between the Meliorist and the Board of Governors,”' Ward
‘ said.
U of L president John Woods said that while the Meliorist is autonomous and self-governing, and the board has no legal authority over it, certain arrangements the un- iversity provides could be reviewed.
“l’m referring to the facilities here. The Meliorist rents space and electricity from the university,” Woods said.
Wards said Woods had threatened to do more than turn off the power and lock
“We were on solid legal I the door.
ground,“ Ward said. “We had people ready to testify in court for us, but we can’t af- ford a lawsuit.”
But the threats went further than that. Governors sent us a letter as
“The Board of
“Woods said the Board
would forbid distribution of
the Meliorist on Campus,” Ward said.
“He also said the board
we were going to press that might sue 0r SUSPEHd Staff
2 a saw. «,w 4.4.:va
332% F ‘3' 5': 5.?
J
members if we didn’t pull the professor’s name.”
The administration con- tacted the Meliorist’s printer in Taber, Alberta, and said the printer would also be sued if they printed the story. For- tunately the woman who took the call knew the libel laws and would still run our paper,“. Ward said.
The professor refused coni- ment except to say “that phrase (sexual harassment) has never been used in con- nection with my name by any member of the university."
The professor responded to
the three women‘s complaints through the university‘s as- sociate dean of Ad- ministrative affairs, telling the (lean to tell the woman that “no offense or disrespect was intended.“ He offered to apologize through Hoye‘s of- fice for any offence which the complainants "may have perceived to have taken place."
,. n.