Concordia gets wired—and wireless The university is undertaking a major initiative that will enable students to use their laptops in class—without plugging them in. Andrew McAusland, Executive Director of IITS and Director of Academic Technology in Arts and Science, says that over the summer, infra-red ports will be installed in all classrooms that hold 50 students or more. The laptops connect to the classroom hub through infra-red rays. Providing laptop computers to students is the next challenge. The library has had great success lending out laptops to students, and will have as many as 50 available. Concordia University is looking at providing laptop loans to incoming students that they could pay back at the rate of $500 a year for three years. As part of this summer refit, the large classrooms are also being fitted with overhead projectors and screens. Universities join together in recruitment blitz for francophone students Student counsellors from nearly 30 francophone CEGEPs visited Concordia on Friday, May 11, as part of a three-day recruitment blitz organized with two other institutions, Ecole de Technologie Supérieur and McGill University. Bernard Pomerleau, of Concordia’s Recruitment Office, organized a full day of interesting speakers for the 43 visitors. These included Christine Brassard, from the TESL program, which trains teachers of English for the French-language school system. Murray Sang, Director of Continuing Education, talked about the Language Institute. Professor Marty Allor, chair of Communication Studies, and Marielle Nitoslwska, from Cinema, described their academic programs, which are especially popular with francophone students. Steady rise in francophone students at Concordia Glen Thomas, from the Registrar’s Office, talked about making the transition to university from a CEGEP technical program, and Romesh Vadivel, from the John Molson School of Business, described the Faire le Grand Saut! Orientation program for incoming francophone business students. Roughly 15.59 per cent of Concordia students say that their first language is French. Figures just released by the Rector’s Cabinet covering the years 1994 to 2000 indicate that francophone attendance at Concordia has been steadily rising, with a total increase of 575 students, or 16.20 per cent over the six years. Broken down by Faculty, Engineering and Computer Science had an increase of 101.7 per cent; the John Molson School of Business, 14 per cent; Arts and Science, 13 per cent; and Fine Arts, 10.78 per cent. Interesting jobs still around for students CAPS, Concordia’s Career and Placement Service, hasn’t stopped helping students find jobs, says coordinator André Gagnon. “We continue to offer individual help with resumé-writing, job-search planning and interview preparation.” Internships are available with OXFAM Quebec in social work, community facilitation, communications and management. They are between five and six months in duration, and could include stints in Bolivia, Burkina, Faso and Morocco. Internships are also open through the United Nations Association of Canada’s Junior Professional Consultant Program, but the deadline is only days away. Want to start your own business? Youth Employment Services is scheduled to begin their next five-part workshop series on June 13. They are on Wednesday evenings, and cost $10 per workshop or $40 for all five. Placement étudiant du Québec (PEQ), a service offered by the Quebec government, is a link between employers and students looking for work in their field of study, either with private employers or in the public sector. The PEQ’s Montreal office is at 380 St. Antoine St. W., near Square-Victoria Métro station. Office hours are Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.PEQ.mic.gouv.qc.ca or call 499-6565. JobPostings magazine is looking for student writers for the fall issue, starting in September. Interested students can go to their Web site at http://www.jobpostings.ca. New jobs listings are added daily to the Career and Placement Service’s Web site, at http://caps.concordia.ca.