Spring will come this year, but the McGill Women's Networking Group wants to give it a head start. The MWNG is organizing a series called Women and Wellness Wednesdays, designed to revitalize McGill women, body and soul. The first session, on March 11, will feature psychotherapist Antoinette Giacobbe, who will give a dynamic seminar on stress prevention at work and at home. Employee Assistance Program counsellor Lynn Hovey will speak at a session on April 8, and the series will wrap up on May 6. All sessions take place from 12 to 1:30 at the Redpath Museum Auditorium.

The MWNG exists to "provide an opportunity for the women at McGill to meet and discuss common concerns," and is open to academics, support staff and students. In addition to seminars on matters like health, financial planning and negotiating skills, there are monthly get-togethers after work at the Maude Abbott Lounge of the Faculty Club, where women can meet in a relaxed atmosphere over a glass of juice or wine.

There is a mini annual membership charge of $15 ($5 for students), and women from outside McGill may join in as guests of members. The MWNG assures you good company and a warm welcome. To find out more, contact the treasurer, Debra Blanch, at 398-3995 (debrab@fgsr.lan.mcgill.ca) or the administrator of the Femnet listserve, Jennifer Towell, at 398-3569 (jennifet@martlet1.lan.mcgill.ca).

McGill and the University of Toronto have formed an alliance to provide continuing education for the business community. An official launch in January ended months of organizing by Alastair Duff, head of the Executive Institute of McGill's Faculty of Management, and his counterparts at U of T's Rotman School of Management.

The three- to five-day courses on topics like strategic marketing, project management and corporate finance will be offered in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and, eventually, Hong Kong.

McGill's Executive Institute has been giving a wide variety of public seminars for years, but, says Duff, "We always had trouble attracting people in Toronto because we don't have a local presence." Initially, McGill approached U of T about renting classroom space because they were unhappy with the facilities they were using at Toronto's Board of Trade. Those discussions led to cooperation on a specific project, which in turn evolved into the idea of working together in a formal way.

While the Rotman School provides what Duff calls "first-class facilities" and local contacts, McGill has extensive experience in putting together programs. "This is a natural fit," says Duff, but adds that bringing together two of the top brand names in education doesn't by itself guarantee success.

"It's a very competitive market in Toronto with some well-established players, York University being the largest. It's going to take a bit of time to really get ourselves known."

McGill University is interested in hosting the award-winning summer program for high school and CEGEP students called Shad Valley. Established in 1981, the four-week residential program is designed to promote science, technology and entrepreneurship to top students, in partnership with industry sponsors, schools, community associations and individual volunteers.

Each host university accepts 50 Shad Valley students for a program of workshops, projects and lectures during the month of July. A minimum commitment of three years' participation is expected from each university. In addition to less tangible benefits, a host institution can expect to receive more than $100,000 through room and board, contract staff and program expenditures. Student participants are exposed to a university's faculty and resources for a month and frequently end up applying to attend their host institution.

McGill needs to find faculty members interested in participating, and in particular, to find someone willing to take on the position of Program Director. Candidates for the job would serve a one-month apprenticeship at an established Shad Valley campus this summer.

Engineering professor Ed Jernigan from Waterloo University highly recommends the experience. "It's the most fun thing I do as a teacher." He recalls a parent who wrote to him after the program "saying she didn't know what we had done to her son, but thanks for turning his life around."

Faculty wanting more information should contact Dean of Science Alan Shaver, Vice-Principal Bill Chan or the local Shad Valley office at 721-2040.