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ANNUAL
REPORT ON MAKING CHOICES, WESTERN’S STRATEGIC
PLAN
Faculty Recruitment and Retention
A
position has been established and staffed in the
office of the Vice-Provost (Policy, Planning and
Faculty) that has responsibility for faculty recruitment
and retention. The newly-appointed Coordinator of
Faculty Recruitment and Retention has been working
with Chairs and Deans and their appointment committees
to provide a central resource for the recruitment
of new faculty. This involves identification and
sharing of best practices in recruitment across units,
provision of information kits for units to give applicants,
working directly with short-listed candidates (and
with candidates in receipt of an offer) to provide
them with information about working at Western and
living in London, and providing assistance with the
immigration process.
The Recruitment and Retention Coordinator has been
developing a program to aid in the placement of spouses
and partners of new and current faculty. The 2002-06
collective agreement includes provisions to aid in
the placement of spouses and partners of new faculty
into faculty positions.
Deans chair Promotion & Tenure committees and are
tasked with ensuring the committees maintain their
standards. The Provost’s office carefully reviews
all P&T recommendations to ensure they maintain
the standard. The 2002-06 collective agreement has
been modified in a number of important respects to
ensure that the standard is maintained.
All faculty appointment committees are required to
be familiar with the University’s employment
equity guide and must submit a report on the recruitment
process when recommending the appointment of a successful
candidate for a faculty position. This report is designed
to ensure that the appointment committees are mindful
of the need to ensure that their processes are free
of bias and must include details about the diversity
of the applicant pool. Advertisements for faculty positions
must be placed in such a manner that they are most
likely to reach prospective applicants from designated
groups.
The University believes that salaries are now competitive
(according to Statistics Canada data) and that Western’s
benefits have always been competitive. All probationary
appointees are eligible to apply for a $6,000 startup
research grant from central sources, and Deans top
this up to provide startup funds that are competitive
in each discipline.
The 2003-04 University Budget provided resources to
encourage the hiring and retention of female faculty.
This appears to have been very successful: in each
of the last ten years, probationary and tenured faculty
hiring at Western has yielded a ratio of 70% male to
30% female among the new faculty. In 2003-04, this
ratio has increased to slightly over 50% female.
To intensify the focus on hiring of female faculty,
in the fall of 2003, each Faculty was asked to provide,
as part of its planning submission for 2004-05, a report
on recruitment and retention activities, with a special
focus on equity and gender. The Vice-Provost (Policy,
Planning and Faculty), in collaboration with the Vice-Provost
(Academic Programs and Students) and the Associate
Vice-President (Human Resources), is developing activities
to enable academic administrators to undertake their
tasks more effectively and to prepare prospective academic
administrators. This will include encouraging female
faculty to assume positions of leadership.
The office of the Vice-Provost (Policy, Planning and
Faculty) and the Educational Development Office are
working together on initiatives to increase access
of new faculty to mentoring opportunities. The 2002-06
collective agreement contains new provisions designed
to improve development opportunities, including provisions
for faculty to concentrate their teaching and so free
up a term where they can focus on research activities
and for probationary faculty to have a reduced teaching
load during one of their probationary years, as well
as provisions for the development of electronic templates
for CVs and annual reports that could be used as the
source of all institutional needs for reports on activity
and so avoid duplication of requests for information.
Related Links:
Report to Senate: Vice-President (Policy, Planning
and Faculty) - PowerPoint
File (448K)
Western
News Story: “Faculty Hiring Ramped Up”
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Staff Recruitment and Development
Staff Development Teams
A number of groups have formed to support staff learning and on-going development.
The University-wide Staff Development Team has representatives from Western's
staff unions and associations. A key component of their work is presenting
Western’s Annual Staff Conference. Local teams have formed in the Faculty
of Education, Western Libraries, the Faculty of Social Science, and the Faculty
of Medicine and Dentistry. Each has identified learning needs and sponsored
workshops or other initiatives for their area.
Annual Staff Conference
Western’s Staff Development Team inaugurated Western’s Annual Staff
Development Conference in February 2003. The first three-day conference, entitled “Learning,
Working, Living”, included key-note speakers and workshops on such topics
as: Generation Differences in the Workforce, Employability Skills, Research
at Western, Continuing Education, Humour in the Workplace, and Personal Coaching.
Most sessions were offered twice to maximize the number of staff who could
attend.
In 2004 the conference was entitled, The World of Work: Refresh! Reframe! Renew!.
Topics included: Leadership in all Roles, Effective E-mail Management, Gender
Differences in Communication, Personal Resilience, The Millennial Student,
and Global Issues that research at Western helps to address. Site tours of
various research areas at Western were featured. Three of six keynote speakers
were Western Faculty.
President Davenport opened both conferences and acknowledged the vital contribution
that staff make to Western’s success. Over 700 staff participated each
year. The conference has received very positive feedback for both its learning
value, and for the opportunity it provides for staff to interact and connect
with each other as part of the Western community.
Workplace Wellness
In 2004, a team formed to provide opportunities for Western staff and faculty
to enhance their health and well being. A series of presentations, workshops,
and activities have been held within the categories of Balanced Life…Healthy
Eating…and Active Living. Workshops on nutrition, managing stress, fitness
walking, and other wellness related topics have occurred with more sessions
planned for the fall. Community health agencies and Western-based resources
contribute to this program.
Career Advancement Support
Workshops and information sessions have been offered to staff interested in
exploring career opportunities within Western. Careers@Western information
sessions have profiled the roles and preparation required for careers in Alumni
Relations and Development and in the field of Academic Counselling. An upcoming
session will highlight the Certified Management Accountant program. In the
spring of 2004, pilot sessions are underway to assist staff with resumes, interview
skills and other career search strategies to support their successful movement
within the organization. Full time staff completing post-secondary programs
are able to apply for funding through Western’s Educational Assistance
Program.
Team Based Development
Work teams have engaged in a number of initiatives over the year to improve
service and the work environment. Caretaking Services and Human Resources partnered
to improve a number of key processes including: training, equipment use, and
residence spring cleaning. This project was recognized for its success and
received a 2004 CAUBO Award for Quality and Productivity. Western Libraries
sponsored an extensive review to articulate an outcome-focused career progression
model for archivists and librarians. Many areas have held team retreats and
engaged in team development work to better understand their work cultures and
identify strategies for on-going improvement. For example, the Faculty of Education,
the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, and the Registrars Office have all participated
in this type of work.
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Undergraduate Student Recruitment
The University takes pride in the extra-curricular as well as the academic
accomplishments of its students. Applicants to Western are invited to provide
supplementary information with their application materials so that during
the admissions process we are able to recognize the special talents of those
who are leaders and exceptional citizens in their own communities.
The Recruitment Steering Committee, with representatives from the Faculties,
the Department of Communications and Public Affairs, and the Office of the
Registrar, ensures that the University takes a campus-wide approach to recruitment
planning and event coordination. The thousands of visitors who attend our
recruiting events consistently describe Western as among Canada’s most
impressive, beautiful and welcoming universities.
Western is expanding outreach activities aimed at prospective students in
other parts of Canada and around the world. We are increasing the number
of visits to high schools in other provinces and hiring an International
Recruitment Officer who will be responsible for developing relationships
with targeted high schools in countries of strategic interest to the University.
In addition to recruiting international students to undergraduate programs,
the Officer will participate in developing and maintaining student exchange
agreements.
In terms of trends in average entering grades, Western is now re-positioned
as one of the top three most desirable destinations for high-achieving students
who wish to pursue their undergraduate studies in Ontario.
In the Centre for New Students, the Office of the Registrar has begun building
coordinated networks and teams to improve University-wide career and advisory
support services for undergraduate students, in collaboration with the Faculties,
the Student Development Centre, the Department of Housing, and Alumni Relations
and Development.
Of tremendous significance is that we have accomplished a total review, revamping,
and restructuring of the University’s entire undergraduate curricular
structure, in the New Academic Choices curriculum, which will come on-line
in September 2004.
We have also attempted to broaden our academic base in attracting students
from diverse backgrounds to Western. An example of this is the initiative
taken to develop a Native Studies program based in the Faculty of Social
Science and the University’s commitment at the recent World Mining
Ministries Conference in Toronto to supporting minerals sector educations
for indigenous people. This is an initiative of the Faculty of Science and
is part of the development of a new program in Sustainability of Natural
Resources in the Department of Earth Sciences.
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Graduate Student Recruitment
The last few years have seen a significant push from
a number of quarters to boost graduate student enrolment
and completion, particularly at the Doctoral level.
Research institutes in higher education, government
think tanks, social and economic policy-makers, and
University associations agree that the knowledge economy
in which we live depends on the production of highly
skilled personnel. In response, the federal government’s
innovation agenda expressly calls for dramatic increases
in Master’s and Doctoral graduates to enhance
advanced research and replace a rapidly dwindling Canadian
Professoriate.
These policies have translated into major investments
targeted specifically at graduate studies. The granting
councils and agencies of the federal and provincial
governments have multiplied the numbers of existing
graduate awards and added new scholarships. while additional
funds for faculty research swell graduate student support.
These external initiatives complement and support the
University’s achievements and future plans for
a substantial increase in graduate enrolment.
Student demand for graduate training matches the perceived
need for generous growth. Recently, a Council
of Ontario Universities Task Force (PDF file),
has estimated that flow-through from current undergraduate
students
with modest gains in participation will increase graduate
enrolments by 88% (and Doctoral enrolments by 105%)
in the next ten years.
Western has been doing well in this new, intensified
climate of graduate education. It has already made
a University-wide commitment to increase enrolment
while improving the quality of our current 78 Master’s
and 42 Doctoral programs and facilitating the establishment
of new programs. Several new Doctoral programs are
in the process of reaching steady-state enrolments
and two new Master’s programs are currently going
through the assessment process.
Recently, a Senior Task Force for Quality Graduate
Enrolment Growth has been set up to study the best
methods for attracting the highest quality students
for Western’s graduate programs. As well, the
Faculty of Graduate Studies has been reassessing the
position of international students with the goal of
supporting the University's strategic plan for internationalization,
while recognizing that these students have particular
needs and associated expenditures. Overall, Western
is well positioned to play a leading role in this new
environment of enhanced graduate education. It is crucial,
however, for the Province to supply full operating
funding for additional graduate students in order for
Western to achieve its goals.
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Alumni and Community Relations
Western’s alumni base continues to grow and is now in excess of 200,000.
Alumni continue to occupy important leadership roles on the Board of Governors,
Foundation Western, Senate and the Alumni Association itself. The Alumni
Association is working to establish Faculty-specific alumni organizations,
targeting the professional Faculties in the first instance. The Department
of Alumni Relations has hired a full-time Coordinator to assist in this
effort.
The Alumni Gazette magazine continues to be the most preferred source of
information for alumni. The magazine is distributed three times a year
to all alumni and has been restored to alumni of the Affiliated University
Colleges. The Alumni & Friends page on the Western website has been
refreshed and the Purple Flash continues to be an important and valued
communications method of reaching alumni via e-mail.
The Department of Alumni Relations has been working actively with the Office
of the Registrar and the Student Development Centre to offer career counseling
and job search tips to graduating students. The Backpack 2 Briefcase Program,
inaugurated in 2002, has been highly successful, with hundreds of student
participants.
Alumni Association programs such as the Senior Alumni Program and the Alumni
Travel Program continue to be well-attended and valued as lifelong learning
opportunities for our graduates. A Toronto speakers series was inaugurated
in 2004. As well, outreach continues to alumni branches and chapters in
several locations around the world, including Hong Kong, New York, Ottawa,
Calgary, and Los Angeles, to name a few. Western’s 125th Anniversary
has served as an important milestone to bring alumni together in these
communities.
The Department of Alumni Relations has been asking graduates in prominent
roles as CEOs or Human Resources professionals to consider hiring Western
graduates. An annual mail campaign has been established to promote the
benefits of hiring Western students.
Related
Links:
Western's Alumni Association
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Making Choices for a Research-Intensive University
To meet the objective of becoming a leading research-intensive university,
Western is committed to building its areas of strength in research and
teaching. All Faculties, Departments and Schools were required to identify
and prioritize areas of national and international strength, using a consultative
process to develop unit-level Academic Plans. These Plans are now in place
in all units.
The multi-year planning process was begun in the fall of 2002, with a
four-year planning and budgeting horizon, running from 2003-04 through
2006-07. The
Faculty-level Academic Plans were used as the basis for establishing
a four-year budget plan for academic units that provided for selective
funding
for areas of strength or developing strength. Selectivity is being accomplished
through faculty and staff complement planning and investment of resources
from the University Priority Investment Fund (UPIF) during the four years
of the budget plan. The allocation of the University’s remaining
Canada Research Chairs is also being done in a manner that takes into
account the Academic Plans.
Each Faculty’s hiring plans for the period 2003-04 to 2006-07 were
developed in 2002-03, based on their Academic Plans and approved in this
context by the Provost. Changes and additions to these hiring plans,
through such mechanisms as the UPIF, also reflect the areas of strength
and priority
identified in the Plans.
Proposals for joint positions between units are encouraged and are being
funded through the UPIF initiative, as are new non-joint positions that
enhance interdisciplinary initiatives. The collective agreement has provisions
designed to ensure that faculty in appointments that cross units are
properly mentored and have a fair P&T process, and the Provost and
Vice-Provost (Policy Planning and Faculty) meet annually with joint appointees
to hear
from them directly how such positions need to be supported.
Since Making Choices was approved, new PhD programs have commenced in
Nursing, Anthropology, Theory & Criticism, Comparative Literature, and Media
Studies. Many of Western’s new graduate programs are interdisciplinary
in nature, such as the new programs noted above and others in Neuroscience
and Biomedical Engineering.
The Vice-President (Research) has developed new procedures for the recognition
and approval of Centres and Institutes, designed to ensure that such
entities are actively contributing to the University’s academic
mission. In addition, a program has been established to encourage the
development of
new networks and collaborative research groups.
In defining Western’s directions as a research-intensive university,
a comprehensive University Research Plan has been created and approved
by Senate and the Board of Governors. The University has also approved
a Strategic Plan for Internationalization, which articulates Western’s
objectives in seeking links with institutional partners in specifically-identified
areas of geographical and academic interest for both research and exchange
activities.
Related Links:
Operating and Capital Budget 2004-05
The budget will be posted following its consideration by the Board
of Governors on May 6
Strategic Research Plan
• Full
Plan - Approved August 2003 (PDF approx. 1MB)
• Summary
-Approved May 2003 (PDF)
Strategic Plan for Internationalization
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Leadership and Communications Initiatives
In the area of academic leadership, the Vice-Provost (Policy, Planning
and Faculty) is organizing orientation, recognition and learning events
for Deans, Associate Deans, Chairs, and Directors (leaders of academic
units). The first event, to be held in June, will be a two-day orientation
session for new Department Chairs and School Directors. The second will
be a recognition event in September for all Deans, Associate Deans, Chairs
and Directors, and the third, to be held early in 2005, will be a full-day
learning event for Deans, Associate Deans, Chairs and Directors.
Academic
and Administrative Leaders’ Meetings
This forum was established in May 2001, under the sponsorship
of the Vice President, Administration, and in collaboration
with the President and Vice-Presidents. The purpose
of the forum is to further the Strategic Plan commitments
to:
a) build leadership capacity at Western, and
b) increase the integration of academic and administrative
initiatives via increased dialogue among academic and
administrative leaders.
The forum meets 5 times throughout the academic year.
Meetings focus on strategic directions as well as goals
and challenges for leadership at Western. The forum
is a key opportunity for the President to communicate
with Western’s Academic and Administrative leaders.
It is expected that participants relay to their staff
and colleagues the information and insights gained
at the meetings.
Recent topics include Vision, Mission, and Meaning;
Meeting the Communications Challenge: The Results of
Western's Employee Communications Research; How to
Influence Workplace Culture: Learning from Each Other;
Western's Organizational Culture; President's Priorities
for 2003-2004. For a full list of topics over the past
three years and dates for the 2004-2005 series, click
here:
Leadership Development Workshops
Western offers a two-part, 6-day program for leaders,
called “Foundational Leadership Skills.” Part
I, “Understanding Leadership,” focuses
on the accountabilities of leaders, personal style,
and the use of five key leadership practices. Leaders
receive an assessment of their personality type and
learn ways to maximize the style differences in their
work-teams. They also receive 360 degree feedback on
their current use of the five leadership practices.
The 360 degree feedback process is repeated after a
year so leaders can assess their success in improving
their practices. By April 2004, 130 academic and administrative
leaders had participated in this development process.
Sessions are ongoing.
Leadership and Culture
Leaders of the 12 Faculties and 21 Administrative groups
that participated in Western’s 2003 Organizational
Culture Survey have been invited to requisition the
reports for their areas, to share the information with
their groups and teams, and to implement plans to increase
the positive aspects of their workplace culture. With
the support of Learning and Development Services, a
number of leaders have worked with staff to interpret
the results and decide on actions plans to make improvements.
The focus for most groups is on ensuring roles and
goals are clear, and helping people increase their
sense of personal and team achievement, personal growth
within their roles, and the ability to address and
solve problems openly and collaboratively. The survey
process will be repeated in 2006 to assess progress.
Support
for Leadership Accountabilities
Leaders have accountability for 1) establishing a direction
and vision for their units and services,
2) hiring talent and managing resources 3) building
supportive work environments with well-designed work
and effective teams 4) creating an effective flow of
information and communication within their units and
between their unit and the rest of the University,
and 5) increasing the effectiveness of the overall
functioning of the University and its systems. Leaders
in a number of Faculties and services have engaged
facilitator support to increase their skills in working
with staff to set goals, redesign work, and improve
team functioning.
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Accessibility and Student Aid
Western’s Financial Aid program, including need-based and merit-based
awards for undergraduate students, is second to none in Canada, both in
terms of the amount of funding available per student and the types of support
available. In addition to an extremely generous program of merit scholarships,
including the National Scholarships, unlimited Admission Scholarships for
undergraduate students in first-entry programs, and in-course awards, Western’s
student assistance programs include: admission and in-course bursaries,
in-course work/study opportunities, Ontario Student Assistance
Program support, credit counseling, and interest relief/debt reduction
for
students graduating with high debt levels.
Western’s approach to undergraduate Financial Aid has three
facets: 1) on our own and in concert with other stakeholder groups,
we lobby
government for policy and financing improvements to student support
programs; 2) we
are working to develop a very strong base of private support for
financial aid. Currently, Western awards more than $2.4 million
annually of such
funds to students with financial need; 3) we continue to make improvements
to our own financial aid programs for first- and second-entry undergraduate
students by making sure we use the resources available as effectively
as possible.
The Dean of Graduate Studies has established a Task Force involving
all Faculties with graduate programs to assess the means of distributing
financial
assistance to students in graduate programs. Current levels of support,
drawn from a variety of sources and allocated with sensitivity to discipline
and external funding opportunities, are among the highest in Canada.
Related Links:
Report of the Vice-Provost
(Academic Programs & Students) and Registrar - PowerPoint
File (143K)
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Collaboration and Technology Transfer
Federal research programs, such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation
and the Canada Research Chairs, have provided the opportunity for Western
to develop stronger research strategies (detailed in the Strategic
Research Plan). The opportunity has emerged for us to differentiate
ourselves
as leaders in particular research areas at the international level
by virtue of excellence and critical mass of people and infrastructure.
This in turn has led to a stronger opportunity for collaboration among
institutions, both in London and across the region.
Examples of local collaborations include the development of the Brain
and Mind Research Group, the London Regional Genomics and Proteomics
facilities and the Innovarium project. In each case, the research institutes
in London worked together to create unique facilities with outstanding
researchers that place us at the leading edge of these research fields.
At the regional level, Western has been the leader in developing
strong collaborative research activities through SHARCNet, a large
High Performance
Computing research network among five Universities and two colleges;
through the Ontario Photonics Consortium, a leading research network
for studies in advanced materials for optical communication and ‘electronics’;
and through the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, a partnership
with the Insurance Bureau of Canada to study the mitigation of
effects of natural disasters.
By taking a leadership role in developing collaborations among research
institutions, Western is ensuring future success as well. Western is
leading a $50M expansion of SHARCNet to eleven institutions through
funding of the largest CFI grant in the latest competition. Western
is building
on commitments through Canada Research Chairs to capitalize on research
complementary with Guelph to establish the Biotron, a $27M research
infrastructure to study environmental effects on plants, microbes and
insects in controlled
environments. By combining the research expertise in agriculture and
basic sciences at Guelph with that in medicine and science at Western,
we are creating an outstanding opportunity to explore interactions
among species and development of new plants for medical purposes. Western
is
expanding on its expertise in wind tunnel research and mechanical engineering
to develop a $5M program to understand how large buildings resist external
forces and how to improve building standards accordingly.
Western seeks to excel in many areas of research and to lead in selected
fields. Through strategic partnerships, we want to leverage these areas
of excellence to achieve even more.
The Universities in Canada have committed to triple their commercialization
capacity by 2011 and Western shares in that ambition. To achieve this
goal, we need to change the culture of innovation at Western. Through
work of the Technology Transfer Advisory Council, Chaired by Ron Yamada,
we are developing new tactics to ensure that we get more faculty, staff
and students to disclose new inventions so that we can help develop
the technologies and provide the appropriate patent protection. To
this end,
we have created the Western Innovation Fund, a $250,000 fund that provides
$30-70,000 for investigators to bring their research from a concept
and closer to a technology with market potential. This fund is one
of several
components aimed at celebrating and rewarding innovation that goes
beyond discovery. The other components will be enacted in short order
and will
include a seminar program and a celebratory event hosted by private
sector partners.
In order to become more focused on technology transfer, Research
Western has reorganized some of its key functions. Specifically,
we have created
a new unit – TechTransfer Western – whose sole mandate
is to manage intellectual property and to bring it to the private
sector
for commercialization. This unit will soon have new management
with a strong entrepreneurial focus.
Collaboration and partnerships are emerging in the economic development
relationships both in London and in the region. Western has been
the major sponsor of the local Biotechnology Cluster Innovation
Program and has been active at all levels in promoting the opportunities
for
commercialization
in London. Western is also one of the partners in the Stiller Commercialization
Center, located in the UWO Research & Development Park. The
Stiller Center is already host to thirteen new biotechnology companies
which
adds significantly to the number of small companies that are being
incubated in the research park.
In the fall, the UWO Research & Development Park – Sarnia
Lambton Campus was established to manage a facility for research
in areas related
to energy, environment and the chemistry-based industries. This
is a very exciting new venture that promises to position Western
firmly
as
a research institution with regional presence.
Western has international standards of excellence, attains national
and international prominence, exhibits national and regional leadership
and
provides local impact culturally, educationally and economically.
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Campaign Western
Campaign Western has now exceeded its original $270 million goal.
When the campaign officially finishes in April, well over $300
million will
have been raised in support of the University’s teaching
and research mission. Planning for Phase II of Campaign Western
is well
underway,
including the identification of new volunteers and new priority
projects for funding.
Phase II will be formally launched at Homecoming in 2004 and continue
to April 2007. After that time, planning will commence on the next
major institutional
campaign, with a likely official launch in 2009.
The 2004 University Budget calls for a new model of resourcing Faculty-based
Development staff. Starting in 2005, Faculties will be asked to pay
half of the cost of Development Officers. Funds thus freed centrally
will be
redeployed to support full-time Development staff in Faculties that
currently share Development Officers. This model will also extend to
Communications
positions.
More than $60 million in deferred gifts (gifts of insurance, bequests,
annuities), most of it targeted for endowment, have been raised during
Campaign Western. Total gift expectancies known to the University now
exceed $80 million.
Campaign Western has also been able to leverage more than $150 million
in public funding from programs such as the Ontario Student Opportunity
Trust Fund, Ontario Graduate Scholarship program, Canada Research Chair
program, and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
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