Fall 2024 issue

Alexie Tcheuyap, Dean of Arts

Dear friends,

Welcome to this new edition of Inside Arts, our newsletter for faculty and staff.

After nearly half a year at Waterloo, it has been an intense and amazing few months for me. Looking at what has been accomplished by all, as well as the opportunities ahead, it is even clearer to me now that Arts is everywhere. Along with our own strategic plan, I see Arts impacts and potential throughout the Waterloo @ 100 vision and especially the five Global Futures. We can, and do, have an impact and make meaningful change in our community and well beyond it.

Yes, I am confident this is possible despite our current fiscal environment. We will continue to be resourceful with what we have, apply our ingenuity, and continue to invest in shared priorities. Learning to work with less can prepare us to make bigger transformations in the future.

It is the same optimism that is energizing us as we work towards transforming our current Faculty structure into schools. The working group I assembled earlier this term is progressing and we are confident that the new configuration could offer better opportunities to all – students, staff and faculty. It is my goal to share next steps as soon as possible next term.

You will also hear from my office soon as we prepare an update and engagement opportunities on the progress and execution of our strategic plan. We are now more than a year into the seven-year plan, so it is important for us to measure and document all the progress made at Faculty and unit levels, particularly in the face of our current reality and our future reconfiguration. A campus colleague recently offered this definition of ‘strategy’: “Strategy is a conversation that bridges vision with the reality on the ground.”

As I always remind us, our goals cannot be achieved unless we support each other as a collective, as a community. It is important that we care for each other, be kind to each other and be there for each other. Because we will succeed together.

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and restful holiday!

Alexie

What do Co-op for Social Good, Sheila Ager Scholarship, and the Global Business and Digital Arts Entrance Scholarship have in common?

Yes, they are all initiatives that are supported solely by the generosity of donors, but what is unique to these three funds is that they have been overwhelmingly supported by Arts faculty, staff and retirees (FSR). Without the generous support of FSR these funds would not be providing the critical financial resources to the levels they are.

It is with pride that I share that for fiscal year 2024 the overall Arts FSR participation rate was 21% which is the second highest by faculty after Health, and much stronger than the University overall rate of 14%. In total, Arts FSR raised $340,868.80.

Here's what the first recipient of the Global Business and Digital Arts Entrance Scholarship shared:

“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your support. Receiving this entrance award has significantly impacted my life, allowing me to concentrate on my studies without financial hardship. Your generosity has alleviated the burden of potential debt and provided me with newfound freedom - and I am committed to passing on this kindness in the future.”

In November, more than 100 students from the UWaterloo, University of Toronto, and Wilfrid Laurier came together to design for Financial Fluency, aiming to empower young Canadians to discover and use the financial tools and education available to them. Students worked tirelessly over the weekend to explore the problem, ideate potential solutions, and pitch their concepts to a panel of judges from Sun Life and UWaterloo.

The winning team, Fund Forward helped users visualize their financial goals, highlighting life milestones and their financial implications. The runner-up team, Mula, created a “community of financial advisors for stressed-out humans”. An honourable mention goes to Sprout which used gamified elements to keep users motivated and engaged with their growing financial goals.

Learn more about uXperience Design Jam with Sun Life 

Three student projects from GBDA 412 – Special Topics in Media Architecture will be featured in Lights On Stratford, an annual city-wide festival, starting December 13. The course, designed and taught by David Han, a media artist and PhD candidate in Cinema & Media Arts at York University, reflects the students’ ability to bring technology and the arts together. 

Earlier this term, student teams presented their installations to a panel consisting of representatives from Lights On, the City of Stratford, and the Stratford School. The selections are: 

• A Living Entity is an interactive installation that brings to life the Avon River, showcasing its role in Stratford's future. 
• Nocturnal Visions brings awareness to the essential roles of nocturnal animals, showcasing their unique behaviours and contributions to our environment. 
• Fungi: Beyond the Eye invites viewers to explore the non-human, present world of fungi roots, called mycelium, local to the city of Stratford.