Mandate
The goal of the Campus Wellness (CW) Student Advisory Committee (SAC) is to serve as an essential mechanism for ensuring CW implements, delivers, and evaluates programs and services that meet client* needs by aiming to incorporate client voices/perspectives into everything they do.
The SAC will enhance client engagement and improve the quality of programs and services at CW by:
- Providing input on/recommendations for improving or enhancing CW services, initiatives, procedures, processes, practices etc.
- Representing client perspectives about theirs and others experiences at CW, including undergraduate and graduate students and their respective families**.
- Supporting CW to enhance its client engagement and client-centred care practices.
Strengthening communication and collaboration with service users and non-service users.
Role and process
- The committee is an advisory body to Campus Wellness units.
- The committee is not a decision-making body.
- CW units can request to bring items to the SAC for information, consultation, deliberation, or collaboration.
- The committee is welcome to bring forward suggestions and recommendations to the chair and to the CW Senior Management Team for consideration.
Committee Structure:
- Chair, Executive Director of Campus Wellness
- 12 student representatives
- Registered UWaterloo students for the duration of their term
- Includes graduate and undergraduate representatives
- Ideally 50% are current service users or have used services in the past 2 years
- Represent the diversity of UWaterloo’s student population with respect to race, ethnic origin, international status, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, or disability
- Rotation of Associate Directors
- Staff coordinator
The committee may invite non-committee members to attend as guests as necessary.
Duties of the chair
- Ensures the SAC functions properly, that there is full participation during meetings, that all relevant matters are discussed, and that recommendations are brought back to the CW Senior Leadership Team
- Conducts meetings according to the terms in this document, and ensures that matters are dealt with in an orderly, efficient manner
Duties of the members
As a member, you will be expected to:
- Come prepared to actively participate in scheduled committee meetings, in-person when possible and camera-on when joining virtually via MS Teams
- Review minutes and materials posted in MS Teams Channel in advance of meetings
- Represent, to the best of your ability, the views and interests of the communities you are connected with
- Respect lived experience and differing viewpoints and opinions
- Approach one another with understanding, empathy, curiosity, and patience
- Respect the confidentiality of all sensitive information disclosed or discussed at committee meetings
Members who accept a seat on this advisory committee will serve a one-year term. If extenuating circumstances arise where a student is no longer able to fulfill the entirety of their term, they should alert the chair as soon as possible. Members may reapply to extend their term by another year up to two years total served on the committee. The SAC may retain up to 50% of eligible incumbent members to support continuity and allow space for new perspectives. Final membership decisions will be made at the discretion of the chair to ensure membership is fair, balanced, and meets the requirements outlined under Committee Structure.
Members will endeavour to attend at least 80% of the scheduled meetings over the course of their term. They are welcome to join even if they can only stay for part of a meeting. If they are unable to attend a meeting, they will notify the staff coordinator in advance, and will connect with another member or the staff coordinator to ensure they are prepared to participate in the next scheduled meeting. Members who miss more than two regularly scheduled meetings without notice will be contacted by the staff coordinator to discuss whether reasonable accommodations can be made and/or if a decision to be replaced during the next recruiting cycle is more appropriate.
Meeting frequency
The SAC will meet for 2 hours on a monthly basis using MS Teams, and when possible, in-person up to twice a year. Members will receive $25/hr. for their active participation in scheduled meetings. As this is a casual, paid role, students will only be compensated for the meeting hours they attend. Additional meetings and sub-group meetings will be booked on an as-needed basis. If members participate in an additional committee meeting or sub-group, they will be compensated up to 4 hours/month at $25/hr.
Recruitment and onboarding
Recruitment for a new cohort will take place once a year for a September start-date. Recruitment to replace inactive or withdrawn members will take place on an as-needed basis. In the event that membership is unbalanced in terms of diversity, applicants may be declined or deferred accordingly. Call for applications will open in the spring term. Applications with redacted identifying information will be reviewed by a sub-group of committee members and the chair. Final recruitment decisions will be made at the discretion of the chair to ensure recruitment is fair, balanced, and meets the requirements outlined under Committee Structure.
Students interested in joining the SAC will submit a written application identifying what perspectives, experiences and skills they bring to CW SAC.
As incoming SAC members are casual employees, they will be required to complete mandatory employee training: Employer Safety Orientation, WHMIS Orientation, Workplace Violence Awareness, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Training and Sexual Violence Awareness. Members will receive compensation for this training time at $25/hr. up to a maximum of four hours. If incoming members have already completed some or all of these training modules, they will only receive compensation for completion of any outstanding training modules.
*Client refers to any UW student who receives CW support/services or engages with any CW program.
**Families includes a student’s spouse/partner/child.
