Tuesday, June 23, 2015

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• Upper-year students share advice with incoming class
• Telephone infrastructure update coming
• Green bins now in Needles Hall
• Tuesday's notes

Upper-year students share advice with incoming class

by Carla Rodrigo.

During the transition from high school to university, there is no shortage of things students want to know. In an effort to help answer these questions, the Student Success Office (SSO) created a series of eight videos starring upper-year students sharing what they wish they knew before their first year at Waterloo.

The videos were created by the SSO to provide first-year students with information that is essential to student life at the University of Waterloo, while also helping to ease some of the worries they may have about their first year. The videos feature upper-year students who each took on a quirky personality to help deliver information in a fun, engaging way.

The videos are posted on the Orientation website and cover the following topics:

• Quest
• Email
• Learn
• Student Portal
• Tuition and fees
• Food Services and WatCard
• Residence
• International students

The Student Success Office would like to thank all of the campus partners and upper-year students who were involved with this project.

For those of you who enjoy a challenge, each video features the Federation of Students, VP Internal enjoying a snack from Food Services. Can you find him in all of the videos? 

Telephone infrastructure update coming

Campus telephone equipment, much of it installed in January 1997, will be replaced starting between Friday, June 26 and Sunday, June 28, according to a message from Information Systems and Technology (IST)

The maintenance period starts at 5:00 p.m. Friday through the afternoon of Sunday, June 28.

This is a significant upgrade and there will be times when no phone service is available. While it is expected that there will be partial/intermittent phone service for much of the weekend, once the work commences, there are no guarantees of phone service (dial tone) until the work is completed.

The existing equipment is becoming difficult to maintain and support and all phones on campus rely on service from one physical location. The new equipment will ensure that we are on a supported path with the vendor (Avaya) and will reduce the dependency on the main campus telephone room by providing fully redundant services for IP-based phones (traditional/digital phones still rely on copper wiring that terminates in the main telephone room).

Project updates, including confirmation of completion of work, will be posted on the IST Notice Board.

Anyone with questions for concerns should contact the IST Service Desk at helpdesk@uwaterloo.ca or by calling extension 44357.

Green bins now in Needles Hall

Dealing with the trash in the University's central administration building just got a whole lot more sustainable.

Christina Treusch, records specialist and graduate assistant in the Graduate Studies Office, working with the student-managed UW Campus Compost (UWCC) group, has organized a green bin program in Needles Hall. It is a pilot program running for the spring term.

Effective Thursday, June 18, there are two bins available:

• On the first floor outside AccessAbility Services, next to the garbage bin; and
• on the second floor, outside of the Graduate Studies office, next to the garbage bin.

Both bins are marked with the UWCC logo in addition to a sign above with information on what can and cannot be added to the green bin.

Organics will be picked up Fridays with more frequent pick up if necessary.

"It is recommended that each office have their own kitchen size bin for initial collection with the idea that an office representative will dump the organics into the larger bin provided by UWCC," writes Treusch.

Tuesday's notes

BlackBerry is holding its annual shareholders' meeting on campus today in the Humanities Theatre at Hagey Hall. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. Be aware of extra vehicular and pedestrian traffic in that area of campus today.

Human Resources will be offering a Lunch and Learn Pension session on Thursday, June 25, in AL 113 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

"We will review the annual pension statement and how this tool can be used in assisting you with your retirement planning," says a statement from Human Resources. "Please bring along your December 31, 2014 Annual Pension Statement which you should have received by this date. We look forward to having you join us and feel free to bring your lunch!"

Attendees can register on the HR website. Members of the pension team will be available after the session to answer questions.

Plant Operations is reporting that the staff elevator in the Dana Porter Library will be taken out of service on Thursday, June 25 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for routine maintenance.

The Faculty of Engineering is inviting members of the campus community to a special retirement reception in honour and appreciation of Wayne Loucks. "During his 17 years as associate dean, Wayne has been a tireless champion for our undergraduates," says a statement from Waterloo Engineering. "Please join us as we celebrate his dedication and accomplishments." The reception takes place Thursday, June 25 at the University Club at 3:00 p.m.