Tuesday, September 1, 2015

New student transition: Reflecting on summer, looking ahead to Orientation

A message from the Student Success Office.

Almost 800 new students and over 1,000 family members attended their faculty day (AHS 101, Engineering 101, Environment 101 and Science 101) this summer and 95 per cent would strongly recommend the experience to a friend.

That’s just some of the positive feedback from incoming students who attended one of the new faculty-specific transition programs this summer. These students came to campus to take part in events that included attending their first lecture, learning about on-campus supports, meeting their peers, advisors and professors, and taking part in community building.

Other feedback from student attendees included:

• “It made me feel welcomed, not just a number, but an addition to the school who matters!”
• “I definitely feel more prepared to attend university in the fall than I did before.”
• “It really helped me to understand the difference between high school and university and I know more what to expect.”

These faculty-specific transition programs are just one example of the strategic and integrated model that is needed to ensure our students receive targeted and timely support.  A more detailed program report will be available in the fall term.

3 sleeps until Orientation

• Orientation programming for all new students (international, undergraduate, transfer, exchange and study abroad, and graduate students) takes place from September 4-12.
• Registration snapshot as of August 31: International 530; Undergraduate 5,035; Transfer 125; Exchange or study abroad 190; Graduate 750

Stay tuned to the Daily Bulletin for more Orientation updates later this week.

Thank you

The cooperation and support of the campus community has been critical in providing transition programs for our new students. We want to thank everyone who has played, or will play a role in ensuring the incoming class is ready for their time at Waterloo.

We welcome your feedback, questions and comments as we continue to work with our campus community on strategic new student transition initiatives. Please contact Heather Westmorland.

Want to learn more? Read the previous new student transition updates: May 2015 update, March 2015 update

New and improved graduate funding and awards database

A message from the Graduate Studies Office.

Over the last several months, the Graduate Studies Financial Aid and Awards team in the Graduate Studies Office (GSO) has been working closely with teams from Information System and Technology (IST) and Student Awards and Financial Aid (SAFA) to overhaul the Graduate Funding and Awards Database to assist graduate students in finding funding opportunities administered by the University of Waterloo.  With enhanced search options like “keyword search”, “award type” and “affiliation”, students can narrow their search by various categories specific to their needs. An “application deadline” feature is now available for awards requiring an application, and the search output has been improved. There is also a new comprehensive “how to use the database” sidebar to help students narrow down their search results. With Fall term just around the corner, students are encouraged to start searching for graduate awards!

Registration open for SEW fall courses

Information Systems and Technology (IST) has announced that registration is now open for the fall Skills for the Electronic Workplace (SEW) workshops. 

To register, sign up for these workshops through MyHRinfo. Attendees can view available spaces in workshops, register online, view your registration history and status, and receive immediate registration e-mail notifications. Register for courses through the Learning and Development module of the Self Service menu (where you view your payroll and benefit information).  A walk-through of the registration process is available if you are unfamiliar with the procedure.

The course line-up includes multiple sessions of the Waterloo Content Management System (WCMS). 

Courses include:

• WCMS for Content Maintainers (SEW099), September 9 and 10, 29 and 30, and October 14 and 15, 9:00 a.m., MC 1078
• WCMS for Site Managers (SEW100), September 15 and October 20, 9:00 a.m., MC 1078
• WCMS Web Form Creation (SEW101), September 17 and October 22, 1:30 p.m., MC 1078
• Using My SharePoint (SEW122), September 23, 10:00 a.m., MC 2060
• ​Introduction to Web Accessibility (SEW026), September 24, 1:30 p.m., MC 2009
• Writing for the Web (SEW016), September 29, 9:30 a.m., MC 2009
• Google Analytics 101 (SEW128), October 1, 1:30 p.m., MC2009
• SharePoint for Windows/Office (SEW090), October 21, 10:00 a.m., MC 2060
• Accessible Word and PDF Files (SEW106), October 21, 2:00 p.m., MC 2060
• Accessible Digital Design (SEW 108), October 27, 2:00 p.m., MC 2009
• Telephone Services - Billing and Administration (SEW125), October 28, 10:00 a.m., MC 2009
• Social Media Measurement (SEW127), October 29, 9:00 a.m., MC 2009

Registration for these courses is maintained by Linda Rowe Moakler of Organizational & Human Development at extension 30238. Questions about the courses, course materials, or the facilities can be directed to Heather Wey, IST, at extension 45878.  

Tuesday's notes

Dates for the next round of English Language Proficiency Exam (ELPE) have been posted on the Writing Centre's website.

The Warriors football team opened their season with a 78-7 loss to the Guelph Gryphons on Sunday at Warrior Field. They next face the Carleton Ravens on Sunday, September 6 in Ottawa. Check the Athletics website for the team's full schedule.

On another athletic note, this year's Black and Gold Day will feature women's rugby on Saturday, September 12. The annual sporting event has been a trademark event for first-year University of Waterloo students for many years. The women's rugby team will take on the Western Mustangs at 1:00 p.m. at Warrior Field.