Monday, November 16, 2015

Waterloo celebrates International Education Week

This is the latest in a series of #UWCommunity stories that feature Waterloo in the community.

From November 16 to 20, Waterloo International will be showcasing just how diverse the University of Waterloo is during International Education Week (IEW). IEW is celebrated around the world, and has grown over the last few years to include an array of events for students, faculty, and staff, all designed to champion our diversity and promote the international initiatives both on and off campus.

This year, IEW is being made possible by over 30 contributors around campus who are running events ranging from a Go Abroad Mix and Mingle for students who are planning on going on or have been on exchange, to the International Partnerships Grant for faculty looking to pursue new research partnerships internationally, as well as anime screenings at Renison University College, and a Model G20 Conference with opening ceremonies featuring the Turkish Ambassador of Canada that is open to anyone in the Waterloo region community.

By engaging in the various IEW events, Waterloo International hopes participants will leave with a greater appreciation for the interconnectedness of our local and global communities on professional, academic, and personal scales. Whether it is through discovering a new hobby at the calligraphy class or simply trying a new cultural cuisine through Food Services, IEW encourages our Waterloo community to add a little international flair to their lives.

Emergency notification system test Thursday

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST)

A test of the University’s emergency notification system is scheduled for Thursday, November 19 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. This test will include use of the WatSAFE smartphone application, in place of SMS messages. 

The test will also include use of the ‘emerge’ on-screen pop-up for laptops and desktops, and tweets to both @UWaterloo and @uWaterlooAlert.

During this test we will not be taking over the University home page. Nor will voicemail messages be sent to campus extensions, as in the past, voicemail messages were not delivered in a timely manner and were therefore ineffective.

In summary, emergency communication channels being tested Nov 19 include:

• WatSAFE;
• the ‘Emerge’ on-screen pop-up; and
• tweets via @UWaterloo and @uWaterlooAlert

​Be sure to install the WatSAFE app on your device to receive this test message, and more importantly, to stay informed of campus emergency situations. Visit the WatSAFE website for more details.

Senate meets today and other notes

The University's Senate meets today for the first time in its new home in Needles Hall 3407. Among the agenda items:

• A motion to approve program changes in Mathematical Accounting;
• A motion asking the the Registrar’s Office to investigate and report back to Senate on the achievability of scheduling Spring term exams by April each year, starting in 2016;
• A motion to approve the 2016-17 calendar dates and the guidelines for determining the academic calendar of dates;
• A motion to approve plan changes and the addition of a full-time option to the Master of Catholic Thought at St. Jerome's University;
• A motion to approve a rehabilitation sciences minor in the Kinesiology program;
• A motion to approve new Chemical Engineering specializations in energy and environmental systems and processes, materials and manufacturing processes, and chemical process modelling, optimization and control;
• A motion to approve a computational fine arts option for Bachelor of Computer Science and Bachelor of Mathematics (Computer Science);
• A motion to approve a human-computer interaction option for Bachelor of Computer Science and Bachelor of Mathematics (Computer Science) students;
• A motion to amend the title and degree requirements of the ergonomics specialization in the Kinesiology program;
• A motion to amend the human nutrition minor option;
• A motion to amend the degree requirements for general recreation and leisure studies;
• A motion to amend the degree requirements for the bachelor of public health plan;
• A motion to amend the degree requirements for the bachelor of science, health studies plan; and
• A motion to approve the Academic Regulations Related to Assignments, Tests and Final Exams;

With winter bearing down upon us, let's take a moment to look ahead to sunnier days. Updates for 2016 have been made to the Undergraduate Important Dates chart in Quest and on the Calendar of Events and Academic Deadlines chart, according to a message from the Registrar's Office.

For Spring 2016, the important dates include:

• The course selection period runs from January 22 to February 1;
• The drop/add period begins March 28;
• On-campus final exam schedules will be posted on June 8;
• On-line exam schedules will be released on June 8;
• The opportunity to adjust on-line exam locations will run from June 8 to June 27;
• Grades will be due August 29; and
• Standings and official grades will be available in Quest beginning September 21.

Undergraduate notifications within the Student Portal have been updated to include these new dates.

The Waterloo Store will be hosting a Monster sale event on November 23, 24 and 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the South Campus Hall concourse. There will be many exclusive items and specials you won't find anywhere else.