Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Thanks to everyone who participated in the #WeAreUWaterloo campaign

A message from the Brand Refinement Project team.

Over the past few weeks, you may have noticed posters, kiosks and other campus communications inviting you to join the conversation about “Your UWaterloo.” Between November 23 and December 18, more than 1,000 participants shared 2,219 responses expressing what Waterloo means to them, via the #WeAreUWaterloo campaign kiosks and website.

Kiosks were set up in 12 different locations, including Waterloo’s main campus, School of Architecture, School of Pharmacy, Stratford campus and Velocity Garage, where students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners connected directly with student ambassadors as well as staff from Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment, Student Success Office and University Relations.

To help us better understand our values, how we are different from other universities, and how we define innovation, the campaign prompted responses to the following:

1. To me, innovation at UWaterloo means …
2. I am for a University of Waterloo that …
3. UWaterloo is unique because …

Comments addressed a range of topics including Waterloo’s:

• World-leading co-op opportunities;
• Innovation across all Faculties and at Velocity;
• Diversity and equity;
• Student support, services and experiences;
• Cross-disciplinary/cross-Faculty collaboration and research;
• Unique programs and environment.

In addition to other consultation and research, this input will inform the University’s brand refinement project, which will include communications messaging, visuals, guidelines and tools to help us share Waterloo’s unique stories with the world.

To see what participants have been saying, check out the #WeAreUWaterloo campaign website and visit the brand refinement project website for ongoing project updates.

Other project-related activities will be coming up in the New Year and in the meantime, happy holidays!

Standing room only at the PAC for now

After several weeks of work, the infamous retractable wooden bleachers in the Physical Activities Complex are no more.

The renovations, part of a $2.5M upgrade project, began in late November, with workers removing the wooden slats and then the intricate metal lattice.

The bleachers were part of the Physical Activities Complex's original construction, which began in 1966. The folding benches have supported spectators for basketball games, Convocation ceremonies, robotics competitions, and even an Ike and Tina Turner concert.

If the bleachers could talk, well, they'd probably talk about all the personal items that have fallen through the slats over the years - purses, gloves, clothing, phones.

According to the Athletics department, new plastic bleachers will be installed, with benches on one side and seating with "actual chairs" on the other, done up in Black and Gold livery.

The new seating is scheduled to be fully installed by January 13, 2016.

The bleachers were recently eulogized in the Waterloo Region Record.

Good game, retractable bleachers. Good game.

Notes as exam period draws to a close

After several weeks of reconstruction activity, the Needles Hall service road will reopen on Wednesday, December 23 around 12:00 p.m. The EV3 access road will be closed to traffic.

As for the reconstructed Parking Lot D, located beneath Needles Hall, the lot will featuring signage stating that parking is for permit holders only, and that visitor parking must be arranged with Parking Services ahead of time. The new RFID gating system is scheduled to be installed on January 5, 2016.

Feds Used Books's last operating day of the term is today. The bookstore will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Here's a Happy Holiday message from Jim Frank, associate provost, graduate studies: