Friday, January 22, 2016

HR gives update on staff counselling initiative

A message from Human Resources.

As announced in the President’s Town Hall in November 2015, the University of Waterloo is undertaking a search for an Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) through an external provider. Once launched, the EFAP will provide a confidential, short term, counselling service for employees and their eligible family members who are faced with personal challenges at no cost to employees. The search for an external provider is being conducted through a competitive bidding process led by Procurement and Contract Services with stakeholder input provided by the EAP Committee representatives as defined by Policy 67.  

During the competitive bidding process, an interim arrangement has been put in place to provide employees access to counselling services. These counsellors are dedicated entirely on employees and are located in the Occupational Health area of the Health Services building.  

Per Policy 67, employees seeking counselling are allowed a total of 10 paid hours absent from work per rolling 12 month period for counselling. Utilization of these services will be monitored by the EAP Committee on a regular basis during the EFAP search to ensure that employees are provided with access to counselling services.

Employees who are interested in booking a counselling session should contact either Linda Brogden (ext. 36264) or Karen Parkinson (ext. 30338) in Occupational Health.

Visioning our way to Orientation 2016

A message from Orientation.

As the snow swirls around us, discussions about first-year undergraduate Orientation are already underway. With a new reading break scheduled for fall 2016, key stakeholders are busy visioning the Orientation program to ensure it continues to meet the needs of Waterloo students.

Student leaders, faculty and staff are working to create an Orientation that leverages the best elements of previous years, while also responding to the current needs of the Waterloo community. Core principles guiding this work include: working collaboratively, supporting the development of upper-year student leaders, considering Orientation in the context of a larger student transition process, and drawing upon best practices and research in how to plan successful first-year Orientation experiences.

Phase one kicked off on January 12, when students, staff, faculty, and campus partners were asked to share their most exceptional Orientation experiences, particularly the ones that best prepared students for the intellectual, cultural or social aspects of Waterloo life.

Two days later, participants came together to envision the future of Orientation and consider how it could continue to exceed first-year expectations. In-person and e-mail interviews have also contributed to the visioning process, as well as two student consultation groups held January 13 and 19.

Phase two of the Orientation planning process will focus on designing the way forward. A working group is in development and more information will be available on the Orientation website. With input from the Federation of Students and the wider Waterloo community, stakeholders are working together to ensure Orientation 2016 delivers the same positive impact to Waterloo students as it has in years past.

If you have questions or comments, or would like to contribute to the 2016 visioning process, please contact orientation@uwaterloo.ca. To stay on top of updates, check out the Orientation website or Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Students become tutors without borders

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

Providing free one-on-one tutoring services to students in Grades 7 through 12, Tutoring Beyond Borders (TBB) helps bridge the gap between high school and university students in our community. Launched in 2010 by a University of Waterloo undergraduate student, TBB acknowledges the financial burden of paying for private tutoring services, offering regional high-schoolers opportunities to seek extra help with their studies and connect directly with current university students who can offer insight on their undergraduate experiences.

Apart from TBB’s ongoing tutoring program, an Exam Cram is held in partnership with Waterloo at the end of each high school semester (January and June). On Saturday, January, 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., dozens of young minds came to campus to engage in hands-on mentorship, get prepped for upcoming exams, and learn from some of Waterloo’s brightest student leaders.

Run by an entire team of volunteers, from tutors to their Board of Directors, TBB strives to promote education and volunteerism across our community. Over the last six years, the organization has enhanced these community connections, growing to over 300 volunteer tutors, supporting more than 600 students in Kitchener-Waterloo.

Through their interactive learning environment, TBB is actively helping both high school and university students find their strengths and weaknesses, while simultaneously improving teamwork, self-development, and leadership skills. A locally-grown program, TBB is a shining example of the innovative ways our students, faculty, and staff inspire the next generation of leaders and give back to our community.

For more information on upcoming events and community stories, follow #UWCommunity.

Three Minute Thesis registration open

Registration for the 2016 University of Waterloo Three Minute Thesis (3MT) opened on January 4 and runs until February 6. 

New for this year, Master's Research Paper (MRP) program students are now eligible to compete.

The 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) is an annual university-wide competition for research-based masters and doctoral students at the University of Waterloo. Competitors have 1 static slide and 3 minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research to a non-specialist audience

The competition begins with 3MT faculty-based heats​, scheduled to take place from late February to mid March. Competitors will be  assessed by non-specialist judges. Winners will be selected from each faculty to compete in the university-wide 3MT finals, which will be hosted on Thursday, March 31.

The first prize winner will receive $1,000 and will advance to the provincial finals, which will be held at Wilfrid Laurier University in April. The runner up will be awarded $500, and there will be a People's Choice prize.

The Canadian National 3MT competition will be held some time in the spring.

Interested students can use the online registration form on the 3MT website.