Friday, May 20, 2016

Friday, May 20, 2016

Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca

New gender identity options on application forms

This is an excerpt of an article that was originally posted on Waterloo Stories.

The University of Waterloo has led an Ontario-wide change that will give prospective students, who do not identify as either male or female, the option to check “another gender identity” on common application forms.

The change, that will come into effect for students applying for the fall of 2017, is happening as transgender Canadians cheer the introduction this week of legislation that would make it against the law to discriminate on the basis of gender identity.

“This is an important first step that allows universities to start identifying, connecting and building bridges with transgender students,” says Jeremy Steffler, a member of the University of Waterloo’s Working Group on Sexual and Gender Diversity, which is part of the Provost’s Advisory Committee for Equity. “Having taken this critical step to increase the visibility of diverse gender identities in our campus communities, we can continue to engage with our transgender students on how best to support them.”

The gender identificiation options for students were updated because requiring transgender applicants to identify simply as either male or female is not equitable, says Waterloo Registrar Ray Darling, who chaired the provincial working group that ushered in the change.

Darling reached out to Ontario universities last fall after a transgender student approached the Registrar’s Office concerned about the use of only binary gender options on application forms. “We certainly agreed with the student that it was a problem,” said Darling. “It’s 2016, and we need to acknowledge that students should be valued for who they are.”

Read the rest of the article on Waterloo Stories.

Science Outreach event shows how Kitchener rocks

Peter Russell acts as a tour guide showing off Kitchener's rocks.

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

From vibrant serpentine outside Crabby Joe’s to the crinoid fossils on the outer walls of Immigration Canada, Kitchener is home to a rich geological history. Ancient rocks and fossils can be found in the buildings and surrounding landscapes throughout the city.

On Friday, May 6, Science Outreach at the University of Waterloo, in partnership with the Jane’s Walk initiative, hosted a “Rock around Kitchener” walking tour to explore the unique history of the city as told by its buildings.

Guided by Peter Russell, Laura Scaife and Alisia Mar from the Earth Sciences Museum, the tour attracted around 80 curious members of the local community.

Jane's Walk participants examine a stone facade as part of the Kitchener Rocks tour.

Many may be familiar with the Kitchener Public Library, but they may not know the history behind the rocks that shape it. The outer wall of the library along Queen Street is made of natural sandstone ranging from cream to dark brown, with polished black granite used on the benches. If you look closely on the sidewalk, you can even see some fossilized remains, as one community member pointed out.

A highlight of the trip was certainly the dozens of fossilized bryozoans and crinoid fossils found in the Indiana limestone walls of the Immigration Canada building. The limestone is over 300 million years old, formed during the early Carboniferous Period.

Through tours like this, Science Outreach hopes to increase the awareness and accessibility of science to the community. By merging education with recreation and discovery, our community not only learned something new, but they had a ton of fun doing it. So next time you’re walking around downtown Kitchener, make sure to take a moment to observe some of the rocks, maybe you’ll even see some fossils!

Special thanks to Jane’s Walk for partnering for this event. Jane’s Walks offer locally organized walking tours for people get together to explore, talk about and celebrate their neighbourhoods. Their mission is to develop urban literacy and to encourage walking tours that allow people to observe, reflect, share, question and collectively reimagine the places in which they live, work and play. For more information about walking tours or if you want to learn more about the rocks discussed on the tour, please visit the Earth Sciences Museum website.

CECA makes a big splash in Dallas

Ross Johnston, the Director of Employment Relations at CECA, and Peggy Eichinger, CECA Regional Manager West.

When you’re in a room full of American colleges and universities that specialize in co-operative education, what makes Waterloo’s co-op program stand out? At the Co-operative Education and Internship Association (CEIA) conference in Dallas, Texas, Waterloo delivered an outstanding presentation showing that it’s possible to be large and student-focused at the same time.

Attendees consisted of colleges and universities throughout the United States specializing in co-operative education, internship, and work-integrated learning. Ross Johnston, the Director of Employment Relations at CECA, and Peggy Eichinger, CECA Regional Manager West, gave a presentation that received rave reviews from the audience.

“The presentation was really about how we provide choice, service and customized support to our students when they go through co-op,” said Ross. The CEIA audience was shocked when they discovered the breadth and depth of Waterloo’s co-op model. In 2015, nineteen thousand students went out on work terms.

“We are just so big compared to other programs. The fact that we [have features] like Echeck-in and we triage that input to add different levels or support –it’s just very unique,” said Peggy.

North America’s next largest co-op program is offered by Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sending out just under six thousand co-op students a year. Waterloo’s record breaking winter 2016 term saw more than seven thousand students employed.

The CEIA is a non-profit organization established in 1963. A yearly conference is held to recognize the institutions that make a tremendous impact on co-operative education and work-integrated learning.

What's open and closed over the long weekend

The unofficial start to the summer season is upon us as we celebration the Victoria Day long weekend. The weather forecast certainly looks summery, with temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius anticipated, especially on holiday Monday, May 23. Break out that sunscreen and barbecue sauce, and be sure not to mix them up, unless you're into that sort of thing.

But I digress. Victoria Day honours Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901, and is a statutory holiday. As such, most University operations will take an extra day's break. To wit:

No lectures will be held on Monday.

The Physical Activities Complex and Columbia Icefield will be closed on Sunday, May 22 and Monday, May 23.

Retail Services operations will be closed from Saturday, May 21 to Monday, May 23, reopening Tuesday, May 24. Check the Retail Services website for more details.

Food Services locations that will be closed over the long weekend include:

Bon Appetit, Browser's Café, Brubakers, the CEIT Café, Liquid Assets, Pastry Plus, South Side Marketplace, Starbucks, Subway, Tim Hortons - Davis Centre and Davis Centre Express, Tim Hortons - Modern Languages, Tim Hortons - South Campus Hall, Tim Hortons - Student Life Centre, the University Club, and Williams Fresh Café.

Food Services locations that will be open on Monday, May 23 include Mudie's, open from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Other locations, including REVelation and Tim Hortons - UWP, closed up shop for the summer in April and will reopen in September.

The Dana Porter and Davis Centre libraries will be open regular hours on Saturday and Sunday and from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 23.

In case of emergency, UW Police will be available at 519-888-4911 (ext. 22222 on campus). The Turnkey Desk in the Student Life Centre will be open as always, and the maintenance emergencies folks will be around as well at ext. 33793.

See you on Tuesday!

Link of the day

50 years ago this week: Dylan's Blonde on Blonde released

When and where

Student Leadership Program (SLP) workshops, Round 1 registration now open, Tuesday, May 17 to Friday, May 20.

Victoria Day holiday, Monday, May 23.

Workshop: getting started with QGIS, Tuesday, May 24, 10:00 a.m., LIB 329.

The Writing Centre presents Literature Reviews for Undergrads, Tuesday, May 24, 12:00 p.m.

The Student Success Office presents Principles for Leadership, Wednesday, May 25, 11:00 a.m., SCH 108A.

RBC BrandU, Wednesday, May 25, 11:00 a.m., DC 1301.

Canadian Index of Wellbeing presents Takayoshi Kusago, Professor, Kansai University, Osaka, Japan, "An exploration of a people-led community development well-being measure in Nagakute-City, Japan," Wednesday, May 25, 1:30 p.m., LHI 2703.

Organize your time for midterms and exams, Wednesday, May 25, 2:30 p.m.

Waterloo Region MED TECH Bridging the Gap 2016 - Inaugural Meeting, Wednesday, May 25, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Grand River Hospital, Freeport Campus. Co-hosted by the Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology (CBB).

Belonging: Diversity, Community Capacity & Contribution - An Evening with The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Wednesday, May 25, 6:00 p.m., Humanities Theatre.

Velocity Start presents What’s Your Problem?, Wednesday, May 25, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor.

Student Success Office presents Motivating Others, Thursday, May 26, 12:00 p.m., SCH 108A.

Workshop: Understanding GPS Data Gathering and Mapping with GIS, Thursday, May 26, LIB 329.

Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation presents Melanie Mitchell. Professor of Computer Science, Portland State University, "Using Analogy to Recognize Visual Situations," Thursday, May 26, 2:00 p.m., DC 1302.

Study Strategies, Thursday, May 26, 6:30 p.m.

Student Success Office presents Succession Planning, Friday, May 27, 11:00 a.m., SCH 108A.

You @ Waterloo Day, Saturday, May 28, various locations on campus.

Waterloo Electric Vehicle Challenge, Saturday, May 28, East Campus Building parking lots.

Undergraduate School on Experimental Quantum Information Processing (USEQIP), Monday, May 30 to Friday, June 10, Quantum-Nano Centre.

Study Strategies, Monday, May 30, 2:00 p.m.

Student Success Office presents Communication and Leadership Styles, Monday, May 30, 4:30 p.m., SCH 108A.

Student Success Office presents Personality Dimensions, Tuesday, May 31, 5:00 p.m., SCH 108A.

UWRC presents Books for Kids in Cameroon, Wednesday, June 1, 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 pm, MC 5501 (formerly MC 5158). 
Register by emailing UWRC@uwaterloo.ca.

Writing Centre presents Grammar workshop series, every Wednesday in June, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Student Success Office presents Effective Meetings, Wednesday, June 1, 12:00 p.m., SCH 108A.

Test Preparation and Test Anxiety, Wednesday, June 1, 3:00 p.m.

Velocity Start presents Ain’t No Model Like A Business Model, Wednesday, June 1, 7:30 p.m.,, Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor.

Sustainability at Uwaterloo, Thursday, June 2, 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 pm, MC 5501 (formerly MC 5158). Register by emailing UWRC@uwaterloo.ca.

The Student Success Office presents Presentation Skills, Thursday, June 2, 5:00 p.m., SCH 108A.

English + Innovation celebration, Thursday, June 2, 5:30 p.m., Tannery Event Centre.

The Student Success Office presents Principles of Leadership, Saturday, June 4, 11:00 a.m., SCH 108A.

The Student Success Office presents Motivating Others, Saturday, June 4, 1:30 p.m., SCH 108A.

The Student Success Office presents Creativity, Saturday, June 4, 4:00 p.m., SCH 108A.

Matthews Golf Classic, Monday, June 6, all day, Grand Valley Golf Course.

WISE Public Lecture Series: Towards Sustainable Development & a 'Green GDP', Tuesday, June 7, 10:30 a.m., CPH 4333.

Effective cover letters for UW employees , Tuesday, June 7, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., TC 1208. 

The Student Success Office presents Conflict Management, Tuesday, June 7, 12:00 p.m., SCH 108A.

UW Gamelan Ensemble Concert, Wednesday, June 8, 7:30 p.m., Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages. Free admission.

Velocity Start presents Setup Your Business Like A Boss, Wednesday, June 8, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor. 

The Library presents International Archives Day celebration, Thursday, June 9, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., LIB 131.

Spring Convocation ceremonies, Tuesday, June 14 to Saturday, June 18.

Research Seminar: Gerald McKinley, Western University, “Sydemics of Substance Use, Violence and Suicide: Public Health partnerships with First Nations Communities in Northern Ontario”, Tuesday, June 14, 10:30 a.m., Pharmacy 1008.

UWRC Book Club featuring Ariel Lawhon, "The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress," Wednesday, June 15, 12:00 p.m., LIB 407.

Velocity Start presents Do People Want Your Sh*t?, Wednesday, June 15, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor. 

2016 J.W. Graham Medal Seminar featuring Tas Tsonis, “How I used Math and Software to get into every Fashion House in the world...”, Thursday, June 16, 2:00 p.m., DC 1302.

25, 35, 45-Year Club reception, Tuesday, June 21, 6:00 p.m., Physical Activities Complex.

Velocity Start presents How To Find Your Customers Online, Wednesday, June 22, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor. 

Research Seminar: Kathryn Mercer, Waterloo School of Pharmacy, “Connecting and engaging cancer patients in decision-making with physicians and pharmacists through electronic health records”, June 28, 10:30 a.m., Pharmacy 1008.

Velocity Start presents Pitch Like A Pro, Wednesday, June 29, 7:30 p.m., Velocity Start, SCH 2nd Floor. 

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