Friday, May 20, 2016

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

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.

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.

Read individual Tweet on Twitter

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

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!