Friday, June 24, 2016

University Relations moving to East Campus 5

University Relations is moving in together — bringing all four units together under one roof for the first time, on the second floor of East Campus 5.

From Friday June 24 to Monday, June 27, members of University Communications, Government Relations, Marketing and Strategic Initiatives, and Creative Services will relocate from their current homes in Needles Hall, the Commissary and East Campus 3. Community Relations and Events, currently based in East Campus 3, will follow in mid-July.

Some delays can be expected as we transition to our new home. Phone extensions will remain the same, and office locations have been updated on departmental websites.

Once the group has had a chance to settle and unpack, watch for an invitation to join us at an Open House welcoming the campus to our new home.

Planning underway for 60th anniversary celebrations

Work has begun to plan the celebration of the University of Waterloo’s 60^th anniversary in 2017.

A working group was formed in 2014 to discuss planning for the milestone celebration, and has begun meeting on a more frequent basis this spring. Community Relations and Events is leading the team, which has representation from University Communications, The Office of Advancement, and the President’s Office.

The celebrations will get an early boost at the November 2016 President’s Town Hall meeting and the release of the latest State of the University Report, which will place Waterloo’s history in context while looking ahead.

The working group will be collaborating with Executive Council, the Associate Provost, Students, the Student Success Office, Co-operative Education and Career Action (CECA), the Registrar’s Office, Athletics and Recreation, the staff and faculty associations, the UW Retirees Association, Advancement, and Communications Council, to name just a few stakeholders, to ensure broad participation in the anniversary celebrations.

The official kickoff of the 60^th will take place with a special public lecture in January featuring a high-profile guest speaker, and you can expect the year’s core institutional celebrations (from Convocation to Orientation to Reunion and beyond) to have a 60^th anniversary flavour.

A website focused on the 60^th will also be set up and will be regularly updated, featuring stories, photos, and other interactive content chronicling both the University’s journey over the years and the momentum it is carrying into the future. The aim is to ensure that campus stakeholders have the tools and resources they need to join in celebration.

Special 60^th Anniversary artwork will be designed for a variety of uses and Retail Services will be producing anniversary-branded products.

The University’s 60^th Anniversary will be celebrated throughout 2017, from January to December. Several other important institutional milestones will take place that year, including the 60^th anniversary of Waterloo Engineering, the 60^th anniversary of co-operative education at Waterloo, the 50^th anniversary of Mathematics, Applied Health Sciences (and its Kinesiology program), and the 50^th anniversary of the Federation of Students. Waterloo’s Hong Kong Alumni Association will also celebrate its 40^th anniversary.

Each Faculty, unit or organization with something to celebrate in 2017 is already actively engaged in preparing a suite of events, stories and other activities in support of their anniversary, and centrally the plan is to recognize these institutional milestones alongside the University’s own celebration. 

It's never too early to contribute your feedback on the University's anniversary celebrations, so feel free to send a message with your ideas, your questions, and your concerns to Senior Director, Community Relations & Events Kelly McManus by emailing kmcmanus@uwaterloo.ca or calling extension 31882.

Exploring communities across Canada

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

by Jacqueline Martinz.

On Saturday, June 4, University of Waterloo students stood in front of Niagara Falls to enjoy one of the most breathtaking views in Canada. As the water tumbled and roared, the group gathered near the mist for an engaging, community-driven trip with International and Canadian Student Network (ICSN), a Federation of Students’ service. Run entirely by undergraduate volunteers, the service organizes outings for local, international, and exchange students to help them connect and explore the communities around them.

“Exchange or international students are here for the education and the experience,” said Feds Vice President Internal, Deanna Priori, who traveled on the trip. “Canada has so many incredible landscapes and unique experiences, and it’s important that we help showcase these as much as we can. ICSN works to ensure these opportunities are made accessible and attainable.”

Over 90 students hopped on the ride to Niagara Falls from campus, and along with a close-up view of the falls, got to spend time on Clifton Hill. A popular spot for tourists, Clifton Hill has many carnival type rides including ferris wheels and haunted houses, providing the students with an opportunity to explore Canada while having some good old fashioned fun.

“The highlight of the trip for me was wandering around Clifton Hill, spending time with other students in a new city, and going on the boat cruise,” said Stella Ho, a coordinator for ICSN.

Prioritizing group trips like this, is a great example of how the University of Waterloo and its Federation of Students work together to promote inclusivity and safe opportunities for students. More information about ICSN is available online.

Registration opens for Eco-Summit

Sustainable Campus Initiative and the Waterloo’s Sustainability Coordinator invite students, staff, and faculty to join the third annual Eco-Summit.  The theme for 2016 revolves around Building Networks to advance sustainability action.  The event will provide an opportunity to meet others on campus who are working on initiatives related to sustainability, celebrate progress, and provide input.

Mike Morrice, Founder and Executive Director of Sustainability CoLab, will provide the summit’s keynote address. Sustainability CoLab is a provincial network of non-profits building the low-carbon economy in communities across Ontario.  Before starting CoLab, Mike founded Sustainable Waterloo Region in 2008, was named an Ashoka Fellow in 2012, and was selected by the Waterloo Region Record as one of this region’s inaugural Top 40 Under 40 among many other accomplishments.  Mike will share the story of Sustainable Waterloo Region and Sustainability CoLab, with a particular emphasis on the impact of network-building and partnerships to advance organizational sustainability. 

Ian Rowlands, professor in the School of Environment, Resources, and Sustainability and Interim Associate Vice-President International, will provide closing comments. 

The summit will take place on July 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the St. Paul’s Alumni Hall, with breakfast and lunch provided.  The event is free but registration is required.

Reminder: myHRinfo going offline for upgrade

Human Resources and Information Systems & Technology (IST) are migrating the myHRinfo system infrastructure to a new environment for better disaster recovery support. As part of this project, myHRinfo and access to all employee records will be unavailable to all users, including Human Resources, from Friday, June 24 at 4:00 p.m. until Tuesday, June 28 at 8:00 a.m. for a scheduled transition.  

Employees receiving pay today (all regular ongoing and casual employees) will have access to their pay stub on myHRinfo until Friday at 4:00 p.m. Regular access will be available on Tuesday June 28 at 8:00 a.m. after the scheduled project transition.

For staff hiring managers, please note the following key dates for job postings as a result of the transition window and the upcoming Canada Day holiday:

For all roles posted internally on Wednesday, June 22 the application deadline will be extended to Monday, July 4^th at 11:59 p.m.  For all roles posted internally on Wednesday, June 29 the application deadline will be extended to Friday, July 8 at 11:59 p.m.

Please note that the myPENSIONinfo service will not be impacted as part of this transition. Anyone with questions or concerns regarding the myHRinfo availability, or the impact to Human Resources services, should contact hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca.