Friday, August 5, 2016

Are you sassified? Can't get no satisfaction? Either way, take this survey!

"Over the next several weeks, Human Resources is conducting a campus-wide survey in order to gain a better understanding of employee satisfaction with the services it provides," says a memo from Director of Human Resources Kenton Needham circulated to employees this week. "In order to establish the baselines measurements as we strive to meet our vision and mission, we need your help. Your opinions are essential to the Human Resources department’s ability to meet its goals and objectives, identify gaps, and use the data to generate improvements."

"All individual responses will remain anonymous; input will be presented in aggregate results and only be used in conjunction with others participating in the survey."

"We want to ensure each employee’s voice is heard; please have your say by completing the survey by Friday, September 16," Needham writes. "Thank you for devoting your time and providing your candid input."

Bringing peace and conflict education into local classrooms

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

Peace Camp is a day camp and peace educational program housed in the MSCU Centre for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel University College that brings youth ages 11-14 in the Waterloo region community together to share stories and learn from peace leaders of various cultural backgrounds, faiths, and orientations.

Directed by current University of Waterloo Peace and Conflict Studies students and alumni, the Peace Camp team just wrapped another successful workshop season, facilitating 101 peace education presentations at 30 different schools across the region, reaching an estimated 3235 youth in Grades 3 to 8.

Activities ranged from random acts of kindness to team building events that challenged participants to complete a bridge building task without using verbal communication. Junior students investigated the impact our words have on the feelings of those who hear them, while intermediate students tried their hand at conflict analysis to understand the root causes of problems and create solutions that turn into peace building opportunities.

Working closely with University of Waterloo student facilitators, youth in our community engaged in self-reflection, expressing their depth of understanding for peace and compassion. Regional teachers and educators were impressed with the level of participation from students, and encouraged the sharing of community-driven knowledge. By creating opportunities to explore ideas of social justice and peace building, the sessions helped empower local students to use their abilities to have a positive impact, giving students the tools to become peace builders in their own communities.

Peace Camp runs August 8-12. Located on the University of Waterloo campus at Conrad Grebel University College, this summer’s theme is Peace in Action, with the goal of showing campers that whatever their interests may be, they can always pursue peace.

Digital Dilemmas and other notes

Today and tomorrow, The University of Waterloo will be hosting a colloquium entitled Digital Dilemmas: Transforming Gender Identities and Power Relations in Everyday Life.

"The proliferation of digital technologies, virtual spaces, and new forms of engagement raise key questions about the changing nature of gender relations and identities within democratic societies," says the conference abstract. "Over one and a half days this colloquium will bring together scholars and graduate students to explore how our everyday leisure lives are being transformed by technology in ways that inform and challenge gender injustice for women, men, and transgender citizens."

Keynote speakers for the event include Brittany Cooper of Rutgers University, who is the co-founder of the Crunk Feminist Collective, and Waterloo's own Aimée Morrison, co-founder of Hook and Eye: Fast feminism, slow academe.

A number of academic papers will be presented, covering feminist digital methods for social justice, the impact of digital culture on women and sport, and social media.

Follow along on social media with the hashtag #digidilem.

The Institute for Quantum Computing is running its annual Quantum Cryptography School for Young Students (QCSYS) beginning today.

QCSYS is a unique, eight-day enrichment program for students hosted by IQC that offers an interesting blend of lectures, hands-on experiments and group work focused on quantum cryptography — a cutting-edge field that utilizes the fascinating laws of quantum mechanics to develop unbreakable encryption that protects communication.

Students get a first-hand look into the physics and mathematics of quantum mechanics, cryptography and how they merge into one of the most exciting topics in contemporary science — quantum cryptography. Participants meet and collaborate with some of the most renowned researchers the field has to offer. Daily social activities encourage relationship building between participants.

QCSYS will run from August 5 to 12.