Monday, October 17, 2016

Governor General to visit campus Friday for author event

The Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada will be on campus Friday for a book-signing reception.

His Excellency, who served as the fifth president of the University of Waterloo from 1999 to 2010, will be introduced by Feridun Hamdullahpur, provide brief remarks, and then sign copies of his book The Idea of Canada: Letters to a Nation.

The book, published this spring, is a "spirited and inspiring exploration of the moments, virtues, habits and decisions that have made Canada unique in the world. Written as a series of letters to characters and individuals living and dead, eminent and unknown, The Idea of Canada is a record of the social forces that have shaped, consumed and inspired the author to think of Canada as an idea long worthy of expression and now searching for refinement."

The Governor General needs little introduction on the campus where he served as president for 11 years, but for those who don't know, he is a graduate of Harvard, Cambridge and Queen’s Universities and served as dean of law at the Western University, principal of McGill University, and president of University of Waterloo. He is the author or co-author of twenty-five books, holds honorary doctorates from over twenty universities, and is a Companion of the Order of Canada. He is married to Sharon Johnston, who visited campus last October in support of her first published book Matrons and Madams.

The event takes place Friday at 5:00 p.m. in the New Arts Atrium at Hagey Hall.

Register online.

This week, a Convocation CONVO-sation

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by Melissa Horne

The one hundred and thirteenth convocation ceremonies are taking place October 21 and 22 with more than 2,200 degrees set to be conferred upon Waterloo’s undergraduate, masters, and doctoral candidates. 

Once again family, friends, faculty, and staff can join the “CONVO-sation” and send messages of congratulation, memories, and words of wisdom to the convocation twitter wall using #UWaterlooGrad. Follow us on Snapchat at “uofwaterloo” for fun snaps and behind the scenes updates throughout the day. As we’re approaching the big day, see how President and Vice-Chancellor, Feridun Hamdullahpur and one student prepare for convocation in this fun video.

King Warrior will be on hand before each ceremony to give graduates the opportunity to have their picture taken and share their favourite Waterloo memory. You can browse photos from the day’s ceremonies on the Alumni Relations Facebook page, updated each evening. If you can’t make the ceremony, join us online as the ceremonies will be webcast live. 

Convocation is an opportunity to celebrate our graduates as they embark into the new world of a Waterloo alumnus. We hope that you will be able to attend and show your support to our graduates!

What can students learn from WatPD’s elective courses?

This is the third piece in a four-part series focusing on the Waterloo Professional Development Program (WatPD).

When co-op students finish their first two PD courses after either their first or second work term, they gain access to WatPD’s suite of elective courses. These courses focus on specific, useful professional skills like communication, teamwork, and problem solving, allowing students to explore and apply these skills in their workplaces in greater depth. Some of these elective courses even help students work towards certificates and professional designations that can occupy prime space on their résumés after graduation.

One of WatPD’s most popular elective courses is PD5: Project Management. Students who take the course become acquainted with widely used project management tools like work breakdown structures and Gantt charts, work through an interactive budgeting simulation, and connect their lectures and assessments to real-world examples. PD5 also gives students the extra material they need to pursue their Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) status, a certification offered by the Project Management Institute that’s internationally recognized. The course is a thorough introduction to the rich world of project management.

PD5 isn’t the only WatPD course that can prepare students to become credentialed professionals. PD22: Professionalism and Ethics in Engineering Practice is a course designed to prepare engineering students for the Professional Practice Exam (PPE) they must write to become professional engineers. The course combines philosophical theory, an introduction to provincial engineering law, real-world case studies, and a capstone essay that encourages students to synthesize all of their new knowledge. The course is robust enough to satisfy the Ethics and Equity milestone students in Chemical Engineering must complete as part of their degree, and it pays dividends for students in every other engineering department as well.

WatPD’s other elective courses cover a wide range of relevant, engaging skills that are useful in every workplace. Students taking PD7: Conflict Resolution work through exercises that help them negotiate, mediate, and apologize, helping them resolve workplace issues in a healthy and sustainable way. PD8: Intercultural Skills gives students the tools they need to succeed in diverse contemporary workplaces. And PD10: Professional Responsibility in Computing introduces students to digital-age topics like copyright, intellectual property (IP) protection, and warranties, all of which are only becoming more prominent and complicated with time. By the time students complete their WatPD obligations, they’ve had the chance to acquire new skills that’ll serve them no matter their place in the workforce.  

When the Daily Bulletin’s series on WatPD concludes next week, we’ll look at how the program is using student feedback to become more fulfilling and responsive.

Help mark Invisible Disabilities Week by dispelling myths

A message from the Accessibility Matters at Renison Working Group

Hand in hand with AccessAbility Services on campus, the Accessibility Matters at Renison Working Group is getting ready to observe Invisible Disabilities Week (IDW) from October 16 to October 22.  

The goal is to raise awareness across the University of Waterloo campus of the incredible number of conditions, ailments, and injuries that are not physically obvious—the Invisible Disabilities Association tells us that symptoms include “debilitating pain, fatigue, dizziness, cognitive dysfunctions, learning differences and mental disorders, as well as hearing and vision impairments.”

Our message is that there is support on campus for anyone living with a disability, visible or invisible. IDW offers us the opportunity to raise awareness and promote understanding.

Day 1 – Monday, Oct. 17 - Invisible Disabilities 101

Myth: Disabilities are always obvious, either through mobility issues, physical traits or symptoms, or the use of assistive equipment (e.g. wheelchairs, cane, the use of service dogs), etc.

Fact: According to the Invisible Disabilities Association, “there are thousands of illnesses, disorders, diseases, dysfunctions, birth defects, impairments and injuries that that can be debilitating” which may not always be immediately apparent, and can sometimes go completely unnoticed by others. Learn more about Invisible Disabilities.