Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Tales of a Teacher: Simron Singh

by Arifeen Chowdhury. This is the second of three Centre for Teaching Excellence Teaching Stories that will appear in the Daily Bulletin this week.

Dr. Simron Singh has always seen himself as a student, and the world as his classroom. This belief in borderless experiential learning was imbued in him as a child and has continued to define who he is. Whether it be working in tsunami-devastated areas or planning research excursions abroad, Singh advocates hands-on learning. His educational endeavours have led him to different corners of the world, providing invaluable experiences. 

As an Associate Professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development, Singh’s international experience helps him draw parallels from different cultures and systems, connections that inform his course designs. “Students appreciate instructors who can connect course material with stories and facts about differences in culture and thinking from various parts of the world,” he explains. By integrating such facets, he helps his students stay engaged and active in class.

However, an international framework also poses some challenges, such as differences in student mentality, cultural protocols, and student-teacher relationships. Growing up in India, Singh observed that teachers are assumed to be model citizens and questioning their expertise is sometimes perceived as disrespectful. In contrast, Singh finds that students in Europe and Canada are generally forthright and tend to ask more pointed questions. He appreciates his students’ healthy skepticism, which not only fosters greater learning but also keeps him on his toes.

Singh is modest about his teaching role, partly, he says, because he is Sikh, a word that literally translated means “student.” He never thought of himself as a “teacher” because the responsibility of educating and being a role model seemed too great. However, he eventually realized that teaching is the logical extension of learning. As he puts it, “There is a fine line between learning and teaching, because teachers have to remain effective learners to provide value to the lectures and to engage students.” Experiential learning helps Singh balance these two roles, and helps his students develop a passion for their discipline that fosters deep learning.

In his capacity as a recently appointed Teaching Fellow, Singh has aimed to build on the work of his predecessor, Mary Louise McAllister. "I am thankful to Mary Louise," he says, "for setting up such a committed Teaching Learning Committee to work with. Mary Louise has been a champion of student-centred experiential learning, and this is something I really wish to take further." Along with colleagues, he is also redesigning the GreenTEA website, an online resource that not only helps instructors enhance their teaching, but also fosters mentorship and encourages instructors to seek a sustainable work/life balance.

Singh affirms that his mission is to make the world a better place through education. A desire to help people in need is what started his career and took him far from home. All of Singh’s journeys have started with one simple question: “Will the work I’m doing help the people who are closest to the earth?”

An inside look at Waterloo’s annual Job Fair

Armed with coffee in one hand and a resume in the other, Health Studies student Christine Nhan boarded a bus to experience the annual P4E Job Fair first hand. Christine happily documented her day while interacting with the 175+ employers and almost 3,000 students that attended the event at RIM Park. Be sure to catch Christine Nhan's whole story.

Update on course evaluation project

Associate Vice-President, Academic Mario Coniglio has provided an update on the draft course evaluation report.

"As you know, the draft course evaluation report, found on the AVPA website, was released to the campus community for comments in November 2016," says the associate vice-president's memo. "Since then, we have received over 90 individual responses to the draft report. We have also received several departmental, organizational and Faculty submissions which can also be viewed on the website."

The Course Evaluation Project Team is now in the process of reviewing and analyzing the responses and submissions. "The objective of this review is to identify key themes and areas of agreement or disagreement about the draft report’s recommended approach to course evaluations at the University of Waterloo," writes Coniglio.

A summarized report will be posted to the AVPA website and submitted to the Provost. 

"I invite you to review the posted submissions on the AVPA website for updates as this project progresses," Coniglio's memo concludes.

Business-class travel needs provostial approval

High-flying employees traveling on University business should check in with the control tower before liftoff: all business class travel must be approved by the Vice-President, Academic & Provost prior to any travel arrangements being made, according to a memo circulated to Executive Council by the provost last week.

The following guidelines are now in place:

For travel expenses paid out of UW funds:

“Business Class travel will only be permitted for long distance inter-continental flights where the layover is very short,” says the provost’s memo. “In such cases, request for travel by Business Class must be supported by the respective Dean/Vice-President/Associate Provost/Associate Vice-President prior to seeking approval by the Provost.

Travel expenses paid out of externally sponsored funds:

“Business class travel for research purposes will only be authorized if the external sponsoring agency policy allows such travel,” says the provost. “Approval from the sponsoring agency must be sought before seeking approval by the Provost, and must also be supported by the respective Dean/Vice-President/Associate Provost/Associate Vice-President.”

“The Vice-President Academic & Provost will not approve Business Class Travel after tickets have been purchased or after travel has taken place,” says the memo from Ian Orchard.

St. Paul's enters into unique partnership with Athletics

St. Paul’s University College has launched a Booster Club for the women’s basketball team, as well as the St. Paul’s Women’s Basketball Excellence Awards, which will provide financial awards for members of this varsity team. The idea is for St. Paul’s to do its part in supporting UWaterloo varsity athletics by focusing its attention on one specific team.

“Our strong community feel is one of the elements that makes us who we are,” said Steve Prentice, Residence Life Manager at St. Paul’s. “At St. Paul’s, students are heavily involved with all aspects of the Waterloo community and the Booster Club will continue that strong tradition while encouraging students to engage with healthy and active lifestyles.” The initiative will include Warrior community dinners and other special activities, and will start with next year’s basketball season.

“Varsity programs have great potential for community building,” said Rick Myers, Principal of St. Paul’s. “St. Paul’s wanted to support a women’s program as part of its HeForShe commitment, and basketball is such a popular spectator sport.”

Wednesday's notes

Three Minute Thesis is back! The Faculty of Science is holding its heat on Wednesday, February 15, at 2:00 p.m. in B1 271. Come watch graduate students take the challenge to describe the breadth of their research to a public audience in only three minute, with only one slide. Winning nationals last year, the Faculty of Science hopes to continue its streak with some strong competitors again this year. Come cheer on fellow colleagues for a chance to see them move on to finals! Doors are open for all who are interested.

Engineering Science Quest Summer Camp registration opens today at 12:00 p.m. on Feb 22. Note: the date has been corrected.

Registration is also open for ESQ March Break Camp, which runs from March 13 to 17 for students Grades 1 to 6. Camps will be located on the main campus as well as at the Stratford campus.

New for this year, Grades 7 to 9 students have the opportunity to attend ESQ March Break Camp with CTRL V, the virtual reality arcade. Campers can experiment, build, troubleshoot and design in virtual reality. Participants will spend the morning immersed in VR and the afternoons building a VR space.

Employers on campus will not be hosting employer information sessions next week. Visit the employer information sessions calendar for more details.