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Submission guidelines
Proposals sought for new WatPD course
The Co-operative Education Council (CEC) is requesting proposals for the development of a new course that focuses on research in the workplace. Development will take place January to December 2018.
The Research PD course will be one requirement for students completing a Co-op Research Certificate. While intended for students pursuing this certificate, it will be available to all students. As such, the course must be equally relevant for students in all disciplines. An interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary view of research should be emphasized throughout.
Additional information can be found in the Request for Proposals document. In advance of submitting a proposal, interested applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the information session to be held in TC 2218 at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9. Alternatively, applicants may contact Director of WatPD Anne Fannon by sending an email to amfannon@uwaterloo.ca.
Proposals need to be submitted to Anne Fannon by July 31, 2017.
Startup Genome report charts TOWR's rise
by Naz Kittani
Silicon Valley is no longer #1 for talent, according to a recent global startup report. And while Waterloo wasn’t the city to knock it from first place (Singapore took that honour), the report highlights the Toronto-Waterloo innovation corridor as a key startup scene to watch.
The 2017 Global Startup Ecosystem Report calls the University of Waterloo one of the top schools in engineering and entrepreneurship in Canada. It points to this “rich pool of talent’ as one of the key factors in Toronto-Waterloo’s growing reputation as a leading entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The 150-page report is based on a year’s worth of research, spanning 10,000 startups and 300 partner companies. This is the third comprehensive startup report from Startup Genome, a research organization that actively works to enhance startup communities worldwide.
Startup Genome examined how cities help growing and sustaining vibrant startup ecosystems through eight major factors: funding, market reach, global connectedness, technical talent, startup experience, resource attraction, corporate involvement, founder ambition and strategy.
This year’s top three startup ecosystems are Silicon Valley, New York, and London. Toronto moved up a rank to sixteenth place (Waterloo does not appear on this list).
Accessibility Training moving to LEARN system
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), which was passed in 2005 has the goal of making Ontario fully accessible by 2025. Among other requirements, the AODA requires all organizations to train their employees on accessibility standards and the Ontario Human Rights Code. To that end, the University implemented web-based Accessible Customer Service Training (Accessibility Training) to all employees several years ago.
Recently, the University started to migrate all employee training to the LEARN system, which offers a concentrated platform for employees to access all mandatory training sessions in one place. As such, the Accessibility Training has now moved to LEARN and successful completion is recorded in myHRinfo employee records.
If you have not completed this training yet, please do so at your earliest opportunity. The University is committed to achieving barrier free accessibility for persons with disabilities studying, visiting and/or working at our institution. Having informed employees ensures a baseline level of accessibility awareness and helps create a culture of inclusion.
You can access the Accessibility Training through the LEARN homepage in three simple steps:
- Login using your University nexus username and password (same as myHRinfo)
- Click the “Self Registration” link at the top of the page
- Select “Accessibility Training” from the list – you have the choice of reviewing the transcript for all sessions or completing the interactive modules online
If you have any questions regarding the training, including its content, please contact Joyce Barlow, AODA Specialist by sending an email to joyce.barlow@uwaterloo.ca or by calling extension 30520. If you experience any issues when logging into LEARN, please contact learnhelp@uwaterloo.ca for assistance.
MFA thesis exhibition and other notes
The Department of Fine Arts will be showcasing the thesis work of two MFA candidates in an exhibition that will run from May 4 to 20 at the University of Waterloo Art Gallery.
"The Re-Examined Life" by St Marie φ Walker will occupy Gallery One and Two, and the opening reception takes place on Thursday, May 4 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
"A built-in feature of any belief is that you believe it to be true, whether it is or not. Examining the human experience through a collaborative process St Marie φ Walker scrutinize their own conscious perceptions of being-in-the-world through fervent dialogical conversations," says a note from Fine Arts. "The Re-examined Life is an exhibition of contemplative and interactive modules that question our expectations of conventional perceptions, belief systems and value judgments. The modules reflect social environments through the use of familiar objects and framing. The installation features five modules: Social Bank, Identity Centre, Reflective Sculptures, Community Tables, and Listening Lounge. Visitors are witnesses and cooperative participants encouraged to interact with each module and to openly reflect on how the authority of physical space and social systems shape who we are in the world."
St Marie φ Walker is the collaborative authorship of Denise St Marie and Timothy Walker. St Marie received a BFA from the University of Victoria, while Walker obtained a BA in Philosophy from the University of Toronto. In 2016, the pair traveled to New York to work with Steve Lambert as part of the Keith and Win Shantz Fellowship, and were collectively awarded the 2017 Sylvia Knight Scholarship in Fine Arts.
The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Are you pursuing a personal development opportunity for which you would like funding assistance? If you are a member of the University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) you can apply for the Staff Enhancement Grant (SEG).
The purpose of the SEG is to "help cover the costs associated with the pursuit of personal development for staff for initiatives, not directly related to job duties." The UWSA Staff Enhancement Grant Committee reviews applications and recommends recipients for a Staff Enhancement Grant to the UWSA Board of Directors.
"Applications will be judged on the basis of the overall merit of the objectives, activities, and benefits to the individual, and the community," says a note from the UWSA. "All UWSA members are eligible to apply for a SEG."
For an application form and terms of reference visit the UWSA website. Direct any questions the UWSA office at extension 33566.
The next application deadline is June 1, 2017.
The Office of the President is inviting the University community to a special screening of the film Hidden Figures in support of Waterloo's HeForShe commitments.
The screening will take place on Monday, May 29 in room 1689 of the AHS Expansion with doors opening at 6:00 p.m. and the movie starting at 6:30 p.m.
Light refreshments will be served. Please register online.
Employers on campus next week hosting employer information sessions include: Fitbit, Pacific Life Re, Yext, Sandvine, Tribalscale, Wattpad, Accompass, League Inc., Facebook, Inc., Amazon, Sarnia-Lambton: a destination for Chemical Engineering co-op, 500px, and Digiflare Inc. Visit the employer information sessions calendar for more details.