Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Gender equity research grant winners named

by Diana Parry. This is an excerpt of an article originally posted on the HeForShe website.

As academics, we know that the best research is curiosity-driven, with individuals or teams chasing answers to difficult questions, motivated by a desire to know and to understand. We also know that research can lead to important social progress, and that societies will generally function better if the decision-making processes that drive policy-making paid better attention to research results.

Today, gender equity research is at a stage where curiosity has met social progress. We see this in the Canadian government’s $77.5-million investment to study gender-based violence. This research will inform Canada’s direction and action on gender equity for years to come.

This indicates that Canada may be ready for real change, and is making the important effort to base that change on sound research. UWaterloo is ready to be a leader in this process. The University has been committed to researching and addressing systemic gender-based inequity for some time, and in various ways. The latest example of this commitment is the second round of Waterloo’s Gender Equity Research Grants. These grants provide $80,000 a year to support research and scholarship focused on gender equity. 

Some of the funded research will be immediately actionable---for instance by providing evidence about what causes girls to apply to some disciplines and not to others, from Ori Friedman. While others research, like Greta Kroeker’s on the historical roots of rape culture which promise deep understanding of underlying social forces, can be crucial for lasting change.

Waterloo’s commitment to the HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 framework provides a foundation for our leadership, but it is the individual passion and purist of knowledge that will sustain our efforts for generations to come. 

The 2017 recipients of Waterloo’s Gender Equity Grants are:

Update on the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Mental Health

by Feridun Hamdullahpur, President and Vice-Chancellor.

I’d like to thank everyone that responded to my request for applications to serve on the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Mental Health.

We received a large of number of applications for panel membership from across the UWaterloo community. This response affirms the passion in our community for developing and enhancing the mental health and wellness environment.

Many of you took time to share your own stories of experiences with mental health concerns, either personally, or through close friends and families. 

Clearly, we have an active ongoing conversation at UWaterloo around student mental health and the committee will extend this dialogue and find new ways to take action.

The President’s Advisory Committee on Student Mental Health finalized selections of the supporting panels, with broad representation from different facets of the University. The five panels of 20 members each are comprised of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. Students will provide a mix of undergraduate, graduate, co-op, non co-op, international and domestic voices. 

As part of a panel launch, each panel will hold its first meeting on July 27, 2017. The launch day is divided in two significant sections: presentations and planning.  During the morning, Dr. Mike Condra, a respected speaker and advocate for post-secondary student mental health, will provide orienting information to the group and they will also have the opportunity to learn about on campus services. The afternoon will be reserved for breakout sessions for the panels.

The panels, which are grouped with the themes of Student Experience, Student Services, Academic, Mental Health Experts, and Community partners, will each begin to address a series of questions posed by the committee. The results of these discussions are expected to form the basis of our recommendations regarding student mental health. Panels will continue to meet through the fall term.

This brief progress report documents that this is an active and vibrant process.  This level of activity is only possible because of the strong interest, engagement and commitment to follow-through demonstrated by many members of the UWaterloo community. To learn more about the advisory committee and its terms of reference, please visit https://uwaterloo.ca/mental-health-wellness/terms-reference.

Wednesday's notes

There will be some temporary door closures at the Student Life Centre on Wednesday, July 26 and Thursday, July 27.

The exit/entrances at Subway, Campus Bubble, and the courtyard exits at Brubaker's and at Campus Bubble will be temporarily closed as a new pathway is constructed.

The pathway between the Student Life Centre and the Quantum-Nano Centre along the Bombshelter patio will also be closed. Temporary doorways at Campus Bubble are also being constructed.

Please use the SLC entrances near the Turnkey Desk, Ring Road, or at Brubaker's.Those doorways, and exit/entrance near the loading dock, are not affected by the construction.

Spotters from Bondfield Construction will be present to monitor foot traffic. If there is an emergency, Bondfield will direct the public out of the exits along a safe pathway between the SLC and the PAC. The doors should reopen Thursday afternoon or evening. The new pathway will be paved late Thursday or Friday.

In case you needed any reminder of who really runs this University, Louise Buhlman of Co-operative Education and Career Action snapped this picture of our feathered overlords keeping a watch over their domain atop the Tatham Centre this morning.

Human Resources is reporting that retiree Fred Lutz died on June 25. Lutz joined the University in October 1965 and retired in January 1993 as a truck driver in Plant Operations. He is survived by his spouse Anne.