Tuesday, September 5, 2017

What's new and exciting for Orientation 2017

The Labour Day weekend is always a busy time on campus! New students began moving in to residence and incoming international students, American and out-of-province undergraduate students took part in customized Orientation programming. New students living off campus received a day of community-specific programming on Monday. First-Year Undergraduate Orientation and Graduate Student Orientation, along with Exchange/Study Abroad, and Undergraduate Transfer Orientation, continue this week until Saturday. Program-specific Orientation activities hosted by many departments are also taking place across campus this week.

All first-year undergraduate students will be able to come together for exciting events and initiatives as part of Orientation this year including:

• Waterloo Fest – New this year: a collaboration between UW, Wilfrid Laurier University and the City of Waterloo to welcome new students to the Waterloo community on Thursday, September 7 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Feds Showcase – An opportunity for students to learn about the services that Federation of Students has to offer and pick up free stuff!
• Portal App and Orientation widget – Portal is available as an app download and includes an enhanced Orientation widget with registration, faculty checklists, and personalized event schedules.
• Portal Orientation checklist – A checklist for students to get prepared and organized for school. Lists includes things like: meet an academic advisor, attend a student design team open house, get your textbooks, etc.
• Single & Sexy – Held in the PAC, students can watch the play with their residence and Off Campus Dons and engage in pre-and post-discussions about the provocative topics presented.
• Staff and faculty engagement – Orientation offers opportunities for the entire University of Waterloo community to be a part of the student transition including: Airport Bus Pick Up, Family welcome, Family Send-off, Here to Help, and Warrior Wayfinding.
• Snapchat – Add @uofwaterloo on Snapchat for live video snaps from student leaders at Orientation. Or follow the fall 2017 Orientation excitement on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with the hashtag #UWOW17.

“This year, we’ve partnered with Wilfrid Laurier University and the City of Waterloo for Waterloo Fest, a community-wide celebration to welcome first-year students to the University of Waterloo and the community they’ll call home for the next few years,” says Antonio Brieva, president of Waterloo's Federation of Students.

Remember: classes start on Thursday, September 7, but Orientation activities will continue until Saturday, September 9.

IST announces changes to the Enterprise Systems group

A message from Bruce Campbell, Chief Information Officer.

The Enterprise Systems group in Information Systems & Technology has been re-organized. Previously under the leadership of a Director and Assistant Director, and supporting a broad portfolio of information systems on campus, the group has now been separated into two smaller groups, each with its own Director. One new group is the ‘Enterprise Resource Planning’ (ERP) group, with responsibility for IST support of student information systems, human resources systems, and financial systems, while the other group is ‘Departmental and Campus Applications’ (DCA), supporting information systems across numerous academic support units, and ancillary departments. The new structure will allow each Director to focus on each of two large portfolios.

I am pleased to announce that Daryl Dore will serve as Director, Enterprise Resource Planning. Daryl was most recently Assistant Director of IST’s Enterprise Systems group. Daryl previously held roles at BlackBerry including Manager, Sales & Supply Planning Solutions - Supply Chain, and Manager, Business Solutions Team - Global Repair Services.

I am pleased to announce that Greg Smith has accepted the position of Director, Departmental and Campus Applications. Greg was most recently Manager of IST’s Department and Campus Applications team. Greg previously held roles as Residence Manager at Western University, Manager of Living-Learning programs in Housing at UWaterloo, and Information Systems Specialist in IST.

Please join me in congratulating Daryl and Greg, and welcoming them to their new roles.

Warriors make it 2-0 after home game win

This is an excerpt of an article published on the Athletics & Recreation website.

Last week, rookie cornerback Tyrell Ford grabbed headlines as the Waterloo Warriors football team snapped a 16-game losing streak. This week, it was twin brother Tre's turn to steal the show in Waterloo's home opener.

Rookie quarterback Tre Ford rushed for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns, adding another 50 yards and a touchdown through the air, leading the Warriors to a 52-8 victory over the York Lions on Monday afternoon at Warrior Field. The victory was Waterloo's first home triumph since a 48-29 win over the Windsor Lancers on October 20, 2012.

"That's what I expected when I came in," said Tre. "I wanted to turn the program around. Everybody is getting their job done, and I'm just trying to get mine done too."

The win—the first at home for Head Coach Chris Bertoia—moves the Warriors to 2-0 on the young season. Platooning at the pivot position with Ford, veteran Lucas McConnell also had a spectacular day: the veteran went 10-16 for 140 yards and a touchdown pass, while also rushing for a 5-yard major.

Meanwhile, the Lions suffered their second straight lopsided defeat, as they fell to 0-2. Quarterback Brett Hunchak tossed for 233 yards on 14-28 passing, with a pair of interceptions. Receiver Adam Adeboboye was his favourite target, catching 9 balls for 173 yards, but the game was won on the ground – Waterloo outrushed York 274 yards to 47. The loss also ruined a prolific stat line from Lions defensive lineman Rossini Sandjong-Djabome, who registered a pair of sacks and 8 tackles – including five tackles in Waterloo's backfield.

While the Waterloo offense certainly fired on all cylinders, the Warriors defensive attack proved to be the difference. The Warriors held an opponent out of the end zone for the first time since a 12-0 loss to Laurier in 2012, and dating back to last week, Waterloo's opponents have not scored a major in six straight quarters.  

"Our defence stood on its head today," said Bertoia. "How we stopped the run was fantastic. I'm really proud of our defensive effort."

Read the rest of the article and watch video highlights on the Athletics website.

Notes as the real work after Labour Day begins

Food Services is hiring for a number of casual part-time and student employment opportunities. To apply, email your resume and the completed availability form to UWFSjobs@uwaterloo.ca. Check the Food Services website for more details.

The Registrar's Office has sent a notice to undergraduate students reminding them that lectures begin this week on Thursday, September 7, and will be following a normal Thursday schedule. Students are invited to confirm their class schedules on Quest, check important dates and deadlines for the fall term, and visit their academic advisor if they have questions about their courses.

The first in this fall's series of LGBTQ+ Making Spaces workshops takes place today at 12:30 p.m. in NH 3318. Sponsored by the Equity Office, the Making Spaces program is a framework for creating affirming spaces on campus and fostering interpersonal relationships through education and training on aspects of social identity. Community members partake in training and a registration process to become Space Makers, ambassadors of equity. The program launched as a pilot in fall 2016. Check the Making Spaces website to sign up for the fall 2017 workshops.

Human Resources is reporting that retiree Jutta Haas died on July 31. Haas joined the University in September 1975 and retired in January 1996 as Administrative Assistant in Health Studies and Gerontology.