Wednesday, February 14, 2018

President issues statement on Indigenization

​A message from Feridun Hamdullahpur, President and Vice-Chancellor.

Over the past few days, we have heard from many in the campus community on how our nation is doing in terms of building positive and supportive relationships with Indigenous people.

It is important to acknowledge these voices as well as the perspectives contained in an open letter to Canadian university presidents from Indigenous faculty members and others across the country. The letter calls on all post-secondary institutions to review their current approaches to working with Indigenous people and communities. 

As educators, Universities certainly have a role to play to ensure that racism and discrimination no longer have a place in our society.  We can and should ensure that we support an environment that provides fair and equitable experiences for Indigenous people through the language we use and the policies and strategic priorities we choose to adopt.

We know that we have much work ahead of us to address these issues as we continue the formalization of a comprehensive Indigenization Strategy at Waterloo.

The Indigenization Strategy includes, but is not limited to, developing a response to the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, with a particular focus on those related to higher education. The Strategy is directed at engaging with the entire University community and seeks to address a wide span of issues and opportunities, including curriculum and academic programming, research, student experience, community engagement, and policies and procedures.

As a community, we have a duty to educate ourselves on the impact racism and discrimination have on Indigenous people and the pain and sorrow that can be experienced as a result. With that education, our institution can and will ensure that acceptance and inclusion guide our decisions and members of our community continue to receive the support they need to thrive.

Six finalists pitch industry problems at Problem Pitch competition

The best business ventures are built on a thorough understanding of the problem they aim to solve. That’s why Velocity and the Problem Lab have teamed up once again to host the Problem Pitch Competition, where student teams were tasked with the challenge of identifying important industry problems and conducting research, before pitching their findings for the chance to win a share of up to $7,500 in funding.

Six teams were selected as finalists from fifty-two applicants, and they will each make a five-minute pitch on their research to a panel of judges this Thursday, February 15, competing for $5,000 (1st) and $2,500 (2nd) in funding. Below are the finalists and the problems identified:

• Cultured: The research-practice gap in scientific research.
• Dissolv: Readmitting patients to the healthcare system because of a lack of adherence to medications.
• Exor: Fall armyworm infestations in agriculture.
• Predicto: Industrial accident prevention.
• ShopChain: A lack of online infrastructure for the exchange of second-hand goods.
• Gazeify: There are no scalable solutions for eye-tracking technology on mobile to help companies in e-commerce track and improve user experiences.

The panel of judges this term includes three University of Waterloo alumni, each with their own entrepreneurial experience they’re bringing to the table:

• Tommy Rakic: An electrical engineering graduate with experience in both Waterloo Region and San Francisco startups. He is the founder of local real estate development firm Vanguard Developments and Copper Bay Homes.
• Julie Ellis: An arts graduate with financial industry experience. She is the co-founder of Mabel’s Labels, now part of CCL Industries, and is now COO of Snuggle Bugz, a multi-million-dollar Canadian retailer.
• Joseph Bou-Younes: A math graduate and design executive with experience in global consulting and in Silicon Valley at Yahoo and 500px. He is currently the Data Growth Coach at Communitech.

The Winter 2018 Problem Pitch Competition will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 15 in Room 2002 in the Environment 2 Building (EV2), on the University of Waterloo campus. Attendees from the University and the broader community are all welcome to watch the pitches.

The Problem Pitch Competition is made possible by $300,000 in funding from Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin, principals of Quantum Valley Investments® and founders of Blackberry.

Snow, Reading Week and taking a break for mental health

This is the latest post on President Hamdullahpur's blog.

As I look outside, I can feel the winter in my bones. I know the atmosphere of short days and cold weather can contribute to feeling down this time of year. This time of year also brings with it a great deal of work and pressure. It’s human to feel stress as it is a common part of life that can come and go with shifts in commitments and workload.

In my student days, I often reminded myself two things that I think are important to always remember during this time of year. One, between midterms and the occasional marathon study session, I remembered that I was working hard towards an accomplishment worth many of the challenges you are facing now.

And, two, it was important to acknowledge when stress started to take hold of you all the time. Recognizing when the strain is becoming abnormal and knowing where to turn for support are key steps in maintaining positive mental health.

On that same note, it is also important that we take the time to recognize when those around us are becoming anxious, tense or increasingly isolated. We are a campus that stands together and recognizing mental health struggles is key to staying a connected and caring community.

It is important to support one another in any way we can and remind one another that we are not alone. Often times we need time to pause and decompress from the everyday challenges we are facing.

Taking the Time to Rest and Reflect

With Reading Week starting in a few short days, I urge you to take a little time for yourself. It’s the first break since the end of the holiday season and is an excellent opportunity for all of us to catch our breath and reflect on our accomplishments.

Try to take stock during this break to evaluate how you have felt over the course of the year so far and even look at implementing strategies and habits to take on those stressful times with a plan. This could include building a close support network to rely on when you need to talk or simply setting aside time in your schedule to take breaks or a long walk. Extended days of rest like Reading Week are the time to not only rest but to reflect on your health, both mentally and physically.

As the weather has turned a little colder in recent weeks even our friendly Canadian geese have taken a break from their activities to huddle together to rest. Let us take a page out of their book next week and relax with our friends and families and come back ready to take on the back half of another exciting term.

Don’t forget that you are never alone. If the stress and pressures are becoming too much please seek assistance whether it is through friends, family, professors or Counselling Services.

Know that we are a community that constantly strives to support and grow together and we are here for you.

Centre for Teaching Excellence offers intensive course design workshop

A message from the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE).

The annual Teaching Excellence Academy (TEA) will be held this year on April 18, 19, 20, and 23. 

The TEA is aimed primarily at experienced faculty members who want the opportunity to rejuvenate their teaching. At the TEA, attendees will thoroughly revise one of their courses (face-to-face, fully online, or face-to-face courses with significant online components) with the assistance of their peers and experts from the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and the Centre for Extended Learning (CEL). Past attendees have reported that the TEA helped them to design more effective courses and make their design choices more transparent for their students. The TEA ends with a showcase event at which TEA participants share their revised course outlines. 

Interested faculty members should contact their department Chair/Director or faculty Teaching Fellow/Associate Dean, Teaching, for more information.

Wednesday's notes

The latest in Conrad Grebel University College's Noon Hour Concert series takes place today at 12:30 p.m. in the Conrad Grebel chapel. The Cardinal Consort of Viols will be performing Heart’s Ease, a programme full of some of their favourite pieces. The programme will feature works by Jenkins, Byrd and Farina.

Renison University College will be hosting its International Fair on Wednesday, March 7 in the SLC Great Hall. Student volunteers from the Bridge to Academic Success in English (BASE) program will be facilitating activities that will help attendees learn about traditions and celebrations from different cultures. The fair organizers would like to invite any campus department or student group with an international/cultural focus to host a booth at the fair. Anyone interested in taking them up on their officer can send an email to ryan.connell@uwaterloo.ca to register a booth.

There are no employers on campus hosting information sessions next week. Visit the employer information session calendar for more details.