Monday, March 5, 2018

Campus mourns death of student

Our university community is saddened by the loss of one of our students who died on campus earlier today. Early indications are that the student took their own life.

The male student was 22-years-old and was in their fourth year of study. Police are attempting to contact the student’s family to notify them of the death. The University will reach out to the family to offer our support and to discuss the timing of providing further information updates to campus.

Support is available on and off campus and we encourage any students who feel they need assistance to contact counselling services or the post-secondary student helpline, Good2Talk, on 1-866-925-5454. The service is available 24/7.

If you are a parent and you are concerned about your child, please contact Counselling Services at 519-575-6560 x32655.

A message from the President: Waterloo Strategic Plan 2020-2025

Dear Faculty and Staff,

As we embark on the campus-wide evidence gathering and consultation periods in preparation for the next University of Waterloo Strategic Plan 2020-2025, I’ve prepared a discussion document, “Disrupting the 21^st Century University: Imagining the University of Waterloo @2025” to initiate the process.

Foundational work is now underway to complement this discussion document and gather evidence in seven areas that University leadership identified as priority areas for exploration: undergraduate learning; graduate studies; research excellence; student environment; internationalization; empowering people; and leveraging resources.

The path that is described in this document is in no way the only way forward for our institution. Inside, I discuss the challenges we face internally and on a global scale, the principles our institution is built on and the five priorities I believe we should focus on moving forward. These, along with forthcoming issue papers, may inform our consultations and the development of our strategic goals and priorities.

I encourage you to take some time to read this document. I also welcome your thoughts on this vision during our Bridge to 2020 process as we move forward into the future together as a community.

Sincerely,

Feridun Hamdullahpur

President and Vice-Chancellor

Largest student attendance in half a decade at Job Fair 2018

By Shawn Syjueco.

Wintry weather didn't stop over 3,750 students from attending the Partnerships for Employment (P4E) Job Fair 2018 at RIM Park last month. The annual employment fair drew crowds of students from the University of Waterloo, University of Guelph, Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College. They learned more about their field and the job opportunities available to them.

Students arrived at the fair carrying polished résumés and wearing their sharpest business attire. The fieldhouse in RIM Park filled as they flooded employer booths. Student turnout exceeded Career Fair 2017, which also broke its own decade-old record last September.

 “I knew Job Fair was going to be a huge event,” said Alina Steele, an Environmental Science student, “but I didn’t realize how big it was actually going to be until I got there!”

Over 200 employers travelled from across North America to network with our local talent. Participating employers included globally recognizable brands such as Huawei, Manulife, BlackBerry and Dell. Also featured were local organizations including PEER Group, Dejero and Clearpath Robotics.

P4E hosts two fairs annually - Job Fair in February and Career Fair in September. Both bring in organizations looking to hire in a diverse range of industries such as engineering, information technology, architecture, health care, government, finance and environment.

The next event hosted by P4E is Career Fair 2018 on September 26, 2018. You can find additional information about Job Fair and Career Fair on the P4E website.

Test of the campus emergency communication system March 6

A message from Information Systems & Technology.

A test of the University’s emergency communication system is scheduled for Tuesday, March 6 between 7:45 and 8:15 a.m. Test activation and deactivation messages will be sent using the below channels:

• Tweets to @UWaterloo and @WatSAFEapp
• WatSAFE mobile app
• The ‘UW Emerge’ on-screen pop-up for desktops and laptops
• Skype for Business Instant Messages
• Portal alerts and push notifications

Your feedback on how these channels operated is appreciated (helpdesk@uwaterloo.ca or ext. 44357).

In the event of a real emergency during this test, please contact Police Services at 519-888-4911, or ext. 22222.

Be sure to install the WatSAFE app on your device to receive this test message, and more importantly, to stay informed of campus emergency situations. Visit the WatSAFE website for more details.

Nutrition Month and Monday's notes

Myth: Coconut oil provides more health benefits than other oils

Fact:  Like most superfood claims, coconut oil falls short when it comes to scientific scrutiny. Widely publicized health benefits have been attributed to coconut oil, including enhancing weight loss, preventing heart disease and warding off dementia, but there is currently insufficient evidence to support these claims.  Coconut oil raises LDL-C (or “bad” cholesterol), although to a lesser extent than butter. It is a unique oil in that, although it is predominantly a saturated fat, it also increases “good” cholesterol, or HDL-C. Diets rich in unsaturated vegetable oils have the benefit of raising HLD-C and lowering LDL-C and are strongly linked with a lower risk of heart disease. If you like its sweet, nutty flavor, use coconut oil occasionally but stick to unsaturated oils like canola, olive, sunflower or soybean oil for daily use.

Educational Technologies Week looks at classroom satisfaction

Are you less than satisfied with the classrooms you teach in? Well, plan on attending the keynote session of CTE’s upcoming Educational Technologies Week. The keynote – which is entitled “Space matters: How Next-Generation Classroom Environments Can Impact Teaching and Learning” – will feature McGill’s Adam Finkelstein, an internationally recognized expert in designing innovative learning spaces that facilitate active learning. The keynote takes place on Monday, March 12 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am in DC 1302, and kicks off a week that includes 17 other workshops, running from Monday till Friday. More information about Adam Finkelstein’s keynote, and the other workshops, is available on the Educational Technologies Week schedule.