Wednesday, April 11, 2018

    Editor:
    Brandon Sweet
    University Communications
    bulletin@uwaterloo.ca


    Voting for the Strategic Plan Advisory Committee begins today

    The nomination period has now closed for faculty, students and staff to volunteer for the Strategic Plan Advisory Committee. This is YOUR strategic plan! Vote between now and Friday, April 20 to choose your representative.

    Look for an email with your electronic ballot, or, for unionized staff, your ballot will arrive through campus mail. You can read candidates’ statements online and vote beginning at 10:00 a.m. Unionized staff can also find the candidate statements posted on bulletin boards in common areas.

    Anyone with questions and concerns is invited to email the provost at provost@uwaterloo.ca.

    Professional Development is a necessity for innovation

    Staff members in the audience at a staff conference keynote address.

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

    This past week I was privileged to help kick off the 11th annual Waterloo Staff Conference here at the University of Waterloo. The energy and excitement I saw in my colleagues was contagious.

    It wasn’t just the fact that the group was getting ready to hear from outstanding speakers and take part in engaging workshops, it was because we were networking and learning together. And, professional development and better workplace integration are key drivers of a thriving, innovative environment.

    A strong workplace environment creates innovation

    We are known around the world for our innovative students and faculty, but our scholarship and research would not be possible if it were not for the support and talent of our university staff and their drive to do this better.

    At the centre of this drive is our staff’s continued dedication to professional development and the opportunities the University provides through the Staff Conference and programs like the Staff International Experience Fund.

    Learning new skills and actively applying them to one’s work is essential for the continued growth of a career and will ultimately benefit their organization. They will come with new ideas that can be transformative in how an organization operates.

    Now, think about if your organization has a team of lifelong learners who regularly come together to discuss projects with new experiences, knowledge and perspectives. That’s an exciting moment for any leader.

    Finding and providing opportunities for lifelong learning

    It doesn’t matter if you take a formal class, attend a conference or work with a peer-to-peer group, professional development should be an active part of everyone’s career.

    Education is not something that ends with a milestone like a degree. Employers should be offering new avenues for learning and collaboration that complement both the organization’s goals and the employees.

    This type of two-way environment of engagement and support around continuous learning is vital in building an innovative culture that impacts the world. The need for doing this crosses all sectors of the economy from higher education to tech, financial services, health care and manufacturing. There is no substitute for building a dynamic, motivated and equipped workforce.

    Success means encouraging action

    The most important aspect needed for professional development to benefit the employee and the employer is to take action. To grow and enjoy seeing their ideas put into action, staff must be encouraged to pose new ideas and given the opportunity to make the case for making those ideas a reality.

    Whether you are an employee or an employer, now is the time to make professional development a priority. It will take time, planning and resources, but it is an investment that routinely delivers significant returns.

    April nesting brings May goslings

    A goose nests near Hagey Hall..

    Goose Watch ’18 opened in March and to date more than 10 verified nests have been logged across campus.

    Nesting season is slowly coming to an end but we are still looking for your help in keeping Goose Watch up to date. Over 6,500 of your fellow staff, students and faculty have viewed Goose Watch for help navigating campus this year, so don’t forget to submit your snaps of nesting geese and new nesting locations on campus to help them out.

    To show respect to these soon-to-be-parents, Goose Watch ‘18 has the following tips for pedestrians:

    1. If a goose acts aggressively, back away slowly and calmly.
    2. When passing geese, keep your chest and face pointed towards them. Maintain direct eye contact.
    3. Be neutral. Do not show fear or act in a hostile manner.

    Goose Watch is a collaboration between the Faculty of the Environment’s Mapping, Analysis, and Design department and the Student Success Office.

    Thank you for continuing to support Goose Watch this nesting season!

    Wednesday's notes

    Members of the Mathematics Advancement team pose with their reusable mugs as part of the Green Office Challenge.

    Mugging for the camera: members of the Faculty of Mathematics Advancement team wanted to show their support for the Green Office challenge, taking place in April as part of Earth Month 2018. "We're killing it on day #2 of this week's challenge," writes Kate Dal Caste. "Reusable mugs/containers all the way!"

    From April 9 to April 13, the Sustainability Office is encouraging participating Green Office departments to take part in daily challenges related to sustainable transportation, energy use and waste reduction.

    Legal and Immigration Services has published the latest issue of its newsletter Res Controversa. The Winter 2018 issue contains information about intellectual property and copyright violations as well as details on how to request permission and releases to film and photograph on campus. 

    Legal and Immigration Services was established in September 2017 after the University realigned how it would provide legal services to campus stakeholders. For a full rundown of the department's service offerings, check the Legal and Immigration Services website.

    UWaterloo Music Department Ensemble audition slots for the spring term have now been posted. Ensembles include the orchestra@uwaterloo, University Choir, Balinese Gamelan (intensive course) and the Instrumental Chamber Ensembles. See the Ensemble Page for details.  Auditions start May 1.

    Human Resources has reported that retiree Jorn Jorgensen died on March 18. Jorgensen started working at the University in January 1971 and retired in July 1996 under the Special Early Retirement Program as a Business Administrator in the University Library. He is survived by his spouse, Else.

    Link of the day

    World Parkinson's Day

    When and where 

    NEW - Earth Month 2018 challenge, runs to Sunday, April 22.

    NEW - Strategic Plan Advisory Committee voting period, Wednesday, April 11 to Friday, April 20.

    Free Exam Fitness, Monday, April 2 to Friday, April 20.

    Tri-Agency Open Access Policy - From Author's Rights to UWSpace, Wednesday, April 11, 10:00 a.m., DC 1568.

    Staff International Experience Fund information session, Wednesday, April 11, noon to 1:00 p.m., EC5-1111.

    DAAD: Research in Germany information session, Wednesday, April 11, 1:30 p.m., QNC 1506.

    Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) Information Session, Wednesday, April 11, 5:30 p.m., Online Webinar.

    UWAG presents MFA Thesis One, Thursday, April 12 to Saturday, April 28, East Campus Hall.

    LGBTQ+ Making Spaces workshop, Thursday, April 12, 9:00 a.m., EV3 3408.

    GRADtalks featuring Marcela Bomfin, PhD Candidate in Public Health and Health Systems and Rina R. Wehbe, PhD Candidate in Computer Science,  “Gamification,” Thursday, April 12, 4:00 p.m., NH 3407.

    Dissertation Boot Camp, Thursday, April 12 to Thursday, April 19.

    NEW - Waterloo Architecture Masters Thesis Reviews, Friday, April 13, 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., School of Architecture, Cambridge.

    NEW - Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research seminar, "CRISPR IP & Patenting Life", Monday, April 16, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., QNC1506. 

    University Senate meeting, Monday, April 16, 3:30 p.m., NH 3407.

    NEW - Management Sciences Seminar - Waste Minimization: The Contribution of Cutting and Packing Problems for a More Competitive and Environmentally Friendly Industry, Tuesday, April 17, 12:00 p.m., CPH 4335.

    Leadership in Social Policy, Tuesday, April 17, 5:00 p.m., Renison atrium, Renison University College.

    Copyright for Teaching, Wednesday, April 18, 12:00 p.m., LIB 329 Flex Lab.

    More Feet on the Ground - In Person Training, Wednesday, April 18, 1:30 p.m., Counselling Services, Needles Hall 2nd floor room 2447.

    CrySP Speaker Series on Privacy featuring Joel Reardon, University of Calgary, ““Won’t Somebody Think of the Children?” Examining COPPA Compliance at Scale,” Thursday, April 19, 2:30 p.m., DC 1304.

    NEW - WatRISQ/Columbia University (IEOR) Quantitative Finance Seminar Series featuring Dr. Arun Verma, Quantitative Research Solutions at Bloomberg, “Machine Learning and Sentiment Analysis in Finance for Statistical Arbitrage,” Thursday, April 19, Manhattan Institute of Management, New York.

    2017 Science Alumni Achievement Awards, Friday, April 20, 2:30 p.m., EIT Main Level.

    Pursuing Peace: Stories from Home and Abroad, Friday, April 20, 6:00 p.m., Fed Hall. 

    Vision Science Graduate Research Conference 2018, Monday, April 23 and Tuesday, April 24, School of Optometry and Vision Science.

    NEW - Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research presents "OMAFRA Information Session", Monday, April 23, 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., QNC 1506.

    25-50 Year Dinner, Monday, April 23, 6:00 p.m., Federation Hall.

    Deadline to get Fees Arranged for Spring 2018 term, Tuesday, April 24.

    WICI Workshop: Leveraging Systems Approaches to Improve Human & Planetary health, Wednesday, April 25 and Thursday, April 26.

    Staff Appreciation Luncheon, Wednesday, April 25 to Friday, April 27, 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., University Club.

    Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) Information Session, Wednesday, April 25 10:30 p.m., Online Webinar.

    25th Graduate Student Recreation Leisure Research Symposium, Thursday, April 26, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday, April 27, 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., LHN 1621.

    Hallman Lecture Series featuring Ron Zernicke, PhD, DSc, University of Michigan - Skeletal Adaptation: Synthesis and Beyond, Friday, April 27, 9:00 a.m., AHS 1689.

    CBB Seminar: Mobile Keyboard as an example of large scale novel interface based on both classic human factors and modern machine intelligence: Dr. Shumin Zhai, Google Inc., Friday, April 27, 1:30 p.m, E5 3102. 

    The Role of the Imagination in German Educational Thought, Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5, Federation Hall.

    ASA DataFest 2018, Friday, May 4 to Sunday, May 6, Mathematics 3.

    NEW - Waterloo Datathon, Saturday, May 12, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., M3 1006. 

    Positions available

    On this week's list from the human resources department, viewable on the UWaterloo Talent Acquisition System (iCIMS):

    • Job ID# 2018-2638 - Registered Nurse - Health Services, USG 9
    • Job ID# 2018-2636 - Venipuncture Technician - Health Services, USG 5
    • Job ID# 2018-2665 - Career Advisor (further education focus) - Centre for Career Action, USG 8 – 10
    • Job ID# 2018-2476 - Director, Research Ethics - Office of Research, USG 16
    • Job ID# 2018-2649 - Donor Relations Officer - Dean of Engineering Office-Dev, USG 10
    • Job ID# 2018-2391 - Engineering Project Shop Instructor - Engineering Machine Shop-General, USG 8
    • Job ID# 2018-2632 - ITC Data Analyst - Psychology, USG 9
    • Job ID# 2018-2651 - Manager, Alumni and Donor Services - Advancement Services, USG 8
    • Job ID# 2018-2603 - Program Assistant - Political Science, USG 5
    • Job ID# 2018-2635 - Research Finance Manager - Office of Research, USG 12

    Internal secondment opportunities:

    • Job ID# 2018-2654 - Administrative and Graduate Program Assistant - French Studies, USG 6
    • Job iD# 2018-2653 - Groundsperson - Plant Operations
    • Job ID# 2018-2664 - Research Ethics Advisor - Office of Research, USG 9
    • Job ID# 2018-2637 - Research Project Accountant - Office of Research, USG 9 - 11