Monday, May 28, 2018

Bridge to 2020 event will start the strat plan conversation

On Monday, June 18, join the conversation about the University's Strategic Plan.

Beginning in 2020, the new Strategic Plan will determine Waterloo’s strategic directions for the next five years. 

At the Bridge to 2020 event, attendees will have an opportunity to celebrate the University community's progress on the current plan’s goals and review and provide feedback on seven issues papers, currently in development, that highlight strategic issues facing the University beyond 2018.

Check the Daily Bulletin and your email inboxes for more information about the seven issues papers in the run-up to the event. Summaries of the issues papers will be available shortly.

The Bridge to 2020 event is the pivot point of a transitional phase for the University's strategic planning process, where evidence is being developed to inform the consultations that will take place in the fall of 2018 as stakeholders from every corner and group on campus are engaged through in-person consultations, surveys, meetings, and digital formats.

Using this informed input, stakeholders will identify priorities for strategic action that will form the goals and objectives for how the University will achieve its strategic goal.

President Feridun Hamdullahpur, Vice-President, University Relations Sandra Banks, and Director, Strategic Planning and Evaluation  Daniela Seskar-Hencic will be speaking, along with brief overviews by the seven leads on the development of the issues papers.

The event is an opportunity to hear from your colleagues and share your ideas. Help the University evaluate the evidence and identify priorities for action that will form the objectives of the University’s Strategic Plan.

The event begins at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 18 at Federation Hall.

Register to attend today!

Advocating solutions to the global sanitation and hygiene crisis

by Ana Jung.

Maintaining personal hygiene is important in leading a healthy life. For women, this is of particular importance during menstruation. However, many women around the world face barriers in menstrual hygiene management including knowledge, attitudes and practices and lack of water and sanitation/hygiene facilities.

This year’s Menstrual Hygiene Day is taking place from 11:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. in the Science Teaching Complex. Supported by the Water Institute, HeForShe and the Applied Health Sciences Endowment Fund, the day will include a museum exhibit showcasing Eden Hennessey’s Women in STEM photos, a panel discussion and a viewing of the documentary Menstrual Man.

Students from Waterloo’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences have recognized this problem and are raising awareness around menstrual hygiene by organizing a day on campus to facilitate dialogue and discussion about this issue.

“As a health studies student, I have always been interested in health equity, particularly reproductive health,” said Fiqir Mequanent Worku, graduate student in Waterloo’s School of Public Health and Health Systems. “Dialogue around menstruation is important to highlight the issues facing women and girls in developing countries, and educate people that reproductive health is affected by a number of things, including water and sanitation.”

The first Menstrual Hygiene Day was initiated in 2013 by WASH United, a non-profit organization that works to end the global sanitation and hygiene crisis. It was created to promote education on menstrual hygiene management around the world, especially in developing countries, where women and girls are faced with problems related to MHM that directly affect their self-esteem and quality of life.

“The lack of awareness and education among boys and men on these subjects leads to some prevailing misconceptions and negative attitudes towards menstruation,” said Water Institute member Susan Elliott, professor in Geography and Environmental Management. “Menstruating females often face restrictions on activities such as going to school and work, which further propagates the problem as less knowledge and income leads to not having the tools necessary for hygienic menstruation.”

In many developing countries, girls reaching puberty stop attending school due to the lack of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilitates necessary during times of menstruation. Affordability of sanitary products, and accessibility, remains a key barrier to hygienic menstruation, especially for those living in rural and remote regions. Inadequate waste disposal systems also limit options when it comes to the types of sanitary products used and can lead to embarrassment associated with inadequate disposal, delaying the timely discard of used products.

“I realised that there is a great disparity of reproductive health knowledge among my peers,” said Fiqir. “Hosting Menstrual Hygiene Day, a free event open to the University of Waterloo community, is another way that we can share information and provide opportunities for discussion around some of the critical issues facing our world.”

For students interested in getting involved with the next Menstrual Hygiene Day in 2019, email mhdayuw@gmail.com.

Sustainability action fund accepting applications

The President’s Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability is currently accepting applications for the Sustainability Action Fund.

Launched in 2017, this fund is available to any staff, student, or faculty member on campus to support the objectives of the University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy.

If you have a project idea or initiative to improve campus sustainability, please submit an application online by Friday, June 22. Individual applications may request up to $30,000 in funding.

For full application instructions and to see a list of previous funded projects, please visit the Sustainability Action Fund webpage.