Friday, August 31, 2018

Fall Orientation: Welcoming our newest Warriors

A message from the Student Success Office.

Fall brings a special sense of excitement to campus as more than 9,000 incoming students get to know their new home at the University of Waterloo. A key piece of this time of discovery is Orientation, which starts today with International Orientation and continues through to Saturday, September 8. Orientation programming provides the transitional support to meet the needs of our diverse student body, while creating an inclusive community that fosters student success.

What's happening

• International Orientation (August 31 – September 2) - For first-year undergraduate students who have a study permit, attended high school internationally, are new to Canadian culture, or are developing their English language skills; includes programming for parents and family members.
• Out-of-Province and American Program (September 2) – For first-year undergraduate students and their family members from across Canada and the United States to get introduced to Waterloo and life in Ontario.
• First-Year Orientation (September 2 – 8) - For all new first-year undergraduate students. Many will also participate in International, American and Out-of-Province Orientation before joining in with First-Year Fall Orientation.
• Transfer Orientation (September 3 – 8) - For undergraduate students transferring from college or university and 2+2 students (2+2 are students who complete their first two years of study at their home university and then a further two years of study at Waterloo to receive a degree from each university).
• Exchange/Study Abroad Orientation (September 3 – 8) – For undergraduate and graduate students coming to Waterloo as an exchange or study abroad student.
• Graduate Student Orientation (September 4 – 8) - For all incoming graduate student, a one-day conference-style event designed to prepare new graduate students for their first year in graduate studies. 
• Parent and Family Orientation (September 1 - 3) – For parents and family members to learn about how to support their first-year student.
• Program-specific Orientation – Many faculties and programs also host programming specific to their areas.

“It is exciting to see the outcome of collaboration with the Federation of Students, Graduate Student Association, Faculties, Housing, and other key campus partners as we deliver comprehensive and customized Orientation programs to our incoming students,” said Pam Charbonneau, Director of the Student Success Office. “Orientation continues to evolve year to year, and with our continued increase of incoming international students, programs and events have expanded to welcome students to campus and the University of Waterloo community.”

Orientation 2018 Highlights

• Canada House and Welcome Centres – Volunteer staff, faculty and upper-year students will engage with and welcome student to the Campus and to residences when they arrive.​
• WaterlooFest – An event hosted in partnership with Wilfrid Laurier University that takes students to explore Uptown Waterloo in a festival/market style event.
• Portal App and Orientation widget – All new students can register for Orientation and view their personal Orientation schedules in Portal’s Orientation widget. Others can use Open Portal and the Orientation Schedule widget to see a detailed Orientation schedule based on student-type.
• Single and Sexy in the PAC – Celebrating 30 years of Single and Sexy! We’ve taken the best parts of Single and Sexy from the last three decades and put them into one special experience for this year’s audience. Staged in the PAC, students can take in the play with their residences dons and engage in pre-and post-discussions about the provocative topics presented. The campus community is invited to the premiere performance today, August 31 at 10:45 a.m. in the PAC.
• Warrior Welcome – An immersive video experience will welcome students to campus at this year’s four separate Warrior Welcome events in the PAC. UWaterloo alum Martha Lenio will speak to students about her experiences as the first woman to lead NASA’s mission in Hawaii, and what her time was like as a Waterloo student
• Black & Gold Day – Waterloo Warriors take on the Carleton Ravens at Warrior Field on Saturday, September 8 at 1 p.m. First-year students can take part in a pre-game rally and carnival located in parking lots R and W where they can expect to receive lots of black and gold swag.
• Warrior Wayfinding – On Thursday September, 6 and Friday September 7 faculty, staff and student volunteers will welcome new and returning students on the first days of classes by providing directions and answering questions.

“Whether it is by welcoming the arrivals of new students at the airport, or by stopping to lend assistance to a student who is looking lost, there are a variety of different ways that upper-year students, staff, and faculty can help to make students who are new to our campus feel welcome and part of the UWaterloo community," says Federation of Students President Richard Wu. "We are looking forward to providing a warm welcome to all our new Warriors!”

Follow along with the fall 2018 Orientation excitement on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook with the hashtags #UWOW18 and #UWready. You can also add @uofwaterloo on Snapchat for live video snaps from student leaders throughout the week.

Remember: classes start on Thursday, September 6, but Orientation activities will continue until Saturday, September 8.

It's either all work or all play this Labour Day

The Labour Day long weekend is upon us, and while most of the University community will have some extra time off, certain operations begin a sprint of hard work as Orientation kicks into high gear.

What's closed

Food Services locations including Bon Appétit, Browser's, Brubaker's, CEIT Café, East End Café, Eye Opener Café, FRSH, H3 Café, Liquid Assets, ML's Diner, South Side Marketplace, Starbucks - AHS, Starbucks - STC, Subway, Tim Hortons - DC, Tim Hortons - Express DC, Tim Hortons - ML, Tim Hortons - UWP, and William's are all closed. Check the hours and location page for more information as is it subject to change.

Athletics facilities in the PAC and CIF are open on Saturday, September 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. but are closed Sunday, September 2 and Monday, September 3.

Library facilities, including Dana Porter and the Davis Centre location, will be open Saturday, September 1 and Sunday, September 2 from noon to 5:00 p.m. but will be closed on Labour Day, Monday, September 3.

Check the Print and Retail Solutions site (Retail Services) for complete hours of operation for all its locations.

What's open

Waterloo Residences opens for early arrival international and domestic students on Friday, August 31 at 9:00 a.m. Students and their families will be able to participate in International Orientation, beginning with “Canada House” a series of Canada-themed welcome activities and games in residence. Throughout the long weekend, our staff and volunteers will be helping new and returning students move their belongings, find their way to resources, and get settled into the new academic year. Students will continue to move in until Monday, September 3.

The front counter of the Registrar’s Office will be open on Labour Day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to better serve students. The Registrar’s Office will also have extended hours during the first three weeks of term from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, ending on Friday, September 21.

Visit the RO if you have questions regarding proof of enrolment letters, your class schedule, course overrides, enrolment issues, transcripts, OSAP, awards, scholarships, bursaries, or any other general question you may have about the University.

Print and Retail Solutions will be operating under fall extended hours over the weekend:

• The Book Store in South Campus Hall will be open Sunday, September 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for Move-in Day and on
  Monday, September 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Labour Day Monday.
• Campus Tech in the Student Life Centre will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 2 for Move-In Day, and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Labour Day Monday.
• The Waterloo Store in South Campus Hall will be open Saturday, September 1 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., on Sunday, September 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for Move-in Day, and on Labour Day Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• The WatCard office will have three locations set up due to construction, including the Student Life Centre, Village 1 and Claudette Millar Hall to serve students moving in over the weekend. The locations will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 1, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 2, and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 3. Consult the list on the WatCard site for details on which location to visit to pick up a card.

Food Services locations open over the weekend include:

• Mudie's in Village 1, open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 1, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 2, and 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Monday, September 3.
• REVelation in Ron Eydt Village will be open on Sunday, September 2 from 11:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and on Labour Day Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• The Market at CMH will be open on Saturday, September 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sunday, September 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Monday, September 3 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• Tim Hortons in South Campus Hall will be open Monday, September 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Tim Hortons in the Student Life Centre will be open on Saturday, Sunday and Labour Day Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Feds Used Books in the Student Life Centre will have extended hours that begin this weekend as well: 

• Saturday September 1: 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday September 2: 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Monday September 3: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

There are a few essential University services and stalwart operations that never shut down:

• UW police, reachable at 519-888-4911 or extension 22222
• the Student Life Centre and its Turnkey Desk, accessible at 519-888-4434 or extension 84434
• Plant Operations' maintenance emergencies hotline at extension 33793.

Would you like to have your unit or operation mentioned in the opening and closing list for statutory holidays? Send the Daily Bulletin an email with the details.

Enjoy your long weekend, and see you in September!