Thursday, November 29, 2018

Thank you for a record-breaking Giving Tuesday

A message from the Office of Advancement.

On this Thank You Thursday, we’re so glad to everyone who joined us on Giving Tuesday — thank you for your generosity!

Together, we raised an incredible $220,000 in support of our students from 500 donors. This was the highest ever number of gifts made online in a single day to the University of Waterloo!

We also are grateful to all the students who stopped by the SLC and Davis Centre to sign our thank you postcards which will be mailed to our donors!

Our donors are supporting a vibrant campus community that thrives on exploration, originality, and courage. Thank you again for helping our students and researchers make the world a better place for us all.

Executive actions in Vancouver and beyond

It’s Thursday, November 29. Do you know what your president is up to?

President Hamdullahpur has been busy as we approach the end of another Fall Term at the University of Waterloo. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the President’s recent activities on and off campus and a look ahead at what's on his calendar.

Friday, November 9 was a sombre day for the University of Waterloo community as one of our institution’s most distinguished chemical engineering professors, Garry Rempel, was laid to rest. President Hamdullahpur spoke at Professor Rempel’s funeral helping honour his colleague and university pioneer.

University of Waterloo leaders traveled to Vancouver on Tuesday, November 13 for a Waterloo Innovation Summit Speaker Series event hosted by Microsoft. The President had the privilege of addressing the engaged guests and speakers to the event for a very important discussion on the future of our planet.

President Hamdullahpur traveled to Halifax on Friday, November 16 to be inducted as a Specially Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) along with Waterloo colleagues Zhou Wang, who was also made a Fellow of the RSC, and Carolyn Ren and Alexander Wong, both named Members of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

The President was invited by Deloitte to take part in a panel discussion November 19 as part of the Deloitte 360⁰ one-day conference in Waterloo. The panel included local business leaders such as Michael Litt, Co-Founder & CEO of Vidyard and Caitlin MacGregor, co-founder & CEO of Plum.

On November 20 the President honoured and thanked staff members who have been employed at the University for 5, 10, 15 and 20 years at the Years of Loyal Service Reception.

Later that evening the President hosted a reception at his home for more than 40 community members to help celebrate Waterloo’s new Nobel Prize winner, Professor Donna Strickland, in the lead up to her journey to Stockholm, Sweden to receive her award in December.

The President hosted his annual Town Hall event on Wednesday, November 21 with more than 200 community members in attendance and hundreds more watching and interacting over livestream. President Hamdullahpur gave a brief presentation on the state of the university and took part in an extensive fireside chat Q&A session with Sandra Banks, Vice-President, University Relations and those in the audience.

The President was in Ottawa from November 22-23 for a special meeting of the U15 (Canada’s 15 research intensive universities) presidents and the presidents of the Coordination of French Research-Intensive Universities (CURIF).

In a new opportunity for students to connect with President Hamdullahpur, the first President’s Pop-Up Café took place, Monday, November 26. The President was joined by select senior leaders of the University and 30 undergraduate and graduate students for an informal discussion over coffee and snacks.

What’s next?

The President will be helping host a campus send-off celebration for Professor Donna Strickland on November 29 before she travels to Stockholm, Sweden to receive her Nobel Prize for Physics.

President Hamdullahpur will also have the honour of travelling to Stockholm with University of Waterloo Board of Governors Chair Cindy Forbes and Chancellor Dominic Barton to attend the Nobel award ceremony and other events. The President will also host a University of Waterloo welcome reception for community members who have travelled to Stockholm including alumni and senior leaders and meet with various international dignitaries.

With the holidays approaching the President will host his annual Holiday Luncheon on Friday, December 14 where all members of the University community are welcome to come, eat and celebrate the holiday season.

Deadline to get "Fees Arranged" is approaching

'Tis the season: students should be making a list and checking their bill twice for the winter term and arranging their fees because the due date to become "Fees Arranged" is December 13, 2018.

Arranging your fees

There are two ways to become Fees Arranged:

• Paying the entire Term Balance: Students and their families may be interested to know that they can use Aeroplan miles or TD Travel Rewards points to pay tuition;
• Paying Later by using the Promissory Note process if you wish to leave a balance owing on your student account equal to your approved financial aid (including funding showing as Anticipated Aid on your student account) and only pay the remaining balance. Follow the step-by-step instructions.

Students who do not become Fees Arranged will not have their financial aid deducted from their balance owing, including all University and external scholarships, bursaries, awards, GRS and OSAP funding. In addition, other provincial government student loan and grant funding will only be released once a student is "Fees Arranged" for the term.

If students are not Fees Arranged by January 31, they will be unenrolled and lose access to assignments, exams and course material on LEARN. Co-op students on a recruiting term will have their active applications on WaterlooWorks cancelled.

For students receiving OSAP, the funding will be sent directly to the University to pay your fees when your enrolment is confirmed (beginning one week before classes start). OSAP students will need to complete a Promissory Note using the OSAP amount under “Anticipated Aid” on Quest to become “fees arranged”.

If your OSAP funding is not posted yet, you can attach a screenshot of your official “Funding Summary” (not the estimate) from your OSAP account. Any OSAP funds remaining after your fees are paid will be deposited in your bank account.

The "What's my Net Tuition" button at the bottom of the fee bill will help students find out what their net tuition is for the upcoming term.

Anyone with questions can contact Student Financial Services by emailing sfs@uwaterloo.ca or find helpful information on the Finance - Student Financial Services website.

Send-off celebration for Donna Strickland; other notes

The send-off celebration for Professor Donna Strickland, who will be traveling to Stockholm to formally receive the Nobel Prize in Physics takes place today from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Science Teaching Complex's Main Commons, with remarks beginning at 4:00 p.m.

There will be a special guest book for people to add their best wishes. Guests will also be invited to join Donna Strickland and university leaders for a group photograph in the Science Teaching Complex. Light refreshments will be served.

Mark your calendars for 10:30 a.m. on December 10 to join the on‑campus viewing party of the ceremony marking Professor Strickland’s outstanding achievement.

The David Johnston Research + Technology Park officially opens the doors to evolv1, the first-ever zero carbon office building in Canada, at a ceremony today. Designed and engineered by Stantec, and targeting LEED Platinum status, the project generates more energy than it consumes through an innovative geothermal well system and over 2,000 solar panels. The 110,000 square foot building has been the recipient of prestigious awards, certifications, and accolades, including being the first building to earn the Zero Carbon Building – Design certification by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and capturing the first-ever Zero Carbon award, also from the CaGBC. The building was designed to put people first, offering spaces filled with natural light, a 3-story living wall to clean and filter air, creative collaboration spaces, a coffee shop, ample free parking, more than 20 EV charging stations, and close proximity to the Region’s new light rail transit system and extensive trails network.

The University of Waterloo Recreation Committee is hosting a seasonally-appropriate session on Tuesday, December 4 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in MC 5501. Colleen Brown of the Region of Waterloo Source Water Protection Program will give a lecture entitled Salt Use in the Winter.

"Winter salt impacts water quality," says a note from the event organizers. "Over time, if we do not manage our winter salt use, salt levels will increase in the drinking water and cause it to taste salty. Salt is placed on walkways, parking lots and roads to help keep us safe. When it rains or when the snow melts the salt washes into our waterways or travels underground. To stop salting completely may not be realistic but there are actions everyone can take to use a little less."

Register today.