Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
Celebrate those who go above and beyond with the President's Accolades
Today is the launch of the President’s Accolades, a new recognition platform on the Office of the President website that aims to recognize those University of Waterloo community members that go above and beyond. The President’s Accolades highlight a group of accolade nominations every month for a student, staff, faculty member or alumni who are making a difference in a positive way.
There are countless members of the University of Waterloo who are consistently doing their work exceptionally well, touching the lives of students, alumni or their community and taking it upon themselves to do more than what is expected. The President’s Accolades has been created to make sure these individuals and groups who make our University an outstanding and vibrant place to live, learn and work are recognized for their work, big and small.
Do you know of a member of the University of Waterloo community who stands out? It could be a student volunteering their time to run a program for a local non-profit or a staff member who has made a positive impact on their students and made a difference in their lives.
If you know someone or a group of people in our community going above and beyond, submit their story and it could be featured in a future edition of the President’s Accolades.
It's a viewing party: Watch the Nobel ceremony live on December 10
The campus community is invited to watch Professor Donna Strickland accept the Nobel Prize in Physics live from Sweden.
A viewing party of the 2018 Nobel Prize ceremony will be held on Monday, December 10 at 10:30 a.m. in the Science Teaching Complex (STC) Main Commons 1001.
Strickland, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, will become Waterloo’s first Nobel laureate upon formally receiving the award. She is also the third woman in history to win a Nobel prize in physics, and the first in more than fifty years.
Strickland conducted her Nobel-winning research while a PhD student under Gérard Mourou, with whom she shares half the prize, in 1989 at the University of Rochester in New York. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences stated that Mourou and Strickland “paved the way toward the shortest and most intense laser pulses created by humankind.”
The team’s research has a number of applications in industry and medicine, including optical scanners, laser printers and laser surgery.
All are welcome to join and help celebrate Professor Strickland and her outstanding achievement. Light refreshments will be served.
Register on the event's Ticketfi page.
Implementation of Tri-Agency financial guidelines has begun
The University of Waterloo is taking the first steps towards implementing the revised Tri-Agency financial guidelines, according to a memo from Vice-President, Research and International Charmaine Dean that was circulated to faculty members yesterday.
Tri-Agency is an umbrella term used to describe the three federal research funding agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
"Several new procedures are now in place that will immediately reduce some of the administrative burden for researchers," Dean writes.
"These changes include:
- Travel expenses – a brief purpose to clarify the link to the funded research is needed but the previous level of detail (e.g., a fulsome statement identifying how the travel is directly related to the research) is no longer required
- Goods and services expenses – computer equipment, accessories, and specialized software related to the research no longer require a justification; printing and office supplies related to the research no longer require a justification or declaration
- Employment and compensation expenses – appointment term of a postdoctoral fellow is no longer limited to two years of support on Tri-Agency funding and will follow UW Postdoctoral Guidelines.
"These updates show that the Tri-Agency has listened to our challenges and concerns and, through a thorough evaluation including two engagement consultations last month, has already begun to address them," Dean's memo concludes.
Full details about these updates and next steps are outlined on the Renewal of the Tri-Agency financial administration web page.
Workday-related system shutdowns coming soon
Due to the transition to Workday in January, 2019, there will be a number of system shutdowns during end-of-year.
| System | Shutdown Date | Impacts |
|---|---|---|
| myHRinfo self-service | November 30, 2018 | After November 30th, you will no longer be able to update your personal information through myHRinfo (address, SIN number, etc.). During December, you will have to complete the Personal Information Form for any changes. All of your information will still be visible in myHRinfo until end of year. In January, updates will be made through Workday. |
| myHRinfo learning & development | December 21, 2018 | Course enrolment through the Learning and Development section in myHRinfo will be available until Dec 21, 2018 and then become available again through Workday on January 7th. Current myHRinfo courses will be transferred into Workday by Human Resources. |
| Casual Time Entry System | December 21, 2018 | The last day to enter time for casual employees in the current Casual Time Entry System is December 21st. Beginning in January all casual time will be entered into Workday. |
| Absence Management System | December 31, 2018 | IST will no longer support the Absence Management System time-off tracking system. Vacations and absences can be tracked in Workday beginning January 7, 2019. Please note that Workday does not track flex or lieu time. |
If you have any questions, contact workday@uwaterloo.ca.