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Submission guidelines
Employee Engagement Survey coming May 1
A message from Kenton Needham, Executive Director, Human Resources.
As President Feridun Hamdullahpur mentioned in a recent communication to employees, “Whether you’re a faculty or staff member, your voice and opinions matter to the future of our institution. Your feedback and ideas are key contributors to making the University of Waterloo a desirable place to work. Together, we can ensure Waterloo is a workplace that values happy and healthy employees.”
The survey was designed in partnership with the University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA), the Faculty Association of University of Waterloo (FAUW) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). To ensure confidentiality, we are partnering with Korn Ferry, a leading management consultant, to administer and report on the survey.
The survey will arrive in your uwaterloo email on May 1st from KF Surveys Canada. All individual responses will remain strictly confidential and only aggregated results will be provided back to the University of Waterloo. Themes will be shared with employees so that leaders can develop action plans to make improvements.
I encourage you to participate in the Employee Engagement Survey. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard and to play an active role in improving your workplace.
If you’d like to learn more, please visit the Employee Engagement Survey website.
Sustainability certificate offerings for all University employees
A message from the Sustainability Office.
The Sustainability Office is excited to announce the spring term dates for their Sustainability Certificate to all University employees. This series of in-class courses is intended to help Waterloo embed sustainability into campus culture, one of the major goals of the University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy.
This series includes seven modules that cover key local and global sustainability issues, what the University is doing, and tools and resources for employees to integrate sustainability into their own departments, homes, and beyond.
For more information and to register for the spring term offerings, please visit the Sustainability Certificate webpage.
St. Jerome's prepares for library revitalization
St. Jerome’s University’s $2.2 million library renovation begins on Saturday, April 27, with the closure of the current site and relocation of some services to the campus’s J.R. Finn building. The expansion will include 17,000 square feet of state-of-the-art learning, research, collaborative and quiet study space; an accessibility lift; collaborative smart classrooms; private meetings spaces; and electronic compact shelving. The project is the next chapter in St. Jerome’s University’s Campus Renewal Plan, launched in 2014, which has included the opening of a 360-bed residence and a 2,087 square metre academic centre.
“We are pleased to be working with ABA Architects and RossClair Contractors to bring exciting and creative spaces to the library that supports and inspires both focused, quiet study, and collaborative, transformational learning,” said Zack MacDonald, assistant librarian, and project coordinator for the renovations working with Justin Black, SJU’s Director of Operations. “The new library enhances the traditional library spaces and services that SJU is well-loved for, while also pushing the boundaries of the types of services small liberal arts libraries can provide.”
“With this new library, the St. Jerome’s University community is investing in our students, our faculty, and the broader learning community on the University of Waterloo campus. Once completed, our library will serve not only as a centre for research and learning but as a centre for our community, with available space for public gatherings and artistic installations,” said Scott Kline, St. Jerome’s University’s Vice President Academic and Dean.
St. Jerome’s University’s library is located on the second floor of the SJ1 building on campus, and houses an on-site collection of books, periodicals, audiovisual and electronic resources. During the closure staff and limited services (printing, physical reserves and Interlibrary Loan pick-ups) will be available in a temporary location, located on the lower level of the J.R. Finn building on campus. Modified service hours will be offered at this site. The main collection will be stored off-site until the renewal is completed in January 2020.
To keep current on the library renovation, visit sjulibraryrenewal.com for updates. To learn about donor and naming opportunities being offered as part of the renovations please visit the “Giving to St. Jerome’s” page on the university’s website.
Wednesday's notes
From left to right: Marcus Abramovitch (Chemistry), Heidi Fernandes (School of Pharmacy), Caelan Wang (Combinatorics and Optimization), Apratim Chakraborty (Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering) and Jeff Casello (AETS committee chair).
On Monday, April 15, Jeff Casello, the committee chair of the Amit and Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student (AETS), hosted a recognition luncheon at the University Club for the 2019 recipients of the award.
This year's AETS award winners are:
- Marcus Abramovitch, Chemistry, Faculty of Science
- Apratim Chakraborty, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
- Heidi Fernandes, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science
- Caelan Wang, Combinatorics & Optimization, Faculty of Mathematics
The Waterloo community chapter of Women in Communications and Technology will have its official launch on Wednesday, April 24, featuring a special guest address by Professor Donna Strickland of Physics & Astronomy.
The event takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in UpTown Waterloo.
The Centre on Foreign Policy and Federalism at St. Jerome’s University is inviting members of the University community to the launch of Distinguished Professor Emeritus Kenneth’s McLaughlin’s new book Race, Religion and Politics: The 1896 Election in Canada on Thursday April 25. The event will take place at St. Jerome’s University in the SJ2 Academic Centre atrium at 7:00 p.m. Professor McLaughlin will be speaking at 7:30 p.m. and a short reception will follow at 8:00 p.m. For more details, or to register, please contact thirstan.falconer@uwaterloo.ca.
Microsoft is running a nationwide online hackathon called the Discover AI Challenge. Participants have the chance to visit Microsoft Canada headquarters, win over $20,000 in prizes, including Surface Book 2 and Xbox One, and a job interview with the company.
The challenge is to develop a sustainability solution by leveraging Microsoft's Cloud and AI tools. Teams' ideas must be based on one of the four UN Sustainable Development Goals: Climate, Health, Education, and Sustainable Cities. The first round of submissions ends on May 5, 2019.