Friday, May 10, 2019

Federal government launches post-secondary equity initiative

On Thursday morning, Minister of Science and Sport Kirsty Duncan visited Wilfrid Laurier University to announce the launch of the Dimensions: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Canada pilot project and Charter.

The charter is a foundational component of the Dimensions pilot program, which is providing $5.3 million to 15 Canadian academic institutions to foster increased research excellence, innovation and creativity within the post-secondary sector across all disciplines, through greater equity, diversity and inclusion.

Waterloo's Associate Vice-President, Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion Diana Parry was present for the announcement and signed the charter alongside Minister Duncan and Wilfrid Laurier University President Deborah MacLatchy. President Feridun Hamdullahpur has also endorsed the Dimensions charter.

The pilot initiative was inspired by the United Kingdom’s internationally-recognized Athena SWAN program. Dimensions aims to address systemic barriers, particularly those experienced by members of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups, including, but not limited to, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups, and members of LGBTQ2+ communities.

The charter’s principles include (but are not limited to):

• The post-secondary research community has the greatest potential to thrive when members experience equitable, inclusive and unbiased systems and practices.
• To advance institutional equity, diversity and inclusion, specific, measurable and sustainable actions are needed to counter systemic barriers, explicit and unconscious biases, and inequities.
• Institutions require qualitative and quantitative data to measure, monitor, understand and publicly report on challenges and progress made. 
• When equity, diversity and inclusion considerations and practices are integral to research participation, to the research itself, and to research training and learning environments, research excellence, innovation and creativity are heightened across all disciplines, fields of study and stages of career development.
• To contribute to reconciliation, research with, by or impacting Indigenous Peoples must align with the research policies and best practices identified through ongoing engagement with First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples and their organizations.
• Advancing equity, diversity and inclusion is a shared responsibility that requires dedicated resources and strong leadership at all levels.

As a sign of their commitment to advancing equality, diversity, and inclusion across the country, Canadian universities endorsed the Inclusive Excellence Principles and developed action plans to address equity, diversity and inclusion on campus in 2017.

It's time for some e-waste spring cleaning

Central Stores will be offering a seven-week departmental e-waste and surplus pickup initiative starting Monday, May 13 and ending Friday, June 28.

"This 7 week initiative will allow your department the opportunity to clear out e-waste “for disposal” and other items “for surplus/disposal” without the normal paperwork requirements," says the Central Stores announcement. "Any items deemed to be of high value will be separated and a request for an “Asset Disposal Form” will be issued."

Items accepted for the e-waste pickup include:

• Computer monitors (CRT or LCD)
• Computers, laptops and peripherals (i.e. scanners, keyboards, mice, printers)
• DVDs and CDs, stereos and speakers
• TVs, VCRs and DVD players
• Microwave ovens, air conditioners, blenders and fans
• Copiers and toner cartridges, and
• Power tools and electric motors.

Items accepted for surplus pickup include:

• Desks and chairs
• Metal shelving and filing cabinets
• Bookcases
• Other office and storage room items.

To arrange a pickup, email Sean Kimpinski at csss@uwaterloo.ca. Sean will add your request to the pickup list. Central Stores requests that in the email please list the items being picked up and the locations, so that a pickup date and time can be efficiently scheduled.

Please note that staff and students are always invited to drop off their personal e-waste items at the Central Stores Warehouse on 263 Phillip Street at any time throughout the year, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

President's Pop-Up Cafe pops back up; other notes

After two successful and popular editions of the President’s Pop-up Café, the event is set to return again on Monday, May 13. The President’s Pop-up Café offers 20 undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to sit down with President Feridun Hamdullahpur and other university leaders to have an informal discussion on anything and everything that has to do with their time at Waterloo and beyond.

The Centre for Security Governance is hosting the second Waterloo Symposium on Technology & Society event on Wednesday, May 15 at the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

"We are excited to welcome Avi Goldfarb, Rotman Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare and Professor of Marketing at Rotman, who will be speaking on “The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence,” says a note from the centre. "Avi is also Chief Data Scientist at the Creative Destruction Lab, Senior Editor at Marketing Science, and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research."

In his keynote lecture, Goldfarb will recast the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) as a drop in the cost of prediction. By doing so, he will lift the curtain on the AI-is-magic hype and show how basic tools from economics provide clarity about the AI revolution and a basis for action by CEOs, managers, policy makers, investors, and entrepreneurs.

The Waterloo Symposium on Technology & Society seeks to promote public discourse in Canada and beyond on the societal challenges and opportunities created by innovations in four primary areas: artificial intelligence, robotics, big data and social media.

For more information, visit the CSG website, or reserve a ticket.