Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Welcoming new Warriors at Orientation

Staff and student volunteers wearing Here-to-Help buttons and welcoming students at International Orientation.

Starting tomorrow, and over the next 10 days, campus will feel a whole lot busier. More than 9,000 incoming students will be arriving to begin their academic careers at the University of Waterloo.

We encourage faculty, staff, and student volunteers to wear a Here to Help button or sticker throughout Orientation and into the first week of classes. Wearing one symbolizes your willingness to help a student if they need assistance and helps students to feel welcome and supported.

A wide-variety of Orientation programming is planned for the days leading up to, and including, the first few days of classes in order to:

• support new students in their transition to Waterloo,
• create a sense of belonging and inclusivity,
• empower students to self-discovery and choice, and
• build Warrior pride.

There’s a general Fall 2019 Orientation Schedule available on the Orientation website and students will see detailed and personalized schedules in UWaterloo Portal.

Orientation programming begins with International Orientation tomorrow, followed by First-year Orientation over the weekend and throughout the week, to Graduate Orientation on Saturday, September 7.

Classes begin on Wednesday, September 4 and students are expected to attend their classes as well as optional Orientation events in-between or after classes Wednesday through Friday. First Year Orientation concludes on Saturday, September 7 with a Black and Gold day rugby game and the new Saturday Night Bash!

Follow along with the Fall 2019 Orientation excitement on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or with the hashtag #UWOW19. Listen to the Spotify playlist for some favourite Orientation tunes from past years and current hits to get into that back-to-school groove. 

Orientation at Waterloo is a team effort, made possible through a shared partnership between the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), the Graduate Student Association (GSA), the Student Success Office (SSO) and all six faculties. If you have any questions about Orientation 2019, visit our Frequently Asked Questions or contact us directly.

W Store organizes Orientation offerings

A message from the W Store.

The W Store has arranged a number of special events for Orientation Week, including a Move-In Day pop-up shop, a campus shuttle, and extended operating hours for early September.

Move-In Day Pop-Up Shop

The W Store will be hosting a Move-In Day Pop-Up Shop in Village 1 for students moving into Waterloo residences over the Labour Day weekend. The pop-up shop will offer a selection of classic UWaterloo apparel, as well as dorm room essentials including bedding, mini-fridges and organizational items. This is the perfect opportunity for students to pick up essential dorm items to make their new room feel like home! 

Details for the Move-In Day Pop-Up Shop are as follows:

• W Store Move-In Day Pop-Up Shop, Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., V1 Multi-purpose room.

W Store Shuttle Bus

For international students new to the University of Waterloo community, the W Store will be offering a shuttle bus service to visit our two store locations in South Campus Hall. The W Store Shuttle Bus will be making regular stops from Village 1 to South Campus Hall to UW Place on Thursday August 29. The last shuttle will depart from South Campus Hall at 9:00 p.m.

Details for the W Store Shuttle Bus are as follows:

• W Store Shuttle Bus, Thursday, August 29, 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (W Store closes at 9:00 p.m.), Stops at Village 1 -> South Campus Hall -> UW Place 

W Store Extended Hours

The W Store will be offering extended hours on select dates in August and September to better accommodate University of Waterloo students during the back-to-school rush. For a full listing of Fall 2019 extended hours for each of our W Store locations, visit https://wstore.uwaterloo.ca/location-hours.

Spots remaining in fall term Sustainability Certificate offerings

The Sustainability Office is excited to offer the Sustainability Certificate once again to all University employees for the upcoming Fall 2019 term. 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.

In Winter 2019, the Sustainability Office was pleased to award a completed certificate to its 100^thgraduate; as of Spring 2019, more than 110 employees have completed the certificate and an additional 120 employees have started the series.    

 Registration is managed through Workday. For a list of session dates and more information, please visit the Sustainability Certificate webpage.