Monday, September 30, 2019

Stories from Orientation

Lisa Brackenridge (far right), with an incoming student and their family/friends at the Family Send-Off photo booth.

By Lisa Brackenridge on behalf of Waterloo Orientation.

The incoming first year student looked nervous when he approached me at the welcome booth on the first day of International Orientation. He and his parents had just arrived on campus. They were unsure of where to go and were looking for guidance. I soon found out his parents were alumni who had met on campus in the DC Library, and fallen in love, years ago. Shortly after their son was born, they moved to the United States. This was a big weekend for all of them. His parents were so proud of their son, who would also be celebrating his birthday during Orientation, but were also dreading leaving him behind to drive back to their home in Boston. I was able to tell them about the programming available and they appreciated the alumni welcome kits we gave them from the Visitor’s Centre. I ran into this family again during Orientation and was pleased to hear they’d had a great time! The parents told me they were leaving campus with peace of mind, knowing their son was in a supportive place and about to begin a new and exciting adventure.

Another student I spoke with at First Year Orientation noticed that many Orientation leaders and volunteers were wearing both Here to Help buttons and buttons displaying their preferred pronouns. The student thanked me for identifying mine and used the opportunity to introduce themselves and their own preferred pronouns. I was glad to be made aware of their pronouns, and to be able to address them in the manner they preferred, as I helped this student check in to Orientation and make their way to their faculty group.

At the Family Send-Off event, while helping out with the photo booth, I met a young girl who was very proud of her big brother. He was here to study Computer Science and she was sticking close to his side. While she was certainly excited for him, she seemed most excited to use her brother’s bedroom and video games while he was away at school! She also admitted she would miss her older brother, as he would be far away from their home in India. You could see that the student was touched, as he promised he would call his little sister often. She told me she hoped to one day follow in his footsteps and come back to Waterloo for university herself!

It’s these little stories, these small interactions, which help build our UWaterloo community. As much as we do it for our incoming students, the ripple effects can often reach beyond. A small action to make one student feel comfortable, or to help another find a building, goes a long way in making our community a more welcoming and friendly place to be.

Each year, about a month after Orientation we share the attendance numbers and some highlights from our programming. This year, we wanted to go beyond those numbers by sharing some of the stories you wouldn’t otherwise hear.  

Whether you were one of the more than 500 staff and faculty members who presented or attended an Orientation event, volunteered at Canada House, wore a Here to Help button, helped a student find their way to class, or otherwise supported new students, please know that you are so very appreciated.

Check out the UWOW 19 videos on Facebook for highlights and the Orientation 2019 by the numbers infographic for a breakdown of attendance numbers.

Orientation is a shared partnership between the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), Graduate Student Association (GSA), the Student Success Office (SSO) and all six faculties. But it takes the entire UWaterloo community to make Orientation a success, so we thank you!

P.S. If you’ve got your own stories from Orientation or other interactions with incoming students, we’d love to hear them! Please send them to us at orientation@uwaterloo.ca

Presidential Nominating Committee seeks members

A message from the Secretariat.

President Feridun Hamdullahpur’s second term will come to a close on June 30, 2021. As required by Policy 50 – The President of the University, the Secretariat is preparing to constitute the Presidential Nominating Committee.

Nominations are requested for the following seats on the nominating committee:

• One senator of professorial rank from each Faculty, elected by a vote within that Faculty
• Two regular faculty members, elected from and by the faculty-at-large of the University
• One regular staff member elected from and by the regular ongoing staff of the University

Completed nomination forms (at least three nominators are required in each case) should be submitted to the Chief Returning Officer, Secretariat, Needles Hall, Room 3060, no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 11, 2019. Elections will follow in late October/early November.

For more information including nomination forms, see Nominations and Elections on the Secretariat website, or contact Emily Schroeder, ext. 32749.

Are you RED-y for the United Way campaign?

Germanic & Slavic Studies shows off their United Way spirit.

A message from the United Way campaign.

When you come to campus tomorrow, you might be seeing red.

That’s because the University of Waterloo’s 2019 United Way campaign kicks off tomorrow, and we’re asking campus to support us by dressing in their favourite red outfit and decorating their office space!

We want to see your photos of the campus going red – post them on Twitter or Instagram with #UWUnitedWay.

A few weeks ago, you got a personalized United Way postcard in your mailbox – check it out for events, resources, and ways to support the campaign.

Watch your @uwaterloo.ca email inbox tomorrow for a link to e-Pledge, our secure online giving system and learn how you can donate to the 2019 campaign. If you’ve already made your donation, we thank you for your generosity.

Interested in getting involved in the campaign? Volunteer to be an Ambassador and check out our Ambassador Toolkit for tips, tricks and resources for running a successful departmental campaign.

Monday's notes

On October 2, cybersecurity and privacy experts will examine the current threat landscape of cybersecurity and the future workforce needs for privacy and cybersecurity professionals at the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute's annual conference. Attendees will meet global thought leaders and experts transforming cybersecurity and protecting users' privacy. The event takes place in Federation Hall from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Registrar's Office has announced that the Fall 2019 final examination schedule is now available on the web. The examination period will run from December 8 to December 21, 2019. A note from the Registrar's Office indicates that examination room information is expected to be added to the schedule by October 15, and any changes and updates to the schedule will be posted on the final examination schedule web page.