Tuesday, February 11, 2020

New coronavirus update includes public health directives; statement on anti-racism

The University's coronavirus website has been updated to reflect changing public health guidance and now includes a statement on racism and discrimination.

"Public health has assessed the risk of the 2019 novel coronavirus as low for Canada and Canadian travellers abroad," says the latest update. "The risk to Canadian travellers in China is assessed as high."

"Health authorities have recommended that people who have travelled to Hubei province in China should contact Region of Waterloo Public Health or Health Services on 519-888-4096 within 24 hours of arriving in Canada. These travellers should stay at home and avoid close contact with others, including those in their home, for a total of 14 days from the date they left Hubei province. Travellers arriving to Canada from other parts of mainland China are advised to monitor themselves for symptoms of the 2019 novel coronavirus for 14 days after leaving China and to contact Region of Waterloo Public Health or Health Services on 519-888-4096 if they feel unwell. If you feel unwell, please contact your family doctor or attend Health Services or call on 519-888-4096 to book an appointment."

The University's statement also includes a description of the 2019 novel coronavirus symptoms: "Symptoms of 2019-nCoV range from mild—like the flu or the common cold—to severe and can include fever, a dry cough, difficulty breathing, body aches, and gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea."

Referencing the University's recent decision to suspend all travel to China on University business until further notice, the University statement says "we will remain in touch with travellers in China to offer our assistance, as required, on a case-by-case basis."

The University has also included a statement about racism on campus: 

"At Waterloo, we value each other as individuals. We all belong here. Fostering our spirit of genuine care and concern is so important at a time when many people are feeling scared or nervous about the coronavirus outbreak. We must show empathy and concern for people in our community who are directly affected by the virus and work together to stand against racism of any kind."

"We understand that many of our students have family members in Wuhan and China who may be affected by the coronavirus. If you feel overwhelmed or anxious and need to talk to somebody, please don’t hesitate to contact the University’s Campus Wellness services, either Health or Counselling Services."

In addition, the Frequently Asked Questions section has been expanded.

Secretariat issues call for faculty Senate nominations

The call for nominations has begun for upcoming faculty vacancies on Senate. The Secretariat has requested nominations for the following Senate seats:

Faculty Representatives – Nomination form (pdf)

• One faculty member to be elected by/from the members of faculty of each Faculty of the University (six total), terms 1 May 2020 to 30 April 2023.

Faculty-at-Large Representatives – Nomination form (pdf)

• Seven faculty members to be elected by/from the members of faculty of the University,
  terms 1 May 2020 to 30 April 2023.

At least five nominators (regular faculty) are required for each nomination. To be eligible to accept the nomination, the candidate must hold a regular faculty appointment. A brief candidate statement (100 words maximum) should be submitted with each nomination form to appear with the ballot.

Completed nomination forms should be submitted to the Chief Returning Officer, Secretariat, Needles Hall, room 3060, no later than 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 28.

If required, elections will be held beginning Thursday, March 12 March, closing Wednesday, March 18.

Please refer to the Secretariat website for more information on nominations and elections. Any questions relating to the above may be directed to Emily Schroeder, ext. 32749. Also, contact Emily to request copies of the nomination forms, if needed.

Faculty senators whose terms expire as of 30 April 2020: Michael Balogh* (physics and astronomy), Chris Bauch* (applied mathematics), Anne Bordeleau* (School of Architecture), Claudio Canizares* (electrical and computer engineering), Tara Collington (French studies), Shannon Dea* (philosophy), Mathieu Doucet* (philosophy), George Freeman* (electrical and computer engineering), Craig Hardiman* (classical studies), Katie Misener* (recreation and leisure),  Mark Seasons (School of Planning), Hamid Tizhoosh (systems design engineering), En-Hui Yang* (electrical and computer engineering) 

*Eligible for re-election. A former senator becomes eligible for re-election following the expiration of one year following the completion of two consecutive terms on Senate (UW Act, section 23).

Registration open for women's academic writing retreat

A message from Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (HREI).

Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion, the Office of Research, and the Writing and Communication Centre are now accepting applications to their Winter 2020 Women-Identified Academic Writing Retreat.

This Writing Retreat supports women-identified faculty members in their research writing process. The retreat will provide:

• dedicated writing space and time;
• opportunities for cross-discipline connections and collaborations; and
• tools and resources to develop and reinforce effective writing habits.

The retreat takes place from April 26 to 28 at the Arlington Hotel in Paris, Ontario.

There is limited space available. Applications can be submitted online and are due before February 21 at 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday's notes

The Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE) is currently recruiting contact lens wearers with dry eye or discomfort for a new study. This study will investigate the effectiveness of a single heat treatment called iLux® to reduce dry eye symptoms in participants who wear contact lenses study. iLux® delivers controlled warmth and pressure to the eyelids to gently unblock the oily glands that produce and deliver oils to the tear film. The study will take place at the University of Waterloo. Participants will receive up to $70 for three visits or up to $80 for four visits. For more information regarding this study visitcorestudies.ca/sheepdog

All studies at CORE have been reviewed and received clearance through a University of Waterloo Ethics Committee. To register to be part of CORE’s participant database and be the first to know about new studies, profiles can be created at corestudies.ca

The University Club is feeling the love this week with a special two-day Valentine's Luncheon on Thursday, February 13 and Friday, February 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Make your reservations today!

This week at the Centre for Career Action:

• Centre for Career Action (CCA) Workshops: See the Career Centre Events Calendar on WaterlooWorks for all upcoming student and employee workshops.
  • CCA drop-in advising hours for February: undergraduate and graduate students can drop-in for résumé, cover letter and interview support from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
  • Personal Statement review for master’s programs: students may drop-in from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.