Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Engagement Survey results sessions in March

A message from Human Resources.

Last May, in partnership with consulting firm Korn Ferry, Human Resources administered the Employee Engagement Survey, inviting University of Waterloo employees to share their thoughts on what we’re doing well as an employer and where there may be opportunities to improve.

We were pleased to have a high response rate to the survey and would like to thank you for your participation. Your voice will help us continue to make Waterloo a great place to work.

We have been sharing the survey results with leadership across campus, so you may have already had the chance to learn about your department’s individual results. Now, we’d like to share some high-level, University-wide results and offer you the opportunity to learn more and ask any questions you may have.

Register for an information session to learn more:

Session One: Tuesday March 10, 2:00 p.m.

Session Two: Wednesday March 11, 2:00 p.m.

Watch the video for a brief overview of the survey results.

Thank you for using your voice to help us improve upon the culture and work environment here at Waterloo.

Akindi: An easier way to grade multiple choice exams

A message from Information Systems and Technology.

As of January 30, 2020, Akindi is the centrally supported multiple-choice exam processing service on campus (so long, Scantron!). 

As an instructor, you can quickly and easily grade exams using any sheet of paper and any scanner. Akindi offers convenience, actionable data and puts you in control of the process.

Training and access

A variety of training options are available to suit your schedule. Review an online guide, watch a pre-recorded webinar, or contact the support team for a 1:1 training session. Live training webinars are also available on the following dates:

• Tuesday, February 25 from 1:30-2:30 p.m.  
• Thursday, March 12 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. 
• Wednesday, March 25 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. 

Please visit the Akindi website to register for one of the above live training sessions.

New features

We are excited to announce two new features: 

1. Alpha-sorting corrected test sheets

When instructors click "Download Corrected Test Sheets", Akindi will now provide the options to:

• Download a single PDF containing all the test sheets or a separate PDF for each test sheet
• Show or hide the correct answers
• Sort by Student ID, first name, or last name

2. Student Report feature

A 'Report' column has been added to the 'Responses' tab when viewing the results, which will allow instructors to pull up an individualized student report that features their grade and corrected test sheet. 

Please visit our Akindi website to learn more.

BLND design conference at Stratford campus and other notes

BLND, the 1-day interactive conference that highlights how the transformative power of design has become the secret advantage to business success, is back for another year at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business. BLND features interactive workshops and keynotes with industry experts from Facebook, Google, Telus, Loblaw Digital and more, and expects to attract over 100 industry attendees and students to Stratford on March 14, 2020. For more information, or to get tickets, visit BLND.ca

The Noon Hour Concert: Bernstein 101 is Wednesday, February 26 at 12:30pm in Conrad Grebel University Chapel. Featuring singer Mary-Catherine Pazzano and pianist Paul Stouffer, the program will be a jazzy exploration of Bernstein's iconic West Side Story, while also delving into his various musicals (On the Town, Wonderful Town), and classical works as well such as MASS, Peter Pan, and Candide. Admission is free.

St. Bede’s Chapel at Renison will hold an Ash Wednesday service (with the imposition of ashes) on Wednesday Feb. 26, 2020 starting at 12 noon and finishing by 12:30 (to allow folks to attend in their lunch hour). They will also hold Thursday lunch communion services throughout Lent, running from Thursday March 5 through until April 9. This will also start at 12 noon and end by 12:30 p.m.