Wednesday, March 11, 2020

PAC floor to receive first upgrade in over 50 years

This article was originally published on the Athletics and Recreation website.

The Department of Athletics and Recreation would like to bring to your attention upcoming closures within the PAC over the spring term. We are very excited to announce that we are upgrading our PAC Gym Floor (both the small and large gyms) for the first time in the history of the building. The original floor, built over 50 years ago, has undergone multiple facelifts but has approached end of life and needs to be replaced. A new sports floor by Robbins Sports Surfaces will be installed, giving our students and student-athletes the best one-of-a-kind floor system in the business, used in many post-secondary and professional athletic facilities. 

Robbins' innovative design focuses on optimizing biomechanical interaction between athlete and floor by minimizing vibration and maximizing uniformity, while maintaining proper energy return.

After a long selection process we are excited to work with Gym-Con Sports Flooring to install the Robbins product," said associate director of business operations Ari Grossman. "The duration of the shutdown is a result of the demand for the PAC facility as we will work around exams and convocation. We appreciate everyone's support through the process."

The PAC floor update project will begin on March 23 and extend until July 5. As a result of the shared space, both gyms, Warrior Zone and the Activity Area will be closed during construction. There will also be Field House open fitness time, that will be similar to open recreation where you can use functional equipment such as bands, medicine balls, sleds, skipping ropes to conduct personal workouts. 

As a result of many closures in the PAC, we will be extending the CIF and Field House hours by keeping regular hours through exams and the summer term to help spread out traffic throughout the day. There will be additional programming available in the Field House as well. The extended hours in the CIF will be from April 5 to July 26 with the facility opening a 7:00 a.m. and closing at 11:30 p.m. 

Please note the PAC floor update project will not affect scheduled exams and spring convocation. 

We thank you for your ongoing cooperation as we continue to make necessary improvements to our facilities to enhance the Warrior experience. 

Ottawa summit looks to the future of talent

By Stephanie Longeway. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo Stories.

In our rapidly  changing  economy,  corporate leaders  must respond to  the  opportunities  and challenges of  the  shifting  nature of work.  Canada and the world need creative minds who can  expertly  navigate  disruption  and leverage new  technologies  to ensure a prosperous economic future.

Executives from the private and public sector joined the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the University of Waterloo in Ottawa on March 10 to envision the future of talent in Canada. This exclusive Waterloo Innovation Summit explored insights and the best practises they can use to future-proof the Canadian workforce by attracting and retaining top talent at the Waterloo Innovation Summit in Ottawa.

Here are three key insights from the Summit on preparing Canada’s future workforce and ensuring organizations have the best talent to compete in the global economy.

Read the rest of the article on Waterloo Stories.

Survey says; results from the Student Communications Survey

A message from the Student Success Office (SSO).

Do students want emails from the University? Are they still using Facebook?

In winter 2019, the Student Success Office (SSO) surveyed students to understand more about their communications preferences when it comes to information from the University. The survey findings are now available! Visit the SSO Staff and Faculty Resources page to see the highlights or download the Final Report (PDF). Lisa Brackenridge, Claire Taylor, and Jenn Willoughby from the SSO will also be presenting the survey findings, as well as tips for student communications, at the upcoming Staff Conference.

Discover Uncharted: Warriors in the World

A message from the Office of Advancement.

Graduating from university marks the start of a new chapter in life. For many of us, it’s a time of possibility, but it can also leave us wondering what to do next — especially as we build our careers.

On the new podcast Uncharted: Warriors in the World, alumni from the University of Waterloo share personal stories about their professional lives — including how they got started, and how they changed course so they could find meaningful work. Along the way, they open up about the struggles they’ve faced, and the steps they’ve taken to carve out their path in the world.

Join us for intimate conversations and incredible stories that will inspire you as you launch — or change — your career. Embrace the unknown and check out Uncharted today.

Uncharted: Warriors in the World is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Soundcloud.

Wednesday's notes

Here's what's new this week at the Centre for Career Action (CCA):

• Employers on campus this week hosting employer information sessions include BMO Capital Markets and Deloitte Days. Check the Calendar on WaterlooWorks for updates and more information.

Here's what's new this month:

• Employee Career Advising drop-in appointments: This month, Employee Career Advisor and Learning Specialist Sue Fraser is offering 30-minute drop-in appointments as part of the Employee Career Advising Program to support University of Waterloo employees with just-in-time, urgent résumé review or interview preparation.
• Pharmacy Interview Drop-Ins: During March and April, students can drop-in for pharmacy school admission interview preparation from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., Monday to Friday at the CCA Front Desk (TC 1214). 
• CCA drop-in advising hours for March: Students can drop in for résumé, cover letter and interview support from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Note that there are no Further Education drop-ins on Tuesday, March 17 and there are no Graduate and Postdoc drop-ins on Thursday, March 19.
• Exploring Careers in Sustainability: Working for a Better World – Thursday, March 19, 12:00-1:30 p.m., TC 2218: Speakers from various sustainability-focused roles will share their career stories and how their degrees helped them to prepare for a career in sustainability.

Centre for Career Action Winter 2020 Workshops: Register on WaterlooWorks for all upcoming student and employee workshops.

Here's the latest Nutrition Month "myth vs. fact" supplied by Health Services Dietitian Sandra Ace:

Myth:

Reheating leftovers will keep them safe.

Fact:

Planning to have leftovers is a great way to save time when you’re cooking. But handling food safely after it’s cooked is just as important as handling uncooked food properly. If you leave leftovers out at room temperature, bacteria have the ideal environment in which to grow and thrive. So transfer your leftovers into a shallow dish and refrigerate or freeze quickly. Forget to put last night’s rice, stew or meatloaf in the fridge? Leftovers that aren’t refrigerated within two hours after cooking should be thrown out. Better to be safe than sorry; some food spoilage bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens, produce toxins that are not killed even when heated to a high temperature.

Avoid reheating leftovers multiple times – reheat only the amount you plan to eat at the time. Most refrigerated leftovers should be used within two or three days – here is a handy storage chart. Don’t rely on your eyes, nose or taste buds to tell you if a food has gone bad. If you freeze leftovers, thaw them in the refrigerator or in the microwave using the defrost setting. Leftovers can be safely reheated in the oven, in a pan on the stovetop or in the microwave but should not be reheated in a slow cooker.