Monday, May 11, 2020

The message shared with students this term: "We're here for you, online"

As students head into spring term from a distance, partners across the University have come together to create an online space to help them find the supports to successfully manage spring term. This web page represents timely collaboration between many departments to ensure that students are aware of the supports that are available remotely.

“In a time when students would typically be navigating the physical campus, they are navigating the online experience. What we can do is ensure that we are making it easy for them to find supports and services online” says Chris Read, associate provost, students.

The page focuses on the concept of ‘we’re here’ – meant to show students that they don’t need to go through this remote experience alone. On the new page, students can find anything from online wellness supports and virtual appointments to peer success coaching, international student discussions, co-op support and connections to their student associations.

‘We’re here for you’ is also the message going out to students on a postcard within their courseware and textbook shipments from W Store. The postcard includes a message from President Feridun Hamdullahpur. “You and your fellow students continue to inspire me with your resilience and creativity. Know that while we may not be together on campus, you are never alone. Our community of faculty and staff are here with you every step of the way,” Hamdullahpur said.

Although campus is quiet, preparations for spring term are as busy as ever. This campus-wide initiative to support students is a great example of working together to improve the student experience.

For more information, please contact Jenn Willoughby at jnwillou@uwaterloo.ca

Mark Giesbrecht named Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics

"It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of Professor Mark Giesbrecht as dean of the Faculty of Mathematics for a five-year term commencing 1 July 2020," wrote Vice-President, Academic & Provost James Rush in a memo circulated to the Mathematics faculty and the wider university community late last week. "The appointment was unanimously recommended for consideration by the nominating committee established under Policy 45, supported by myself and the President, and has been approved by Senate and the Board of Governors."

Professor Giesbrecht completed his BSc at the University of British Columbia and earned both his MSc and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Toronto. He worked at IBM Canada before serving as Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba and at Western University. He joined the University of Waterloo in 2001 as an Associate Professor. His service has included a variety of roles within the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science including as Director (2014-present) and Associate Director (2009-11) and Director of Undergraduate Studies (2002-2005), and also serving as a member of Senate (2016-present). He is a Distinguished Scientist of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and serves on several conference and journal editorial boards, as well as NSERC committees.

“Over his years at this University Professor Geisbrecht has proven his excellence and dedication to the university in both academic and administrative roles,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of Waterloo in an official statement. “His considerable experience in academia and industry and his record of scholastic achievement positions him well to steward the Faculty of Mathematics.”

Giesbrecht will become the 12^th dean of the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Mathematics. He succeeds Professor Stephen Watt, who served as dean of the Faculty until January 2020, and Professor Kevin Hare, who is currently serving as interim dean of the Faculty.

“I am truly honoured and humbled to have been appointed as the next Dean of Mathematics and it is with great enthusiasm that I will take on this position,” Giesbrecht said. “The synthesis of mathematics, statistics and computer science, that we do so well at Waterloo, is seeing an unprecedented moment of research advances, impact, and popularity. The unique Faculty of Mathematics at Waterloo is better poised than any academic unit worldwide to lead in these transformative areas.”

Here's the story: Introducing the Library Bunch

By Mary Lynne Bartlett (pictured left, second row). This is an excerpt of an article originally published on the Library's website that will continue as a weekly series in the Daily Bulletin.

“All I hear all day long at school is how great the Library is at this or how wonderful the Library did that. Library, Library, Library!” – something Jan Brady would say.

Over the next few weeks we will be exploring how University of Waterloo library staff – the virtual library bunch – are embracing innovation and change in our new virtual environment. It is no surprise that staff have quickly adapted to the unpredictable changes caused by the pandemic with creativity and enthusiasm. This first installment of a four-part series takes a look at how chat reference, course reserves, interlibrary loan services, and student engagement have been adapted.

Continuing to provide solid and effective services to our users was our main goal. In order to maintain a high level of service, we initiated extended reference support, involving an increased number of staff needed to provide support through our email and chat service. Brooke Brassard (pictured bottom right), circulation desk clerk, one of the staff deployed to this area, notes that communication is one of the biggest challenges of working in a completely online environment. However, Brooke embraced the change, creating methods for succinctly articulating library processes and procedures in written format. Working online has also opened up opportunities for her to do work in other areas of the Library including Resource Sharing and the Student Engagement Committee. Brooke also assists the Instructional Design team by reviewing learning objects, using her experience as an Arts 140 instructor and her PhD in Religious Studies. Whether she is assisting the Instructional Design team, helping create a virtual escape room for the Student Engagement Committee, or providing critical support for online reference, Brooke is well versed in assisting students, faculty, and staff to find resources and educate them about the Library. In the Spring term, the chat service has expanded hours to Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday noon to 9 p.m., so if you have a question be sure to check it out.

Course reserves staff play an important role providing students with access to the resources they need for their courses. Leah Haisoch  (pictured left, third row), library associate, reserves, gave us an inside look at how course reserves staff have been strategic in providing resources to UWaterloo in these changing times. These staff were required to adapt their workflows quickly as the Library’s print collection was no longer available, forcing them to find alternative ways to acquire materials digitally. Course reserves staff needed to get creative and have been successful at finding solutions. For example, keeping in mind that their colleagues are valuable resources, they created partnerships with other departments on campus and beyond. In collaboration with the W Store, they are working to find and license electronic versions of textbooks that instructors have adopted for their courses. Working in partnership with nine other Ontario college and university libraries, they are also sharing material previously scanned under fair dealing guidelines. The course reserves unit is a win-win for the University. It embraces innovation by working with instructors to investigate digital options, obtain material digitally, clear copyright permissions with rightsholders, and always striving to make course reserves accessible in terms of cost and access to students! Leah notes, “We miss meeting and interacting with you in person, but while we are not physically present, we are still working to support your remote teaching and learning needs. If you have questions about Course Reserves and would like our assistance, please reach out and email us at libreser@uwaterloo.ca.”

Read the rest of the article on the Library's website.

Notes as the Spring term has sprung

Are you interested in completing a Global Leadership programme with one of our international partner universities? Thriving after Massive Global Disruption is a webinar series hosted by the University of Strathclyde, with presentations from international partners.

This first webinar, starting Tuesday, May 12 at 1:00 p.m. (BST), will be led by Professor Jeremy Lauer of the University of Strathclyde, formerly of the WHO, and will feature inputs from Professor Kat Smith and Professor Kalipso Chalkidou who will discuss ‘What can we learn from previous Pandemics and from the response to COVID-19 so far?’

If you are an undergraduate or post-graduate student, participating in the webinars and in follow-up tutorials with peers at our international partner universities, will lead to a certificate of completion of the Global Leadership programme, which will add much value to your CV.

Register online now for this exciting series of multidisciplinary webinars, which explores experiences from across the globe, to better understand the implications and impact of COVID-19. If you wish to attend this webinar, please sign up by 6:00 p.m. (BST) on Monday, May 11.

Concept's Pandemic Challenge closes on Friday, May 22. "The entrepreneurial community is collaborating to offer this challenge to explore the potential of your idea to influence policy changes, found a startup, or create a social venture," says a note from Concept.

Plant Operations has announced that Ring Road will be closed to counter-clockwise traffic due to service tunnel repair work starting on Wednesday, May 20. Clockwise traffic will be diverted through the University Club parking lot and back out onto ring road, with the moveable parking barriers to be removed and stored elsewhere on site. Parking stall lines will be painted over to provide a path for bus and other vehicle traffic.

I looked out the window and what did I see: Good Buddies of the University

"Here is our beloved curious Casper wondering why we are spending all this time at home," writes Yvan Bertrand, lab instructor and lecturer in the School of Optometry and Vision Science. "Casper keeps us walking and smiling and loves to be cuddled."

"Romeo, our ragdoll cat, arguing a fine point in fluid mechanics as we both prepare for a summer like no other," writes Mario Ioannidis, professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

"These two budgies are Sesame and Caramel," writes Nadine Ibrahim, Turkstra Chair in Urban Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "There's a third not featured here (Blueberry) probably because he's the smallest of the three and shy. We love waking up to them tweeting, and we let them fly around the house, but they're confined to their cage more than they are used to while I'm working from home, and we certainly hear them all day - which could get a little overwhelming. They're good company and certainly make themselves heard on most of my calls."

"Archie has learned the word "meeting" means it's his time to shine," writes Kristin Brown, educational developer, TA training and writing support in the Centre for Teaching Excellence. "He is a regular attendee of CTE meetings; he loves to steal the camera and make his colleagues smile." 

Remember, you can send us a photo of your Good Buddy along with their name and work-from-home role by sending an email to bulletin@uwaterloo.ca.