Tuesday, May 19, 2020

President provides update on Fall term

This is an excerpt of a message posted on the University's COVID-19 website.

"It is now nine weeks since we took unprecedented steps to move our University to remote learning and working," wrote President Feridun Hamdullahpur in a memo circulated to campus on Friday. "I am writing to share details of our plan to come back to campus when conditions allow."

"As I have said many times, COVID-19 has created extraordinary challenges for everyone. I am so proud of your response to these challenges and how we have come together to make sure we give our students the academic experience they deserve."

Our resilience and spirit make us a University built for change. I am confident that Waterloo has the people, knowledge and skill to emerge from the pandemic stronger than before.

"As Ontario and Canada begin to flatten the curve, we can reveal our plan for the fall term and the principles that underpin our thinking."

"Most importantly, I want to be clear:

• we will be offering a full fall term for every student whether they are new to Waterloo or returning,
• we will follow the advice and guidance of public health officials, as well as internal and external experts,
• we hope to enable on-campus experiences and supports for as many students as possible, subject to public health advice, and
• we will support the academic progress of every student who registers, no matter where they are for the fall term."

Large classes will happen online with some in-person classes and supports

"Throughout the pandemic we have delivered the highest quality courses and experiences for our students at a distance. This will continue into fall Term. As we apply learnings from the extensive Spring term at Waterloo and invest in further upgrades to distance learning, we will continue to put students in the centre of everything we do."

"Starting September, we will continue to deliver all large courses online. This means most of our first-year classes will happen online although we hope some course elements such as labs or tutorials will be available in person. Though the COVID-19 situation may change throughout the term, all large classes will stay online throughout fall term."

"We are working on a plan for some activity to happen in person, if the conditions allow. This could mean clinical programs, smaller undergraduate classes or seminars and research-based graduate students working in labs. Any in-person activity will meet strict guidelines for physical distancing and other public health requirements."

"I have asked our academic leaders to develop plans for this combined approach to the fall Term. I expect to share more information on this soon."

We will operate on-campus supports as conditions allow

"To support a measured return to in-person learning in the fall term, we are making plans to open our campus to support students. We know that some students will want to come to Waterloo to study, even if our buildings are not fully open."

"We will ensure that those students who are unable to return to campus in the fall will continue to be equally well supported."

"As well as the highest-quality instruction, students can expect to get the highest-quality supports we can offer them. This could mean limited access to libraries or computer labs and other learning and personal resources. For students learning at a distance, we will continue to offer the same high-quality supports we are currently providing."

"Timing for when and how we can make our campus available will depend on guidance we get from public health authorities. We will share more detailed information – including our plans for residences and other activities – when we have it."

Read the rest of the President's update.

The Virtual Library Bunch Episode Two: is there a librarian available?

"You ask a question, you'll get an answer." — adapted from Alice the housekeeper

By Mary Lynne Bartlett (pictured left, second row). This is part of an ongoing series in the Daily Bulletin and on the Library website.

We are back for episode two, "Is there a librarian available?" Yes! Librarians are available and want to connect with you! They have embraced working in an entirely online environment, remaining flexible and collaborative when assisting users in finding and accessing reliable information. Librarians are available to assist any way they can.

Subject librarians in Information Services & Resources (ISR) have always had a strong foundation for online collaboration. Their strategic and creative approach to delivering services has allowed them to pivot quickly to a completely virtual environment. Kate Mercer, PhD (pictured right, third row), subject librarian for Systems Design Engineering (SYDE) used her expertise in navigating and critically thinking about information to transition her course and research support online. Librarians have been working hard supporting partnerships with labs, design studios, and collaborations with faculty to bring classes and research support fully online. They are excited to work with these new opportunities available to the Library to collaborate in this virtual learning space. As a STEM librarian, Kate and her colleagues have been exploring multimedia online resources like JOVE, Fluid Mechanics, and Knovel. Matthew Borland, a faculty member in SYDE described his collaboration with Kate:

"SYDE sees the Library as a partner in the education of our students. By integrating Kate directly into the classroom [we can ensure] that our digital native students understand the value of the Library is not just a place to study or borrow books. Information literacy is a priority for evidence based decision making in the design process we teach, and since we're systems we focus on a holistic perspective that crosses disciplinary boundaries. Integrating with the SYDE librarian helps demonstrate to students the value outside of the engineering silo, and encourages stronger interdisciplinary collaboration. Kate's subject matter expertise from different domains also helps students in their design courses to see the problems they are solving from new perspectives."

Librarians are continuing to offer instruction and research consultations virtually, both individually and in groups. Librarians are eager to work with faculty to explore potential innovative collaborations, such as co-instructing courses and new research partnerships. Even though we are all at a distance, librarians continue to provide the campus community with high quality service and support. 

Imagine getting ready for your comprehensive exams for your PhD and pandemic strikes. The bulk of the material that you need to prepare for your exams exists in hard copy in the Library, which is closed. This nightmare happened to some graduate students, but librarians stepped in quickly and methodically to assist and mitigate the situation. Lauren Doyle (pictured centre, fourth row), subject librarian for English and Gender and Social Justice was one of those librarians. Lauren collaborated as a team with two other library units, Collection Development (CD) and Interlibrary loans (ILL). Many of the titles needed were in print, so Lauren partnered with ILL staff to find digital resources in OMNI (our library catalogue) or from online library archives such as Internet Archive, HathiTrust, and Project Gutenberg. Lauren then worked with the CD acquisition team to place rush orders on titles that needed to be purchased. Working in a virtual environment isn't new to Lauren. She, along with the other subject librarians are building online modules for instructional content to be used in classes, prioritizing electronic collections, and providing increased hours for online reference assistance through chat and email reference. Like all librarians, Lauren is available to answer any question and find the resources our users need. She can help users understand how to find the best sources for research efficiently.

I hope you're reassured to know that subject librarians are still here to assist with research and instruction over various communication platforms. In next week's episode (part three of our series), Cindy and Bobby write a letter to the Library asking about some of the behind-the-scenes services in: "Dear Library.”

Staying well while working from home

A joint message from Human Resources and Occupational Health.

Many of us are working from home in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For some of us, working from home is a new experience. For those of us who have children at home, this adds another layer of complexity. It goes without saying that these are different times, which require new routines.

Sick days

As always, the University's priority is the safety and wellbeing of our employees. Employees are not expected to work when they are unwell, and this expectation has not changed in the current remote working environment.

If you are unwell, get the rest you need. While it might be tempting to continue working due to proximity to your home workspace, please follow our regular sick leave process. This includes not working, notifying your manager that you are unwell and entering your time away in Workday. If your absence is greater than five days, contact a member of our Disability Management Team, and they will guide you on next steps.

Wellness resources

In addition to not working when you are unwell, we want to ensure you look after yourself while you are working. The Covid-19 Employee Toolkit is an excellent resource provided by our Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provider, Homewood Health, to support you during this time. Topics include managing stress, building resilience, dealing with financial stress, work life balance, and more.

If you are struggling with your mental health during these changing times, reach out for support through Human Resources, Occupational Health, EFAP Homewood Health, Here247, and Wellness Together Canada.

Stay safe, stay connected.

Senate today; President's Virtual Town Hall tomorrow

Momentum is building after the long weekend: today, the University's Senate meets virtually at 3:30 p.m. on Microsoft Teams. Among the agenda items:

• A motion to approve appointments on the University Committee on Student Appeals;
• A motion to recommend to the Board of Governors the following name change: from “Waterloo Centre for the Advancement of Co-operative Education (WatCACE)” to “Work-Learn Institute (WxL);"
• A motion to approve the addition of a “Work and Health” graduate research field to the School of Public Health and Health Systems field option for both MSc and PhD students, effective 1 September 2020;
• A motion to approve the addition of a graduate research field in Peace Integration within the Master of Arts in Global Governance, effective 1 September 2020;
• A motion to approve the addition of a graduate specialization in Peace Integration within the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies, effective 1 September 2020;
• A motion to delegate approval of the Roster of Graduands for June 2020 to Senate's Executive Committee for its 1 June 2020;
• A motion to endorse the decision of Deans' Council to accept and act on the recommendations described in the Course Evaluation Project Team report, including the launch of the new Student Course Perception Instrument, currently planned for winter term 2021; and
• Three motions relating to the Complementary Teaching Assessment Project Team report and its recommendations;

Senate will also engage in a discussion around decisions regarding COVID-19 and the Fall Term.

The President's Virtual Town Hall Meeting takes place tomorrow, Wednesday, May 20 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. over livestream. The effects on our campus community have been paramount over the past two months and the Town Hall is an opportunity for an open discussion on all that has happened at the University of Waterloo and a vision for moving forward.

Those who pre-registered for the event had the opportunity to submit questions ahead of time and should have received a link to the livestream in their inbox today. For those looking to view the live stream can do so through the following link: https://bit.ly/3dLrL9N.

The Town Hall will feature a brief talk by the President Hamdullahpur and a live Q&A session filled with questions that were both submitted by registrants and through the live Q&A platform.

Plant Operations would like to remind campus that the Ring Road at Village One is to be closed starting Wednesday May 20 for repair work. 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. This closure is expected to be in place until late June.

And we're right back to some more Good Buddies of the University

Even the President of the University needs the support of a Good Buddy. Here is President Feridun Hamdullahpur's cat Skye.

"I have a picture of my daughter's snake, Scarlet, who loves to wrap round our arms and give us wrist hugs," writes Corina McDonald, science museum coordinator in the Faculty of Science. "It is very calming (as long as you like snakes). Our second good buddy currently lives under our porch. It has been ‘good’ so far since no one has been sprayed. And our third good buddies are the blue birds that we see hanging around in our family's woodlot."

"Good Buddies come in all shapes and sizes this month!" writes Daniel Allen, information technology specialist, research and special projects group in the Computer Science Computing Facility (CSCF), in reference to May's wild weather.

"This is Frankie and Beanz laying down on the job enjoying some sunshine," writes Michele Sguigna of Food Services. "At first they were confused with me being home so much, but they have adapted well. Frankie is very good at using her voice to warn others to keep their social distance if they approach the house, which can be somewhat disruptive during virtual meetings. Beanz is a senior guy so laying down is his normal. But he enjoys all the extra treats he is getting when I am working from home."

"After a walk at lunch on a very cool May day, Koda is snuggling in by the fire while I get back to work," writes Laureen Gehl, administrative assistant in the Office of the Vice-President Academic & Provost. "He’s not much help with getting meetings scheduled or work done but he is good company."