Friday, July 17, 2020

New details emerge on Orientation this fall

Associate Provost, Students Chris Read and the Orientation Steering Committee have issued an update on Fall 2020 Orientation planning and activities.

"With the launch of the Waterloo Ready program, our students are accessing a wide range of resources and have many opportunities for engagement with their classmates and peer mentors. Orientation will build on this foundation and help our students to feel a sense of belonging even when engaging with us virtually," Read wrote in a memo distributed to employees this morning. "As a complement to our pre-arrival Waterloo Ready programming, First Year Orientation, including specific international student programming, has been adjusted to begin earlier than normal and will take place from September 1^st-7^th, the week before classes start. This date shift ensures Orientation programming does not compete with other priorities and demands students will experience during the first week of classes and getting set up in their online courses."

Content and programming for Orientation will be released sequentially and delivered through pre-recorded videos, live chats and virtual events, and online forums. Programming will focus on connecting students with their future classmates, sharing the unique traditions of the faculties, and sharing more about student life at Waterloo. This will include traditional programming such as Warrior Welcome, Dear First Year Me and the International Student Welcome.

"This year, the Waterloo Grad Ready program has been created for incoming graduate students and will replace the traditional campus-wide graduate orientation program," Read writes. "To learn more about Waterloo Grad Ready, and see recommendations for faculty and department-based programming, review the Graduate Studies Resources website, designed specifically for our faculty and staff."

"Though our orientation programming will be different this year, we remain committed to ensuring all new students feel welcomed to our Waterloo community. Please know there is a dedicated team of students, staff and faculty, including the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association and the Graduate Student Association, who are working together to welcome our students and ensure they feel a part of the Waterloo family virtually as much as they do when we welcome them in person," Read writes.

As First Year Orientation details evolve, they will be available on the Orientation website.

Ask an online learning expert: What strategies will make my course more accessible?

By Katelin Hamilton, Senior Online Learning Assistant. This is part of an ongoing series in the Daily Bulletin.

While our previous article “What do I need to know about accessibility?” identified accessibility requirements and why accessibility benefits all students, it’s important to note that accessibility means more than meeting our legal obligation to accommodate students with disabilities.  As explained by the University of Minnesota, “eliminating barriers for an individual upon request (accommodation) is good and important. Better is creating an inclusive environment for all (accessibility).” 

Christine Zaza from the Centre for Extended Learning recommends following principles of universal design when creating all aspects of your course (including teaching materials, assignments, assessments, and learning activities) to increase accessibility and improve the learning experience for all students.  Start with these three general principles of universal design.  

Flexibility allows for students to take their own needs into consideration when completing course tasks. For example, rather than having rigid due dates with harsh late penalties, provide ‘slip days’, which allow students to submit assignments late without any penalty, where feasible. This is particularly important during our current pandemic where there is added stress and great uncertainty.  By being flexible, you communicate a caring concern for your students’ well-being. Start by identifying where you can be flexible, and where flexibility is not possible.  

Reduce Unnecessary Effort so students can focus their energy on understanding key course concepts. For example, providing practice questions helps students know what to expect on assessments. Posting thorough assignment instructions and marking guides also eliminates unnecessary effort as students know what is expected of them. It can be very helpful to ask a colleague or your Online Learning Assistant (OLA or SOLA) to read over your draft assignment instructions and provide feedback. You can also send it to remoteteaching@uwaterloo.ca to have a member of the Keep Learning team review it for clarity.

Variety, both in terms of teaching methods (e.g., readings, videos, slides, text, images, figures, simulations) and assessment methods (e.g., multiple choice questions, written answers, presentation, reflection, discussion), allows students to learn and present their knowledge in ways that best suit their needs and strengths.  Using a variety of strategies to motivate students is also beneficial. While some students may be reassured knowing that you care about their well-being, others may prefer practical ways to gauge their progress like ungraded self-assessments

While all these principles of universal design benefit students with disabilities, they also help all students feel comfortable and supported in their learning. For more information on universal design, check out the Teaching Tip Sheets on Universal Design in Course Design and Universal Design in Instructional Strategies created by the Centre for Teaching Excellence.

Virtual event sought to create a real sense of belonging

by Maddie Nichols, Campus Wellness co-op student.

On June 23, the Wellness Collaborative hosted a virtual university-wide event to increase understanding of the importance of sense of belonging for wellbeing and academic success, while identifying meaningful actions for creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all.   

We heard belonging stories from UWaterloo’s president and vice-chancellor, Feridun Hamdullahpur, alongside students, faculty, and staff. Jennifer McCorriston, chair of the Wellness Collaborative, revealed the proposed wellness priorities for the University of Waterloo, which include: Institutional Commitment for Wellness at all Levels; Mental Wellness; Sense of Belonging; Supportive Environments for Active Living and Healthy Eating; and Spiritual Wellness.

Participants heard from Dr. Christine Logel about her research on sense of belonging among post-secondary students. Specifically, Dr. Logel’s research focuses on creating inclusive and caring campus communities by addressing barriers to belonging that many minority groups face in post-secondary education. Logel highlighted the idea of creating bright spots: opportunities on campus that foster equity and sense of belonging. We can all contribute to creating these bright spots at UWaterloo, and Logel outlined four ways in which we can do so:

1. Check in with others

Sometimes, something as simple as a check-in email has the power to initiate a snowball effect, creating a community that actively pursues stronger sense of belonging in many different ways. Why not connect with a student, colleague or peer to see how they’re doing?

2. Show others that you see them as a whole person

There is always something you can do show that you care for each individual in your life, whether they be a colleague, student, peer, or friend. One way to do this is by recognizing that others have their own responsibilities and obstacles that they face daily, and acknowledging these can go a long way in fostering a stronger sense of belonging.

3. Normalize struggling

It’s important to share the message that struggling does not mean you don’t belong. In fact, struggling with feelings of not belonging is very common. Work towards normalizing shared experiences that deal with these feelings, and talk openly about mental health with others.

4. Connect others to resources

Being able to help an individual connect with supportive resources is one of the most impactful things you can do for someone. A minute of support to help a student, peer or colleague connect with a resources could make the difference between accessing or avoiding resources.

Thinking to the future, it is crucial that we continue to consider how we can embed wellness and belonging into all of our operations at UWaterloo; something that cannot be done unless we continue to support and honour others in their own sense of belonging stories.
 
To learn more about how you can act on these opportunities to foster belonging, visit the website to access resources from the event and sign up for the Wellness Collaborative newsletter.
 
What is one thing you are going to do to foster sense of belonging among your colleagues, students, peers, or friends today?

Campus lets off steam and other notes

This is a reminder that Plant Operations will be going ahead with the annual campus steam system shutdown next week. From Monday, July 20 to Friday, July 24 at noon, all buildings within Ring Road, as well as Village 1 and Engineering 5 and 7, will be without domestic hot water, heating, and steam services as maintenance to the campus steam mains is carried out.

This annual shutdown usually happens in August, but Plant Operations has moved the date up in order to lessen the disruption as campus prepares to welcome students back to campus in September.

Today, Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion will be hosting INI202: You Don't Know What You Don't Know Part II, the second part of a two-part workshop where campus community members gain a deeper understanding of historic and current realities for First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in Ontario and Canada. The online session runs from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.