Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Masks mandatory on campus beginning July 27

“Now that the Province of Ontario has entered Stage 3 of its reopening plan, I am sharing an important update on our plan to return to campuses,” wrote President Feridun Hamdullahpur in a memo circulated to employees and graduate students yesterday. “We are continuing to progress through our return to research labs, and are preparing for the next phase of a staged and safe return for some other functions later this summer.”

“Effective Monday, July 27, all employees, students, visitors and contractors are required to wear a face covering in common use areas of University buildings,” the president’s memo continues. “This includes corridors, lobbies, washrooms, elevators and meeting rooms, or in any area where physical distancing is a challenge. Where you can establish and maintain a physical distance of two meters, you can remove your mask.”

A face covering is defined as “a medical or non-medical mask or other covering, including a bandana, scarf or other fabric that covers the nose, mouth and chin to create a barrier to limit the transmission of respiratory droplets.”

“This measure helps us align with the recent Waterloo Region bylaw making face coverings mandatory in indoor public spaces and follows evidence-based public health advice. We want to use all the tools at our disposal to minimize the risk to our community and protect the health of everyone on our campuses.”

The requirement to wear a mask does not apply:  

• to people who are unable to wear a mask due to a medical condition or disability,
• to children under the age of five,
• to people who are hearing impaired, or when communicating with a person who is hearing impaired and the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication, or
• when wearing a face covering would create a risk to the wearer related to their work, as determined by workplace safety guidelines.

Masks are also not required in situations where you can maintain a physical distance of two metres between you and other people. Additionally, in teaching environments, instructors can use their discretion to decide whether masks are needed based on the physical layout of the room, course activities and their own comfort level. In work settings, managers will set the expectation with their teams based on physical setup and work activities. 

Managers and researchers can order cloth face masks from Central Stores using the  online stores requisition form (item code 33-0989).  While an account number must be provided on the requisition form, departments and units will not be charged for these items.

You can also bring your own mask or face covering as long as it covers your nose, mouth and chin. Waterloo-branded cloth masks are available for purchase at W Store. 

If you cannot wear a face mask for any of the reasons listed above and would like an alternative, contact Occupational Health. 

"For your safety and the safety of those around you, please wear a mask or other face covering where required," the president writes. "Please also remember in your interactions with your colleagues that not everyone is able to safely wear a face covering."

“Though I hope to be able to say “Welcome back, Waterloo” as soon as it is safe to do so, I ask that you continue to work from home until you are given further direction or unless your supervisor has approved your work on campus,” the president’s memo says.

Learn more and find answers to Frequently Asked Questions on the University COVID-19 website.

Contact safety@uwaterloo.ca if you have any questions about face coverings.  

Get set to reset, rebuild, and rebound at today's Waterloo Innovation Summit

The COVID crisis exposed the critical need of a resilient and adaptable workforce in the face of disruption. The digital revolution was well underway when the global pandemic hit, accelerating the need for change. With no sector or industry immune to its impact, most organizations now look to reset, rebuild and rebound.

Attracting trailblazers in industry, government and research, today's virtual Waterloo Innovation Summit offers a no-holds barred immersion into technology, disruption and emerging trends.

Entitled "Reset. Rebuild. Rebound. | The talent imperative," this first-ever virtual Waterloo Innovation Summit continues the speaker series that was relaunched earlier this year. The event got underway at 9:00 a.m. this morning.

Delivering the keynote address and moderating the panel discussion will be Randall Lane, CCO and editor of Forbes. Lane will sit down with top leaders, and Forbes 30 under 30 connectors, to hear about the innovative strategies leading to their organizations' success.

Speakers at the summit include:

• Martin Basiri, Co-Founder and CEO, ApplyBoard, and Deloitte 2019 Technology Fast 50 winner
• Michael Litt, Co-Founder and CEO, Vidyard, and Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 2019
• Norah McRae,  Associate Provost, Co-operative and Experiential Education, University of Waterloo

Delivering introductory and wecloming remarks will be Sandra Banks, vice-president, university relations and Charmaine Dean, vice-president, research and international.

Today's event is the first installment in a two-part series. The second virtual Waterloo Innovation Summit, scheduled for August 19, is entitled Reset. Rebuild. Rebound. | The innovation imperative and will also feature Randall Lane as keynote speaker and moderator.

Both events are free, but registration is required.

Meet the finalists for the Concept $5K competition

The Spring 2020 Concept $5K Finalists have been announced. Ten student led teams working on projects they hope to turn into the next big startup out of UWaterloo have been selected and now they will compete for early stage funding. These students were selected from a pool of over 80 applicants and impressed a panel of judges at the Concept $5K Semi-Finals to secure their place in the Finals. Each team will produce a 3-minute pitch video outlining what they are working on, why they show great promise with this idea, and prove they are deserving of the $5K grant.

The finalists are:

• Aqua-Cell Energy, which is developing large scale batteries to store renewable energy for continuous solar and wind power;
• Citrus, which is solving the technological inadequacies of Lyme disease diagnostic tools;
• CloudSafari Inc., which is automating the travel-booking process for local tour operators in Africa;
• Eight Stories of Modesty, a Hijab brand that aims to create a meaningful journey for customers by bringing to light the experiences of women that wear the headscarf;
• Lumos, which is building light therapy wearables;
• Mox Health, which is a convenient and easy to use transdermal patch to detect female ovulation;
• Ottofollo, which is developing an Intelligent iPhone User-Tracking Video Stand;
• Scribble, a web-based platform for remote software development teams to collaborate on technical diagrams in real time;
• Waitless, which provides an easy approach for customers to reach phone support; and 
• VidarDB, which is creating the next generation database system. 

This term's Concept $5K Finals will once again be held online. The finalists' three-minute pitch videos will be uploaded to Concept's YouTube channel. The panel of judges will gather and view each team’s pitch videos before ultimately selecting the top four and crowning winners of the Spring 2020 Concept $5K Finals. Follow Concept's social media accounts to remain part of the pitch competition's virtual audience and vote for the People's Champ award.

Read more about the teams and competition.

St. Paul's offers self-quarantine spaces; other notes

St. Paul’s is offering short-term self-quarantine accommodations for international students returning to the University of Waterloo campus for the Fall 2020 term. The rooms include:

• 1 double bed
• 1 desk
• Ensuite private washroom
• Mini fridge
• Free Wi-Fi
• Linens and towels
• Free parking
• Care package

To book your stay, fill out the form. Rooms and rates are available from August 10 until September 1, 2020.

Anyone with questions is invited to contact confstp@uwaterloo.ca.

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

• Thursday, July 23: Getting a US Work Permit, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.;
• Monday, July 27: Career Spotlight: Management Consulting, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.;
• Online workshop series: How to survive applying to medical school. The Further Education advising team is facilitating a biweekly connection to support students with preparing and planning for medical school applications. Sessions run from July 9 to September 17. The next session will be held on Thursday, July 23, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: The 2020 Canadian Application Rules. 
• See CCA’s offering of virtual programming online. Students can register on WaterlooWorks.

The Centre for Career Action virtual drop-in advising hours for July are as follows:

• Online résumé, cover letter and interview support, Career consults, and Work search drop-ins running 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. PhD student and postdoc drop-ins are running 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students can book virtual drop-ins on WaterlooWorks.