Tuesday, September 8, 2020

As the fall term begins, it's all about location, location, location

Today the fall 2020 term begins. Lectures and classes, online and in-person, are beginning today, as is the co-operative work term. 

All members of the University community can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 by limiting your time on campus to necessary visits, and by following public health guidance and the University’s safety recommendations.

Employee groups are being welcomed back to campus based on their department- or unit-level plans, and if you haven't yet been specifically asked to return to campus, your best bet is to continue working remotely.

Students are also back on campus for the first time since the spring, much to the chagrin of the geese, who have had the run of the place since March. The University anticipates that approximately 1,674 undergraduate students are living in residence in the fall term, 1,548 of them first-years, and many of them will have questions about what services and operations are available to them on campus.

A number of on-campus operations have reopened or have announced expanded in-person services this term. This recent update in the Daily Bulletin contains updates from the Library, select Food Services dining options, W Store locations, the Centre, Campus Wellness, and Athletics and Recreation on the state of available services on campus. You can also browse our directory of Modified Services to look up a specific service.

Building accessibility remains a top-of-mind concern. Employees and students, starting today, are required to log their visits to campus buildings as part of the "Campus Check-In" initiative. It is as simple as connecting your mobile device or laptop to the campus eduroam network, which will automatically record your username, building access point (location), and time of connection and enable the University to monitor campus building occupancy levels and assist with contact tracing COVID-19 cases in our campus communities. If you do not wish to log into eduroam, you can use the online Campus Check-In form and record the buildings you visited and the times you arrived and left. You must complete this form every day you visit campus and for every building you visit.

The University has published a list of academic and non-academic buildings that are currently open and accessible. For safety, the University has limited the entrances to each building. Please only enter through the designated entrance doors listed (they will also be marked by signage). Some study spaces are available in academic buildings, and will be marked with signage. For your safety, please observe physical distancing and sit only in designated seating. Beginning September 8, a limited number of study carrels will be available by appointment at the Davis Centre Library.

Visit the Coronavirus website for a full listing of which buildings are open and their operating hours.

Schulich Leader Award winners named

A group of high school students headed to the University of Waterloo this September have been named 2020 Schulich Leaders. 

The prestigious award comes with an $80,000 or $100,000 scholarship made possible by businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich.  

This year, the Schulich Leader Scholarship program supports 100 young Canadians pursing a STEM degree. 

"After rereading the email multiple times to make sure that I hadn't misread, I ran into my parents' room screaming and hugged them," said Dhruv Upadhyay, an incoming first-year mechatronics engineering student. "They were really confused about what happened, and I tried to tell them, but I was so excited I couldn't even form the words in my mouth."

Waterloo’s Schulich leaders include young men and young women, all pursuing STEM degrees. 

“The University of Waterloo is a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and action-oriented thinking that pushes the world forward,” said Tyler West, who plans to study mechatronics engineering. “All this combined with the amazing co-op program at the University really made me feel like this is a place that I wanted to be a part of and use as a springboard for my life and career.” 

The 2020 Schulich Leaders at Waterloo are: 

• Anish Aggarwal, Computer Science   

• Christina Hanna, Nanotechnology Engineering;

• Dhruv Upadhyay, Mechatronics Engineering;

• Jacob Mausberg, Computer Science;

• Jason Xiong, Computer Science;

• Peter Zhu, Software Engineering;

• Tara Ferguson, Environmental Science;

• Tyler West, Mechatronics Engineering; and 

• Yashvardhan Mulki, Software Engineering. 

Asked if she is concerned about learning online this fall, Tara Ferguson said she’s prepared to carry over the time management habits that served her so well in high school.  

“To stay focused, I’m planning on removing as many distractions as possible from my desk area, as well as creating and following a schedule similar to what it would be like if I were learning in-person,” said Ferguson. “One thing I’m looking forward to is cooking a good breakfast for myself in the mornings, since in the past years, I haven’t had time due to the long commute from my house to school.”  

To read more about each of the incoming Schulich Leader award winners at Waterloo, visit Waterloo Stories for a full-length feature article.

Connecting with international students in the fall term

A message from the Student Success Office (SSO). 

Chants of Water! Water! Water! Loo! Loo! Loo! could be heard around the world this past week when more than 1,300 international undergraduates, in Waterloo and abroad, participated in online international student orientation programming. Highlights from the week include a welcome message from President Hamdullahpur, the International Student Live Chat, a health insurance information session, and social events with the International Peer Community.  

“It was the first time international programming within orientation has been offered through an online platform. We were thrilled to see so many students engaging from a whole range of different time zones,” said Cyntia Bratan, international student experience coordinator.  

In addition to helping new students begin their studies on the right note with Orientation, the Student Success Office (SSO), in collaboration with several campus partners, developed the Travel and Quarantine Checklist to help students who are travelling to Canada plan ahead. Students can receive guidance for making arrangements, writing a quarantine plan, and staying up to date with key immigration details. 

“I’ve heard from several international students preparing to enter Canada that the Checklist has been very helpful in preparing their quarantine plans. It’s alleviated some of the stress involved with entering Canada at this time,” said Clint MacPhee, immigration consultant.  

As the fall term progresses, the SSO will continue to support international students whether they are studying from their home country, travelling, or currently residing in Canada. We do this through programs like the International Peer Community, International Student Online Discussions and Immigration Information Sessions, which help students feel connected to the University and know how COVID-19 impacts their status and studies in Canada.

Scholar Strike set for this week

A statement from the University of Waterloo.

On September 9 and 10, academics across the country—and in the United States—will act as part of "Scholar Strike" to bring renewed focus to issues of racism in our societies and the post-secondary sector. 

The University of Waterloo acknowledges the many specific calls to action for post-secondary institutions included in this campaign and we are committed to bringing the changes needed. Thanks to true collaboration and input from so many, and by BIPOC members of our campus communities, we are able to advance real sustainable change for the University. This work has begun and the University recognizes the determination with which it must continue. The University hopes to provide an update on our ongoing consultations and actions in the coming weeks.

We know that some in our community may choose to participate in the digital teach-ins being organized by #scholarstrikeCanada. We also know that many of you will choose to reflect on the activity in other ways, including in meetings or in classes.

Our Equity Office is available to support anyone on campus who experiences racism and students can seek academic accommodation if they have a traumatic experience based on race. Our counselling services and employee and family assistance program are there for anyone who needs help now, or in the future.

For those who want to take action, the Equity Office has developed resources to help combat racism on our campus, in particular anti-Black racism. If you see resources that are missing from this living resource library, please share them with the Equity Office. Individuals can also email part@uwaterloo.ca to express interest in participating in our ongoing process of consultation.