Thursday, November 19, 2020


A flood of reactions to Waterloo's presidential announcement

In the wake of Tuesday evening's announcement that Dr. Vivek Goel will be the University of Waterloo's seventh president and vice-chancellor, leaders in government, education, industry, and the community reacted on social media, posting their well-wishes online. Among the hundreds of responses:

Ross Romano, Minister of Colleges and Universities

Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener

Deborah MacLatchy, President, Wilfrid Laurier University

Bruce Lauckner, CAO of Waterloo Region:

Goldy Hyer, President and CEO, Business Council of Canada

Rocco Rossi, CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce

John Stackhouse, Senior Vice President, Office of the CEO, RBC

Martin Basiri, CEO, Applyboard

Other mentions came in from Universities Canada, the University of Toronto, McGill University, Carleton University, the University of Calgary, the Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce, and the Business Council of Canada, to name just a few.

Learn more about Dr. Goel at https://uwaterloo.ca/next-president/

W Store announces launch of clear window face masks to improve accessibility

A woman wears the clear mask.

A message from Print + Retail Solutions.

W Store is excited to announce the launch of clear window non-medical face masks, to add to their existing selection of University of Waterloo non-medical face masks and other COVID safety aids.

These reusable face masks feature a transparent panel to provide a more accessible alternative to traditional face masks. The clear window is intended to help overcome the limitations that standard face masks can present for non-verbal communication.

These non-medical face masks are made with two layers of tightly woven fabric and feature a spandex ear loop for comfortable wear. Available in multiple sizes for best fit. Complete with anti-fog technology to prevent fogging of the transparent panel. Available in multiple sizes for the best fit.

A non-medical mask can reduce the spread of the wearer’s respiratory droplets to others. Wearing a non-medical mask when in public is not a replacement for following proven measures such as hand washing, physical distancing and staying home if you are feeling unwell.

It is important to follow the Government of Canada’s safety protocols for using a non-medical mask. Please visit the Government of Canada’s “How to safely use a non-medical mask or face covering” guide at www.canada.ca for more information.

Shop the new Clear-Window non-medical masks, alongside other COVID safety aids at: http://bit.ly/WStoreCovidSafety

Interested in ordering custom non-medical masks for your department, featuring your department’s name and/or logo? Email wstore@uwaterloo.ca and a W Store team member would be happy to assist you.

CBIE Excellence Awards goes to CANEU exchange program

CBIE banner image.

A message from Co-operative and Experiential Education.

An international student exchange/work program was celebrated for its success on Wednesday, November 18. The Canada-Europe (CANEU) Co-op program was awarded the 2020 Canadian Bureau for International Excellence (CBIE) Panorama Award in a virtual ceremony. CANEU co-op is an exchange program that links Canadian and European students (Including Waterloo co-op students). The program celebrated its 10-year anniversary this year.  

“This experience was a real eye-opener. I hadn’t left North America by the time I joined the CANEU Co-op program, so I had very limited interaction with the rest of the world,” says Ben McDonald, a Waterloo alumnus who participated in the first round of the program.

Read more here.

Thursday's notes

Plant Operations would like to give an update on an announcement they made earlier this week: "Friday November 20, 2020 is Mladen Bogdanovic’s last day before retiring after more than 24 years of service," says the note from Plant Ops. "Please send your well wishes via email or by calling Parking services ext. 33100. For everyone’s safety, a celebration will happen at a later date. There will no longer be a department closure on Friday."

This year, the United Nations is marking its 75th anniversary at a time of great disruption for the world, compounded by an unprecedented global health crisis with severe economic and social impacts," says a note from Waterloo International. "Will we emerge stronger and better equipped to work together? Or will distrust and isolation grow further? Your views can make a difference."

"On behalf of the United Nations, Waterloo International is asking the University of Waterloo community to fill out a surveyhttps://un75.online/partner/University-Waterloo—to gather your perspectives about the state of global governance and where it should be headed."

"Your responses will help provide the United Nations insight in to how well we will handle pressing challenges from the climate crisis to pandemics, inequalities, new forms of violence, and rapid changes in technology and in our population."

If you have any questions, please contact Aisha Shibli.

Link of the day

Women's Entrepreneurship Day

When and Where to get support

Students can visit the Student Success Office online for supports including academic development, international student resources, leadership development, exchange and study abroad, and opportunities to get involved.

Instructors can visit the Keep Learning website to get support on adapting their teaching and learning plans for an online environment. The following workshops are current offerings from the KL team (CTE, CEL, ITMS, LIB):

Independent Remote Course Design Essentials. Self-directed, continuous self-enrollment course in LEARN.

Remote Course Design Essentials, beginning Wednesday, November 11. 

Assessment Design Cafe, Friday, November 20, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Employees can access resources to help them work remotely, including managing University records and privacy of personal information. Here are some tips for staying healthy while working from home.

Stay informed about COVID cases on campus by consulting the COVID case tracker

The Writing and Communication Centre is rolling out virtual services and programs for fall term: 

  • Undergrad students -- work with us to brainstorm, draft, revise, and polish assignments by meeting with our writing advisors in virtual appointments. Chat with our friendly and knowledgeable peer tutors in our virtual drop-ins and PJ-friendly writing groups. Or experience an online workshop at your own pace. 
  • First-year Warriors! Check out Waterloo Ready to Write to build your skills for writing success.
  • Graduate Students -- meet with an advisor in a virtual appointments, take an online workshop,  join the grad writing community at our Virtual Writing Cafés and #WaterlooWrites groups, develop your academic voice at Speak Like a Scholar, or make progress on your thesis at Dissertation Boot Camp.
  • Instructors and faculty -- Request and access WCC workshops for use in your courses, join a virtual writing group, or speak with a writing advisor about a writing project.

We understand that these circumstances can be troubling, and you may need to speak with someone for emotional support. Good2Talk is a post-secondary student helpline based in Ontario, Canada that is available to all students. If you feel overwhelmed or anxious and need to talk to somebody, please contact the University’s Campus Wellness services, either Health Services or  Counselling Services. You can also contact the University's Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment.

The Library has published a resource guide on how to avoid information overload.

The Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW) continues to advocate for its members. Check out the FAUW blog for more information.

The University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) continues to advocate for its members. Check out the UWSA blog for more information.

The Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre facilitates the sharing of Indigenous knowledge and provides culturally relevant information and support services for all members of the University of Waterloo community, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, staff, and faculty.

WUSA supports for students:

Food Support Service food hampers are currently available from the Turnkey Desk on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Student Life Centre. If you have any questions please email us at foodsupport@wusa.ca.

The Bike Centre – Now open by appointment for your bicycle repair and rental needs in the Student Life Centre. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please go to: https://wusa.ca/bikecentre

Centre for Academic Policy Support - CAPS is here to assist Waterloo undergraduates throughout their experience in navigating academic policy in the instances of filing petitions, grievances and appeals. Please contact them at caps@wusa.ca. More information at http://wusa.ca/caps

WUSA Commissioners who can help in a variety of areas that students may be experiencing during this time:

WUSA Student Legal Protection Program - Seeking legal counsel can be intimidating, especially if it’s your first time facing a legal issue. The legal assistance helpline provides quick access to legal advice in any area of law, including criminal. Just call 1-833-202-4571

Empower Me is a confidential mental health and wellness service that connects students with qualified counsellors 24/7. They can be reached at 1-833-628-5589.

When and Where (but mostly when)

Healthy Warriors at Home. Free programming including Online Fitness, Health Webinars, Personalized Nutrition and more from Warriors Athletics and Rec. Open to students, staff, faculty and alumni. Register today.

Renison English Language Institute continues to offer virtual events and workshops to help students practice their English language skills.

Warriors vs. Laurier Blood Donation Battle, until December 2020. Join your fellow Warriors, donate blood and help us win the Blood Battle against Laurier for a second year in a row. Set up a profile or add the PFL code: UNIV960995 to your account if you have a blood.ca account already. Questions? Contact WarriorsInfo@uwaterloo.ca.

NEW - University Christmas Project is seeking sponsors for clothing and gifts for children in need. Contact Christian Girodat at ceedco44@uwaterloo.ca for information on how to participate.

Proteus Innovation Competition, Thursday, November 19. Register by November 18.

International Workshop on Nanotechnology for a Sustainable Future, Thursday, November 19 and Friday, November 20, online via WebEx.

Waterloo.ai - AI for Managers and Executives Webinar Series, "Preparing Your Organization to Leverage AI at Scale," Thursday, November 19, 11:30 a.m.

Fireside Chat with 2020 Faculty of Environment Alumni Award Recipients, Thursday, November 19, 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m., Zoom.

The Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology presents: “Ethics and Regulations, Conducting Research in Clinical Settings: A focus on Specific Cases with Carla Girolametto,” Thursday November 19, 2:00 p.m., Online via Webex. Please [register] to receive the link.

NEW - Farvolden Day Symposium and Lecture, Thursday, November 19, 2:00 p.m.

Grad Student Community and Conversation Circle, Thursday, November 19, 3:30 p.m., Online – Register on GoSignMeUp.

NEW - International Workshop on Nanotechnology for a Sustainable Future, Thursday, November 19, 5:00 p.m.

NEW - Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Speakers Series, Friday, November 20, 12:00 noon.

NEW - From Silos to Synergy, Tuesday, November 24, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Webex event (registration via Eventbrite).

NEW - Fireside chat with Professor David Gosset, Tuesday, November 24, 7:00 p.m.

NEW - Noon Hour Concert: Music for Self-IsolationWednesday, November 25, 12:30 p.m., Online, Free.

NEW - The Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology presents: “CBB presents: Quality Management Systems Webinar Series - Product Life Cycle with Abdul Khalfan, Thursday, November 25, 1:00 p.m., Online via Webex. Please [register] to receive the link.