Tuesday, December 22, 2020

2020 year in review part 2: yes, there were highlights

By Anne Galang.

As we explored in part one of the Daily Bulletin’s Year in Review, 2020 has certainly not been a typical year for the University, or the world, as we navigate a global pandemic, and many of us will be happy to see 2020 well behind us. But, that’s all the more reason to look back on this tumultuous year and find the bright spots.

While the pandemic has loomed large—enough to fill the entire first installment of this two-part series—there have been many highlights this year that, while not directly related to COVID-19, demonstrate the University community’s resilience and our will to keep calm and carry on.

Continued growth

The University continued to grow and evolve this year. The Faculty of Arts hit a major milestone, celebrating its 60^th anniversary. The Faculty of Applied Health Sciences announced a big change, with 2020 being the last year it will be known by its acronym “AHS.” The Faculty will become the Faculty of Health as of January 1, 2021.

The University also welcomed a new institute. In a year of upheaval for businesses around the world, the University deepened its commitment to developing resilient talent for the future with the launch of the Work-Learn Institute (WxL).

Additionally, the University of Waterloo and the City of Kitchener announced a partnership that will further develop the Health Sciences Campus in downtown Kitchener by transforming a 90,000-square-foot warehouse into the Innovation Arena, a connected health- and technology-commercialization community, which will also be the new home of Velocity.

Signs of the times and other campus updates

Our physical space also continued its evolution throughout 2020. One of the most noticeable changes to main campus was the installation of a new welcome sign, a large three-piece glass and aluminum structure, at the University Avenue entrance. The iconic Waterloo sign it replaced, a favourite photo backdrop for students and visitors, was moved to a new home near the Arts Quad, where selfie-takers would be safer away from traffic.

Campus also got smarter—5G smart. The University of Waterloo became one of the first 5G smart campuses in Canada as part of a partnership with Rogers Communications. The Department of Athletics and Recreation unveiled a new Physical Activities Complex (PAC) gym floor, renamed after a founding member of the University of Waterloo, Carl Totzke. And various construction projects continued across our campuses.

Honours and accolades

Outstanding talent at the University were recognized this year with various honours. Two faculty members, Donna Strickland and Linda Nazar, joined the ranks of the Royal Society, the world's oldest independent scientific academy; Waterloo food security expert Jennifer Clapp was awarded a Killam fellowship, and eight doctoral students received the prestigious Vanier award.

This summer, two Waterloo students received the Governor General’s Gold Medal, one of Canada’s highest honours in academia; in the fall term, we welcomed nine Schulich Leaders to our undergraduate programs; and eight exceptional young people with ties to Waterloo were recognized in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. 

Good Buddies helped us smile

Throughout this challenging year, many University community members enlisted the help of their furry (or feathered or scaly) friends to get through the work day, and shared the joy with the rest of campus through the Good Buddies of the University series in the Daily Bulletin. The series ran continuously from March 30 to May 28, featuring new pets and animals daily. After a pause, it picked up again in June, with a final batch on July 13. The Daily Bulletin received 214 submissions with 267 Good Buddies, including cats, dogs, birds, rodents, rabbits, a faun, and a few stuffed buddies. These Good Buddies (like the aptly named Buddy, featured at right) gave us something to smile about during a difficult time.

The University commits to addressing systemic racism

Throughout the Spring, the world was angered and united in the wake of brutal acts of racism across North America. In June, the University of Waterloo made a commitment to establish a taskforce that tackles systemic racism, anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism on campus. In August, the University appointed executive designate, Charmaine Dean, to steward the ongoing process. Since then, the University has taken further steps and made several additional commitments related to its anti-racism work. In December, the University announced the full membership of the President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce (PART), comprised of employees and students. The taskforce will take recommendations from five PART working groups to create an overarching anti-racism framework and build inclusivity at the University.

Vivek Goel named next president

And as the year drew to a close, the University announced that Vivek Goel will be Waterloo's seventh president and vice-chancellor. Goel is a distinguished scholar with extensive achievements in research, teaching and leadership across both public and private sectors. He is recognized in Canada and around the world as a leading public-health researcher, health-services evaluation expert, and champion for the use of research evidence in health policy making. Goel will begin his five-year term on July 1, 2021.

As we say farewell to another year, we have a lot to be proud of, and much to look forward to in 2021.

Human Resources provides update on benefits for 2021

Human Resources has circulated an update on extended health and dental benefit maxima that will go into effect on January 1, 2021.

"The Pension & Benefits Committee has reviewed the maxima corresponding with the extended health and dental benefit provisions," says the memo, "and approved the following changes effective January 1^st, 2021:"

Benefit	Provision	Previous Maxima	New maxima
Extended Health	Paramedical/hearing aids	$717	$743
	Private duty nursing	$21,739 per year	$22,517 per year
	Out-of-pocket cap	$129 single / $259 family	$130 single / $262 family
Dental	Basic services	$2,328	$2,358
	Major services	$3,508	$3,553
	Orthodontia	$3,508	$3,553
The Pension & Benefits Committee also reviewed the retiree life benefit amount, and no changes were warranted due to CPI for September 2019 to September 2020.

What does this mean?

The amount available for reimbursement has increased to the new maxima. For example, the coverage for paramedical practitioners (e.g. physiotherapy) has an annual reimbursement maximum of $743, instead of $717 per year.

Plant Operations announces new Associate Director, Utilities

A message from Plant Operations.

Plant Operations will be starting the New Year with a new Associate Director, Utilities: Stephen Briggs.

Briggs joined the University in the spring of 2006 and worked in various roles. Over the last three years, Briggs filled the role of (interim) associate director, maintenance, providing guidance to the trade shops and the Central Plant. During this time his work focused on streamlining preventative maintenance programs, providing liaison between various regulatory bodies and the University ensuring safety of the institution's water, electrical and mechanical systems, and supporting the daily operation of our campus infrastructure.

"He has spent the last nine months managing operations under COVID restrictions, which has been especially challenging, and we in Plant Operations and the campus as a whole benefited from Stephen’s technical knowledge and leadership skills," writes Stepanka Elias, executive director, facilities. "Please join me in extending a heartfelt congratulations to Stephen on the well-deserved position. He can be reached via email at stephen.briggs@uwaterloo.ca or by phone at 519-888-4567 ext. 43651."