Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Associate Provost, Students provides update on Orientation for fall term

"As we look forward to the fall 2021 term, I wanted to provide you with an update on Orientation programming and our plans to support our new students as they join the Waterloo community," wrote Chris Read, associate provost, students, in a memo circulated to Waterloo faculty and staff earlier this morning.

"Like last year, the Waterloo Grad Ready program will replace the traditional campus-wide graduate orientation program. The Student Success Office (SSO) will be working with the Graduate Student Association (GSA), the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) teams and faculty colleagues, building on the already successful Grad Ready program. The program will help students to meet one another, connect with their program contacts and build a strong graduate student community."

"Also, in its second year, the Waterloo Ready program will ensure our undergraduate students have access to a wide range of resources and have many opportunities for engagement with their classmates and peer mentors throughout the pre-arrival period (June – August). First-Year Orientation will build on this foundation and help our students to feel a sense of belonging even when engaging with us virtually."

"First-Year Orientation, in partnership with Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), will run from Monday, August 30 - Friday, September 3, 2021. This earlier date 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 courses (whether they be in-person or online)."

"The decision to be fully virtual for our new student transition programming is a recognition that there will continue to be ongoing uncertainty around public health guidelines for large scale events. Making this decision now allows the planning teams to focus on providing a well-organized and valuable virtual transition for our new students. We also recognize that with our large population of international students and the uncertainty related to international travel, virtual programming will ensure that all new students can experience this important transition to their university career."

"The team in the SSO is looking forward to working with campus partners to continue to provide exceptional programming and a welcoming experience for our new students," Read's memo concludes.

Event explores Asian-Canadian identity, perceptions and belonging

This article was originally posted on Waterloo News.

In Canada, the month of May marks Asian Heritage Month, a time for all Canadians to learn more about the many achievements and contributions of Canadians of Asian descent. 

In honour of this year’s theme of “Recognition, Resilience and Resolve,” the University of Waterloo is honouring its Asian communities’ incredible achievements, contributions and displays of everyday resilience through events and initiatives like Explorations of Asian Identity, Perceptions and Belonging, scheduled for Tuesday, May 25. 

Although an opportunity to celebrate Asian excellence, the commemorative month is also a time to reflect on instances of anti-Asian racism and discrimination that continue to pervade Canadian communities and institutions. Intensified by COVID-19, the Government of Canada has reported an increase of anti-Asian racism acts, with 1,150 cases last year alone.  

Explorations of Asian identity, perceptions and belonging 

Hosted by PART, the event’s panel will explore Asian-Canadian identity and anti-Asian racism, particularly in light of the rise in hate crimes over the past year.  

Showcasing an array of diverse perspectives, participating panelists have a breadth of knowledge and experience in fields such as law, business and academia, including: 

• Dr. Tanya “Toni” De Mello, a human rights lawyer and the assistant dean of students at the Ryerson University Faculty of Law, specializing in biased hiring in Canada, with extensive experience in leading civil society organizations and international relations.  

• Sidra Hasan, a Waterloo Arts alumnus and Workshop Facilitator at Bad Subject with more than three-years-experience delivering creative and engaging workshops on topics such as anti-racism, sexual violence and media literacy. 

• Dr. Vinh Nguyen, an award-winning editor and associate professor at Waterloo’s Renison University College, specializing in topics such as refugee, Asian diasporic literature, and critical race, and auto/biography studies. 

• Jason Tham, a Waterloo Faculty of Engineering alumnus and the CEO and co-founder of Nulogy, a world-renowned software company of which he spearheads product vision and strategic direction. 

“We have a fantastic group of speakers who each offer unique perspectives and insights on this timely and important topic,” says Anne Galang, associate director, executive communications at Waterloo and panel moderator. “I look forward to what I think will be a very illuminating and engaging discussion about Asian identity and unpacking what that means in our world today." Galang is also an active member of PART, co-chairing the working group on Race, Culture and Ethnicity Awareness. 

PART operates within a larger conversation and commitment to anti-racism on campus. In 2019, the student-led Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) service RAISE (Racial Advocacy for Inclusion, Solidarity, and Equity) opened its doors. As well, PART supports immediate change and ongoing action at the University. Not only is there involvement from all six faculties, but various faculties and departments have launched their own anti-racism committees and initiatives to address racism on campus. 

Register for today's event

Waterloo Magazine wants to know: Are you resilient?

The spring issue of Waterloo Magazine is here, with personal stories of hardship and resilience. Each alumnus story brings a unique perspective on resilience, and how they carry through tough times.

To celebrate the new issue, we want to know: what does resilience mean to you? Join our writers, alumni and Waterloo community for an open Twitter discussion about resilience. Discover stories from the magazine, read others’ opinions and offer your own thoughts. Follow and use the hashtag #UWaterlooMagazine from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. EST tomorrow, May 26.

Follow the hashtag

Read the spring issue

UWaterloo Map the System team goes global

This article was originally published on the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement website.

On Friday May 7, 2021, eight teams of students from across Canada competed in the Map the System Canadian Finals for the chance to present their research on a global stage. For their incredible presentation and systematic investigation of the precarious foreign labour conditions in Malaysian palm oil plantations, Leah Feor, Ewomazino Iyanu Oluwa Odhigbo and Muhammed Ahsanur Rahim will be representing the University of Waterloo as one of four Canadian teams at the Map the System Global Finals from June 9 to 11.

Organized by the University of Oxford, Map the System is a global pitch competition that encourages students to “apprentice with the problem”, by thoroughly investigating the existing research, stakeholders and contexts behind a problem to identify gaps and address them in a meaningful, sustainable way. Unlike more traditional pitch competitions, Map the System aims to “incentivize people to deeply learn about and understand a problem,” before conceptualizing solutions.

Teams representing 16 institutions across Canada came together virtually for the Map the System Canada Finals from May 3 to 7, 2021, organized by the Institute for Community Prosperity at Mount Royal University with the support of McConnell’s Re-Code program and the Trico Charitable Foundation. After a semi-final round, eight teams were selected to present at the public adjudication on May 7. Challenges ranged from the harmful environmental and social impacts of renewable energy technologies to sex trafficking in Canada, food insecurity in Toronto, and beyond. Since joining this global competition for the first time in 2019, UWaterloo’s presence at Map the System has only continued to grow through the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement's mentorship and support. In fact, students from the University of Waterloo accounted for almost one third of Map the System submissions from across Canada in 2021.

Leah Feor, Ewomazino Iyanu Oluwa Odhigbo and Muhammed Ahsanur Rahim represented UWaterloo at the 2021 Canadian finals with their presentation on foreign labour conditions in Malaysian palm oil plantations. By focusing on the international supply and value chain for palm oil, they identified the need for further supervisory regulations, greater labour representation mechanisms, and consumer-targeted pull strategies to stabilize and improve labour conditions going forward. When asked why they focused on these possible solutions over others, Feor and Rahim explained that the team wanted to approach the topic realistically, and therefore targeted feasible changes that can be implemented to address the current system.

Even through a virtual platform, the audience’s anticipation as prizes were announced at the Canadian showcase was palpable. Teams from the University of Alberta and Humber College each took home an “Audience Choice” award of $250 from Canada Helps to support a non-profit organization of their choice. The top four presentations each won $2,000 to further their research, and will be attending the Global Final hosted by the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School this June. The University of Waterloo looks forward to competing alongside teams from the University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, and our neighbour from down the street, Wilfrid Laurier University.

Global finalists can win additional cash prizes and are eligible for further “Apprenticing with the Problem” support to help develop their ideas. However, during her keynote presentation at the Canadian Finals, Map the System creator, Daniela Papi-Thornton emphasized that the impact of Map the System goes beyond cash prizes and accolades: “if this has opened any doors for you or changed how you think about something, you are winning.”

Watch for details on how you can attend the virtual Map the System Global Finals on June 11 to open your mind to systems thinking and support our team from UWaterloo.

The UWaterloo Map the System competition is hosted by the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement. Register to receive notifications about the 2022 competition.