Friday, October 8, 2021

Excelling in an unprecedented time

By Namish Modi. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

From facilitating affordable, accessible energy to encouraging students to think beyond their job descriptions, empowering students was a common theme for many employers in 2020.  Many employers continue to find new ways to prepare students for a future none of us would have pictured.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, work, and the future of work, has changed considerably. Companies saw their workforce, including some co-op students, working from different countries and some moved to fully remote work.

Through immense change, Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE)’s Employer Impact Award recipients offered Waterloo students unique opportunities to develop their skills. Students are developing technical and human-centric skills that help better prepare them for the workforce. 

The second Employer Impact Awards were held virtually on October 7, 2021. Here are this year’s recipients:

• Impact in Innovation – Geotab Inc.
• Impact in International Excellence – ASSA ABLOY
• Impact in Research – Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Odette Cancer Centre)
• Impact in Sustainability – Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy
• Impact on Student Experience – Polar

Despite a virtual setting, employers and students at the recipient organizations have continued to partner in producing exceptional work.

Polar prioritizes work-life balance for students and staff. Geotab encourages its co-op students to innovate and find solutions in the workplace. Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Centre (OCC) facilitates students running their own clinical trials. Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) provides students with an understanding of the importance of sustainable energy. ASSA ABLOY, which typically offers students an experience working abroad, was able to keep students through the challenge of working remotely from different time zones. 

“Congratulations to all of this year’s Employer Impact Award recipients. It’s an honour to work with our global network of employers to create rich, quality learning experiences for students,” says Associate Provost of CEE, Norah McRae. “Collectively, we ensure a strong future economy by enabling our talented students to establish a lifelong learning mindset and develop the most in-demand skills for an increasingly complex future workforce.”

Mutually beneficial partnership for students, employers and the University

CEE employers provide work-integrated learning opportunities for more than 25,000 co-op students. More than 7,100 employers from 60+ countries come to Waterloo to access student talent from the world’s largest co-op talent pool. The program continues to help students develop skills that make them ready to tackle the workforce.

“Every co-op experience creates a space for our employers to harness the power of students’ enthusiasm, academic knowledge and interest in learning,” says Ross Johnston, executive director of Co-operative Education. “Through such supportive and inclusive co-op experiences, our students find meaning and are enabled to be future-ready.”

To learn more about the award winners, read the full article on Waterloo News.

Campus pop-up vaccination clinic a success

A message from Campus Housing.

In a combined effort from Campus Housing, Health Services-Campus Wellness and Region of Waterloo Public Health, eligible students and staff were given the opportunity to receive their second COVID-19 dose at an on-campus vaccination pop-up clinic in residence last weekend. With the campus vaccination deadline of October 17th 2021 upcoming, creating as many opportunities as possible to access a vaccine was the goal.

Set up at Mackenzie King Village, Region of Waterloo Public Health was pleased with the turnout, with 15 per cent of the remaining students requiring their second covid-19 vaccination showing up for Moderna, administered on the Saturday or Pfizer, administered both Saturday and Sunday.

The vaccination pop up clinic and reminders leading up to the weekend may have caused a sort of ripple effect as the campus vaccine clinic is fully booked for this week and are booking into next week.

To support strengthened safety measures against COVID-19, everyone in the University of Waterloo community, including visitors, must provide proof of vaccination before coming to campus. Current members of the University community who are not yet vaccinated must provide proof of being fully vaccinated no later than October 17, 2021 and must participate in the rapid testing program if coming to campus before that date.

Houseplants 101 - A United Way event with a chance to win green prizes

A message from the United Way campaign.

Are you a green thumb and love all things plants? Or a black thumb wishing you could keep your plants healthy? Ever wondered about the differences between houseplants and if our Canadian seasons impact them? Then join us tomorrow, October 13, for a virtual lunch and learn so you can grow your knowledge.

Join Bryan Dobson of Gold Leaf Botanicals on October 13^th from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., to learn about plant care and get answers to your questions about all things houseplants.

This event was inspired by and aligns with one of United Way WRC's focus areas, social isolation. Visit their webpage to learn more about how social isolation impacts our community, as well as the agencies they fund that address it: https://www.uwaywrc.ca/what-we-do/focus-areas/isolation/

Register for the live stream. All attendees will be entered into a draw to win one of three prizes of $50.00 to spend at Gold Leaf Botanicals.

Event admission is complimentary, but we encourage you to make a donation to the United Way Campaign through e-Pledge as you participate in any of our core events this year.

High-Risk Flu Vaccine Clinic opens October 12

A message from Campus Wellness.

The High-Risk Flu Vaccine Clinic will be available to high-risk students, staff, and faculty starting October 12 by appointment only. Getting the flu vaccine is more important than ever to protect yourself, the people around you, and to help reduce the strain on the healthcare system responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individuals who fall under the following high-risk categories are strongly encouraged to get the flu immunization:

• Pregnant women
• All children 6-59 months of age
• Anyone over the age of 65
• Health care workers
• Household contacts of high risk individuals
• Those who provide essential services
• Indigenous population

To book an appointment please call 519-888-4096. Appointments for those who are not under the high-risk category will open November 1.

What's open and closed on the long weekend and fall reading week

Folks, it's turkey time. The Thanksgiving long weekend stretches out before us on a pathway covered by fallen leaves and accented with decorative gourds, with the sounds of nervous gobbling in the distance. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October each year. In Ontario it's a statutory holiday, which means most University operations will be closed or operating with modified hours. For example:

The Student Life Centre is closing this weekend to accommodate some electrical work related to the PAC/SLC expansion. The SLC will close for 48 hours starting at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 9, and will reopen at 9:00 p.m. on Monday, October 11.

During the building closure there will be a power shutdown to facilitate the final PAC/SLC electrical work, which means that power will be out in the SLC on Sunday, October 10 starting at 9:00 a.m. and will be out for up to 6 hours.

Print + Retail Solutions locations will be closed Monday.

Most Food Services operations will be closed holiday Monday, with the exception of The Market at UWP, and Mudie’s at Village 1, which will both be open from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Library virtual chat and email reference services will be available from 12 noon to 6:00 p.m. on Monday, October 11.

As always, there are a few essential University services that never shut down: UW Special Constable Service, reachable at 519-888-4911 or extension 22222, and the Plant Operations maintenance emergencies hotline at extension 33793.

It was recently announced that the Fall Reading Break is now permanent. The break starts on Saturday, October 9 and runs until Sunday, October 17.

Some student-facing services will be running with modified hours during the break, including W Store, with its locations operating Tuesday through Thursday, 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The exceptions are W Store Essentials in the Science Teaching Complex and the SLC, which remain closed. 

On the Food Services front, most of the Brubakers food court in the SLC will be open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the Tim Hortons locations in DC and the SLC will also be operating with limited hours. Check the Food Services locations and hours website for full details about which operations will be open and closed during the reading break.

Your Daily Inspiration, employee appreciation sale and other notes

Your Daily Inspiration

Take a step towards reconciliation

Public acknowledgment of the traditional territory upon which we all live and work is an important step toward reconciliation.

Investigate and write your own personal territorial acknowledgment based on where you have lived and work. 

See all Daily Inspirations on the Keeping Well at Work conference site. Questions and contest entries can be sent to ohd@uwaterloo.ca or tweet @OHDuwaterloo.

"With the fall term well underway, the W Store team wants to show their appreciation for the hard-working University of Waterloo staff and faculty," says a note from Print + Retail Solutions. "All employees can purchase from a variety of UWaterloo branded clothing and merchandise and receive up to 25 per cent off."

The sale begins on Tuesday, October 12 and runs until Friday, October 15. Visit wstore.ca for more information. W Store is offering free Canada-wide shipping on purchases of $85 or more before taxes and also provides free curbside pickup on all orders or free shipping any where on campus. "Discounts have already been applied and no coupon code is required," says the note from Print + Retail Solutions. "Anyone who has additional questions or would like to book a curbside pickup appointment can please contact the W Store team at wstore@uwaterloo.ca."

The Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business invites you to attend their Work-in-Progress Seminar series. This series is an informal occasion for faculty to present their current multidisciplinary projects and research in a friendly atmosphere. All are welcome. The next seminar is taking place on Monday, October 25, at 1:30 p.m. And if you ask me, any seminar that references Kraftwerk in its promotional material is worth checking out.

With that, have a Happy Thanksgiving long weekend. The Daily Bulletin will return on Tuesday, October 12.