Friday, December 17, 2021

Winter term will begin online

President and Vice-Chancellor Vivek Goel and Vice-President, Academic & Provost James Rush have confirmed the University's plans for the winter term in a series of communications to the campus community yesterday in light of concerns surrounding the Omicron variant.

While remaining exams in the examination period will continue as previously scheduled, when classes resume in the winter term on January 5, 2022, the vast majority of them will be online until at least January 24, 2022.

"While much remains to be learned about this new variant, it is clear that it is spreading at a much faster rate than previous variants, and there is a decreased immune protection to disease transmission from both previous infection and immunization. There is evidence that two doses of vaccine provide a degree of protection from severe disease. A third dose provides greater protection for disease transmission and severe disease. Data is still emerging on the severity of disease caused by this variant, but even if it is less severe, with the rapid transmission even in highly immunized populations, there will once again be risks of overwhelming our already stretched health care system. Furthermore, with the high transmissibility of Omicron, there may be very high levels of absenteeism as large numbers of people are required to go into isolation."

"We will need to do our part to reduce levels of contacts in the community to flatten the curve and ensure time for people to receive third doses of a vaccine. This means we need to make some short-term changes to our plans based on the guidance we have received from public health officials."

Learning and working will happen primarily online prior to January 24

"When the new academic term begins on January 5, we will start teaching and learning online," Goel and Rush write. "We expect to return to in-person experiences as of January 24, as public health conditions allow. We are extremely grateful that so many instructors have made plans for this eventuality."

• We know that some learning must continue to happen in person. Some courses and learning activities, including clinical programs and some lab-based experiences, will continue in person. Students in these courses can expect to hear about academic plans from their program or faculty.
• Our residences will remain open for those students living there. Our residence community can expect to hear more from Campus Housing over the next few days.
• Access to campus will remain available for employees with essential work to complete or continue, and instructors who need to make preparations for the winter term.
• Food Services and Athletics facilities will continue to operate in line with provincial guidelines and we will continue to make some study spaces available on campus. In all public places, you must continue to wear a mask and physically distance from others.
• Research activities will also continue in person, and researchers can expect to hear more from the Vice-President, Research and International if any changes are required to current research activities.

The leaders' communication also states that employees who can work from home should continue to do so until January 24. Academic buildings will remain open, except for holiday closures during which access can be arranged where necessary for essential academic and research purposes.

"These changes are designed to promote safety, to give us all certainty in another period of change, and to give us all time to get booster shots when we become eligible," Goel and Rush write. "We remain hopeful that taking these actions now we can get back to our plan to expand in person experiences for everyone this winter. We will continue to work closely with public health officials over the winter break and if these temporary measures for the winter term need to change or be extended, we will let you know as soon as possible in the new year."

"We know changing plans at this point in the year is difficult and creates extra stresses for many of you. We also acknowledge that the current situation requires you all to dig deep into your reserves of energy and passion for the University that have been drained over the last two years. We are extremely grateful and proud of the resilience this community has shown throughout the pandemic. Despite these late changes the new variant is forcing, we hope you are able to stay safe and rest over the winter break."

"Please keep watch on your email, our social media channels, and the COVID-19 website for more help and information."

If you are struggling with your mental health during these changing times, reach out for support through Human Resources, Occupational Health, Here247 and Wellness Together Canada.

Ongoing employees can access supports through Homewood Health, the University’s Employee and Family Assistance Program partner or at 1-800-663-1142. Topics include managing stress and anxiety, building resilience, dealing with financial stress, work life balance and more.

Students are also encouraged to reach out for support. The Universty has many resources available to you including counsellors, physicians, and nurses available to help. Book an appointment with Health Services at 519-888-4096 or Counselling Services at 519-888-4567, ext. 32655. You can also connect with Empower Me at 1-833-628-5589.

Preliminary results of the equity survey to be released early January

A preliminary report of the equity survey with breakdowns by campus, students, faculty, and staff will be released in January 2022. That’s according to Institutional Analysis and Planning (IAP) and the Equity Office, which launched the equity survey in June 2021, to almost 50,000 students, faculty and staff.

The goal of the survey is to initiate an ongoing confidential collection of demographic data to better understand the composition of the UWaterloo community and to inform equity initiatives across the institution. The Equity Office, the Equity Data Advisory Group, and IAP have expressed their appreciation to members of the  campus More community who completed the survey. The ongoing equity data gathering  will ensure that the institution builds and maintains an accurate picture of its community, even as new students, faculty, and staff join the University.

The results of the initial survey will be reported in several stages and customized reports will be available on request. The reports will be used to inform three main questions:

1. How does the makeup of UWaterloo's community compare to Waterloo Region, Ontario, and Canada?
2. Are equity-deserving groups participating in the programs and services that UWaterloo offers, and how does their participation compare to other groups and the overall University community? What are the gaps and how can they be addressed?
3. Do some groups experience fewer benefits and/or more barriers while learning or working at UWaterloo, compared with the overall University community? What can be done to improve any gaps?

Learn more about the equity survey in this Q&A with Jermal Jones, Manager, Equity Office, originally published in the September 2021 issue of the Catalyst Anti-racism newsletter.

Why do an equity survey?

An objective of the University's strategic plan is to improve the representation, participation, and engagement of equity-deserving groups within our community. Collecting equity data is important because it aids university leadership in taking concrete steps to identify and remove institutional barriers to equity. By participating, we are all contributing to Waterloo’s vision of a more equitable work and learning environment for all.

How will the University use this information?

The survey results will be used to help the University, faculties, and academic support units understand how to improve the representation of equity deserving groups and to increase their participation in and benefits from the programs and services that are offered. The goal is to create a more equitable campus, which includes spaces, programs, and supports for equity-deserving groups.

Can you share any updates on preliminary statistics?

For now, the best way to get an update on survey response rates is to check the Leader Board webpage. This page shares participation rates across campus. More information will be available once the preliminary report and final report has been released.

Where can I go to learn more?

Please explore the equity survey Information webpage. You can also listen to episode 103 of the Beyond the Bulletin podcast from September 24, 2021. A segment of that episode features Jermal Jones speaking with host Pamela Smyth.

Humanities Theatre closed for renovations and upgrades, opens up historical gems

This story was originally published on the Faculty of Arts website.

Over the lockdown(s), the Humanities Theatre in Hagey Hall quietly changed hands from being centrally managed for all its years of operation to Faculty of Arts management. Given its location and name, many might have assumed the theatre had always lived under the administrative umbrella of Arts, but that’s not the case — until now.

Today, Janelle Rainville, Director of Production and Theatre Operations (Department of Communication Arts), is hard at work to ensure the Humanities Theatre will be safe and modernized for all theatre users. “Inspections by independent accessors have identified health and safety concerns that need to be addressed immediately,” says Rainville. This means the theatre is now closed for one year while necessary renovations are completed. “We plan to re-open, including welcoming rentals again, in 2023.”

Janelle Rainville stands at the theatre's balcony railing.

The list of renovations includes enclosing the balcony railing to meet building code, upgrading the stage rigging system, replacing the asbestos fire curtain and upgrading the fire safety system, and installing proper safety equipment for staff, faculty, and students working at heights in all areas of the theatre.

In researching the Humanities Theatre history and consulting with external experts, Rainville discovered something exciting. In a note to the Dean of Arts Office this summer, she wrote: “I wanted to share a fun fact that I just learned from our fly system consultant, Rick Boychuk, who wrote the book (actually, two books) on the history of theatrical fly systems.  I’d been sending him building drawings and whatever paperwork I found.  He got super excited when he saw the drawings: The Humanities theatre was designed by George Izenour, a huge figure in theatre architecture and technology. Rick says ‘Wow. Just wow. This is huge.’”

Archival photo of the Humanties Theatre under construction, circa 1970.

Who knew? It turns out the Humanities Theatre was designed by a “leading innovator in the field of theatrical design and technology” credited with over 27 patents for various technologies and design improvements — according to Wikipedia.

Rainville also reports other historical gems and time-capsules found backstage and in other parts of the theatre. Here are a few from her list of discoveries:

• A paint frame that is one of only a dozen or so that still exist in Canada.  It allows scenic painters to work on drops (backgrounds) that are approximately 40 by 30 feet. The paint frame is still functional, though needs a little love
• The sound booth was a museum for audio technology.  It included a record player, a reel-to-reel machine, an 8-track player, and a cassette deck.  All were still in working order.
• Photos of the original lighting system that was installed in 1970 plus photos of the Theatre of the Arts’ original lighting system from 1965.
• Scads of original drawings, plans, and photos of the space during its original construction and seating renovation in 2000.
• The Wheel of Death stage prop from a FASS production, along with many other FASS memorabilia.

Kathryn MacDonald, Arts Executive Officer, says the adoption and renovation of Humanities Theatre is a tremendous opportunity. “The Faculty of Arts will develop a theatre destination for Kitchener-Waterloo that will attract shows and visitors from all over while serving our campus community as a fully updated presentation and performance space. And there is great potential for experiential learning for our students involving stage and set design, working with sophisticated rigging, and other theatre technologies.”

Rainville’s colleague Chris Greenhalgh, Director of Technical Theatre, has reclaimed the backstage workshop, upgrading it with newer tools and equipment, plus required safety features, to make a fully functional space where students have attended carpentry labs since September.

Also manager the 400-seat Theatre of the Arts in ML and Studio 180 black box theatre in Hagey Hall, Rainville is currently making every effort to assist more than 50 rental bookings for the Humanities Theatre that had to be cancelled in finding alternative arrangements on campus and in the region.

“We’re lucky to have Janelle and Chris,” says MacDonald, “who have years of theatre operations and technology experience, to guide these plans and renovations.”

Web conferencing platform review and consolidation project update

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST).

During the pandemic, the number of web conferencing platforms used by employees and students to support remote teaching, learning, and job responsibilities increased considerably. This increase has resulted in some confusion around which tools are recommended and for what use case(s); a disparate set of support models and resources; and a lack of consistency for students and employees who may be required to use multiple platforms across courses and job duties.

Information Systems & Technology (IST) has launched a project to review the web conferencing platforms available and determine which tools will be recommended and fully supported by IST, with the goal of reducing the growing set of tools to a smaller, more sustainable offering.

The results of this work are expected to be made available in early February 2022.

You are invited to contact the project manager, Tara Hillis, should you have questions or would like to learn more about this work.