Friday, November 4, 2022

Waterloo ranks fourth in Canada on the inaugural QS Sustainability ranking

By Stephanie Longeway.

The University of Waterloo ranks fourth in Canada and 42^nd globally on the QS World University Ranking: Sustainability.

This is the first time that QS has published a global ranking on sustainability and has evaluated 700 institutions on environmental and social impact indicators. The ranking joins a growing list of international higher-education sector efforts to understand how universities impact some of the most prominent and intersectional ecological and societal challenges.

“I am pleased to see Waterloo well represented on this new sustainability ranking amongst our Canadian and global peers,” says Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “Today, much of the teaching, inquiry, and outreach taking place through our faculties and research centres and institutes on our campuses focus on understanding and contributing to our sustainable future and the connections between a sustainable environment and society.”

Waterloo’s commitment to sustainability is outlined in the University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy and is built around three mutually reinforcing and interdependent goals: to be a leader in sustainability education and research, to operate the campus sustainably, and to embed sustainability practices into campus culture.

Sustainability is embedded across many areas of the University’s teaching and research. With more than 500 courses related to sustainability and 485 faculty members conducting research that advances the global Sustainable Development Goals, Waterloo is actively developing a sustainable future.

Waterloo shares the fourth-place spot with McGill University. To view the complete list or learn more, visit the QS World University Ranking: Sustainability announcement.

Employees will celebrate career milestones next week

More than 500 staff and faculty celebrating employment milestones will be honoured at an Employee Years of Service Reception on Wednesday, November 9 in Fed Hall.

Employees will be recognized for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and even 45 years at the reception, which will be hosted by President Vivek Goel and the acting Associate Provost, Human Resources Michelle Hollis.

Here's the milestone breakdown:

• 165 recipients are celebrating their 5-year milestone (2017);
• 121 recipients  are celebrating their 10-year milestone (2012);
• 72 recipients are celebrating their 15-year milestone (2007);
• 33 recipients are celebrating their 20-year milestone (2002);
• 45 recipients are celebrating their 25-year milestone (1997);
• 35 recipients are celebrating their 30-year milestone (1992);
• 29 recipients are celebrating their 35-year milestone (1987);
• 18 recipients are celebrating their 40-year milestone (1982); and
• 2 recipients are celebrating their 45-year milestone (1977).

If we can single them out for a moment, celebrating 45 years will be Susan Koebel, Payroll Administrator in Human Resources, and Dr. Gerry Schneider, Professor in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering. Congratulations on hitting this remarkable career milestone!

The reception will feature brief remarks, hors d’oeurves and a complimentary beverage. Years of Service recipients will receive a W Store gift card in recognition of their service to the University.

Learning through play

By Claire Mastrangelo. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

The Lyle S. Hallman Foundation has given more than $230,000 to expand several community outreach projects created by Dr. Daniela O’Neill, a professor of developmental psychology at Waterloo and the founder and director of the Children’s Communication Lab.

Sharing carefully selected board games with organizations across the region, the outreach projects have the potential to provide rich, playful learning opportunities to hundreds of local children and families.

“The Lyle S. Hallman Foundation invests in initiatives that support children as they learn and grow,” says Laura Manning, executive director. “Daniela O’Neill’s board games project was a wonderful fit with our priorities, given its emphasis on early development and community engagement.”

The Foundation’s gift will expand board game collections and events at Kitchener Public Library (KPL) and a Board Game Buddies recess program in local schools. Funds will also provide new collections to community organizations serving families and children in the region.

Delivered by Daniela and students in the Lab’s outreach arm, Talk2Thrive, the board game projects benefit children from two to 12 years of age. 

The wide variety of competitive and co-operative board games feature different themes to appeal to a range of interests. The games spark conversation in fun and informal ways, and provide opportunities to enhance early language, cognitive and social-emotional skills. 

“While playing the games, children, families and peers can learn new vocabulary and concepts,” Daniela says. “Children also practice important social skills such as waiting for a turn, coping with a setback or negotiating a strategy in a co-operative game. Sometimes older children will also notice connections between the board games and something they’re learning in school, such as storytelling or mathematical concepts.

“The games are carefully curated to meet the needs of different ages, and to be as inclusive as possible,” she says. “For example, the games in the library collection for young children don’t require English reading skills, and they can be played in any language. The games also have short playing times which helps to keep children and parents engaged.”  

Daniela used her personal funds to create the first collections for the KPL and a local elementary school. Support from the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation — which builds on more than 20 years of giving by Lyle S. Hallman and the foundation that bears his name — will  expand the board game collection at the KPL. Originally created for young children and offered exclusively at the main branch, the new collection will include a range of games for older children and will be available at all five branches of KPL. The Board Game Buddies recess program will expand from one school to 10, and board game collections will be shared for the first time with 10 community organizations. Funds will also support a free week-long summer camp focused on board game play and design for upper elementary school-age children.

To discover more stories about donor impact, read the Report on Giving.

Canadian Accessibility Network broadens call for membership

A message from the Centre for Career Action (CCA).

The Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN) is a national collaboration to advance accessibility with which the University of Waterloo has been a collaborator for a few years. CAN, under the leadership of the READ Initiative at Carleton University, connects organizations and individuals across Canada from all sectors to bring about timely, real and lasting change for persons with disabilities. 

As CAN collaborators, accessibility subject matter experts nationwide exchange knowledge and resources, reinforce each other’s commitments, advocate for cultural shifts and take collective action. 

The CAN vision is to be:

Canada’s cross-sectoral, national platform to empower persons with disabilities; improving socio-economic and health outcomes; and changing mindsets and behaviours for a more accessible and inclusive Canada.

The University of Waterloo’s AccessAbility Services aligns with this vision by ensuring students with disabilities have the tools and academic accommodations required to access and participate in their education, and by removing barriers in the academic environment. Removing barriers and creating positive accessible change happens across campus in various aspects of the student experience, one being their career journey.

Jennifer Woodside, director of the Centre for Career Action (CCA), has been an active member of this collaboration since 2019. The knowledge and feedback from this network is incorporated into CCA’s programming, communications, and career advising. This has influenced departmental goals to create a more accessible, barrier-free space for students to explore careers.

If you are interested in becoming a CAN member, please fill out the Member Information Form.

The bird is the word in the SLC and other notable news

There's a new retail operation nesting in the Student Life Centre. The Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) has announced that it has ended its contract with International News, who operated the convenience store located near the Ring Road entrance to the SLC, and has temporarily renamed the store the "Flock Stop."

"Through Flock Stop, we hope to bring more value to our members (WUSA undergrads) and the UWaterloo community," says an announcement on the WUSA website. "We plan to do this by offering competitive pricing, a greater variety of products, awesome deals, continued student employment opportunities and, most importantly, receiving more feedback from our members."

WUSA stresses that not much is changing other than the name, "aside from better value, more products, and better deals" for now. Check out the full story on the WUSA website.

International News operated as a 24/7 on-campus convenience store under contract with WUSA for ten years until October 31, 2022. Prior to that, the convenience store was run under the banner of Federation Xpress. Prior to that, for those of you with longer memories, that space was actually the main entrance to the then-Federation of Students offices in the SLC. Renovations to that space took place in late 2007/early 2008 that repositioned the space directly across from the Tim Hortons as a convenience store. The redesigned Feds offices opened directly into the Great Hall.

Those of you with really long memories will remember when there was a fireplace in the lobby of the Feds office with a prominent chimney that once rose above the Student Life Centre (and the Campus Centre before it) before being cut down to size in 2007. But why stop there if we're going to talk about SLC operations of yesteryear? There's of course the Bombshelter Pub, but who else remembers Aussie's (the inconveniently-located convenience store that was the forerunner to both Federation Xpress and International News), the Campus Cove arcade (where I spent more quarters as a university employee than I ever did as a teenager at Flynn's in the University Plaza), Ground Zero (home of the Major's Special), and the Wild Duck Café before it? Pepperidge Farms remembers. And back when the Student Life Centre was known as the Campus Centre, many a pinball wizard could be found in the game room bumping the flippers and trying not to tilt.

Next week is Treaties Recognition Week. Treaties Recognition Week honours the importance of treaties and is intended to promote educational opportunities surrounding treaty rights and relationships. To contribute to the broader goals of education, reflection, and action, the Office of Indigenous Relations will host a series of virtual events and videos throughout the week.

On Wednesday, November 9, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., join the Office of Indigenous Relations in welcoming Associate Professor and Author Rick Monture as he shares teachings about the Two Row Wampum, the Haldimand Deed, and the Grand River Tract. "This is a must-see free Zoom webinar, intended on educating and informing perspectives of treaty people in this territory," says a note from the Office of Indigenous Relations. "All are welcome and encouraged!" 

The Office of Indigenous Relations has a full listing of Treaties Recognition Week events and resources on its website.

This weekend, more than 7,000 future students and their families (upping the number to approximately 17,000 visitors, a new record) will visit the University of Waterloo for the Fall Open House. Attendees will have an opportunity to tour campus, residences, and academic areas, chat with current students, staff, and faculty, and learn about the programs and student services Waterloo has to offer.

The open house will take place Saturday, November 5 from 10:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. at various locations around campus.