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President announces reorganization of the Secretariat
President and Vice-Chancellor Vivek Goel has announced a reorganization of the Secretariat, the unit responsible for providing essential secretarial and administrative support for Waterloo's governing bodies and for other university-wide committees.
"Over several years, the role of the Secretariat has grown to include a number of administrative functions that did not allow the focus to be on their core mandate," the president wrote in an email circulated to campus yesterday. "After the 2021 Board Governance Review, discussions within the Secretariat and working with a governance consultant on the future model of the Office, the Secretariat is being reorganized to focus on impartial governance processes."
"This work started with the move of Special Constables and the Safety Office to the Vice-President, Administration and Finance portfolio in January."
As part of the reorganization, the Privacy Office will move to Legal and Immigration Services on April 1 as the collaborative work between these portfolios continues to increase as privacy matters become more complex and often requires legal support.
The Secretariat will focus on:
- Board Operations;
- Senate Operations;
- Employee and Student Relations Committees;
- Tribunals and Appeal Bodies; and
- Policy coordination and facilitation.
"There will be a period of transition leading up to the creation of a portfolio under the Vice-President, Academic & Provost to advise administrative decision-makers on policy," President Goel writes. "Moving this important work will ensure the Secretariat can focus on facilitation and coordination of policy development."
"With new leadership in the portfolio of the Vice-President, Administration and Finance, internal audit administration, statutory compliance and risk management activities will be consolidated within this Office," the president's memo continues. "A student Ombuds Office will be created with a reporting relationship with the Secretary to provide students with an arm’s length, single point of contact when seeking support in navigating administrative and operational structures."
"The search committee for the next Secretary will continue its work through the spring into the early summer. Reporting directly to the Chair of the Board of Governors and administratively to the President and Vice-Chancellor, the University Secretary will be responsible to ensure the effective, efficient operation of the University’s bicameral system of governance, facilitate and coordinate policy development, and manage stakeholder relations committees and quasi-judicial processes," the memo concludes.
Continuous improvement showcase issues call for proposals
A message from the Continuous Improvement, Change Management, and Project and Portfolio Management group.
Do you have a project you are proud of? Did you make a contribution towards your department's productivity? Is there a change on your team or in your unit that went well, and you’d like to share? We would like to hear from you!
The Continuous Improvement, Change Management, and Project and Portfolio Management communities are excited to announce that we will be hosting our 4th annual Showcase event on campus on Thursday June 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and we’re seeking proposals.
The Showcase is a free, half-day in-person event that brings campus colleagues together to share best practices, successes, and connect. It will feature poster exhibits and poster flash talks—all centered around ideas and practices that contribute to continuous improvement, change management, and project management. The Showcase is open to all employees and students. Should public health measures change, the event will be hosted virtually on Microsoft Teams.
We invite those interested to submit a proposal for a poster exhibit and/or flash talk by March 31, 2023. Proposals will cover topics related to Continuous Improvement, Change Management, and/or Project Management. Past posters can be viewed on the Showcase event page.
Procedure for submitting proposals
Successful proposals will meet some or all the following criteria:
- Addresses projects or initiatives and the application of best practices in one or more of Continuous Improvement, Change Management, and/or Project Management.
- Is geared to employees as the primary audience.
- Promotes tools, methodologies, or practices others can use, apply and are supported by the campus.
- Identifies clear learning outcomes and key takeaways.
- Focuses on innovations or emerging trends, practices, or knowledge.
- Offers a mix of information-sharing and engagement.
If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please register the proposal by March 31. Submissions will be reviewed and evaluated on the above criteria. You will be notified by April 7 whether your proposal has been selected. Support will be provided for all approved submissions. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Voting now open for GreenHouse People's Choice Awards
A message from GreenHouse.
Each term, United College’s social impact incubator, GreenHouse, hosts the Social Impact Showcase. It celebrates the amazing work GreenHouse students accomplish through their journeys of social innovation and entrepreneurship, while also providing an opportunity for students to acquire seed funding for their ideas. You can vote for your favourite student-led social venture by participating in the People’s Choice Awards.
The People’s Choice Award will be granted to the social venture with the most community votes, alongside an additional $1,000 for their venture. This term, there are 11 ventures participating in the People’s Choice Awards. Some of the broad themes that this term’s ventures aim to address include food systems transformation, improved healthcare access, and building sustainable economies.
Voting opens today, March 16, and closes on March 19 at 11:59 p.m. The winners of the People’s Choice Award will be announced live at GreenHouse’s Social Impact Showcase on March 22.
Waterloo runs second summer research program for students from Ukraine
The University of Waterloo invites applications for its second summer research program for students from Ukraine. This program will run from May to August 2023 and is designed for 4th year bachelor, master, and doctoral students from Ukrainian universities whose studies were affected by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The program is open for students registered at their home institutions for the current academic year (2022/2023), and applications are particularly encouraged from candidates interested in research fields associated with Engineering, Computer Sciences, and Mathematics, but other research specializations pursued at the University of Waterloo will also be considered. The summer research program will cover all travel expenses and will provide on-campus housing and a research stipend.
Selected participants will engage in research and study with leading scientists in their field of specialization. To be eligible, the student must be a senior undergraduate (4th year), master's or PhD student enrolled in the current academic year at a Ukrainian university, with a specialization in Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, or other research area present at Waterloo, and must meet English proficiency requirements for efficient academic communications.
For more information on how to apply for the summer research program, visit the website.
Library to host town hall meeting on March 28
A message from the Library.
As a partner in learning, research and innovation, the Library invites you to attend our Town Hall on Tuesday, March 28.
As the world’s information ecosystem becomes increasingly more complex, the Library is continuously innovating to support faculty, students and staff. At this Town Hall, we'll share more about how we’re catalyzing research and learning on campus, the various ways we’re connecting with the community to re-imagine library spaces of the future, and taking on new initiatives as we grow as a learning organization.
Beth Namachchivaya, University Librarian, will be joined by Jim Rush, Vice-President, Academic & Provost and Charmaine Dean, Vice-President, Research and International to share these updates and take questions about the future of the Library.
When: Tuesday, March 28 | 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Where: QNC 0101 | MS Teams
Please register to attend the event (either in person or virtually).
Register to attend the Town Hall.
WUSA cautions against shamrocks and shenanigans; other notes
"This St. Patrick’s Day, we’re asking students to stay safe and be respectful of one another and the community," says a note from the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) in advance of tomorrow's celebration. "Consider avoiding all large gatherings like house parties, backyard parties, and street parties happening on Friday, March 17. Nuisance bylaws will be in effect in Waterloo and bylaw officers and police will be out in full force. Consent matters! If you know anyone impacted by sexual violence the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office is here to help."
Former Governor General of Canada and the University of Waterloo's fifth President and Vice-Chancellor the Right Honourable David Johnston has been named a special rapporteur on foreign interference by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The news release from the Prime Minister's Office states that Johnston's appointment is "a new role as part of a suite of measures to help combat foreign interference and strengthen confidence in our federal electoral process and democratic institutions."
"In this new role, Mr. Johnston will have a wide mandate to look into foreign interference in the last two federal general elections and make expert recommendations on how to further protect our democracy and uphold Canadians’ confidence in it," states the PMO. "The Government of Canada will comply with and implement his public recommendations, which could include a formal inquiry, a judicial review, or another independent review process. We will be working with Mr. Johnston to finalize his mandate in the coming days, and it will be made public."
Johnston was president of the University of Waterloo from 1999 to 2010. This isn't his first rapporteur rodeo: in 2007, while he was Waterloo's president, Prime Minister Stephen Harper tapped him to serve as an Independent Advisor into the so-called "Mulroney-Schreiber Affair" involving dealings between former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and businessman Karlheinz Schreiber.
Johnston's current appoint comes amid allegations of Chinese government interference in Canada's last two federal elections. "The Government of Canada takes any attempts at undermining our democracy very seriously and will continue to take action to protect our institutions and uphold Canadians’ confidence in our democracy," says the PMO statement.