Thursday, July 13, 2023

Waterloo launches a five-year Indigenous Strategic Plan

By Emily Brant. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on Waterloo News.

On Tuesday, July 7, the Office of Indigenous Relations invited Waterloo President and Vice-Chancellor Vivek Goel and other campus community members for an event to celebrate the official launch of the Indigenous Strategic Plan 2023-2028. The purpose of this plan is “to assist in guiding the University of Waterloo towards its goal of indigenizing and decolonizing the institution,” according to Jean Becker, associate vice-president of the Office of Indigenous Relations.  

The strategic plan offers a clear outline for implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action and Indigenous human rights, as articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in all areas of the University.  

“It is our hope that this plan will help us move beyond words and take meaningful, direct actions on this journey towards reconciliation,” says Becker, within the opening remarks of the document. 

Read the Indigenous Strategic Plan

The Indigenous Strategic Plan highlights five key themes: reconciliation, research, services and supports, lands and waters, and building community — all of which outline specific goals. The intention is to advance advocacy, commitments and actionable areas that will enable the University to strengthen Indigenous inclusion and leadership. This work is meant to reflect connection and to promote the shared journey of strengthening relationships and embodying reconciliation. The plan was created by Indigenous voices and allies from Waterloo and the wider community.  

Read the rest of the article on Waterloo News

Advancing with determination: the path to the Velocity $5K finals

A message from Velocity.

Over the course of two nights, 23 teams had only three minutes to pitch live and captivate a panel of expert judges, convincing them of the potential and viability of their business idea to win their share of $20,000.

Get to know the eight teams that have advanced to the Velocity $5K finals on July 19 at Theatre for the Arts in the Modern Languages building, a new venue this term. Registration to attend is free, and refreshments will be provided.

Celebrating spring 2023 PhD graduates

Left to right: Dr. Jeff Casello, Dr. Jackie Zehr, Dr. Jeremy Wang, Dr. Shehryar Khan, Dr. Jim Rush.

A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA).

On Monday, June 5, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, in partnership with the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Provost, and the Faculties, hosted a dinner reception for spring 2023 doctoral graduates, their guests, and supervisors. 

Held at Federation Hall, the event celebrated the remarkable successes of our doctoral graduates, who through their research, teaching, and community building, have made tremendous contributions to the University of Waterloo.

The celebration included a cocktail hour, buffet dinner, speeches, and a photo and video slide show submitted by the doctoral students and their supervisors. A highlight of the evening was a photo booth where guests could take graduation-themed photos with fun props, and every participant received a printed photo to remember the night. A recap of the event, including the event videos, are now available on the GSPA website: Celebrating spring 2023 PhD graduates.

The first PhD (virtual) Celebration took place in June 2020, in a virtual environment, providing PhD graduates a celebration during a time when the University did not hold a convocation ceremony due to the ongoing pandemic. Upon reflection on the evolution of this celebration, and what it represents to the University of Waterloo, Jeff Casello, Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) had this to say to the audience:

“The University has long acknowledged the exceptional accomplishments of our PhD graduates.  We are so thrilled to complement our convocation events with this unique, and richly deserved celebration for our PhD graduates, and those who supported them through their journey”.

The event also heard remarks from two recipients of the University 2023 PhD Governor General’s Gold Medal, Dr. Jackie Zehr and Dr. Shehryar Khan, along with Dr. Justin Wang, PhD graduate, and co-founder of a University of Waterloo Velocity startup graduate, Ribbit.  

James Rush, Vice-President, Academic & Provost, attended the event, and wished the PhD graduates all the very best:

“Congratulations to our PhD students who are graduating this spring and our two PhD Governor General’s Gold Medal recipients! Your PhD is not only a demonstration of your intellectual strength, but it also speaks to your persistence, your ability to meet challenges with confidence, and your tenacity to discover ingenious solutions to complex questions. I look forward to hearing about your future accomplishments as Waterloo alumni.”

Congratulations to the PhD graduating class of 2023!

SEE Canada Grant deadline coming up on July 21

A message from Human Resources.

A reminder to our University community that the deadline for applications for the Staff Enhancement Experience (SEE) Canada grant program is July 21, 2023. For those unfamiliar with the grant, the SEE Canada program is a chance for Waterloo staff to enhance their professional development through idea-exchange and learning alongside counterparts at other universities, colleges, or research institutions. 

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be employed as regular full-time staff (as defined by Policy 54);
• Be in a position classified under the University Support Group (USG) salary structure; and
• Worked at the University of Waterloo for at least two (2) consecutive years.

Employees may not apply if they:

• Have received a SEE Canada Grant or SIEF Award in the past ten years;
• Are active members of the SEE Canada Grant Selection Committee; and
• Are Executive Council members.

If you have questions about the SEE Grant, please e-mail seecanada@uwaterloo.ca.