Wednesday, September 27, 2023

UWaterloo community mourns the loss of student leader

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

Former WUSA President Stephanie Ye-Mowe had an outsized impact on the Waterloo community. As President, with a seat on both the Senate and Board of Governors, Stephanie advocated fiercely for the needs of her fellow students.

“Stephanie served the Board and Senate with dedication. Their commitment to serving their fellow students was always so clear,” said Vivek Goel, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University. “I know her activism on issues such as housing, food security and accessibility was very important to her. It was clear that her top priority during her time at Waterloo was to make the student experience better for everyone. We all owe Stephanie a debt of gratitude for what she accomplished here.”

“Stephanie was an incredible person. I got to know Stephanie during their time as a student leader, and the impact Stephanie had on so many in the UW community cannot be measured,” said Chris Read, Associate-Provost, Students. “Stephanie had such a genuine way of finding connection points with so many different people, and that was one of the many things that made them special. Our thoughts are with Stephanie’s family and loved ones forever.”

At WUSA, Stephanie worked on a number of different initiatives including helping to develop the University’s Digital Learning Strategy, launching the Teaching Innovation Incubator and helping to bring IMPACT, a program that sees mental health workers and police team up to provide mental health care to students in crisis, to Waterloo’s main campus. Through WUSA, Stephanie also held roles in both the provincial and national organizations advocating for students.

“Steph's commitment and unwavering support for students have been evident throughout her extensive tenure at WUSA over the past five-plus years. She has consistently championed the needs of students in vital areas such as housing, affordability, accessibility, and more,” said Rory Norris, current WUSA President. “I personally got to know her during the time we spent together in which she tried to pass on as much knowledge as she could from her five years of experience. We had dozens of conversations, often lasting many hours, during all this time spent together I believe we became close friends. Throughout all the conversations we had, it was always clear her dedication to all the students at the University of Waterloo. Her presence on campus will be deeply missed by not only her friends, colleges, and classmates, but by all University of Waterloo students.”

A member of many different University and WUSA committees, Stephanie was particularly passionate about improving accessibility at Waterloo. As a member of the Accessibility Committee, they worked on initiatives like the development of the University’s Multi-Year Accessibility Plan and Commission for Student Accessibility.

“Within my first encounter with Stephanie, I knew she was a person who genuinely cared about our disability community and was ready to take action to make our campus more inclusive for everyone,” said Joyce Barlow, Associate Director, Disability Inclusion. “She leveraged her position at WUSA to establish an independent commission to provide recommendations on how we can prioritize accessibility within our campus.  She identified opportunities to include accessibility as an equity initiative worthy of student funds’ focus. I learned from Stephanie the impacts of University decisions on disabled students’ experiences, and what it meant to build respectful, trustworthy, and dignified relationships with our undergraduate student population.”

Stephanie was in the last term of the Faculty of Environment’s Knowledge Integration program. She is remembered by her friends as someone who cared deeply for community and as someone who was extremely trusted, reliable, and enthusiastic about making life better for people.

“Stephanie was an integral part of the Environment community, supporting her peers and welcoming new students as an orientation coordinator this September,” said Dana Elrick, Student Transition and Engagement Officer from the Faculty of Environment. “Her involvement with orientation spans many years. She was an advocate for the student experience and extended this passion into the planning of orientation. Her impact on each volunteer, coordinator, first-year student, and staff member within Orientation is immeasurable. On behalf of Environment orientation students and staff, Stephanie will be greatly missed. We will always value Stephanie’s contribution to the Environment community.”

Stephanie’s family is organizing an event to celebrate her life, which is scheduled for Saturday, September 30 in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

The University and WUSA extend our deepest sympathies to Stephanie’s family and friends at this very difficult time.

Please know that there are counselling services available to help deal with the painful news of the passing of a fellow student and friend. You can contact any of these available resources. 

Support for students 

• Counselling Services - 519-888-4096 (#2 on prompt for Counselling Services) 
• EmpowerMe, Student Assistance Program 
• Student Health Benefit (for private counselling) 
• Mates (peer support) - mates@wusa.ca 
• Here 24/7 - 1-844-437-3247 
• Health Services - Student Medical Clinic - 519-888-4096 
• Grand River Hospital - 519-749-4300 
• St. Mary's Hospital - 519-744-3311 
• Good2Talk - 1-866-925-5454 
• Crisis Services Canada - 1-833-456-4566 or by texting 45645   
• The Coping Centre 
• Bereaved Families of Ontario-Midwestern Region 
• Canadian Mental Health Association: Specific for support in grieving 

Employee based support for faculty and staff 

• Employee and Family Assistance Plan
• Employee Extended Health Benefits  (private counselling)

Thank you for supporting new students

A message from the Student Success Office.

Between August 31 and September 9, 2023, 6,000 new Warriors checked in to Orientation, and 5,100 moved into Campus Housing. 

 “Year after year, I am heartened to see our campus unite to support new student transition efforts,” writes Chris Read, associate provost, students. “Whether you carried luggage into a residence room, welcomed students to International Orientation, or helped a family navigate campus – thank you. Your presence demonstrated the welcoming and inclusive Warrior community we aspire to.”  

During Orientation, students had over 90 events to choose from, including: 

• International Orientation Welcome Reception: President and Vice-Chancellor Vivek Goel welcomed more than 250 new students and their families to Waterloo.

• Dear First Year Me: Keynote upper-year and staff speakers from equity-deserving groups shared the power community and connection played in their post-secondary journeys.  

• Grad House Evening Social: This Graduate Student Association (GSA)-led event welcomed nearly half of the incoming graduate student population, with local food trucks and live music.  

• Peer Connection Sessions: Run in partnership with the GSA, more than 400 new graduate students attended alumni panels and peer speed-networking opportunities.  

While positive move-in and Orientation experiences play a vital role in developing new students’ sense of belonging, we know the more than 1000 students and 880 staff/ faculty volunteers benefit as well. “Being a part of the Orientation Team was a really great experience for me and I learned a lot,” said student and Orientation team member Emma McNichol. "I learned how to be a confident and kind leader, I learned that not everything has to go according to plan for it to be a good time, and I learned to think on my feet.” 

We thank our volunteers for their continued support and look forward to seeing you again at move-in and Orientation 2024.

Building skills and inclusion in the swimming pool

A message from the Office of Advancement published in the Report on Giving.

Mothers everywhere know how hard it can be to take time for themselves. For Faduma Nur, a mother of six daughters, swimming lessons provided a chance to connect with her daughters but also allowed her to focus on something outside her family responsibilities. 

“For the first time, I was learning, not teaching,” she says. 

Faduma and five of her daughters recently participated in the Learn to Swim program, hosted by The Alliance (University of Waterloo Athletics and Recreation). The program is designed to promote swimming lessons to racialized people from the Kitchener-Waterloo community who have never had the opportunity to learn this important life skill. 

The Alliance  is a group of staff and students working together to create positive change for the Black, Indigenous and Racialized (BIR) community and combat racism through awareness-building, education and action. The group created the program in partnership with Warriors Varsity Swimming and Adventure4Change, an organization striving to provide accessible education and learning opportunities while building healthy communities. 

Not only did the program teach Faduma and her daughters to swim, it allowed them to learn in women-only sessions where they felt safe and comfortable. 

“My girls love the water but after a certain age we don’t swim with men,” Faduma says. “I’m grateful for the staff who understood and respected our religion.” 

Jacky Beckford-Henriques is one of the Alliance’s co-founders and the Waterloo Warriors Swimming head coach. “The Learn to Swim program is one way we’re pursuing equity for everyone,” she says. “And the smiles on the participants’ faces have made it incredibly rewarding.” 

Funding for the Learn to Swim program was provided by a generous gift from the Astley Family Foundation, made possible through the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) Racial Equity Fund. Team Aquatics and the Region of Waterloo Swim Club donated caps and goggles, and Jacky, along with members of Warriors varsity swim team, taught the sessions. 

“Our foundation focuses on projects that help youth build critical life skills, positive attitudes and self-esteem,” says Jennifer Astley-Kinsey, Executive Director of the Astley Family Foundation, which she founded in 2005 with her parents Bob and Judy Astley and her brother Derek. 

“We know that physical activity can promote mental health, which is a big issue for youth today. Learn to Swim helps build a sense of inclusion and community for young people — and their moms — and we are glad to support the program again this fall.” 

Faduma is looking forward to getting back in the pool in September. 

“When I started, I didn’t know how to swim. Now I’m almost a professional, thanks to Jacky,” she jokes. 

“And my family knows that my swimming lessons are Mom’s time.” 

Read the full story in the Report on Giving

Photos by Alicia Wynter.

Stop the Clock and other timely tips

The Music department's Noon Hour Concert series kicks off the fall term with Stop the Clock today at 12:30 p.m. Stop the Clock is an immersive audio-visual concert which brings the audience on a walk through nature in Mexico's Riviera Maya. Professional pianist Becky Reesor uses music, photos and videos to help the audience feel nature’s energy.

The concert takes place today in the Conrad Grebel University College Chapel. Admission is free. Piano books of the scores for the compositions as well as CDs and digital album download cards will be available for sale by donation.

Members of the University's highest governing body have gathered on campus for the annual Board of Governor's retreat today. The focus of this year's retreat is on "revisiting the institution’s values and the broader work underway to evolve our organizational culture," according to the agenda. This morning, the Office of Indigenous Relations will be hosting a breakfast for governors in their new space in East Campus 5, and following the breakfast board members will be participating in an interactive KAIROS blanket exercise at Federation Hall. After lunch, the governors will be joined by the University's Senate and members of Executive Council for an afternoon workshop on University values and cultures, followed by an institutional values exercise.

The Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology (CBB) and the Health Initiative Office will be co-hosting partners from the University of Twente from October 2 to 4. As a part of hosting the visit of the delegation, a symposium will be held on October 2, 2023, entitled "Health and Beyond – Perspectives on the intertwinement between human and planetary health." The symposium will feature research talks from both universities in the areas of Planetary Health, AI for Health, Mental Health, and more. Registration closes end of day on September 27. For more information and to register for this free event, visit the CBB webpage.

Black and Gold Fest is in full swing with events this week including a Waterloo Region Alumni Chapter Trivia Night tonight from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. "Join the Waterloo Alumni Chapter at The Jazz Room in the Huether Hotel for drinks, food and healthy competition," says a note from Advancement. "Be sure to wear your Oktoberfest finest for the themed photobooth!"

And just a reminder that the University Club has officially reopened today for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Seatings are by reservation only until October 6. call 519-888-4567 x33801 to make reservation or email theclub@uwaterloo.ca.

Co-op employers hosting Employer Information Sessions this week include Definity, Formlabs, GHD, Perpetua, Vale, Imperial Oil, Dow Chemical and Tesla. Make sure to register through WaterlooWorks and check the calendar for any updates.