Tuesday, January 2, 2024

And we're back for 2024

Campus is waking up from its long winter's nap today, but it's a slow start as students won't be starting the Winter 2024 academic and co-op terms until Monday, January 8.

Winter 2024 move-in for undergraduate students begins today at noon and ends on January 8, 2024. Graduate students could move into CLV as of 8:00 a.m. yesterday.  

Front Desks at MKV, REV, UWP and V1 reopened at 8:00 a.m. this morning. 

• The Front Desks at REV, UWP and V1 are open 24/7.
• The Front Desks at CLV and MKV are open 8:00 a.m. - midnight, daily.

Campus Wellness will open at 8:30 a.m. today.

Athletics facilities reopened this morning as well.

Food Services operations will open in stages, with Starbucks STC, Tim Hortons SLC, and Tim Hortons SCH all opening for limited hours today through Friday, January 5. Tim Hortons DC is back to it today, and Mudie's in Village 1 will re-open on Wednesday, January 3. The Market at UWP is closed until January 4, reopening Friday, January 5. The remaining Food Services locations will reopen on Monday, January 8 as students return to campus in droves.

IST re-opened all service desks this morning at 8:30 a.m. The V1 service desk will be open physically from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. today.

The Library will be operating under intersession hours from today until Sunday, January 7 as follows:

• Dana Porter and Davis Centre: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.;
• Chat With Us: Monday to Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday - not available;
• Email Us: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For full details check the Library's hours page.

From January 2 to January 5, IST's physical service desks in Dana Porter and Davis Centre will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and virtually available from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. On January 6 and 7, the physical service desks in DP and DC will be open from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and virtually available from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The ECEC children's program will re-open on Monday, January 8 with regular hours.

Administrators begin administrating

It's a new year, and that means new terms of office are beginning for several academic and administrative leaders on campus.

Dr. Bessma Momani began her five-year term as Associate Vice-President, International on January 1, 2024. Momani is a Full Professor in the Department of Political Science. She is also a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States’ Institute in Washington, DC, and a Fulbright Scholar. She is a Governor on the board of the International Development Research Centre.

Previously, Dr. Momani served as Waterloo’s Interim Assistant Vice-President, International Relations; Interim Associate Vice-President, Interdisciplinary and Sponsored Research; and Assistant-Vice President, Research and International.

Dr. Anita Taylor assumes the role of Acting Associate Vice-President of the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism (EDI-R) during Dr. Christopher Taylor’s planned sabbatical leave during the same time period. Dr. Taylor's interim appointment runs until June 30, 2024.

Dr. Taylor first joined the University as Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives. Since then, Dr. Taylor has been providing strategic direction, guidance, and support to several of PART’s working groups and implementation teams. Dr. Taylor has spent more than a decade in various strategic planning and implementation roles within the Ontario college system.

Dr. Derek Armitage begins a term as the Director, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability that runs until December 31, 2027. Dr. Armitage was most recently SEED's Director of Environmental Change and Governance Group Associate Faculty at the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

Dr. Armitage studies the human dimensions of environmental change (local to global) and emerging forms of environmental governance. He works on projects in Southeast Asia, the Canadian North and the Caribbean, with a particular focus on aquatic systems (freshwater and coastal/marine).

In terms of faculty academic appointments:

• Dr. Eric Helleiner begins a term as Acting Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies in the Political Science department that runs until March 31, 2024;
• Dr. Philip Boyle starts as Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, Legal Studies in the Social and Legal Studies department for a term that runs January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024;
• Dr. Philip Bigelow becomes Acting Associate Dean, Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Health, for a term that ends September 30, 2024;
• Dr. Shoufa Lin begins a term as Associate Chair, Graduate Studies in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences for a term that ends December 31, 2026;
• Dr. Heidi Engelhardt starts a term as Associate Dean for Faculty and Student Engagement in the Faculty of Science, for a term running until December 31, 2026; and

• Dr. Jen Parks, who takes on the role of Associate Dean for a Diverse, Inclusive and Safe Science, until December 31, 2026.

Did we miss anyone's start date? Send an email to bulletin@uwaterloo.ca to let us know.

Announcing Advancement's new CRM

A message from Sean Thomas, Associate Vice-President, Advancement Services.

The Advancement CRM project team (a partnership between Advancement and Information Systems & Technology) is excited to announce that Blackbaud’s CRM product has been selected (via a request for proposal) to provide a constituent relationship management (CRM) system for Advancement teams across campus. We look forward to sharing more information about this exciting new solution in 2024 and how it will positively impact our University-wide campaign fundraising efforts.

Questions can be sent to Sean Thomas: sean.thomas@uwaterloo.ca. 

Participants needed for macular degeneration study

A message from the School of Optometry & Vision Science.

Researchers at the School of Optometry & Vision Science are currently seeking adults 18 years and over diagnosed with macular degeneration who use their side vision to see for a study which examines whether reading can be improved through a combination of practice and the use of a safe, well-established technique for modulating brain function called non-invasive brain stimulation. Recently published results from the group suggest that a single session of non-invasive brain stimulation may have a short-term effect on reading in adults with macular degeneration. The current study is exploring the possibility of longer lasting effects.

Participants will be asked to read words on a computer screen for 9 study sessions (each 2 hours per visit) spaced out over a period of 2 to 3 months. Participants should not be undergoing eye-based injections and must be eligible for non-invasive brain stimulation (researchers will screen for this). Eligible participants will receive $20 per session in appreciation for their time and regional transportation costs will be covered. If you, your family members, or acquaintances might be eligible and interested, please contact Melanie Mungalsingh for more information at mamungal@uwaterloo.ca.This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Committee.