Monday, March 4, 2024

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• Alumni in Asia gather to celebrate the global University of Waterloo community
• March is Nutrition Month
• Test of the emergency communications system set for tomorrow
• Senate meets today and other notes

Alumni in Asia gather to celebrate the global University of Waterloo community

Rachel Bedlington, Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao, President Vivek Goel, Dominic Barton, and Michael Leung (BA ’07, MAcc ’07), president of the Hong Kong Alumni Chapter at the Hong Kong alumni event.

A message from Advancement.

UWaterloo staff, faculty and leaders recently crossed the globe for two special celebrations with our international community. The events, held in Tokyo and Hong Kong, provided new opportunities for connection among UWaterloo alumni, current and prospective students, friends and officials — individuals with shared knowledge, history and culture that spans from our Canadian campus to Asia. On Tuesday, February 20, members of the UWaterloo community gathered at the Embassy of Canada to Japan in Tokyo for a social reception that included a number of speakers and networking. The following Friday, February 23, the UWaterloo Hong Kong Alumni Chapter hosted its 2024 gala dinner for alumni, students, friends and University officials. This year’s event was especially significant, as they celebrated UWaterloo’s 11^th chancellor, Dominic Barton.

Read more about the events

March is Nutrition Month

A message from Campus Wellness.

During the month of March, Registered Dietitians (RD) across the country come together to celebrate the diverse field of nutrition and to help Canadians build knowledge and understanding of the connections between food, nutrition, and health.

What better time of year to highlight the unique and varied RD roles that are present right here on the UW campus? Join us in celebrating the important ways that our RDs are contributing to the health and wellness of our students, staff, and community at large. Over the next month, we will be profiling some of the talented RDs from across our campus community in roles that span from learner (intern) to food service, research, and beyond!

Our first profile shares the story of Fayrouz Elkhouly, a Dietetic Intern completing her population and public health placements here at UW in Campus Wellness.

Name: Fayrouz Elkhouly

Position at Waterloo: Dietetic Intern

Describe your role on campus: I am currently completing my Master of Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph to become a Registered Dietitian (RD). As part of the practical training to become an RD,I will complete placements over a 12-month period in areas of nutrition that include clinical, foodservice, and population and public health. At the University of Waterloo, I completed my population and public health rotation working with the Campus Wellness team to create nutritional content and educate students, staff, and faculty through campaigns on campus. I have also completed rotations at Grand River Hospital (GRH) in areas including Pediatrics, stroke, complex continuous care, and Rehab. After my rotation here on campus, I will be going back to GRH to complete rotations in surgery, renal health, and foodservices.

If you could tell people one thing about nutrition, what would it be?

When people hear “nutrition”, they instantly imagine complex rules and restrictions but it is important to remember that nutrition is about nourishing your body while enjoying the foods you love. It is not just about what you “cannot eat,” but rather, about finding balance, listening to your body, and making choices that support your overall health and well-being.

What do you like to do in your spare time? In my spare time something that brings me a lot of joy is hosting and planning fun activities for my friends and myself. I am an extrovert and I feel the most energized when spending time with people I love and trying new places and food spots together. When I am not with my friends, I enjoy doing yoga, cooking, reading, and photography!

Test of the emergency communications system set for tomorrow

Information Systems & Technology (IST)will be testing the University’s campus-wide emergency communication system on Tuesday, March 5, at 10:30 a.m.

What is the impact?

Emergency communication channels being tested include:

• Tweets to @UWaterloo and @WatSAFEapp
• WatSAFE mobile app
• The ‘WatSAFE Desktop Notification’ on-screen pop-up for desktops and laptops
• Portal alerts and push notifications

Messaging

The message displayed will read “TEST of the UW Emergency Notification System. During an actual emergency or threat, you would receive instructions. No action is required.” More information regarding the emergency would be available at alert.uwaterloo.ca.

Approximately 15 minutes after the test activation message is sent, a deactivation message will display, “The test of the UW Emergency Notification System is complete.”

In the event of a real emergency during this test, please contact Special Constable Services at 519-888-4911, or ext. 22222.

Be sure to install the WatSAFE app on your device and WatSAFE Desktop Notification tool on your desktop/laptop to receive this test message, and more importantly, to stay informed of campus emergency situations. Visit the WatSAFE website for more details.

Questions or concerns? Please contact the IST Service Desk via the IST Help Portal.

Senate meets today and other notes

The University's Senate meets today in NH 3407 at 3:30 p.m. Among the agenda items:

• A motion to approve the creation of a Human Factors & Interfaces Specialization, an Intelligent & Automated Systems Specialization, a Physical & Mechatronic Systems Specialization, and a Societal & Environmental Systems Specialization within the Systems Design Engineering plan, effective 1 September 2024;
• A motion to approve the creation of the Quantum Engineering Option within the Faculty of Engineering, effective 1 September 2024;
• A motion to approve the creation of the Microbiology Option and the Cell and Molecular Biology Option within the Faculty of Science, effective 1 September 2024;
• A motion to approve the inactivation of the International Studies in Engineering Option and the Society, Technology, and Values Option, effective 1 September 2024;
• A motion to approve amendments to Policy 3 – Sabbatical and Other Leaves for Faculty Members, and to cancel Policy 43 – Special Conditions for Employment for Deans, and further to recommend that the Board of Governors give final approval to the same proposed amendments.

The consent agenda, which is passed in an omnibus fashion, contains the following items of interest:

• A motion to approve academic regulation revisions to update the Distinction and Dean’s Honours Minimum Cumulative Average for Graduating Honours and Term Distinction, for the Faculty of Engineering, effective 1 September 2024; and
• a motion to approve the proposed academic regulation revisions to the Invalid Credential Combinations section of the Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar for the Faculty of Environment’s Business Option and Sustainability Financial Management, effective 1 September 2024.

Senate will also vote to approve the committee appointments for the Distinguished Teacher Awards and for the Amit & Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student.

On the reports side of things, Vice-President, Academic and Provost James Rush will deliver an update on the 2023/24 operating budget. Additionally, the  presidents of the University of Waterloo Faculty Association (FAUW), the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) and the Graduate Student Association - University of Waterloo (GSA-UW) will deliver reports on their respective organizations. Dean of Arts Sheila Ager will deliver an update on activities in the Faculty of Arts.

The full Senate agenda can be viewed on the Secretariat's website.

Flags were lowered on campus this morning and will stay lowered to mark the death of the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, who served as Canada's 18^th Prime Minister from 1984 to 1993. Plans are in the works for a state funeral to honour the former Prime Minister in Montreal. Campus flags will remain at half-mast until sunset on the day of the funeral.

Here's this week's weekly nutrition tip provided by Campus Wellness in celebration of Nutrition Month:

With high food costs and limited local, fresh fruit and veggies this time of year, don’t be afraid to reach for frozen options! Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked and flash frozen at peak ripeness, meaning they remain nutrient-dense once thawed, cooked, and consumed! Avoid over-boiling to ensure those valuable nutrients aren’t lost to your cooking medium! Add frozen fruits and veggies to smoothies, yogurt bowls, stir fries, and pasta sauces for an added nutrient boost!