Thursday, March 21, 2024

Register for the Building Inclusive Research Teams webinar in April

A message from the Office of the Vice-President, Research and International.

The Office of the Vice-President, Research and International invites all researchers to an upcoming inclusive research webinar.

The Foundation: Building Inclusive Research Teams - April 18, 2024, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Research shows that building inclusive research teams promotes research excellence. This presentation will take researchers through the necessary steps to identify EDI barriers on their teams, make a plan to address the barriers, and to review the outcomes of the actions they have taken and plan for the future.

Please register to receive the Zoom link to participate.

March Inclusive Resource Hub Feature

The Hub is a resource library of important documents focused on EDI to support the UWaterloo community as they integrate EDI into their research designs and teams. The Hub was created as part of the Inclusive Research Team’s commitment to ongoing development and capacity building to support equitable and inclusive research practices.

This Month’s Feature is a report by the First Nations Information Governance Centre proposing a First Nations Governance Strategy. A First Nations Data Governance Strategy – FNIGC Resource.

Upcoming webinars:

• What is GBA+ Anyway?: An Introduction, May 16, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Resources:

• Inclusive Resource Hub; and
• Our website

For more information or questions, please reach out to research.equity@uwaterloo.ca or  Indigenous.Research@uwaterloo.ca with any questions.

Buckle up: changes to parking at Waterloo coming on May 1

After years of staying in neutral, parking infrastructure on campus is about to get in gear, with changes to parking rates and the way parking permits work set to take effect on May 1.

"Transportation is a large part of the University of Waterloo’s environmental footprint and is an integral component of the University’s long-term strategic goals," wrote Vice-President, Administration and Finance Jacinda Reitsma in a memo circulated to campus yesterday. "Parking Services is committed to achieving those goals through more sustainable practices in how to manage the daily movement of thousands of people to our campuses."
 
"In 2023, Parking Services began working on an important plan to create more sustainable transportation options for the University community," Reitsma's memo continues. " The plan will ensure equitable access and optimized usage of parking lots, and will make walking, cycling, carpooling, and transit more effective and convenient. " 

New name, new services, new fees 

On May 1, Parking Services will become Sustainable Transportation, which is more descriptive of the services that will be provided.  

In addition, Sustainable Transportation’s transformative plan will include the following improvements: 

• A transition to a first come, first served model for all staff and faculty lots to eliminate parking lot wait lists (refer to the FAQ section for specifics on how this affects permit holders);

• Renewed  infrastructure, such as parking lot resurfacing and curb repairs ;

• Improvements to roads, pathways, and lighting ;

• Modernization of parking payment options with a cross-campus  mobile pay system  ;

• Secure bike storage with both inside and outside options ;

• Enhanced electric vehicle charging infrastructure; and 

• Designated lots for faculty/staff and students (refer to the lot designation chart for specifics on usage parameters for Waterloo campus parking) 

"For 12 years, the University has been providing parking services at the same rates," Reitsma writes. "However, we now need to increase parking fees in order to expand and enhance these services and implement other changes to meet the expectations of our community. To support these enhancements, fees will be increasing on May 1, 2024 at the Waterloo campus to the following (prices include tax): 

• Faculty/Staff monthly parking - $59.89/month; 

• Students per term - $235.60;

• Student Residence per term - $208.50; 

• Bike storage (indoor/outdoor) per month - $10/month; 

• Hourly rates - $3; and

• Daily rates for most lots - $7.

Please refer to the complete list of parking rates on the Parking Services website. 

"Thank you for support as we implement these enhancements to Parking Services," the vice-president's memo concludes. "For more information, visit the Parking Services website and refer to the FAQ section, or contact strnsprt@uwaterloo.ca if you have additional questions." 

Students participate in Kakehashi Project

Students explore Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa.

This article was originally published on Renison University College's website.

After several years of limited travel, eight University of Waterloo students were able to participate in the Kakehashi Project, a week-long exchange program through Japan’s Friendship Ties Programs, overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The students spent their Reading week, February 17-25, 2024 in Japan, exploring the cities of Tokyo and Aichi. Their trip was followed by a special exchange day at Waterloo when Renison hosted six Japanese students in early March. The project is designed to build mutual understanding and friendship between Canadian and Japanese students with engaging, and often transformative, intercultural experiences.

The eight Waterloo students who participated come from diverse programs, and five of them have Renison connections. Denise is a student in Social Development Studies; Teagan (Communication Art and Design Practice), Marcus (Geography and Aviation), and Katelyn (Arts and Business) have completed several of Renison’s Japanese language courses; and Matthew (Nanotechnology Engineering) is a Don in Renison Residence.

During their nine-day excursion, the exchange students experienced cutting-edge technologies at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology, Panasonic Center Tokyo, and teamLAB★, and learned about history, tradition, arts, and architecture while exploring the University of Tokyo Museum, Azabudai Hills, Harajuku, Asakusa (an older district of Tokyo), and visiting Nagoya Castle (in photo above). During the visit to Chukyo University, the students were also invited to a traditional tea ceremony at a nearby temple.

Read the full story (with more photos!) on the Renison website.

World Water Day event with Autumn Peltier set for Friday

A message from the Water Institute.

Join us in celebrating World Water Day on Friday, March 22 at Federation Hall with an inspiring lineup of sessions hosted by the University of Waterloo's Water Institute.

We are honoured that international Indigenous rights and water activist Autumn Peltier will be joining us for the morning session sharing her insight and passion. The session includes a screening of the powerful documentary, The Water Walker, followed by a Circle Talk with Peltier exploring the crucial role of youth in shaping a sustainable future.

Between sessions, don’t miss our student research showcase where over 40 projects addressing water challenges will be featured. The afternoon session will include a thought-provoking panel discussion on "Securing Canada’s Water Future" where Water Institute researchers will explore the impact from the recently completed, six-year Global Water Futures project.

This annual World Water Day event is more than a celebration; it's a call to action. Join us in raising awareness about the 2.2 billion people worldwide living without access to safe water. Let's work together to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: Water and sanitation for all by 2030, and support other SDGs linked to water.

Event details

• World Water Day, Friday, March 22, 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Federation Hall