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Volunteers build new opportunities, community and Waterloo's future
A message from Nenone Donaldson, Vice-President, Advancement.
Today marks the beginning of National Volunteer Week! In the Office of Advancement, we are excited to recognize the many volunteers who propel UWaterloo forward in our mission to create a better future. Each individual contributes in their own way — mentoring students and new grads, building global connections, or offering expertise to leadership — and they all make a difference in our work. This week, teams across Advancement will publicly recognize the thousands of volunteers who give their time to Waterloo. I hope you will join the celebrations on social media and thank them for the role they play in building our thriving global community.
Spring cohort now open for Mental Health Literacy Program
A message from Campus Wellness, Health Promotion.
Maintaining positive mental health is important to us all. Perhaps you’ve noticed signs of distress or increased levels of anxiety in a student and you’re not sure how to help them. Understanding the signs and symptoms of distress and the steps you can take to ensure they get the support they need involves having mental health literacy.
The Mental Health Literacy (MHL) Certificate was developed for faculty and staff to understand and practice approaches for compassionately responding to students. Participants will also walk away with strategies for incorporating self-care when supporting others. The certificate program uses a cohort model, which encourages discussion and reflection on mental health through an equity-focused lens. Additionally, it empowers participants to build a supportive community of care and compassion. Over the course of five modules, participants will enhance their understanding of barriers to mental health and competency in responding to a person in distress.
Employees that have completed the program find it addresses gaps in their knowledge and is directly applicable to their work. Participants also shared that the cohorts fostered important connections and relationships with their colleagues. It provides a safe space for mental health conversations while prompting critical thinking about institutional culture and systems. We all contribute to the culture and environment of our Waterloo community, not matter what our role is. Please join us to learn how you can contribute to a community of care at Waterloo.
For faculty and staff not able to complete the entire MHL certificate program, they can complete Recognizing and Responding to a Person in Distress. This is a 2.5-hour standalone offering from the MHL program focused on building the skills and confidence to support others who may be in distress.
If you’re interested in signing up for any of the mental health trainings, please visit Campus Wellness’ training page.
The Library welcomes new head of Special Collections and Archives
A message from the Library.
The Library recently welcomed Rebecka Taves Sheffield as our new head of Special Collections & Archives (SCA). Rebecka is an award-winning author, educator and archivist with more than fifteen years’ experience working in the field. She recently served two consecutive appointments as vice president of the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA), from 2017 to 2021, and now holds the position of Managing Editor for the ACA’s highly respected journal, Archivaria.
Rebecka has a background in gender studies, social movement theory and 2SLGBTQ+ histories, which aligns well with SCA’s current collecting strengths. She spent nearly a decade working with the ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ+ Archives, an experience that has informed her research and writing. She holds a PhD in Information Studies from the University of Toronto, with a concentration in sexual diversity studies, and completed a MIST degree with a specialization in archives and records management. She’s looking forward to continuing the work of diversifying our collection, working with the Library’s associate directors of equity, diversity, inclusion and access (EDIA) and Indigenous initiatives.
Rebecka has a keen interest in applying her archival skills to the digital world. Before joining Waterloo, she was a Senior Policy Advisor for Ontario’s Digital Service, leading digital and data policy development in the areas of data sharing, generative artificial intelligence and digital recordkeeping practices. Harnessing the innovative scholarship happening at Waterloo and connecting it to the work of SCA is top priority for Rebecka as she embarks on her newest professional endeavour.
Fifteen years of Knowledge Integration at Waterloo
This is an excerpt of an article that originally appeared on the Faculty of Environment's website.
Classifying the problems facing the world as 'complex' may seem like a simplification. Issues such as climate change, access to healthcare, inequity, and cybersecurity are not only individually challenging but also interconnected. Solving these interdisciplinary problems needs knowledge and expertise from fields like science, arts, technology, philosophy, and design-thinking. This requires experts who can engage in meaningful dialogue, analyze information, work collaboratively, and excel at integrating knowledge. These skills form the foundation of the University of Waterloo’s Knowledge Integration (KI) program, which recently celebrated its 15th anniversary.
The Knowledge Integration Exhibition (KIX) showcases capstone projects of Bachelor of Knowledge Integration (BKI) students, part of the three-course museum sequence. As part of this course students visit a major European museum city to immerse themselves in the culture and museums to study exhibit design. This year’s KIX exhibition cohort traveled to Barcelona, Spain. Students then spent last fall developing their themes, learning objectives, and experiences which turned into a 30-page storyboard that ultimately transformed into a five complete museum exhibits, centered on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge: Insights into subconscious actions.
- Imagine That!: Why the Make-Believe Matters
- Don’t Buy It: Anything can be made to look green. Are you buying it?
- Oh, The Places We Go: What is your happy place?
- Dream On: Discover the creativity and capability of your dreams.
Amy Laughlin, a fourth-year KI student and teaching assistant for the museum course, reminisced about choosing her university degree. “Thinking back to when I was in high school, KI felt so appealing because of the museum course,” she said. Students in KI also learned that Brett Purcell, president of Nevada Learning Series, made a generous donation, announced at the reception, that would support KIX exhibits and events for the next five years.
The BKI is the only Bachelor of Knowledge Integration in the world, and the skills students develop are transferable to any industry, with KI alumni going on to complete graduate degrees in fields like humanities, science, engineering, and medical school, and graduates working in a variety of sectors, from consulting to teaching.
Read the full story on the Faculty of Environment's website.