Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
Operating Budget Town Hall set for today
Members of the University community can tune in today to the Operation Budget town hall meeting, which is taking place from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. today in Needles Hall 3407 and online via MS Teams.
Attendees will hear more about the constraints in the University's current financial position and the measures proposed in the 2024/2025 University Operating Budget recently considered and approved by the Board of Governors on April 16. A Q&A will follow.
The in-person event is at capacity but you can join in the livestream via MS Teams. Questions can be submitted in-person during the Q&A portion of the event, or via the MS Teams chat. Register to receive the livestream link.
Wrestling with a giant: how GenAI is impacting academia at Waterloo
The author of this article used UWaterloo's version of CoPilot (which uses DALL-E, an AI image-generating program) to create this image on April 4, 2024 at 11:04 p.m.
By Amanda McKenzie, Office of Academic Integrity.
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is a black box to most of us. Since November 2022 it has been making headlines and challenging instructors and students to consider how it can be used in academia and when it’s appropriate.
While people would like a hard and fast rule to attach to the use of GenAI – this is easier said than done. Making a strict rule can be detrimental, especially when this technology is evolving so quickly.
For students and instructors who are wondering where the line should be drawn for using GenAI in the completion of assessments, the answer is simple. Assessments must be, and have always been required to be, the students own work.
So, what does your “own” work look like in age of GenAI?
Ask yourself:
- Am I confident that I understand the topic from the work that I have put in?
- Can I show how I got to the final version of my work with drafts and sources?
- Can I speak to the information and arguments I have written?
- Does the writing sound like me – in my voice and level of experience?
- Is the information accurate and can I verify it?
Wrestling a giant is daunting, instead think of it in different terms - how can we stand on the shoulders of this giant and reach higher?
Ethical uses of GenAI:
- Expanding your ideas to explore other ways of thinking;
- Improving your writing (but not replacing your voice);
- Creating efficiencies in rote tasks like formatting references;
- Being transparent about where and how you have used GenAI;
- Does not replace critical thinking.
Have more questions or do you need support? Reach out to the units below:
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Instructors |
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Course and assignment redesign |
Centre for Teaching Excellence (Faculty liaisons) |
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Online course and assignment redesign |
Centre for Extended Learning (Agile development team) |
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Designing and teaching written assignments |
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Encouraging students to work with integrity |
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Citing GenAI |
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Students |
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Writing assignments using GenAI |
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Citing GenAI |
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Ethical use of GenAI in assignments |
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Check out this webpage for links to other information about GenAI at Waterloo.
Orange you glad the Neuron e-scooters are back?
A message from the Sustainability Office.
The University of Waterloo is excited to announce a partnership with Neuron Mobility for an e-bike and e-scooter share program. This program is part of a region-wide initiative, supporting sustainable transportation options between the campus and broader community.
E-bike and e-scooter rentals are managed through the Neuron app, where students and employees can:
- Find nearby bikes and scooters
- Start and manage trips
- View the Riding Zone Boundaries around campus and in the community
- Locate the nearest Designated Parking Station when their trip is over
Please note: To prioritize pedestrian safety, bikes and scooters will be confined to around Ring Road and select trails on the perimeter of campus. Students and employees will not be able to ride the bikes and scooters through University pathways or parking lots.
Pick-up and drop-off hubs will be located around Ring Road, UW Place, and Columbia Lake Village. Public stations are also available to users near the Kitchener and Cambridge campuses. Other station locations will expand throughout the summer.
Riders are encouraged to visit Neuron’s ScootSafe website for more information on riding rules and requirements for Waterloo Region, as well as online games to earn free ride credits. For more information on sustainable transportation at Waterloo, visit the Transportation webpage on the Sustainability Office website.
Renison releases 2024-2027 Strategic Plan
A message from Renison University College.
Renison University College, with unanimous support from its Board of Governors, has released its Strategic Plan for 2024 to 2027.
Led by the Turner Consulting Group, and approached through a lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion, Renison’s process in developing this new plan was highly consultative in nature. The process began in October 2023 with the formation of a Steering Committee with representation from each sector of the Renison community.
The development of the Plan was formed through a series of focus groups designed to reach all constituency groups. Students faculty, staff and the Board of Governors each had dedicated focus groups; alumni were invited to attend in person and were also engaged through a variety of online opportunities. As early drafts of the plan were created, all constituency groups were invited to engage in the work and add comments, feedback and recommendations. Several community cafes were also hosted, allowing the Renison community to engage in person, or through online forms.
The full news item can be read on the Renison website.
Upcoming office closures
The William M. Tatham Centre for Co-operative and Experiential Education (TC) will be closed today from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for a staff event. There will be no Centre for Career Development drop-ins or scheduled meetings during that time. TC will re-open on April 24 during regular hours.
The Science Undergraduate Office will be closing at 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24.
Link of the day
When and Where
The Student Health Pharmacy (located in the lower level of the Student Life Centre) is offering flu shots with no appointments needed daily from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call 519-746-4500 or extension 33784 for more info. COVID shots will be available on appointment basis only. You can register online at studenthealthpharmacy.ca.
Warriors Youth Summer Camps. Basketball, Baseball, Football, Hockey, Multi-Sport and Volleyball. Register today!
Final examination period, Thursday, April 11 to Thursday, April 25.
Green Labs Earth Week Challenge, Monday, April 22 to Friday, April 26.
Earth Day Campus Clean-up, Monday, April 22, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., supplies available at DC Green.
WISE Public Lecture, “Virtual Power Plants: Navigating through Foundational Concepts, Technologies Involved, Strategic Impacts, and Development Challenges” by Amir Miragha, (PhD, SMIEEE, Global Senior Principal Architect, Schneider Electric.), Monday, April 22, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., CPH Fourth floor 4335., in-person and on Zoom. Register today!
Academic Industry Meeting day (AIMday™) Interactive & Immersive Technologies, Tuesday, April 23, all day.
Operating Budget Town Hall, Tuesday, April 23, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., NH 3407.
Larkworthy Memorial Lecture by Dr. Deborah McGregor, Reconciliation: An Indigenous Ontology of Climate Change, Tuesday, April 23, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., OPT 347. Reception to follow. Free registration required.
Deadline to get "Fees Arranged," Wednesday, April 24.
Inaugural CPI Student Seminar, featuring Prof. Pirathayini Srikantha, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at York University., Wednesday, April 24, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., East Campus 5 Rm. 1111 - Enterprise Theatre., In-person. Register today.
An Evening with Astrophysicist Dr. Avery Broderick, Wednesday, April 24, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Federation Hall.
Waterloo Innovation Summit, Thursday, April 25, McKinsey & Company, Toronto.
WaterTalk: Advancing our understanding and management of freshwaters with near-term forecasting, Thursday, April 25, 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon, DC 1302, lunch and reception to follow from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m., DC 1301.
MFA Thesis One opening reception, Thursday, April 25, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.., University of Waterloo Art Gallery.
Unofficial grades begin to appear in Quest, Saturday, April 27.
Spiritus Ensemble, conducted by Kenneth Hull, Professor Emeritus at Conrad Grebel University College, concludes their 15th season with Bach Vespers After Easter, on Sunday April 28, 4:00 p.m., St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Kitchener. Admission by donation. See www.spiritusensemble.com for details.
NEW - Cheriton School of Computer Science Distinguished Lecture Series, "Privacy, Learning, and Inference," featuring Adam Smith, Departments of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, Tuesday, April 30, 10:00 a.m., DC 1302 and online.
Safeguarding Science workshop and more, throughout May and June. Public Safety Canada invites faculty, staff and students to attend a series of virtual event via MS Teams. Register to receive a link.
Quantum Connections 2024: Quantum Perspectives, Wednesday, May 1 to Thursday, May 2, QNC.
Teaching and Learning Conference 2024, Wednesday, May 1 and Thursday, May 2.
Spring Tree Planting, Thursday, May 2, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., main campus.
Master of Taxation virtual information session, Saturday, May 4, 9:00 a.m.
BioBlitz, Monday, May 6 to Sunday, May 12.
Spring term lectures and classes begin, Monday, May 6.
Co-operative work term begins, Monday, May 6.
Equitable Recruitment and Selection, Monday, May 6, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Spring Tree Planting, Wednesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 9, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., main campus.
Bridging Black: Building Black Connections for Black Flourishing, the 2024 Inter-Institutional Forum of the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education, Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10, University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University campuses.
GOODHack24, Saturday, May 11, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 151 Charles Street, Kitchener.
University of Waterloo Knowledge Mobilization Community of Practice, “Bibliometrics and Research Impact and Thinking Through How to Improve KM Metrics”, Friday, May 17, 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon.Thursday, May 30, 10:0 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Contact Nadine Quehl to request a Teams invitation or for more information. Please note the new date and time.
Upcoming service interruptions
Stay up to date on service interruptions, campus construction, and other operational changes on the Plant Operations website. Upcoming service interruptions include:
- Path between CSB and ERC closed, Wednesday, April 24, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., path closed while generator is removed from Central Plant. Heavy equipment will be operational in the area
- University Daycare fire alarm testing, Wednesday, April 24, 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., building evacuation not required.
- School of Optometry, Columbia Icefield fire alarm testing, Wednesday, April 24, 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., no building evacuation required.
- UWP/Claudette Millar Hall fire alarm testing, Wednesday, April 24, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., fire alarm will sound, building activation not required.
- William G. Davis Computer Research Centre (DC) life safety systems maintenance, Thursday, April 25, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. During this time, emergency power will be unavailable.
- PAC Air Handling Unit replacement project, Friday, April 26, 12:00 a.m. to Monday, May 6, 5:00 p.m., no ventilation to several PAC rooms, which will be closed as a result
- Biology 1, Biology 2, Health Services, Quantum Nano Centre, Science Teaching Centre fire alarm testing, Friday, April 26, 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., no evacuation required
- REV mechanical room (boilers), April 30, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., heating and hot water will not be available for the Central Complex and the residential South/East and North/West quads
- South Campus Hall (SCH) steam trap replacement, April 30 to May 2, brief interruption of hot water and heating
- Engineering 6 electrical shutdown, May 12, 8:00 a.m., utility power will be off for four hours, emergency power will be operating
- Stratford Campus electrical shutdown, May 26, 9:00 a.m., all electrical power shut down for four hours