Thursday, August 1, 2024

Thursday, August 1, 2024

Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca

Updated postdoctoral scholar guidelines go into effect today

A multicoloured banner image with circles of varying shades of black, grey, yellow and red.

A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.

The University of Waterloo has refined its postdoctoral guidelines to provide clearer, more structured support for postdoctoral scholars, ensuring competitive compensation, inclusivity, and alignment with current standards and compliance requirements.

Key changes include:

  • Enhanced structure and compliance: The refined guidelines establish postdocs as highly skilled employees and ensure all appointments meet minimum salary and contract length requirements, aligning with standards set by the Tri-Agencies and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
  • Updated naming convention: The guidelines and naming convention have been updated from postdoctoral fellow to postdoctoral scholar to encourage a gender-neutral term (postdoctoral scholar and postdoc are used interchangeably).
  • New postdoctoral scholar appointment categories:
    • Type A: Full employment by University of Waterloo with full benefits (e.g., health, dental, pension).
    • Type B: Partial employment by University of Waterloo with proportionate benefits.
    • Associate: Funded entirely by an external source, with no benefits.
  • Increased salary: The minimum annual salary is raised from $30,121 to $45,000, effective September 1, 2024.
  • Extended eligibility: The guidelines specify that candidates must have received their PhD or equivalent degree (e.g., DSc) no more than 5 years (60 months) before an appointment start date. The refined guidelines outline clearly defined exceptions to the window of eligibility. This adjustment allows for a more inclusive approach to postdoctoral appointments.
  • Minimum appointment length: At least one year for international scholars and three months for Canadian scholars or those recently completing a Canadian postdoc or PhD.
  • Benefits and compliance: Detailed benefits information is provided; all appointments require the faculty dean's approval.

These guideline updates aim to provide a structured, supportive environment for postdoctoral scholars, ensuring their roles are well-defined. They underscore the University of Waterloo's commitment to fostering a supportive and equitable environment for postdoctoral scholars, aiding their growth and success in their future careers.

The guidelines are effective August 1, 2024; full guidelines are published and available on the newly established Postdoctoral Scholars website, managed by Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA). 

In support of the refined guidelines, GSPA is hosting an information session with members of the university who recruit, hire and support postdoctoral scholars to review the refined guidelines and resources. Register for the information session on August 13.

New Director of Employee Health and Accommodation announced

A message from Dr. Jennifer Gillies, Associate Provost, Campus Support and Accessibility.

Laura Myers.

The Employee Health and Accommodation Office, which includes the Occupational Health team, is dedicated to supporting the meaningful participation and inclusion of all employees in the workplace, aligning with the University’s mission and strategic initiatives. The office serves as the University’s centralized hub for managing employee accommodations and promoting employee health and well-being.  

Under the portfolio of Campus Support and Accessibility, this new office is growing with the appointment of Laura Myers, the inaugural Director of Employee Health and Accommodation. Reporting to the Associate Provost, Campus Support and Accessibility, Laura will provide strategic leadership, oversight, and effective management of this office. 

Laura is a Registered Kinesiologist with over 15 years of experience in accommodation planning within both employment and post-secondary environments. She most recently served as Manager of Academic Accommodations for AccessAbility Services. Laura brings a balanced, person-centred approach to supporting employee health and accommodations, making her an excellent fit for this role. 

“We are confident that Laura’s expertise and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to work towards fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace for all employees,” said Jennifer Gillies, Associate Provost, Campus Support and Accessibility. 

Electrical upgrade project will see shutdowns across campus in August and September

Where were you when the lights went out?

A room full of electrical generating equipment.

Odds are, somewhere on campus, as the Primary North Electrical Distribution Replacement project continues with Plant Operations replacing existing electrical equipment with shiny new pieces of electrical equipment in order to increase the capacity and resilience of the campus power network while minimizing the risk of future power failures.

These outages, some of them minor and lasting for approximately five minutes, while others requiring a longer offline period, will be happening to various buildings on the University’s main campus in August and September. Wherever possible, these outages are scheduled outside of regular working hours.

The last round of temporary outages began on July 23 and the project will continue until Saturday, September 7. During the downtime, affected buildings will be without normal electrical power.

Here are next week’s outages:

  • Quantum-Nano Centre, Wednesday, August 7, 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.
  • Central Services Building, Wednesday, August 7, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (Chiller 3 will be offline for the duration of the shutdown)
  • Central Services Building, Wednesday, August 7, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (entire building will be offline for 5 minutes, with Chillers 1 and 2 offline for two hours)
  • North Loop 3, Wednesday, August 7, 7:00 p.m., 5-minute outage affecting Energy Research Centre, BC Matthews Hall, AHS Expansion, Physical Activities Complex, Student Life Centre, University Club, Optometry, and Health Services
  • Quantum-Nano Centre, Thursday, August 8, 4:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.
  • North Loop 1, Thursday, August 8, 5-minute outage affecting Chemistry 2, Davis Centre, Mathematics & Computer, General Services Complex, Commissary, and Mathematics 3
  • Federation Hall, Thursday, August 8, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (please note that the building will be on generator power all day and the outages are to switch onto and off a backup generator.
  • North Loop 4, Thursday, August 8, 7:00 p.m., 5-minute outage affecting Ron Eydt Village, Mackenzie King Village, Village 1, Tutors Houses and Federation Hall
  • Ron Eydt Village, Thursday, August 8, 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.,
  • Optometry Building, Friday, August 9, 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Check back in the Daily Bulletin next week to get a handle on the following week’s closures.

Please contact Jared Murphy  at jc2murph@uwaterloo.ca and Jonathan Hyde at j2hyde@uwaterloo.ca if you have questions about the power shutdown schedule.

Link of the day

Emancipation 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!

WatITis 2024 call for proposals, Saturday, June 15 to Friday, August 30.

Pre-examination study days, Wednesday, July 31 and Thursday, August 1.

Final examination period, Friday, August 2 to Friday, August 16.

WICI Workshop: People Need People – A Warm Data Lab Approach, Thursday, August 1, 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon, online via Zoom.

WISE Public Lecture, Overview of Electricity Market Operation” by Dr. Ricardo Alvares (Associate Professor, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María) and “Accelerating column generation with machine learning for solving the transmission network expansion planning problem” byPablo Oteiza, (Master Thesis Student, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María)., Thursday, August 1, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Engineering 2 (E2)., In-person and on Zoom. Register today.

Civic holiday, Monday, August 5, most University operations closed.

Knowledge Gathering and Sharing Consultation Sessions: 2STNBGNC+ allies who are employees (staff and faculty), Tuesday, August 6, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., virtual. Register.

Knowledge Gathering and Sharing Consultation Sessions: 2STNBGNC+ allies who are employees (staff and faculty), Wednesday, August 7, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in person. Register.

Safeguarding Science: Raising awareness of security risks and mitigation tools in the research ecosystem, Wednesday, August 7, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Ontario Mennonite Music Camp, Sunday, August 11 to Friday, August 23. 

Perseids Sky-watching Party and Lecture: 30,000 Years of Looking Up! with Dr. Liza Sazonova of the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, Monday, August 12, 7:30 p.m., lecture in OPT 347 and meteor-watching on Columbia Lake fields from sunset. Registration requested.

NEW - Postdoctoral affairs update: Information session for staff and faculty, Tuesday, August 13, 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon, MS Teams.

Invasive Species Pull, Wednesday, August 14, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., DWE parking lot. Register today.

WICI Speaker Series: Embracing Complexity in Sustainability Transitions with Dr. Enayat Moallemi, Monday, August 19, 10:00. a.m. to 11:30 a.m., DC 1302.

Deadline to get "Fees Arranged," Tuesday, August 20.

Co-operative work term ends, Friday, August 23.

PhD oral defences

Electrical & Computer Engineering. Aixi Pan, "Fabrication of atomic force microscope probes with high aspect ratio silicon tips, silicon/silicon nitride cantilevers and stair-shaped handles." Supervisors, Dr. Bo Cui, Dr. Dayan Ban. Thesis available via SharePoint - email eng.phd@uwaterloo.ca to request a viewing link. Oral defence Wednesday, August 7, 9:00 a.m., EIT 3142.

Computer Science. Sajin Sasy, "Privacy-Preserving Communications from Privacy-Preserving Computations." Supervisor, Dr. Ian Goldberg. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Wednesday, August 7, 1:00 p.m., remote.

School of Accounting and Finance. Yifei Kuang, "Does ESG-linked Executive Compensation Improve Responsible Sourcing?" Supervisor, Dr. Changling Chen. Available upon request from the Faculty of Arts, Graduate Studies and Research Officer. Oral defence Thursday, August 8, 9:00 a.m., PAS 2464 and hybrid.

Civil & Environmental Engineering. Seyfollah Gilak Hakimabadi, "An investigation of factors affecting of PFAS adsorption on colloidal activated carbon (CAC): implications for in-situ immobilization of PFAS by CAC barriers." Supervisor, Dr. Anh Pham. Thesis available via SharePoint - email eng.phd@uwaterloo.ca to request a viewing link. Oral defence Thursday, August 8, 9:30 a.m., E2 2350.

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:

  • MC to QNC Pedestrian Bridge temporary closure, Monday, June 17 to Friday, September 27, no access to bridge between QNC to MC due to construction.
  • ESC loading dock crane operation, Wednesday, July 31 and Thursday, August 1, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., loading dock closed for the duration, all vehicles must be removed from EIT parking stalls, minor disruption for traffic entering Chem Road under C2 bridge.
  • Pedestrian bridge connecting Carl Pollock Hall and Lot A closure, Thursday, August 1, bridge over University Avenue will be closed for the duration of the construction of the new residence building, with an anticipated re-opening in September 2026. Crossing can occur at grade at the University/Seagram intersection or at pedestrian crosswalk near the railway corridor.
  • Arts Lecture Hall, Hagey Hall Humanities, Psychology, Tatham Centre fire alarm testing, Friday, August 2, 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., fire alarm will sound, building evacuation not required.
  • East Campus 1, East Campus 2, East Campus 3 fire alarm testing, Friday, August 2, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., fire alarm will sound, building evacuation not required.
  • B.C Matthews Hall, Lyle Hallman Institute, Applied Health Science, Energy Research Centre, Math 3 fire alarm testing, Tuesday, August 6, 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., fire alarm will sound, building evacuation not required.
  • ESC building electrical shutdown, August 24, 6:00 a.m. for 14 hours, building will be closed, all power to ESC will be shut down, elevators will not be functional.