Thursday, August 1, 2024

Updated postdoctoral scholar guidelines go into effect today

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.

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?

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.