Friday, August 2, 2024

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• Nominations open for external Board of Governors members
• Core network refresh project update will include network disruptions
• What's open and closed this long weekend
• Notes as exams begin

Nominations open for external Board of Governors members

The Secretariat has developed a new process for inviting nominations and recommendations for potential community-at-large Board of Governors representatives for terms beginning in 2025, and is seeking the University community’s assistance in getting the word out. The normal election processes will continue for faculty, staff, and students.

Some background

The composition of the Board of Governors is outlined in the University of Waterloo Act. The Act indicates that the Board can appoint ten of thirty-six members from the community-at-large, on the recommendation of the Board’s Governance Committee.

As per the Board’s Renewal and Succession Policy, members are recommended for appointment based on “...a range of factors, including institutional vision, values and priorities, and succession planning considerations based on the Board’s skills, experience and diversity matrix alongside the Board’s Renewal and Succession Policy,”  The policy also notes that “community-at-large members are selected from a wide range of professional fields and industries to provide a balanced and nuanced approach to governance decisions.”

Governor qualifications

For the 2025-26 governance year, the Board will be seeking new members with demonstrated expertise in investment, real estate development and land use planning, accounting and auditing, broad legal experience and understanding of compliance and regulatory law, risk management, cybersecurity and IT. The full list of qualifications, skills and experience is described on the Secretariat’s External Governor Nominations website

These appointments are volunteer positions and the Governance Committee evaluates nominations based on the desire and willingness to serve, and the ability to put in the time and effort needed to be an effective member of the Board of Governors, which meets five times annually. Members are assigned to standing committees based on their skills and experience. The degree to which the applicant’s personal values are in alignment with the University of Waterloo vision and values is another consideration.

Additional assets include being a Waterloo graduate, having past experience on other boards as a committee chair, formal governance training or experience, and access to a network that includes potential University donors.

How to submit a nomination

Members of the University community are invited to submit nominations or recommendations for potential Board members who meet the requirements.

The Secretariat is requesting nominations by September 1, 2024, and they can be submitted in confidence to the Secretariat by emailing board@uwaterloo.ca. Nominations can include a brief candidate profile and/or CV in order to help in assessing candidates. 

“Nominations of those who may be suitable for future appointment to the Board are welcome at any time and are normally kept on file for at least three years from the date of submission,” says the Secretariat.

For more information please visit the Secretariat website.

Core network refresh project update will include network disruptions

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST).

As part of the core equipment refresh project, the wireless and residence core will be replaced, and controllers will be migrated to connect through new equipment. This change will impact availability of both campus wireless networks and wireless and wired networks in University Residences.

Planned network interruptions

Periodic interruptions to network services will occur during the following service windows:

• Residence wired network: Tuesday, August 20, between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m.
• Campus and residence wireless networks: Thursday, August 22, between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m.
• Campus and residence wireless networks: Sunday, August 25, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Network service will be restored once maintenance is complete. Questions or concerns about this work can be submitted to the IST Service Desk.

What's open and closed this long weekend

Is it the August long weekend already? I guess it is! Monday, August 5 is a Civic Holiday, and most University operations will be closed for the long weekend. Here are some operational changes to note:

Most Food Services locations will be closed holiday Monday, with the exception of The Market at CMH, which will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Tim Hortons SLC, which will be open 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. all the long weekend. A number of outlets will be closed for "Fall Reset" beginning Saturday, August 3 until August 31, including ChatTime@DC and Tim Hortons EC5. Visit the Food Services hours and locations page for detailed information.

Print + Retail Solutions operations will be closed on Monday, August 5. Check out the locations and hours page for more details.

Athletics and Recreation facilities will be closed Sunday, August 4 and Monday, August 5 for the long weekend. Visit the Facility Hours page for more details.

The Visitors Centrewill be closed on Monday, August 5. No tours will be running during this time.

The Dana Porter Library will be open from 12 noon to 6:00 p.m. on holiday Monday, and the Davis Centre Library will be open from 12 noon to 3:00 a.m. The "Email Us" system will be monitored from 12 noon to 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Check the Library's hours page for more details.

The Student Life Centre and the SLC Turnkey Desk, and Flock Stop are all over 24/7 on holiday Monday. Turnkey@DC is closed Monday, August 5.

Enjoy the long weekend! The Daily Bulletin will return on Tuesday, August 6.

Notes as exams begin

Remember, at Waterloo, you're a somebody, especially during exam period. Becky Wroe, longtime WUSA employee, tipped me off to the improbable existence of this vintage Federation of Students poster (that itself references a famous 1960s-era photo of students writing exams) still advertising the Federation of Students' defunct info-line all these years later on a telephone pole on Phillip Street. Somehow this poster has survived decades of rough treatment at the hands of the elements (it could be because the poster is laminated and liberally stapled to the pole). And yes, the examination period does kick off today, running until August 16. Good luck, students!

Sue Koebel's retirement celebration is set for August 14. "This is a reminder to RSVP for Sue Koebel’s retirement celebration taking place on Wednesday, August 14 at the University Club, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.," says a note from Human Resources. "Please join Sue’s colleagues, family, and friends on for an afternoon of memories, laughter, and heartfelt thanks as we honour Sue and her incredible 47-year career at Waterloo."

Information Systems & Technology (IST) has published the latest in the Atlassian Blog Series entitled "Weekly Atlassian Update: Enhancing Data Management with Confluence Smart Tables."