Friday, September 13, 2024

Celebrating the life and career of Eric Breugst

A message from the Faculty of Arts.

Eric Breugst (BA ’89, MA ’93), beloved academic advisor in the Arts Undergraduate Office (AUO), died on Monday, August 12 while travelling in the United Kingdom. Retired as Manager of Academic Advising in 2020, Breugst made outstanding contributions during his 25-year career in Arts, which were recognized with a 2018 Faculty of Arts award for Excellence in Service.

“The loss of Eric is truly heartbreaking,” said Richard Eibach, Associate Dean of Arts, Undergraduate Students. “However, his legacy will endure through the innumerable students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched.”

Julie Mulvey, Academic Officer, was a close colleague during Breugst’s entire Waterloo career. She shares: “Eric was an integral part of the AUO, starting as a Secondary School Liaison Officer in the early 1990s and then moving into academic advising and management roles later in his career. He relied on this vast experience to mentor colleagues and guide students through challenging academic situations. He always had an upbeat attitude, and this is what I will remember most about Eric: his timely pop culture references or wisecracks that set everyone at ease and made meetings much more enjoyable. The AUO will never forget him!”

Bill Chesney, Arts mascot Porcellino, and Eric Breugst.

Bill Chesney, Professor Emeritus and former Associate Dean of Arts, Undergraduate Students, wrote: “I was privileged to work with Eric for twelve years in the Arts Undergraduate Office […] he was a superb colleague who always led by example with an unfailing work ethic and a genuine care for everyone around him. He contributed mightily with good will, good humour, which made Eric such a gifted and trusted advisor to students.”

Taking early retirement to pursue his passion for global travel, Breugst generously established the Eric Breugst International Exchange Award to promote global awareness and enable two Arts students annually to participate in study abroad experiences. “Eric was a sports enthusiast, cottager, student of history and world traveler who always managed to combine them all into one experience,” wrote his family in The Record.

“Eric was a friend, a mentor, a caring and amazing advisor, manager, and leader,” said Andri Efstathiou, former Arts advisor and current Administration Officer in the School Architecture. “He saw the best in everyone - students, staff, and faculty. And for that he made the University of Waterloo and the Faculty of Arts, a better place to study and work.” 

Kayla Lorentz, current Manager of Academic Advising who was trained for the role by Breugst, shared: “Eric was truly a beloved part of our AUO team and a staple within the advising community in the Faculty of Arts and at the university. Eric was incredibly kind, patient, and knowledgeable. He was passionate about travelling and was a serious sports fan! Eric was very well connected with our students, alumni, faculty, and staff, and I know this news will be difficult for many people to hear, as he kept up connections with friends across campus after his retirement.”

Renowned for his ability to find brilliant solutions to many student advising puzzles, Breugst was a go-to for his “his deep knowledge and experience,” says Kathy Acheson, Associate Dean of Arts, Undergraduate Programs. “He was always thoughtful and committed to the best outcome… we remember him with great fondness and respect, and know that he enriched and improved the lives of thousands of students and many colleagues.”

The Centre's new website: integrating key resources

A message from The Centre.

On September 4 a new version of The Centre’s website launched, featuring a streamlined consolidation of several key sites:

• Student Awards and Financial Aid (SAFA)
• Quest
• University of Waterloo Forms (Undergraduate and Graduate)

The previously separate sites have been archived, and URL redirects are now in place to guide users to the new content. Please ensure that any links from other sites are updated to direct users to the new Centre site.

Additionally, all student-related content from the Registrar’s Office website has been migrated to The Centre. A simplified version of the Registrar’s Office site remains available, but it is recommended that links for student information be updated to reflect the new location.

This consolidation is designed to improve the user experience by centralizing access to the most frequently used campus resources through The Centre. For any questions regarding the update, please contact Tasha Glover.

Minimum wage changes go into effect on October 1

The minimum wage rates in Ontario are increasing on October 1, 2024, according to a memo from Human Resources circulated to managers, department heads, executive and administrative officers, administrative assistants, timekeepers and Human Resource partners yesterday.

The rate changes are as follows:

"The majority of our current employees are not impacted by this change," says the memo from Human Resources. "For casual employees at the current minimum wage rate, this change will happen automatically, and the new minimum wage will be updated in Workday by Human Resources."

"Please be aware of this change when hiring employees after October 1, 2024," the memo continues. "Users of Time Tracking in Workday should also keep in mind the new legislation to ensure employees are paid compliantly."

More information about the minimum wage change can be found on the Government of Ontario’s website. Please direct any questions to hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca.

Hack the North this weekend and other notes

Hack the North, the largest collegiate hackathon in Canada, is set to take place this weekend, running from September 13 to September 15. This is the eleventh installment of the student hackathon, which celebrated its 10^th anniversary in 2023.

The Waterloo Climate Institute and GreenHouse are encouraging members of the community to commit to eating local with a Kitchener Market Tour and shopping trip on Saturday September 14. Participants can meet at ION station across from DC at 9:50 a.m. to catch the 10:00 a.m. ION to the Market in Kitchener. Registration is required.

Honk if you love construction: Employees, visitors, and patrons of the School of Optometry and the Bright Starts Daycare (and associated North Campus parking lots) should be aware that there will be temporary road closures from Monday, September 16 to Friday, September 19 as underground storm drain work is carried out on Columbia Street. The driveway between Columbia Street and the Bright Starts Daycare will be temporarily closed while the work is performed. Vehicle traffic to Bright Starts, X Lot, O Lot, and the Optometry loading area will have to take an alternate route using Hagey Boulevard, according to Plant Operations.

Information Systems & Technology (IST) has published the latest in its Atlassian Blog Series entitled What Are Approvals in Jira Service Management?