Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Teaching and Learning Conference 2025 issues call for proposals

 A message from the Centre for Teaching Excellence.

Submit a proposal for the University of Waterloo’s Annual Teaching and Learning Conference, taking place  May 1, 2025. Our 2025 conference theme is “Disruption and Uncertainty as Drivers for Change”. 

For our 16^th annual University of Waterloo Teaching and Learning Conference, we will centre our conversation around strategies for responding to disruption and uncertainty and leveraging them as occasions to innovate and improve our educational practices. How do we address challenges and opportunities that arise from crises, whether local or global, individual or collective? How do we deal with these disruptions to our carefully planned terms or programs? What are the key lessons to take into future disruptions? How do we support students and faculty and staff members? How do we partner with colleagues and other units on campus to support each other and leverage each other’s strengths? How can we use technology to limit the impact of disruptions? How do we engage with local and global communities to bridge academia and real-world challenges? What new directions are we taking?  

We invite you to submit proposals for presentations, panel discussions, workshops, alternative sessions, and posters that address these questions. We also welcome proposals from recipients of LearningInnovation and Teaching Enhancement (LITE) grants. Again, this year, we invite proposals for pre-conference workshops and panels which will be held online prior to the conference on  Wednesday, April 30, 2025. 

For more information  check out the Call for Proposals website. 

Reminder: Operating Budget Town Hall takes place online on November 18

There is still time to register for next week's Operating Budget Town Hall, where you will hear more about the current financial position of the University and the factors determining it.

A Q&A will follow, and you can submit a question in advance of the town hall during the registration process.

If you have ideas on how to achieve cost efficiencies, you can also submit them to budget@uwaterloo.ca.  

The town hall takes place on Microsoft Teams on Monday, November 18 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. online on Microsoft Teams.

For those who have registered, a link will be sent to your University of Waterloo email address the morning of the town hall.

All are welcome at Walking the Path of Hope

A message from the Faculty of Environment and the Waterloo Climate Institute. 

On Thursday, November 14, we are thrilled to invite students, staff, and faculty to “Walking the Path of Hope,” a fireside chat and reception with snacks that shares Indigenous perspectives on climate change and building hope. 

“Everyone is welcome to take part in this conversation, which is very close to my heart,” says Elder Myeengun Henry. “It is an important discussion to have, especially now. Together we can share and build hope.” 

The evening begins with a fireside chat featuring Dr. Kelsey Leonard and Elder Myeengun Henry, moderated by undergraduate student Sophia Armstrong. They’ll share insights on navigating future anxieties through connection to the land. After the talk, attendees will head to the Healing Forest exhibit for refreshments and delicious snacks. This interactive installation encourages reflection and provides a relaxed space to continue the conversation. Enjoy a friendly atmosphere to chat and connect with others. 

Come walk a path of hope with us and engage with the land, Indigenous knowledge, and a welcoming community. 

The event takes place on Thursday, November 14, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Arts Lecture Hall 116 followed by reception in EV2 Healing Forest exhibit. 

RSVP here to join the conversation. 

Faculty of Health Executive Officer Katherine Marshall to retire

A message from the Faculty of Health.

After almost 20 years at University of Waterloo, Katherine Marshall, Executive Officer in the Faculty of Health, is trading her keys for golf clubs and a well-deserved retirement. Katherine began her UWaterloo career with the Centre for Behavioural Research and Program Evaluation (CBRPE), which later became the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact. In 2010, Katherine joined the Dean’s Office in the Faculty of Health (then Applied Health Sciences) as Executive Officer, overseeing business operations, infrastructure and providing leadership on strategic initiatives and policy development.  

As EO, she has steered the Faculty ship through four Dean transitions, a 56,000-square-foot building addition and major renovations to the Toby Jenkins Building. She has been an integral part of the leadership team on both the macro and micro level, from balancing resources and budgets to one-on-one staff support.  

"I owe my seamless transition into the role of dean at UWaterloo to Katherine,” Dean Lili Liu said. “She has been a valued institutional navigator, and when we didn’t have an answer or solution, she was my compass to the right source. The Faculty has benefitted immensely from Katherine’s contributions and guidance."  

Bonnie Bishop, formerly Administrative Officer in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences and a seasoned administrator, has assumed the role of EO in the Faculty.

Join us on December 4 at 4:00 p.m. to honour Katherine and celebrate her contributions to UWaterloo.  

Date: December 4 

Time: 4:00 p.m. 

Location: HLTH EXP foyer 

Please register to attend by November 22. 

If you would like to send her good wishes, please do so on Katherine's Kudoboard. 

Green Labs launches training program in LEARN and other notes

"As large consumers of energy & water, and significant contributors of waste, labs have a critical role in meeting our climate and sustainability goals," says a message from the Sustinability Office. "To work to address this on campus, Green Labs is launching an open registration training program on LEARN on November 12! With seven modules and numerous suggestions to decrease your environmental impact, this resource is ideal for decision makers in lab settings. For students, this course can help make you aware of the environmental impact that laboratory work can have. The course can be found under the "Self Registration" page on the Learn homepage. Thank you to our Beta Testers for their feedback."

The Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office (SVPRO) and Keeping Well at Work are hosting a Navigating and Supporting Menopause in the Workplace today from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. online via Microsoft Teams. Attendees will learn more about menopause, its symptoms, and how it may affect workplace experiences and productivity. Facilitating the virtual event will be Stacey Jacobs, a Sexual Health Educator within the Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office, and Jay Love, a Case Manager in SVPRO.

The Library is hosting Data Journeys: Sustaining Digital Futures, Planning for the End of Your Digital project today from 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon on Zoom. "Have you thought about what happens to your project when you’re done?" asks the Library. "This workshop, a combination of presentation and question & answer period, will cover the stages of planning for the end and long-term sustainability of your project. Questions such as knowing when your project is completed, which parts should be preserved, and how your choice of digital tools can future-proof your project will be discussed"

Register now.

Tonight at 7:00 p.m., Wanda Dalla Costa presents the 2024 Hagey Lecture: Decoding Meaning in Indigenous Design. Dalla Costa is Principal of TAWAW Architecture Collective Inc., "a design-research firm dedicated to advancing Indigenous architecture. Our current research centers on the meaning found in original structures – the tipi, hogan, longhouse or wigwam - which we have come to understand as a microcosm of a larger world. Each project we undertake, offers behavioral, social and ideological meanings, that we integrate into contemporary form. Our work is not about replicating traditional designs but about understanding the meanings they hold, to bring meanings forward, making culture visible, but also stable. Join us as we explore the work of encoding and decoding Indigenous environments."

The lecture takes place at Federation Hall. There's still time to grab a free ticket.