Tuesday, September 23, 2025

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• An update on accessibility efforts at the University of Waterloo
• Faculty invited to contribute to new WIL Authorship Collaborative
• 2025 Cheriton Research Symposium set for Friday
• Conrad Grebel University College names new Director of Development
• Tuesday's notes

An update on accessibility efforts at the University of Waterloo

A message from David DeVidi, Associate Vice-President, Academic, and the Teaching Innovation Incubator.

Over the past two years, teams of faculty and staff have been advancing work in accessible education, designing new student accommodation policy, supports, resources, and programming to ensure accessibility is built into our teaching and learning going forward. The Accessible Education project is approaching the end of its mandate and will conclude much of its official work at the end of this calendar year, with its primary goal to address the Post-Secondary Education Standards recommendations under Ontario legislation (the AODA).

Other accessibility efforts at the University of Waterloo have put a focus on remediation of inaccessible PDFs on public-facing websites. While these efforts are necessary and impactful, they do not encompass teaching and learning activities, both in the classroom and online. As such, instructors are encouraged to engage with the available supports and resources to be able to make their teaching more accessible. Some accomplishments of the Accessible Education project and their resulting supports include:

• Development and launch of an Accessible Teaching website
• Creation of a Student Academic Disability Accommodations Policy (in consultation phase currently)
• Partnering with relevant Academic Support Units to build long-term solutions to accessibility that acknowledge their expertise
• Process to guide programs and instructors through identifying Essential Requirements for a given academic program
• Development and facilitation of the Integrated Accessibility Retreat to work directly with instructors on accessibility work
• Facilitation of the Enhancing Accessibility in Teaching & Learning series (with recordings available)
• With Work-Integrated Learning, piloting an Accessibility stream in the WE Accelerate program

To continue learning, all Waterloo faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend and participate in the 2025 Accessible Education Day (Wednesday, October 15, online on Teams). This is an opportunity to learn more about the experiences of our faculty, staff, and students with accessibility in education, discover new resources and supports, and learn about how this work will continue in the future. Accessibility and accessible education will remain a focus at the University of Waterloo (see the Provost’s memo in response to the Disability Inclusion Steering Committee’s final report), and new governance structures to bridge academic and non-academic accessibility efforts and inform strategic directions will be explored going forward. Updates on Accessible Education will continue to be made available to instructors as we work towards and maintain an ever more accessible campus. For questions on accessible education or the resources and supports detailed here, please email tii@uwaterloo.ca.

Faculty invited to contribute to new WIL Authorship Collaborative

By Matthew King.

The Centre for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) invite faculty from across campus to participate in the WIL Authorship Collaborative. Faculty, graduate students and WIL experts will co-develop online learning materials in this new initiative that combines Waterloo expertise and student learning.

The fall 2025 Call for Proposals focuses on Health Futures and the world of work. Faculty members can submit ideas to explore how health and well-being (e.g., mental health, burnout, disability, aging and workforce dynamics) shape the way we design, manage and experience work.

“Health and well-being are no longer side issues in the workplace. They are central to how organizations thrive through digital transformation,” says Erin Jobidon, senior manager, WIL curriculum at the Centre for WIL. “We’re excited for faculty members to bring their research to this conversation. They can help students develop the skills needed to address these future challenges.”

Proposals may address topics such as fostering belonging and inclusion, tackling health inequities or adapting to the needs of an aging and diverse workforce. Submissions should align with Waterloo’s Future Ready Talent Framework, which emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, an innovation mindset and intercultural effectiveness.

Selected contributors will collaborate with the Centre for WIL’s curriculum team starting  December 2025 to May 2026, for approximately 3–5 hours per month. The faculty member's authored content will feature in Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) professional development and graduate-level courses.

Proposals are due October 20, 2025. Visit the Centre for WIL website for more information on WIL collaborative details and submission guidelines.

2025 Cheriton Research Symposium set for Friday

A message from the Cheriton School of Computer Science.

The Cheriton School of Computer Science invites you to the 2025 Cheriton Research Symposium, an annual showcase of research excellence made possible through the generous support of David R. Cheriton.

The morning session will feature talks by Professors Shane McIntosh, Toshiya Hachisuka, and Craig S. Kaplan, who will discuss, respectively, improving continuous integration and delivery pipelines, using Monte Carlo methods to solve partial differential equations, and breakthroughs in aperiodic tilings, including the resolution of the long-standing einstein problem.

In the afternoon, Cheriton Graduate Scholars will present their research at a poster session, followed by an awards ceremony.

Conrad Grebel University College names new Director of Development

A message from Conrad Grebel University College.

Chris Brnjas (BA 2012, MTS 2014), a double Grebel alumnus, is returning to campus as the new Director of Development at Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo. Beginning in mid-October, Chris will lead fundraising and alumni relations for Grebel by building relationships through donor engagement, major gift strategy, planned giving, and alumni events.

"Chris brings a great combination of professional experience and first-hand knowledge of Grebel,” announced President Marcus Shantz. “He understands that his role is more than fundraising – it's about connecting people to community, and helping that community to thrive and grow. I'm sure he will bring a strong collaborative spirit to his work with all stakeholders in the Grebel community."

With a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies and a Master of Theological Studies degree from Grebel, Chris has first-hand appreciation of Grebel’s academic programs. As a student, Chris lived in the College residence, worked as a student custodian, and served as a student leader in multiple capacities. Chris also held jobs with Grebel Student Services as Interim Chaplain and Interim Student Services Assistant as he covered staff leaves, led key activities, recruited students, and facilitated allocations of student scholarships.

“I'm excited to be back at Grebel to build relationships with donors, alumni, and everyone inside the building," shared Chris. “We all know Grebel is a very special place, and any way I can do my part to help keep the community healthy and thriving - sign me up!"

“Chris cares passionately about Grebel,” shared Lori Guenther Reesor, a board member who served on the hiring committee. “He brings energy, enthusiasm, and fundraising experience to the role. He worked as a summer custodian at Grebel for four summers, which honestly to me makes a great calling card when he visits Grebel donors. He's already demonstrated his connection.”

Chris began his fundraising career in 2018 at Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) as Associate Development Officer. In this role, he grew a portfolio of major and mid-level donors, facilitated donor meetings and events, led an internal DEI initiative, and was heavily involved in the MEDAx pitch competition for young entrepreneurs. Most recently, Chris worked as Director of Strategic Accounts at Blue North Strategies, where he directed multiple non-profit accounts and provided leadership in delivering optimal direct marketing and consulting projects.  

"For me, fundraising and alumni engagement all starts with relationships," explained Chris about the approach he will take in his work. "I want alumni and supporters to see Grebel as more than just a memory, but as an ongoing presence that shapes students and the wider world every single day. My job is to meaningfully connect them to that impact through facilitating positive relationships."

As someone who cares for his community and the church, Chris also co-founded Pastors in Exile (PiE), a community-based ministry for young adults, where he pastored, raised funds, and led workshops. Chris has volunteered as a board member for Shalom Counselling, been a Mennonite Church Canada National Delegate, served on Mennonite Church Eastern Canada Congregational Ministries Council, and more. In addition to his Waterloo degrees, Chris also attained a Master of Arts in Theology: Spirituality and Psychotherapy from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Chris follows Fred W. Martin who has served Grebel in advancement for 24 years.

Tuesday's notes

Tickets are on sale now for XChanges 2025, the annual conference put on by RAISE. "Join us on October 4 for a powerful day of connection, conversation, and change as we celebrate and elevate the leadership of People of Colour in sport," says a note from RAISE. "Our keynote speaker is Jessica Roque, head coach of the Warriors women’s basketball team, alongside a dynamic lineup of panelists and hands-on workshops."

Registered attendees will have the opportunity to win a Nike duffle bag, a SportChek gift card, or Hustl + Flow classes. Every attendee receives an exclusive swag bag—and lunch is free. Registration for the conference closes on Thursday, September 25.

In other campus news, the Sustainability Office has cancelled today's scheduled buckthorn pull. The next campus naturalization event is a Fall Tree Planting exercise set for October 1. More information about the events is available on the Sustainability Office's website.

You can help students shape an accessible health future by attending a community-embedded classroom session hosted through GreenHouse, HLTH 480, and KIN 418 today. The Health & Accessibility Needs Finding Session runs from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in WCRI's Fenwick Building on 280 Phillip St. "You will have a chance to connect with students, researchers, and other local leaders to develop insights into how to reimagine what accessible health systems, programs, services, and tools could look like, who they are for, and what we would like them to become," says a note from organizers. "This event series runs in two class sections throughout the terms with community engagement sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays."