Wednesday, December 10, 2025

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• Antagonism and Intimidation in Academia Speaker Series 2.0 coming up in January
• Academic Integrity Office closed as part of service review
• Helpful tools from W Store
• Targeting a growing threat

Antagonism and Intimidation in Academia Speaker Series 2.0 coming up in January

A message from the Office of Research.

Students, staff, faculty, alumni and retirees of the University of Waterloo are invited to attend the January panel of the Antagonism and Intimidation in Academia Speaker Series 2.0, hosted by the Office of the Vice-President, Research and International and the Provost's Office.

This is the final panel in the series and will focus on free speech, hate speech laws, and freedom of expression in and beyond university environments. It will bring significant attention to the wealth and poverty of free speech, to university conduct under the rubric of expanding freedom of expression, and to matters concerning the banning of symbols, flags, and insignia under hate speech laws.

Organized by Dr. Suzan Ilcan, Professor of Sociology and University Research Chair, and moderated by Dr. Shana MacDonald, Associate Professor of Communication Arts at the University of Waterloo, the panel will include: 

• Dr. Honor Brabazon, Associate Professor, Legal Studies, St. Jerome’s University at the University of Waterloo
• Dr. Allyson Lunny, Associate Professor, Law & Society, York University
• Dr. Alexie Tcheuyap, Professor, French; Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Waterloo

The event will take place on Monday, January 12, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:25 p.m., with a reception to follow from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. in East Campus (EC) 5, room 1027.

Please register to attend, as seating is limited, and registration will close when capacity is reached.

Academic Integrity Office closed as part of service review

The Office of Academic Integrity has closed, effective December 1, in response to a campus-wide review of academic integrity services.

That’s the word from David DeVidi, Associate Vice-President, Academic (AVPA), who circulated an update to the University’s Executive Council on Monday, December 1 that outlined the academic integrity service review, undertaken during the fall 2025 term at the behest of the Vice-President, Academic and Provost, and the resulting recommendations.

“Consultations included faculty leadership and academic integrity support staff, support units (academic and student supports), University leadership, in addition to the staff association, the Ombudsperson, the Secretariat, and AccessAbility Services,” Dr. DeVidi wrote. “The Director of the Office of Academic Integrity (OAI) provided information regarding the OAI’s activities and helped to design consultation questions.”

The review resulted in three recommendations:

1. Institution-wide, student-facing online and in-person academic integrity resources should be provided by the same units that provide other student supports for learning, particularly the Student Success Office (SSO), the Writing and Communication Centre (WCC), and the Libraries. These units have expertise in directly supporting students through workshops and one-on-one consultations, and could better connect students to other resources, such as time management or study skills. Efficiencies in booking students might be found, and a “one-stop shop” for student support services would be appropriate.
2. Academic integrity resources for instructors should be provided by the new, integrated teaching and learning unit (which will merge staff and activities previously housed in the Centre for Teaching Excellence, the Centre for Extended Learning, and the Teaching Innovation Incubator). Academic integrity is closely related to other aspects of instructional design, such as the design of assessments, and should be developed by pedagogical specialists. Centralized instructor-facing academic integrity resources should continue to be provided on a single webpage, managed by the teaching and learning centre.
3. We recommend a standing committee on academic integrity be formed to coordinate both student and instructor-facing academic integrity efforts. Faculties (Associate Deans or similar), the teaching and learning unit, and other ASUs should be represented. A key task of this committee would be to determine and implement an institution-wide strategy for academic integrity.

The Vice-President, Academic and Provost has directed implementation of the report’s recommendations, resulting in the closure of the Academic Integrity Office.

As the new support systems are developed, the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Academic and campus partners are working to ensure access to current supports such as those currently housed on the Office of Academic Integrity website and the continued operation of the Graduate Academic Integrity Module, a program milestone for most graduate students on campus.

The Academic Integrity Office was created in 2008 as a response to an Academic Integrity Committee report to coordinate and facilitate institution-wide initiatives related to academic integrity. Initially, the office reported to the Associate Provost, Academic and Student Affairs (later renamed the Associate Provost, Resources), and in 2015 its reporting structure was changed to the Associate Vice President Academic and the Associate Provost, Graduate Studies (later renamed the Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Post-Doctoral Affairs).

The Office of Academic Integrity was a promotional and educational unit that communicated the importance of academic integrity at the University of Waterloo, working with faculties, extra-curricular associations, and academic support units to ensure students, faculty and staff alike had access to the information and resources necessary to make integrity-aligned decisions. It provided workshops, modules, and other programming.

“We believe this redesign of the academic integrity supports on campus will focus our efforts on areas of greatest impact, allow appropriate specialists to tailor efforts to have higher impact with both students and faculty, and reflects the centrality of academic integrity to the intellectual life of the University,” Dr. DeVidi’s memo concludes.

Helpful tools from W Store

A message from Print + Retail Solutions.

Looking to refresh your office setup in the new year to maximize comfort, connections and productivity? If you find you need a few accessories to support hybrid meetings or enhance your office space, W Store has convenient on-campus options to help you get started.

The Meeting Owl cameras are used for seamless hybrid meetings with a 360-degree camera, mic and speaker to create the most immersive meeting experience for hybrid teams. W Store is an authorized reseller and has supplied devices to many departments across campus. Other support for hybrid work includes USB microphones for clearer audio in shared spaces, webcams and laptop stands for better video quality and posture, and noise-reducing headsets to stay focused.

Other office essentials include wireless keyboards, chargers, adapters and cables, portable power banks, desk organizers and notebooks. Shop all workplace essentials in-store at South Campus Hall or online at wstore.ca.

Why Choose W Store? Shopping on campus is convenient, and our team is always happy to help you find the right tools for your workspace. Purchasing from W Store with a departmental account number ensures that you save the taxes and receive free delivery anywhere on campus. For more information or assistance placing an order, please email wstore@uwaterloo.ca.

Targeting a growing threat

By Sarah Fullerton. This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

A year ago in Leamington, Ontario, one of North America’s most invasive aquatic species was discovered for the first time in Canada. Hydrilla verticillata (hydrilla) was found in Hillman Marsh near Point Pelee National Park by Biology Professor Dr. Rebecca Rooney and her research team during a wetland survey. Now, her Waterloo Wetland Laboratory at the University of Waterloo is leading the efforts to eradicate the plant before it spreads across Ontario.