Thursday, January 15, 2026

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• Oh snow you didn't: we're closed
• Announcing the new Integrated Teaching Support Unit and its leadership team
• Prioritizing student health and well-being
• Winter Consent Week is coming
• Ready, set, code. Your guide to technical interview success

Oh snow you didn't: we're closed

After a night of significant snowfall, the decision was made early this morning: the University and its satellite campuses are closed today due to inclement weather. The word went out via the Regroup Mobile app and text, with the Campus Status page and a homepage banner indicating the closure. It's not great out there.

The AFIW institutions are also closed. 

Bright Starts CELC on the north campus has also closed. The daycare will reopen on Friday, January 16 at 7:30 a.m.

The Early Childhood Education Centre (ECEC) in Psychology has also closed.

According to the University's Weather Closing Guidelines, last updated in 2022, "the University of Waterloo (UW) (and the Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo [AFIW]) will "close" because of severe weather when normal operation would pose a significant danger to students and employees, or would prevent large numbers of them from coming to campus or returning safely to their homes."

"Closed" means: classes are not held; in-person meetings and other scheduled events are cancelled; scheduled examinations are cancelled, to be rescheduled; deadlines for assignments and other submissions are postponed until the same hour on the next business day on which UW is not "closed"; staff, other than those providing "essential services,"  who can perform their tasks remotely are expected to do so in accordance with the current flexible work guidelines; if feasible, meetings, depending on the unit, may be moved to an online platform. 

"Essential services" are defined to be: food service in the residences; policing; the central plant; residence life staff; snow removal; emergency repair and maintenance; animal care. Staff providing "essential services" will be so designated by their Department Heads, who are responsible for assigning duties to be carried out and making reasonable arrangements for the protection of such staff. Department Heads are expected to show flexibility and, so far as possible, sensitivity to individuals' needs when assigning "essential" duties. No department can designate any other services as "essential" or require employees to work during a "closed" period without approval from the Provost.

Fun fact: it's been almost a year since the last time campus closed due to weather on February 13, 2025.

The Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) has an update on their businesses, operations and events that are open, closed, or cancelled today. The Clubs and Societies Fair that was to have taken place in the SLC Great Hall has been cancelled, as has the final day of the eSports Gaming Lounge held as part of winter Welcome Week.

In spite of the campus closure, the Student Life Centre remains open, with the Turnkey Desk and Flock Stop continuing operations 24/7. Turnkey@DC will be closed today. 

As per the University's snow closing guidelines, the University will remain closed until 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. 

There's a lot of "thank you Mr. Goose" going on over at the Uwaterloo subreddit.

Stay safe out there, folks.

Announcing the new Integrated Teaching Support Unit and its leadership team

A message from David DeVidi, Associate Vice-President, Academic.

As part of the University’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of academic support services, activities within the Associate Vice-President, Academic (AVPA) portfolio were reviewed with external consultants in 2024-25. This work informed a series of directives issued by the Provost in August 2025. 

One of these directives was to merge the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE), the Centre for Extended Learning (CEL), and the Teaching Innovation Incubator (TII) into a single, integrated business unit. This merge is now complete, with senior leadership in place. The unit will be referred to as the Integrated Teaching Support Unit until a permanent name has been selected.

Aldo Caputo, former Director of the Centre for Extended Learning (CEL), has accepted the role of Director, Teaching Support. He brings with him a background in post-secondary teaching, educational technologies, and extensive experience managing supports for post-secondary education, both at Waterloo and at other institutions. His years as a campus leader have given him significant experience leading a large and complex academic support unit and in heading important strategic projects for the University, such as the development of the Digital Learning Strategy.  

Aldo will be supported by the following leadership team, each of whom brings extensive experience and expertise to their roles:

• Donna Ellis - Associate Director, Curriculum and Pedagogy;
• Matt Justice – Associate Director, Digital Information Systems; and
• Pia Zeni – Associate Director, Digital Learning and Design.

A Senior Manager, Teaching Innovation and Educational Leadership will replace the Interim Managing Director of the TII, with an expanded mandate.  

This Integrated Teaching Support Unit will continue to offer expertise and programs planned for winter 2026 while decisions are made about how to tailor its structure, offerings, and support in a way that is most responsive to, and aligned with, the current and future needs of the institution.

Prioritizing student health and well-being

A message from the UWaterloo Life Team.

The winter term brings unique challenges for students, from shorter days and spending less time outdoors to regrouping from fall term grade results and moving forward with academic expectations for the new term. This, coupled with ongoing global conflicts and instability, can lead to varying levels of impact on students. Prioritizing well-being and staying connected can make a meaningful difference throughout the term.

Promote movement and community

Encourage students to get involved with mental and physical health programs and supports on campus:

• Browse Wellness Programs and Student Groups and share with your student network. Each term, these programs are refreshed to support various student identities and needs of the diverse student population. Communications assets are available for download from the toolkit.
• Endorse movement and share the variety of ways for students to engage in physical activities. Students who participate in Warrior Rec experience a smoother transition from high school to university, show increased academic and peer engagement, and have an increased sense of belonging on campus. Inclusive, safe and welcoming drop-in programming is also available for equity-deserving students at a variety of recreation facilities.
• Join the conversation with Be You at Waterloo Mental Health Week January 19-23. Students can participate in a variety of activities taking place throughout the week. Learn more about the Be You at Waterloo initiativeand help connect with students using resources from ourcommunications toolkit.

Highlight services

Inform students about supports on campus that they may not be aware of:

• Counselling Services and Primary Care: Students can access trusted and confidential services to support their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Specific requests for counsellors or physicians with lived experience or identities can be made during intake, and specialists will try to match care with students’ needs where possible.

Create support pathways

Equip yourself with the necessary skills to support students:

• Register for upcomingRecognizing and responding to students in distress training. These virtual sessions are open to all members of the UWaterloo community and will leave you feeling more confident and with a toolkit of resources to rely on when supporting students in distress.

Together we can create a safer and more inclusive space for all students, ensuring they are seen, supported and celebrated across our spaces.

Winter Consent Week is coming

A message from the Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office (SVPRO).

SVPRO – the Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office — will once again be hosting Consent Week initiatives and events across campus throughout January and into February to support our community in preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence. With awareness and education, we can all contribute to a campus that prioritizes care and safety. Sessions about Talking to Children about Consent, Bystander Intervention and learning more about the term Gaslighting through watching the film Gaslight are included.

For more information and all registration links, visit the Consent Week website.

Ready, set, code. Your guide to technical interview success

A message from the Centre for Career Development (CCD).

Imagine landing an interview for your dream tech role, only to discover that you will be doing two interviews, one with Human Resources, and the other is a technical interview. For many students, this scenario is all too real. Employers use technical interviews to assess problem-solving and coding skills, yet most students have little exposure to what these interviews look like or how to prepare.

In partnership with D2L, the Centre for Career Development (CCD) hosted “Cracking the code: Tips for technical interview success” on January 14, giving students practical  experience preparing for technical interviews. Students heard tips from an expert panel featuring a D2L early talent recruiter, a senior software developer and two upper-year computer engineering and computer science students. After the discussion, D2L experts led a live demo to walk students through real interview scenarios. The workshop brought recruiters and software developers directly to campus to share insider knowledge with students.

Supporting your success

The world of work is constantly moving and evolving, and so do the needs of students and employers in the co-op hiring process. Career advisors at the University of Waterloo have noticed growing demand from students for more information to prepare effectively for technical interviews. They already help students craft technical résumés, but technical interview preparation is a new focus for the department. Sarah Badran, career advisor at the Centre for Career Development says “We recognize that technical interviews are a big gap for students. We had students asking for support with technical interview simulations  and this is a developing area for us.”

Employers like D2L, who hire many co-op students and aim to build a strong talent pool partnered with CCD to help boost success for both students and employers, and create a training space for career advisors.

“D2L is a leader in the learning technology space, and a longstanding co-op employer. Their support and interest in the development of UWaterloo talent demonstrates their continued forward-thinking in a rapidly evolving technological landscape,” says Kate Baker, employer experience manager, Waterloo & Southwestern Ontario.

Your competitive edge starts here

This wasn’t just another interview prep workshop. Students were able to:

• See a live technical interview demo from a D2L software developer.
• Hear directly from recruiters about what they look for beyond coding skills.
• Learn from upper-year students who’ve been through the process.
• Ask questions in real time from how to prepare for technical interviews to what employers expect.

And yes, there was pizza. But the real takeaway was confidence: understanding the process, practicing communication and knowing how to showcase your skills.

Your time to shine

Technical interviews aren’t going away. Whether you’re aiming for software development, data science or engineering roles, being prepared can make the difference between landing the job or missing out. This workshop was a rare chance to learn from the people who conduct these interviews, and to start building the skills that will set you apart.