Monday, June 8, 2026

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• Policy 19 – Student Academic Disability Accommodations has been approved

• Enhance your grant application with free SCSRU support

• A love letter in colour

• Monday's notes

Policy 19 – Student Academic Disability Accommodations has been approved  

A message from the Office of the Academic Vice-President, Academic.

As part of the University’s initiative to foster an equitable, accessible and inclusive learning and teaching environment, Policy 19 – Student Academic Disability Accommodations went into effect on April 14, 2026. Thank you to all University community members that contributed to the development of this policy.  

This policy aims to provide a framework for the accommodation of students with disabilities to support them in accessing and fully participating in their academic experiences. It outlines the roles and responsibilities shared by University faculty, staff, and academic units to proactively get students in need in touch with the appropriate supports, such as AccessAbility Services, which coordinates the establishment and facilitation of academic accommodation plans across the campus. 

The policy also reflects the University’s responsibilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code and reinforces our commitment to removing barriers to learning and participation by providing meaningful academic accommodation. 

The University community is encouraged to review and familiarize themselves with the policy.  

For more information, please visit the Policy 19 webpage.  

To get in touch with AccessAbility Services or apply for academic accommodations, please visit the AccessAbility Services webpage or email access@uwaterloo.ca.  

Enhance your grant application with free SCSRU support 

A message from Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit.

The Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit (SCSRU) is offering free support to University of Waterloo researchers to enhance the quality and success of grant applications involving surveys. At no cost to researchers, the SCSRU can assist with: 

• Power/sample size calculations (i.e., determining how many of the target population to survey for the data to be valid and reliable) 

• Statistical advice on sampling designs, sampling weights and appropriate statistical methodology for analysing survey data 

• Advice on which survey mode (i.e., online, phone, mail or mixed mode) is best suited to ensure high-quality data collection 

• Survey question development and structure to reduce bias and help maximize response rates 

• Detailed cost estimates and timelines for survey development, data collection and top-line data analysis - often essential information for developing research budgets 

• One-page short report on power/sample size and statistical methodology for inclusion in the grant application  

There is limited space and researchers will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to early career/first-time research grant applicants. 

To ensure the best support for the application, reaching out early in the process is recommended, ideally around the time of preparing or submitting the Letter of Intent (LOI). 

About the Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit, University of Waterloo 

• offers custom statistical consultation and data analysis, as well as a full spectrum of survey research services including survey methodology and sample consultation, questionnaire design, programming, data collection (telephone, web, mail surveys and mixed mode)  

• adheres to rigorous standards for academic research to account to granting agencies or public bodies, and/or to respond to the needs of publishing in refereed journals 

Please contact Lindsey Webster for more information, lwebster@uwaterloo.ca.   

A love letter in colour

This article was originally published on Waterloo News.

For Rachel Jung (BA ’23), art is not just about what people see — it’s about what they feel and who feels seen. While at the University of Waterloo, that philosophy came to life through The Great Gaggle, a vibrant installation in the Student Life Centre’s Black and Gold room that invites students to see themselves, and each other, reflected in its array of colours, forms and designs.  

Each year, a rainbow-coloured version returns as a flock across campus lawns, bringing renewed joy and visibility. These are key elements of Jung’s work, where representation and community remain at the heart of their artistic process.

“Each Pride, I reflect on what visibility really means for our community,” Jung says. “It can feel very intense and vulnerable, especially in today’s political climate. But it can also be powerful. Through my work, I hope to create connection for students, staff and the broader community, and help people define what Pride means to them.”

“Queerness informs so many parts of who I am, especially my sense of empathy, collaboration and creativity. It’s allowed me to break the mould in how I live and design, freeing me to approach creativity in new ways and connect more deeply with myself and others.”

Grounded in empathy, Jung’s work acknowledges the harm and challenges many communities face, while intentionally holding space for difficult lived experiences and offering hope. It is an approach shaped by their relationship to queerness, community and the belief that art can be both honest and healing.

While they recognize the pressure for creativity to conform, whether to algorithms or expectations of what will succeed, they see art instead as a fundamentally human response to the world. They believe creativity is not only a form of expression, but a way of problem-solving, communicating, questioning and making sense of lived experiences.

“It feels like a love letter — creating work that sparks joy and reaches people who are looking for that light,” Jung says.

Read the full story on Waterloo News.

Monday's notes

As you plan for your upcoming week, there are a few campus events worth keeping top of mind.

Today is the University Senate meeting, at 3:30 p.m., NH3407 and online.

Ready to make a real impact in the future of cities and communities? Join the Future Cities Institute and Velocity for the Future Cities Innovation Challenge! The kick-off event is happening on Monday, June 8, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m in the Black and Gold Room (SLC 2144). Dive into the problem spaces, challenge schedule, prizing, and everything you need to get started. Light refreshments provided. Register today.

All are invited to participate in the Collective Chalk Mural Making event on Tuesday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of an initiative to promote well-being and belonging on campus. This activity is supported by the Rekhi-Environment Initiative (REI) and is run by Dr. Katherine Perrott and Dr. Markus Moos from the School of Planning, Faculty of Environment.

The Faculty of Engineering Community Well-being team is partnering with Produce Place, a vendor at the St. Jacob Farmers' Market, to bring the second Community Well-being Fruit and Veg Market of the term your way this Wednesday, June 10 from noon to 4 p.m. (while supplies last). The cost of a bag of assorted produce is$12.99. Bags of produce have been pre-sorted, allowing you to grab, pay, and get back to class or work quickly.  

In celebration of Indigenous Heritage Month, the University of Waterloo’s Office of Indigenous Relations and The University of Waterloo Libraries invite you to Writing Our Stories: Indigenous Authors & Publishers on Tuesday, June 11, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. in the Dana Porter Library, Main Floor (in front of the Indigenous mural). Featured authors include Dawn Cheryl Hill, author of Memory Keeper, and Dr. Karenna’onwe Hill, author of The Good Mind, both Mohawk Turtle Clan, alongside D.A. Lockhart, Turtle Clan member of Eelünaapéewi Lahkéewiit (Lenape), and Coltrane Seesequasis, an Indigenous writer who grew up in Gatineau, Quebec.