Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Giving here, helping everywhere with the United Way

A message from the University of Waterloo United Way Committee.

The United Way of Kitchener Waterloo & Area officially launched the start of their workplace campaign this past Saturday, September 19, at the Waterloo Region International Airport.  This year’s goal has been set at $5,075,750 after surpassing the $5 million goal set last year. 

As part of the launch community based teams had a chance to pull a Boeing 737 jetliner for 50 metres along the tarmac.  The University of Waterloo was well represented at the event and the Warrior Men’s Basketball team won bragging rights for the year by pulling the Boeing 737 in the shortest time. 

As the University prepares to kick off its annual campaign donors who have made a significant contribution to the UWaterloo campaign were hosted at the Leading Change Lunch.  At the luncheon, President Feridun Hamdullahpur and Dean of Arts Doug Peers served soup, bread, and salad to the guests.

Jan Varner, CEO of the United Way and Jonathan Massimi, Community Development Officer—Neighbourhoods at the United Way, spoke to the crowd about the impact of UWaterloo’s donations and how building strong communities leads to inclusiveness for all. 

The University of Waterloo’s United Way Workplace Campaign officially launches on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 and runs until the end of October. As in 2014 Waterloo will go RED for the United Way.  Wear something red to show your support for our community.  

"To thank our UWaterloo student customers, we are introducing a rewards program where students can earn points towards RS Student Rewards Dollars," says a message from Retail Services. "Members earn points on purchases at Retail Services stores including Media.Doc locations. Accrued points turn into RS Student Reward Dollars that can be used at any Retail Services stores."

Students with a valid WatCard may sign up as a member at time of purchase at any Retail Services stores including Media.Doc locations. There is no cost to enroll in the program.

According to Retail Services, the benefits of membership include:

• Special offers, promotions, or contests
• Special members only promotions
• Advanced notice of events, sales, or promotions
• Earn RS Student Rewards Dollars that can be used towards purchases at any Retail Services stores including Media.Doc locations.

Members will earn one Retail Services (RS) Rewards point for every dollar spent at any Retail Services store. Once 500 points are reached, the points will be transferred into RS Student Reward Dollars at the rate of 1 per cent. Transfer of RS Student Reward dollars occurs on the first day of the month when 500 points are reached.

To redeem RS Student Reward Dollars, student members should present their Watcard at the point of sale at which time the RS Student Reward Dollars are deducted from their balance earned.

"There is a waiting period before you spend your points or RS Student Rewards Dollars," says the note from Retail Services. "For example, in September spend $300 in the bookstore, $100 in the Waterloo Store, $200 in Campus Tech, and $50 at a Media.Doc location. You have earned 650 in reward points. On the first day of the next month, October, 500 of these points will be transferred onto the student member's Watcard at 1 per cent, translating into five RS Student Reward Dollars to be used towards their next purchase at Retail Services stores. The student member will have a balance of 150 rewards points remaining.

Anyone with questions should contact Retail Services at RSRewards@lists.uwaterloo.ca. 

Co-op with an edge: The Ontario Global Edge Program

by Yuni Jo.

Members of the international co-op team with Charlotte Chan and Elvin Madamba, winners of the OGE awards.

The University of Waterloo will be completing the Ontario Global Edge (OGE) program in Winter 2016, and is proud of the many accomplishments made by students to date as a result of this four-year government-funded initiative.

The OGE program is an international work placement program created and funded by the provincial government, designed to give students a chance to work and learn about entrepreneurship on an international scale. The exposure to the global economy provides a new experience for students who not only learn more about working in organizations around the world, but also receive an enriched cultural perspective that comes with visiting a different country. Students are placed in key market nations such as China, France, Germany, as well as other countries.

A committee consisting of members from Co-operative Education & Centre for Career Action (CECA) and Velocity selects successful students from a pool of applicants each term that are then approved by the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. Students are required to work closely with small to medium size, growing businesses. On their return, students have to do two presentations and write a short report on their entrepreneurial experience and learning.

3B Environment and Resource Studies student Elvin Madamba completed his second co-op work term at My Heart Corporation (MHC), a social enterprise based in Makati City, Philippines. In his presentation, Elvin reflected:

“Filipinos are known for their hospitality and tight-knit nature of their families. As such, this bleeds into their business and day-to-day interactions. For me, it is important to share that a business should not detach itself from the culture. The [culture] made my experience in the Philippines that much better especially when staying with host families and several homestays.”

Waterloo is very grateful to have received generous support from the Ontario government with $4,000 awards for each selected students. In 2015, the number of awards increased from seven to ten recipients. Ministry officers have consistently provided excellent support and guidance for the selection and reporting processes.

With entrepreneurship and internationalization at the core of Waterloo, the Ontario Global Edge program has helped enhance these values that drive our innovation.

Further Education Boot Camp coming up

By Julie Funk

The Further Education Boot Camp is a semi-annual event hosted by the Centre for Career Action (CCA). The event will be held Saturday, October 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. in RCH.

The Boot Camp offers a full day of 23 unique workshops for students and alumni to attend. Professionals will talk about their field, experiences, and, if relevant, explain how they manage their private practice. Career Advisors will provide specific advice about application requirements for professional and graduate programs.  Admission Test Prep representatives will give tips/strategies on how to be successful for admission tests: GMAT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, PCAT and OAT.

The workshops cover:

• Graduate Studies
• Law
• Masters of Business Administration
• Teaching
• Chiropractic Medicine
• Dentistry
• Health-related Careers
• Medical School
• Naturopathic Medicine
• Optometry
• Osteopathic Medicine
• Pharmacy
• Rehabilitation Sciences
• Veterinary Medicine
• Volunteer for Your Career
• CASPer (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics)

Check out the full day’s schedule on the CCA website and create your own custom program.

Please note: attendees must register for each individual session that they plan to attend. 

Notes when life was slow and oh so mellow

“The Federation of Students is hosting the Campus Life Fair on September 23, and Clubs and Societies Days from September 24-25 in the Student Life Centre," writes Jacqueline Martinz. "Undergraduates are encouraged to attend and learn about the many ways to get involved through their student union. At the Campus Life Fair, the Feds student-run services will be present to share information on roles that will help undergraduates make an impact on campus and in the community. The Campus Life Fair will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the SLC Great Hall. On Clubs and Societies Days, dozens of clubs will have booths set up to meet undergraduates and add them to their membership roster. From cheese to photography to debating, there is a club for everyone. On September 24, Clubs and Societies Days will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the SLC Great Hall, and on September 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the same location.”

Employers on campus next week hosting employer information sessions include: