Monday, June 8, 2020

Convocation goes virtual: here's how you can support Waterloo grads

This year’s spring convocation will look different as circumstances dictate that the University take measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. This June, each graduand will receive an email from President Feridun Hamdullahpur with a personalized video featuring senior University leaders that marks an exceptional moment in the lives of each graduating student and their families.

With no in-person ceremonies happening on-campus the week of June 16 to 20, the University community is getting creative to amplify messages of congratulations and pride to the graduating class of 2020.

Family and friends of graduates, along with the entire UWaterloo community, will be asked to share their congratulatory messages online with stories, videos and social posts.

Get your lawn sign on

Lawn signs are being printed and distributed to graduating students and their families. University staff and faculty are also encouraged to pick up a sign and show their support. You can register to pick up a lawn sign online. Signs will be distributed from June 8 to 12 between the hours of 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the University’s East Campus. Social distancing procedures will be followed.

Community members can share photos of their lawn signs on social media using the hashtags #UWaterlooGrad and #WaterlooProud.

Show your Convocation pride

Members of the University community are encouraged to share photos and congratulatory remarks on social media to honour the class of 2020. Faculty members can snap a photo of themselves in all their Convocation regalia, and if you feel like taking a stroll down memory lane, why not find your old Convocation photos (dust off your scanner if need be) and share them online. You can send a photo of your own Convocation experience to bulletin@uwaterloo.ca and it will be featured in the Daily Bulletin during Convocation week. Be sure to include your name and the date, unless your hairstyle dates the photo accurately.

You don't have to be a Waterloo alumnus to participate, but if you are, you will receive bonus points. (editor's note: bonus points do not convert into additional store credit or vacation days)

Visit the Convocation website

The University’s convocation website will be a central place for students to go and discover the various ways we are celebrating them. A Convocation kit will be available on the convocation website so students, faculty and staff can download assets like video chat backgrounds, lawn and window signs, and banners to help celebrate.

Read Convocation stories

During Convocation week, there will be a general takeover of the University’s home page and central social media channels with Convocation-related content that celebrates the passage of this important milestone for Waterloo’s newest graduating class. Each day, home page stories will feature the faculty celebrating their convocation.

Graduates will receive a link to a personalized, virtual celebration to their Waterloo student email address that will be sent on the following dates:

• June 16 — Applied Health Sciences;
• June 16 — Environment;
• June 17 — Arts;
• June 18 — Science;
• June 19 — Mathematics;
• June 20 — Engineering

The spring 2020 in-person convocation ceremonies will be postponed until it’s safe to gather. The University will continue to follow the recommendations our government and local health authority recommendations allow us to gather together safely at that time.

You can still go Beyond the Headlines with seminar series

Join the University of Waterloo in partnership with CBC Kitchener-Waterloo as we go Beyond The Headlines to discuss the realities unfolding in our post-COVID world.

This two-part, online series will feature in-depth conversations with researchers who will discuss the issues you are reading about in the news to make sense of the broader social, political and economic implications. Moderating the discussions will be Craig Norris, host for CBC Radio One 89.1 Kitchener-Waterloo, The Morning Edition and In The Key of C.

Community Lecture #1: Globalization in our post-COVID world

The pandemic has revealed vulnerabilities and opportunities of our globalized world. Will we see new political trends internationally? Will local trade be encouraged? Will we still be able to travel the world? University of Waterloo researchers will discuss the ways that politics, trade and tourism will be influenced.

When: Wednesday, June 17, 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.

Community Lecture #2: Responding to inequity in our post-COVID world

The pandemic has exposed issues of equity in our society such as the value of work, gender roles, universal basic income and racial profiling. University of Waterloo researchers will explore whether our post-COVID society may be more responsive, or more divisive.

When: Wednesday, July 15, 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.

Banting Fellowships have launched for 2020

A message from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA).

The 2020 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship program has launched. Faculty members are asked to encourage highly competitive postdoctoral candidates to apply. The prestigious Banting PDFs are valued at $70,000 per year for two years. Please direct prospective international and domestic applicants to Waterloo’s Banting PDF website for institutional timelines and processes.

The non-negotiable deadline to apply through Waterloo is July 29, 2020. Questions may be directed to Heidi Mussar in Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.