Thursday, January 7, 2021

A message from the President

Dear Waterloo community,

I’m writing to you this morning as I know that many of you, like I, watched with sadness, fear and frustration at the violence that occurred at the US Capitol complex yesterday.

Despite the awful scenes of yesterday, I am encouraged by news this morning that democracy has prevailed. This is an important silver lining that gives me a great deal of hope for the future.

As the US – and the world – moves forward in the coming days, I know you will continue to support one another. These past months have been difficult for all of us and 2021 looks set to continue to test us. In the face of great uncertainty, I’ve been very proud to see how many of you are reaching out, checking in and offering help where it’s needed – to each other, and to your communities.

I encourage you to reach out to family, friends and your support systems if you need help to understand what you saw or need to talk through your reaction. I would like to encourage anyone in need of support to make use of the resources available to you at the University:

Counselling Services - 519-888-4567 ext. 32655
Here 24/7 - 1-844-437-3247
Health Services - Student Medical Clinic - 519-888-4096
Grand River Hospital - 519-749-4300
St. Mary's Hospital - 519-744-3311
Good2Talk - 1-866-925-5454
Crisis Services Canada - 1-833-456-4566 or by text 45645  
Mates - mates@wusa.ca
EmpowerMe - 1-833-628-5589

Take care Warriors,

Feridun Hamdullahpur
President and Vice-Chancellor

Central Stores announces business updates

A message from Central Stores.

Central Stores has announced updates to its business operations and COVID-19 protocols effective January 4, 2021.

Operational hours and services

Operational hours are Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The following services will resume normal operation: receiving, shipping, mail delivery/pick-up, letter shop, regular outgoing mail processing, freight delivery, gas cylinder processing, used product handling, office paper recycling/shredding and digital imaging.

Note: Scheduled on-campus mail delivery and pick-up times will accommodate continued COVID-19 protocols and specific campus department needs. Freight and package deliveries will be prioritized to continue essential services across campus. If you need to discuss possible service changes as needs arise, email Rob McMurren.

Disposable non-medical masks

Central Stores now sells affordable disposable (non-medical) masks. These masks were sourced through direction and authorization of the Safety Office. Masks are sold in boxes of 100 and can be found in our Central Stores Catalogue. https://uwaterloo.ca/central-stores/central-stores-service-stock-catalogue#FaceMasks

Letter shop services

Letter shop services at Central Stores can provide everything you need for successful direct mail campaigns. Our state-of-the-art lettershop equipment and quality control production flow help us minimize production time and maximize your investment. COVID-19 has increased the need to move larger volumes of product and information to students and other university associates now learning and/or working off campus. Lettershop Services can facilitate packaging and mailing/shipping needs, at a reasonable cost. Email csgenasy@uwaterloo.ca for more information.

Employee assistance plan provider to host Seasonal Affective Disorder webinar

“As we enter the winter months with colder weather, less daylight, and continued isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty during this time can be especially triggering for those who are vulnerable to the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD),” says a note from Homewood Health, the University of Waterloo’s Employee and Family Assistance Plan provider.

“Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), often referred to as “winter blues” or seasonal depression, is a type of depression related to changes in the seasons. COVID-19 poses unique challenges for individuals who experience seasonal depression and anxiety. The uncertainty and social isolation, as well as changes to routines, relationships with others, and the work/home environments, can be especially triggering for those already vulnerable to the effects of SAD. During the winter months, amid a pandemic like COVID-19, it is especially important to attend to the mental well-being of ourselves and others. This session will help participants understand SAD and anxiety and provide strategies for regulating emotions and energy levels.”

“In support of our customers and their employees across the country, on Tuesday, January 19 and Wednesday, January 20, Homewood Health will be hosting a webinar focused on the unique challenges for individuals who experience SAD and anxiety: COVID-19: Dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder.”

The webinar will be offered in French and English and will take place as follows:

• Tuesday, January 19, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., facilitated by Gabrielle Provencher (French) - Register
• Wednesday, January 20, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., facilitated by Sandy Kriegish (English) - Register

“During this one-hour webinar, participants will increase awareness of seasonal depression and anxiety and the importance of being able to recognize symptoms and learn ways to determine if they or someone they know may be suffering from seasonal depression and/or anxiety. We will also provide management strategies, and tips to increase well-being and effectiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.”

Event explores how Okanagan Charter can help us move forward from crises

A message from the Wellness Collaborative.

On December 9, University of Waterloo, University of British Columbia, and McGill University hosted Leveraging the Okanagan Charter to Bounce Forward from the Major Crises of our Time: COVID-19 Pandemic, Systemic Racism, Colonialism, and the Climate Emergency. This dynamic event attracted over 250 leaders, administrators and students from higher education across the globe, as part of the leadership dialogue series.

Opening remarks were given by University of British Columbia’s President & Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Santa J. Ono, who called on the higher education to work together to fast-track action to address these complex and interconnected social issues. “Higher education has the responsibility and opportunity to move this beyond intentions to everyday practices and results that extend far beyond our campuses.” In doing this work, universities must keep student’s perspectives and experiences at the centre of all that they do. The Okanagan Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges is a powerful tool to guide this work.

Students also shared their perspectives on why it’s important for higher ed institutions to make wellbeing, equity, and the climate emergency priorities right now. Zabeen Khamisa, PhD Candidate and VP Communications for Waterloo’s Graduate Student Association, challenged the group to consider “what role the university has in the public good? What relationship do we have in the community? This has always been important, and the pandemic has created an opportunity to consider the urgency of this, to push this as a priority.” Khamisareminded the group of the spirit of care and relationships that exists within higher ed institutions. These strengths must be valued by the institution and leveraged to tackle these complex social issues, and for academic institutions to be resilient and contribute in a meaningful way to the future.

An important takeaway from the event was the need for universities to approach this work from a place of humble and deep listening. Mat Thijssen, Waterloo’s Director of Sustainability reminded everyone that “once you listen, you need to talk about it and bring that conversation forward to ensure it is present at every level of the university. If these conversations are not present on a constant basis and in multiple venues, we risk defaulting to what we have always done.” Thijssen also pointed out the need to address these complex issues at both an individual level and one that targets systemic change.

To learn more about the Okanagan Charter visit the Wellness Collaborative website and to view the event on YouTube, visit the Health Promoting Campuses website.

Normalizing the struggle: when finding your purpose isn't a straight path

By Beth Gallagher and Manreet Birdi. This story originally appeared in the University of Waterloo Magazine.

During the first global coronavirus outbreak of the 21st century, Jesse Kancir (BSc ’08) was a high school student with dreams of becoming an economist.

During that same SARS outbreak in the early 2000s, Ian Cromwell (BSc ’07) was starting his first year of university with a plan to become a psychiatrist.

Danielle Wilson (MPH ’11) was working full-time as an environmental health officer, hoping for a career change that would align with her 
lived experiences as an Indigenous person.

Almost two decades later, the world is grappling with another new coronavirus. At the time of writing, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 1 million people. The stark differences in fatality rates across countries has highlighted the life-and-death impacts of public health decisions and national health-care systems.

It’s an impact that lured Kancir, Cromwell and Wilson away from earlier career plans into public health professions where they felt they could best serve their communities and country.

COVID-19 highlights the power of health policy

“COVID-19 is showing everyone the huge necessity of safeguarding the public health-care system because we are all so connected,” says Cromwell, a health economics manager at CADTH, a pan-Canadian health evidence appraisal agency. “There is a straight line between the well-being of your neighbours and your own well-being. It’s never been more obviously true than right now.”

Kancir realized, while still an undergrad, that he wanted to pivot away from pursuing a career as an economist when he became a patient himself after a serious workplace injury opened his eyes to the beauty of medicine.

Now a final-year public health medical resident in British Columbia, Kancir says the tragic events of the pandemic put an end to years of wondering whether he could find more purpose working one-on-one with patients as a physician. He had worried that public health was too far removed from the daily human struggles of patients.

“It’s always been very important for me to find the humanity in my profession,” he says. “Seeing how human the experience of a public health threat like COVID is really affirmed that I’m in the right place.”

Read the full story in the University of Waterloo Magazine.

Online memorial for Chemical Engineering student

Flags will be lowered to half-mast on Friday, January 8 in tribute to Mihir Rodrigues, a second-year Chemical Engineering student who passed away December 29, 2020.  Mihir loved his time at Waterloo, was a valued classmate and an important part of our program.

On Friday, January 8, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. the Department of Chemical Engineering will host an online memorial event to celebrate Mihir’s life. All are welcome to attend via Zoom (Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/95732938628?pwd=YUlJRG5ZZTNNaE9kV3VoalY2SU9YZz09; Meeting ID: 957 3293 8628; Passcode: 105868). 

The University has issued a bereavement notice in light of Mihir's death. “The University’s thoughts and support are with Mihir’s family at this difficult time," the notice reads. "Mr. and Mrs. Rodrigues shared that Mihir loved his time at Waterloo and said that they are very grateful that he had the experience of studying at the university. Mihir’s life was celebrated in a family service on December 31.”

Members of the campus community who are affected by this news and need support can contact any of the following resources:

Counselling Services - 519-888-4567 ext. 32655
Here 24/7 - 1-844-437-3247
Health Services - Student Medical Clinic - 519-888-4096
Grand River Hospital - 519-749-4300
St. Mary's Hospital - 519-744-3311
Good2Talk - 1-866-925-5454
Crisis Services Canada - 1-833-456-4566 or by text 45645  

Mates - mates@wusa.ca