Thursday, December 23, 2021

It's (almost) the most wonderful time of the year

Well, it all comes down to this - the last working day of the year for most Waterloo employees. The working year of 2021 is swiftly drawing to a close, ending much as it began, with concerns over COVID. The campus community certainly needs a break as it prepares itself for 2022, or as some of us like to call it, 2020 II: The Sequel.

Today marks the final day of the co-operative work term as well as the last day of the final examination period. Unofficial grades will begin to appear (either as a gift under the tree or as coal in one's stocking depending on the results) on Friday, December 24.

But for the time being, what does the last day before the break look like for Waterloo's campuses?

For those employees on the monthly payroll who have been holding off until the last minute to go shopping, it's pay day. You can check out the pay dates website for a preview of 2022's salary schedules.

Central Stores will provide normal delivery/pickup services for all departments today from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The ECEC children’s program closes today at 12:00 noon and will re-open on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 with regular hours.

The Davis Centre and Dana Porter libraries will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Musagetes Library will be closed. 

Most Food Services operations are closed today, with the exception of the Starbucks in the Science Teaching Complex, open until 2:30 p.m., and the Tim Hortons in the SLC, which is open until 3:30 p.m. Grab a coffee while you can.

Print + Retail Solutions locations are operating today.

Athletics facilities, including the PAC and CIF, are now closed.

The Centre including WatCard (located within The Centre) will close today at 4:30 p.m. for the holidays. The Centre plans to reopen Tuesday, January 4, 2022.

Front desks at MKV, REV, UWP, and V1 are open until 4:00 p.m. today. The CLV Front Desk will remain open until 8:00 p.m. this evening.

Information Systems & Technology reports that the Davis Centre and Dana Porter service desks closed at 4:30 p.m. on December 22, 2021 and will remain closed until January 3, 2022. These service desks will open January 4, 2022 with regular hours.

The Village 1 service desk will close at 4:30 p.m. today and will open January 2, 2022 with regular hours.

Those employees and students still on campus will be aware that most academic and student service buildings have been locked effective December 18, and will remain locked into the New Year, accessible by key and fob where required. Today's openings and closings include:

• Davis Centre: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.;
• Faculty of Health Expansion: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and
• Science Teaching Complex: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Speaking of locking up, the Safety Office is reminding researchers to suspend most laboratory operations for the year, effective 4:00 p.m. today, resuming no earlier than Tuesday, January 4, 2022. All processes that may be vulnerable to utility failure should be shut down, and all hazardous waste removed from labs. All hazardous materials that cannot be removed should be stored properly and in containment areas and laboratory workers should ensure that containers are closed or sealed.

All compressed gases and gas supply lines to equipment should be shut off, and electrical equipment, where possible, should be turned off and unplugged.

If you have any questions about preparing your lab for shutdown contact the Safety Office at x35755.

In the event that you have a lab incident, the Safety Office asks that you report failures of equipment or physical plant to Plant Operations at x33793. Contact the Safety Office or UW Spill Team through Special Constable Services at 519-888-4911 or x22222 if you have concerns relating to hazardous materials spills.

"This is just a reminder that if you are leaving your office/residence unattended over the holiday season, take your valuables with you and ensure that all doors and windows are locked and secured prior to leaving for the break," says a note from Special Constable Services. "The University of Waterloo Special Constable Service will continue patrols of the campus over the holiday shutdown period and can be contacted at phone number (519) 888-4911 or email address uw-special-constable-service@uwaterloo.ca."

There's no place like (working from) home for the holidays

Waterloo's campuses will be closed down from Friday, December 24 to Monday, January 3, 2022, with operations resuming on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. The co-op term begins on Tuesday, January 4, with classes and lectures set to begin online (with some exceptions) beginning Wednesday, January 5, 2022. The University will continue to monitor the public health situation over the coming weeks and will advise of opening schedules for the next term after the holiday break. 

For now, campus will be left to the geese, and the landscape looks as follows:

The School of Architecture, the School of Pharmacy, and the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business will follow the main campus's holiday shutdown.

The School of Architecture's Melville Café will be open Friday, December 24 (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.), closed Saturday and Sunday, open Monday, December 27 to Friday, December 31 (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.), closed on Saturday, January 1, 2022 and open 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 2, 2022.

WUSA’s offices and services are closed until Tuesday, January 4, 2022.

The Library and virtual reference services will be closed December 24 to January 3 for the winter break, re-opening for winter term on January 4. "The Library will continue to focus on digital resources and consultations as we start winter term with classes primarily online, though spaces will be open for drop-in individual study space, bookable individual study rooms, drop-in access to computers and printers, book pick-up services and IST Help Desk support," says a note from the Library. "Special Collections & Archives and the Geospatial Centre will be accessible by appointment. Full details on current services and hours are available on the Library’s COVID-19 Update webpage."

All W Store and W Print locations will be closed over the holiday break from December 24 to January 3, 2022. W Store | Gifts + Apparel, W Store | Course Materials and Supplies, W Store Essentials | MC and W Print locations will resume regular hours on January 4, 2022. "Any orders placed on or after December 22^nd will begin to be processed on January 2nd," says a note from Print + Retail Solutions. "You will receive notification by email when your order is ready for pickup or has shipped."

Campus Wellness will be closed from Friday, December 24 to Monday, January 3. During the break, Campus Wellness phones and emails will not be monitored and documents will not be processed.

Information Systems & Technology (IST) reports that they "will not be actively monitoring non-critical requests over the break; only critical requests (e.g.. network outages) will be handled during this time. Non-critical requests submitted during the above closure period will be handled upon return on January 4."

Snow removal on the main campus over the holiday period will be limited, according to Sharon Rumpel, Associate Director of Grounds, Parking and Transportation within Plant Operations. "Grounds staff will respond to serious snow issues," is the official word, especially to clear priority areas such as the ring road. Added Rumpel, “During the holiday break, grounds staff will be on call to do winter maintenance of emergency routes on campus as requested by either Special Constable Services or Central Plant.”

All parking lots will be open and free throughout the holidays, except for lot D under Needles Hall and the Early Childhood Education Centre (ECEC) lot at the Psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology (PAS) building. Gates to the lots around campus are raised and open.

A major exception to the campus shutdown is the Student Life Centre. Scott Pearson, Facility Operations and Membership Manager of the SLC, writes that the building will be open throughout the holiday season, as always. The Turnkey Desk (519-888-4434) “will be staffed 24 hour a day with friendly Turnkeys to provide assistance to those who stay on campus,” says Pearson. The exception to the exception of course, is the Turnkey location in the Davis Centre, which will follow that building’s opening and closing schedule as previously announced. For now, that means Turnkey DC will remain closed until January 4, 2022.

"Only the Ring Road and Turnkey doors will be open during the holiday shutdown and only the Great Hall will be open for student use," reports Pearson. "The lower level will be available when the bank is open."

Most of the SLC's businesses will shut down entirely throughout the break including Lifetouch Photography, Tim Hortons, Brubakers, International News, Student Health Pharmacy and SOS Physiotherapy.

CIBC will be open on December 24 and 31 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The branch is open on December 23, 29 and 30 for regular hours (9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) The branch is closed on December 25, 26, 27, 28 and January 1, 2 and 3. Regular hours will return on Tuesday, January 4, 2022.

GO Transit will continue to service campus throughout the shutdown. Full ticketing and travel information is online or available at the Turnkey Desk. GO Transit will operate on a Sunday schedule on December 25 and 26. GO Transit will operate on a Saturday schedule on December 27 and 28 and January 1, 2022.

Campus Housing reports that "to support our CLVN residents and the December International Student Stay Program, our CLV Front Desk will be open during the December break on the following days:

• Monday, December 27 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 28 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
• Thursday, December 30 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Friday, December 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Above all, protect yourselves and your loved ones over the holiday break by following the latest public health advice.

What to expect as we start the new year right

The University will resume operations, after a fashion, on Tuesday, January 4, 2021. Lectures and classes commence Wednesday, January 5, 2022, and will be online for the most part, with a few exceptions for clinical and laboratory classes. Wherever possible, employees should continue working from home.

By now we should all be used to the fact that circumstances might change as public health advice is updated. Please consult the University's coronavirus website for the most up-to-date operational information available and keep an eye on your email inbox for any messages at the start of term.

IST service desks will reopen on January 3, 2022. 

W Store | Gifts + Apparel, W Store | Course Materials and Supplies, W Store Essentials | MC and W Print locations will resume regular hours on January 4, 2022.

The Village 1 service desk will open Sunday, January 2, 2022 with regular hours. The Davis Centre and Dana Porter Library service desks will open January 4, 2022 with regular hours. 

"There will be limited access to the School of Architecture the week of January 4 to 10, 2022," says a note from the School of Architecture. "Further details regarding School access and services will be determined after the holiday closure."

Athletics facilities are currently set to re-open on January 4, 2022.

The CLV Front Desk will resume regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 12 a.m. daily beginning on Saturday, January 1, 2022 at 8:00 a.m.

The MKV, REV, UWP and V1 Front Desks will re-open for the winter 2022 term on Sunday, January 2 at 12:00 p.m., and will resume regular business hours as follows:

• REV, UWP, V1: open 24 hours; and
• MKV, CLV: open 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. daily.

Campus Housing also reports that Winter 2022 move-in begins at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 2 and runs through January 4, 2022.

Some final stocking stuffers as the term draws to a close

University business is continuing right up until the final hours of the day today, and here are some late-breaking announcements:

SVPRO team transition

"Earlier this term, outcomes were shared from the review of the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (HREI) with our campus community," says a note from the Associate Provost, Students. "This included the dissolution of HREI, meaning the creation of new offices and the reallocation of others. Given the synergy between the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) and many of the offices that fall under the Associate Provost, Students (APS) portfolio, it was proposed to the Staff Relations Committee sub-committee in early December 2021 that the SVPRO be included within the APS organizational structure. That change was approved, and the SVPRO will now fall under the portfolio of the Associate Provost, Students and report to Chris Read.  Transition plans are currently underway."

WATtimes Fall Issue now online

Just in time for the holidays, the fall 2021 issue of the WATtimes newsletter is now available on the University of Waterloo Retirees Association (UWRA) website. This issue considers the University of Waterloo's future in 2050, featuring articles from Professor Mark Seasons and Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Eagles, as well as a welcoming message and Q&A from President and Vice-Chancellor Vivek Goel.

A thank-you to Daily Bulletin contributors

Throughout 2021, I have had the privilege of working with many talented people across campus and beyond who have written material for the Daily Bulletin and who have helped keep the campus community informed about life at the University of Waterloo, as the era of uncertainty and constant change has demanded frequent announcements, updates, and notifications about our work at Waterloo. 

Here is this year's honour roll:

Sandra Ace, Eugenia Xenos Anderson, Ryan Antooa, Marta Bailey, Heather Bean, Jean Becker, Manreet Birdi, Beth Bohnert, Joy Braga, Lisa Brackenridge, Brian Caldwell, Bruce Campbell, Jonathan Zi En Chan, Shah Chandon, Glenn Cooke, Janice Cooke, Charmaine Dean, Angie Docking, Jude Doble, Angie Docking, Jace Jaeden Ellis, Linden Fairbairn, Eloise Fan, Claire Francis, Jim Frank, Anne Galang, Beth Gallagher, Sarah Ghandour, Margaret Gissing, Keidon Robert Giles, Vivek Goel, Feridun Hamdullahpur, Natalie Heldsinger, Krista Henry, Michaëlle Jean, Ryon Jones, Matt Justice, Lisa Kabesh, Geoff Keelan, Adriann Kennedy, Matthew King, Elizabeth Kleisath, Megan Lambe, Nathan Lee, Etta Di Leo, Stephanie Longeway, Victoria Lumax, Patty Mah, Heather Mair, Jessica Manarang, Anna McWebb, Ceili Minten, Melanie Misanchuk, Namish Modi, Tony Munro, Jon Parsons, Angela Pause, Effie Pereira, Joe Petrik, Wendy Philpott, Natalie Quinlan, Michelle Radman, Alana Rigby, Elizabeth Rogers, Susan Roy, Jim Rush, Miriam Rusu, Carlos Saavedra, Melanie Scott, Adam Segal, Nancy Silcox, Rose Simone, Pamela Smyth, Sonia Thomson, Marilyn Thompson, Sam Toman, Carol Truemner, David Tubbs, Alyana Versolatto, Lauren Ward, Mary Wells, Meghan Whitfield, Kate Windsor, and Christine Zaza.

My apologies if I have missed giving someone a byline. In addition, I would like to thank communications staff in the Faculties, departments, academic support units, committees, and other organizations who have contributed material to the Daily Bulletin this year without credit. I know who you are, and you know who you are, and you deserve thanks for your continued efforts to support the University.

I would also like to thank my podcast co-host Pamela Smyth for helping to produce the Beyond the Bulletin Podcast this year, and while I'm on the subject a special thank-you to all our podcast guests in 2021 for their insights, perspective, and for being good sports. Here they are in reverse order of appearance:

Valerie Ward, Tre Ford, Vershawn Young, Andrea Chittle, Bob Lemieux, Blair Feltmate, Norah McRae, Anita Layton, Jean Becker, Jermal Jones, Charlie Frise, Zahid Butt, Geoff Hayes, Dillon Browne, Stepanka Elias, Philip Beesley, Jeffrey Ren, Danielle Robichaud, Jeremy Steffler, Amir Al-Azraki, Douglas Stenton, Kim Nguyen, Christine Purdon, Cathy Newell Kelly, Kelly Grindrod, Chris Bauch, Kyra Lindsey, Jacob Crane, Shana MacDonald, Andy Houston, May Nemat Allah, Susan Cadell, John Hirdes, Anna Murynka, Roderick Slavcev, Tiz Mekonnen, Mary Wells, Jay Shah, Natasha Rozario, and Lili Liu.

The Internal and Leadership Communications team is here to amplify the many voices on campus that contribute to the daily life of the University both in print online and on the Beyond the Bulletin Podcast. We wouldn't be able to do it without you. We look forward to continuing that tradition into the new year.

And so: a thank-you to all, and to all a good night.