Wednesday, December 23, 2015

It's the most wonderful time last day of the year

Today is the last working day of 2015, and in a few hours, the University will close for its longest holiday of the year. Apart from a few people providing essential services, the institution will take a breather until 2016.

Several units around campus are already beginning to wind down, for example many Food Services operations are closed today, with the exception of the University Club (open for one last killer Christmas luncheon buffet), the Tim Hortons in South Campus Hall (open until 2:30 p.m.), and the Tim Hortons in the Student Life Centre (open until 3:30 p.m.). 

All Retail Services locations will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today. Campus Tech and All Media.Doc locations (DC, DP, EIT, MC, SLC) will be closed from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. today.

As for the Libraries: 

• Dana Porter is open until 5:00 p.m. today;
• Davis Centre is open until 5:00 p.m. today;
• the Musagetes Library in Architecture is open until 4:30 p.m. and will be closed until 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 5.

Check the Library's Hours site for detailed opening and closing information for its various branches.

The Physical Activities Complex and Columbia Icefield are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today.

On the Housing front, REV, V1, MKV, and UWP Front Desks will close at 12:00 p.m. (noon) today and will reopen on January 2 at 1:00 p.m. The CLV Front Desk will close today at 5:00 p.m. and will be reopen at 8:00 a.m. on January 1.

The IST Service Desk, located in the EC2 foyer, closes today at 4:30 p.m. and opens again at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, January 4, 2016.

"With the campus soon to be closed for the holiday break, IST is recommending that we all power off as many electronic devices as possible," writes Phil Knipe of IST. "By doing so we will help to save on hydro and remove the possibility for malicious attacks on computers."

Computers should be properly shut down and monitors powered off. If your computer has a Bios setting that starts it up automatically every morning, you should disconnect the power connection to the computer. Network printers should also be powered off wherever possible.

"Anyone planning to make a Remote Desktop connection to their office workstation must leave it powered on," writes Knipe. "If you only require access to files stored on network drives such as N or R, you can easily access them from home using the campus VPN service. When using a VPN connection, your office computer is not being used, so doesn’t need to be powered on. You are connecting directly to the file servers with your mapped network drives."

The Residence IT Service Desk located in Village 1 will close at 12:30 p.m. today and will reopen January 3 at 12:30 p.m. The Davis Centre IT service desk closed on December 22 at 8:30 p.m. and will reopen on January 4 at 8:30 a.m.

Central Stores will be providing normal service today.

Health Services will be closing at 5:00 p.m. today and will remain closed until Monday, January 4 when they reopen at 8:30 a.m. Students with medical problems over the holidays are encouraged to first call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 for medical advice.

The School of Pharmacy and the Waterloo Stratford Campus are open today as well. 

The School of Architecture is open today, as its its Melville Café. Design At Riverside is open until 4:00 p.m. today.

The ECEC children’s program closed on December 18 at 12:00 noon and will re-open on Monday, January 4, 2016 with regular hours.

The time has also come for laboratories to be shut down in an orderly fashion for the holiday break. As they do every year, the Safety Office has circulated a list of precautions to be taken to ensure a safe shutdown over the holiday period.

All laboratory operations are to be suspended by 5:00 p.m. today, and may resume on Monday, January 4, 2016.

The last day for hazardous waste pickup and drop-off at the Environmental Safety Facility was Tuesday, December 22. Any remaining hazardous material should be stored in properly sealed containers and in containment areas. Compressed gases and equipment gas supply lines should be shut off.

Electrical devices, such as hot plates, computers, fume hoods and environmental chambers (if they aren’t containing hazardous materials, that is) should be turned off and unplugged, which will prevent damage to equipment due to power surges, while at the same time reducing energy waste and pollution.

Anyone working in a lab during shutdown should have supervisor and departmental approval and adhere to the Working Alone Guidelines posted on the Safety Office website. The Safety Office is available to answer questions at extension 35755.

Rick Zalagenas, Director of Maintenance and Utilities, reports that building conditions will be held at normal night and weekend setback temperatures starting tonight, and most ventilation will be turned off. "The university is closed," he stresses, "and anyone who elects to be here should not be expecting normal services and temperatures." Zalagenas invites everybody's help with conservation, ensuring all appliances, office equipment and unused fume hoods are turned off. "And please make very sure all windows are closed before you leave.”

Custodial staff who usually work later in the evening will start today's shift at 4:00 p.m. and work until midnight. During the holiday break, grounds staff will be on call to do winter maintenance of emergency routes on campus as requested by either Police Services or the Central Plant.

UW Police will begin locking the buildings on campus at 5:00 p.m. today. Buildings will remain locked over the holidays. Anyone needing access will have to have made prior arrangements with the faculty or department responsible for the building. Be sure to remove or otherwise secure your valuables before leaving.

Today also marks the start of Winterloo, a program that runs during the winter break for students who stay in Waterloo for the holidays. Winterloo runs until January 3, 2016.

Your guide to a hibernating campus

Starting tomorrow through to Monday, January 4, 2016, Retail Services outlets, Food Services locations, recreational facilities, and offices will be closed.

The Libraries will be closed as follows:

• Dana Porter - December 24 to January 1
• Davis Centre - December 24 to January 1
• Musagetes Architecture Library - December 24 to January 5

Check the Library's Hours site for detailed opening and closing information for its various branches.

The Physical Activities Complex and Columbia Icefield are closed will reopen on Monday, January 4.

The School of Pharmacy and the Waterloo Stratford Campus will be following the main campus's shutdown schedule over the holidays. Security services will be on-site at Stratford for several days during the holiday (I won't share which ones for, well, security reasons).

The School of Architecture will be closed from December 24 to Monday, January 4, returning to regular operating hours on Tuesday, January 5. Maintenance is being performed on Monday, January 4, hence the extended closure. The School will be shut down and inaccessible to anyone including students, faculty and staff for the shutdown's entire period. The fob system will be inactivated over this period. 

The Melville Café is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on December 24, and is closed December 25 and 26, reopening on December 27 and remaining open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. until December 31. It is closed January 1, 2016, and then open January 2 and 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and then will suspend operations on Monday, January 4 for the maintenance shut down. It will reopen with its regular hours on January 5. 

Design at Riverside is closed from December 24 to 28, reopening on December 29 and remaining open to the 31^st from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is closed January 1, 2016 and is open January 2 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., January 3 from 1:30 p.m.to 4:30 p.m. and closed January 4. It will reopen with its regular hours on Tuesday, January 5.

Residences, with the exception of Columbia Lake Village-North, are all closed for the holiday break. There are short-term accommodation options available.

Quest will remain available during the holidays subject to unexpected system outages. Quest support will not be available from 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 23, through 8:30 am on Monday, January 4, 2016. Any support issues that arise during the holiday period will be addressed beginning January 4, 2016, after 8:30 am, according to IST.

Snow removal on the main campus over the holiday period (assuming we have any) will be "limited", according to the plant operations department. "Grounds staff will respond to serious snow issues," is the official word, especially to clear priority areas such as the ring road.

A major exception to the 11-day campus closing is the Student Life Centre. Scott Pearson, operations 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 staff 24 hour a day with friendly Turnkeys to provide assistance to those who stay on campus,” writes Pearson.

Most of the businesses in the Student Life Centre will shut down entirely throughout the break including Lifetouch Photography, Campus Dentist, Campus Tech, Tim Hortons, Brubaker's, the Bombshelter Pub, International News, Student Health Pharmacy, the WatCard office and SOS Physiotherapy.

CIBC will be open on both December 24 and 31 from 9:30 a.m.  to 3:00 p.m. and will be closed on December 25, 26, 27 and January 1, 2016.  The branch will be open regular hours on December 28, 29, 30 and January 2. All regular business hours will resume on Monday January 4.

The Airporter will make its usual stops at the Student Life Centre.

GO Transit and Greyhound will continue to service campus throughout the shutdown, although some days the schedules will operate on holiday scheduling. Full ticketing and travel information is online or the Turnkey Desk. Pearson also says that “on New Year’s Eve all transportation on GO Transit is free system-wide after 7:00 p.m..  No tickets are required.”

Grand River Transit will be operating on a holiday schedule from December 21 through to Sunday, January 3. GRT is also free after 6:00 p.m. on December 31.

The Graduate Apartments at St. Paul's will be open during the holidays and there are on-call staff available during the break. The Guest Rooms are also available during the shutdown period and guests may use the convenient self-check-in process.

There are a number of utility shutdowns over the holiday break, including:

• East Campus Hall (ECH), Engineering 5 (E5), and Engineering 6 (E6) will be without electrical power from Sunday, December 27 at 7:00 p.m. to Wednesday, December 30 at 4:00 p.m. Please ensure that your computer equipment is shut down before you leave for the holidays.

• Engineering 5 (E5) will be without electrical power on Thursday, December 31 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

What to expect in 2016

As of Monday, January 4, the University will be up and running for a new year and a new term, with a few operations springing to life the weekend before. Lectures and the co-op work term will also commence.

Here's what Winter 2016 will look like for University operations:

The Libraries reopen in 2016 as follows:

• Dana Porter on Saturday, January 2 from noon to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, January 3 from noon to 5:00 p.m.
• Davis Centre on Saturday, January 2 from noon to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, January 3 from noon to 5:00 p.m.

Check the Library's Hours site for a branch-by-branch breakdown of 2016 re-openings.

The Book Store, Waterloo Store, and Write Stuff are open Sunday, January 3 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will be open Monday, January 4 at 9:00 a.m. Special extended hours will be in effect for the first week of January. WatCard, Campus Tech, and Media.Doc also open their doors January 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Check the Retail Services hours page for a full listing of openings and extended hours.

On the Food Services front, Mudie's in Village 1 reopens on Sunday, January 3, while most of the operations reopen on Monday, January 4. Federation Hall is closed until January 18. Check the Food Services Hours and Locations page for more details.

The Waterloo Residences office will be open Sunday, January 3, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Columbia Lake Village-North residents can begin moving in on January 1 after 8:00 a.m. MKV, REV, UWP, Village 1, Minota Hagey, and Columbia Lake Village-South residents can begin moving in on Sunday, January 3 after 8:00 a.m. Visit Housing's move-in dates and times page for additional information.

IT Service Desks return to regular operating hours on Monday, January 4, 2016 at 8:30 a.m.

JobMine postings and graduating student interviews resume on Monday, January 4, 2016, according to CECA.

There will be a service disruption in the University's Special Collections and Archives starting on January 4, 2016 for a period of seven weeks as building work is carried out. The department will remain open during this time, but be advised that there may be periods of disruption. Access to the archive's stacks will be limited and the department recommends that patrons contact them ahead of time before visiting. Item retrieval will take place daily at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Feds Used Books in the lower level of the Student Life Centre opens on Monday, January 4 at 9:00 a.m. and will feature an extended 6:00 p.m. closing time. During the first week of the new year, it will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, with bonus operating hours on Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Finally, the Daily Bulletin will return on Monday, January 4. Any emergency announcements before that date will be made on the university's home page.

A thank-you to Daily Bulletin contributors

Throughout the year, I have had the privilege of working with many talented people across campus and beyond who have provided content for the Daily Bulletin and who have helped you keep informed about life at the University of Waterloo. Here is this year's honour roll:

Christian Aagaard, Hina Ahmed, Karen Anderson, Eugenia Xenos Anderson, Sandra Banks, Dipali Batabyal.  Marta Bailey, Anna Beard, Clare Bermingham,, Jennifer Bentley, Phil Bézaire, Christine Bezruki, Natalie Blagden, Rebecca Bouwhuis, Jane Britton, Kirsty Budd, Ziwei Chen, Stephanie Chesser, Dana Ciak, Nadine Collins, Ryan Connell, Keely Cook, Lauren Cormier, Paisley Cozzarin, Rae Crossman, Katie Damphouse, Maya Deen, David Drewery, Ginny Dybenko, Jude Fiorillo, Susan Fish, Clare Flood, Rocco Fondacaro, Julie Funk, Susan Gow, Karina Graf, Hillary Graham, Amy Greene, Erin Sargeant Greenwood, Feridun Hamdullahpur, Jayne Hayden, Claire Heymans, Kaitlyn Holbein, Sabrina Hutchison,  Shabnam Ivković, Yuni Jo, Jacqui Kaiser, Naz Kittani, Jane Kolb, Corrine Krauss, Terry Labach, Stephen Loo, Kerry Mahoney, Fred Martin, Jacqueline Martinz, Sharon McFarlane, Mary McPherson, Alfred Menezes, Jenny MacKay, Ken McLaughlin,  Sanaya Mistry, Fahd Munir, Josh Neufeld, Colleen Nevison, Carrie Nickerson, Kristina Overbeek, Kaitlin O'Brien, Riamarie Panachikal, Diana Parry, Angela Pause, Laurie Peloquin, Brandon Petryna, Wendy Philpott, Jirina Poch, Judene Pretti, Chris Redmond, Carla Rodrigo, Angela Rooke, Victoria Stacey, Nicole Simec, James Skidmore, Andrew Smith, Jeremy Steffler, Kari Stewart, Kelly Stone, Merrirose Stone, Maria Strack, Lori Straus, Heather Steinmetz, David Tam, Madi Taylor, Mat Thijssen, Kate Thorne, Brent Thornhill, Stephanie Tortorici,  Katharine Tuerke, Sophie Twardus, Victoria Van Cappellen, David VanderWindt, Joanne Wallace, Maris Weiss, and Chao Yang.

Thank you all.

Have a safe and happy holidays, and see you in 2016!