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Marilyn Thompson named special advisor to the provost
"I am pleased to announce that Marilyn Thompson will be returning from her medical leave on January 16th, 2023," wrote Vice-President, Academic & Provost James Rush in a memo circulated to employees yesterday. "On Marilyn’s return she will be moving to the newly created role of Special Advisor to the Provost on Organizational Strategy. She will be providing leadership support to me in planning and overseeing opportunities for process, system, and organizational improvements."
"I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Marilyn for taking on this new role and for her contributions over the last 9 years in her role as Associate Provost, Human Resources," Provost Rush writes.
"Michelle Hollis will continue in the role of Interim Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) until we have completed an open search process for the role of CHRO," the provost's memo continues. "Please join me in in wishing Marilyn every success in her new role, and in thanking Michelle for agreeing to continue in the interim CHRO role."
Benefit changes kick in for 2023
The University's Pension & Benefits Committee has approved a number of benefit plan maxima changes effective January 1, 2023, according to the annual Human Resources memo that went out to benefit plan members across the University.
The amount available for reimbursement has increased to the new maximum as outlined below:
|
Benefit |
Provision |
Previous Maximums |
New Maximums |
|
Extended Health |
Psychologist, Master of Social Work, Registered Psychotherapist |
$975 per year |
$1,030 per year |
|
All other eligible Paramedical Practitioners, Hearing Care, Orthotics/Orthopedic Footwear |
$768 per year |
$811 per year |
|
|
Private Duty Nursing |
$23,271 per year |
$24,583 per year |
|
|
Out-of-Pocket Cap |
$133 single / $267 family |
$138 single / $277 family |
|
|
Dental |
Basic and Comprehensive Basic services |
$2,466 per year |
$2,583 per year |
|
Major Services |
$3,716 per year |
$3,893 per year |
|
|
Orthodontics |
$3,716 per lifetime |
$3,893 per lifetime |
|
|
Retiree Life Insurance |
Coverage for those who are eligible and retire on or after January 1, 2023 |
$5,900 |
$6,300 |
Human Resources would also like to take this opportunity to remind plan members that the official change in Waterloo's extended health and dental benefits provider from Canada Life to Green Shield Canada (GSC) took effect on January 1, 2023. "Using your new member ID number with GSC, please take a moment to enroll online for your GSC Everywhere account using your desktop device or mobile phone using the Apple App Store or Google Play," says the note from HR.
Macular degeneration study seeks participants
A study participant undergoing brain stimulation while reading words on a computer screen.
Researchers at the School of Optometry & Vision Science are currently seeking adults 18 years and over diagnosed with macular degeneration who use their side vision to see for a study which examines whether reading can be improved through a combination of practice and the use of a safe, well-established technique for modulating brain function called non-invasive brain stimulation. Recently published results from the group suggest that a single session of non-invasive brain stimulation may have a short-term effect on reading in adults with macular degeneration (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2022.08.016). The current study is exploring the possibility of longer lasting effects.
Participants will be asked to read words on a computer screen for 9 study sessions (each 2 hours per visit) spaced out over a period of 2 to 3 months. Participants should not be undergoing eye-based injections and must be eligible for non-invasive brain stimulation (researchers will screen for this). Eligible participants will receive $20 per session in appreciation for their time and regional transportation costs will be covered. If you, your family members, or acquaintances might be eligible and interested, please contact Melanie Mungalsingh for more information at mamungal@uwaterloo.ca.This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Committee.
Fitness programs available and other notes
"UW Fitness is offering both in-person and remote fitness programs starting January 16," says a note from UW Fitness. "Exercise under the supervision of our experienced and knowledgeable Certified Exercise Physiologists in either our private facilities on campus or in the comfort of your own home."
For more information and how to register, visit the Centre for Community, Clinical and Applied Research Excellence (CCCARE)'s UW Fitness website at https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-community-clinical-applied-research-excellence/uw-fitness-services/staff-and-faculty-training.
What is your vision for Waterloo? No, the other Waterloo.
"The City of Waterloo’s strategic plan identifies the top priorities for the next term of council and how they will work towards accomplishing those goals and objectives," says a message from the City of Waterloo. "The 2023-2026 Strategic Plan will guide the city in major investments, infrastructure and services and to help us maintain a community-centred approach to its operations."
"University of Waterloo students, staff and faculty are encouraged to complete an initial survey to advise the City on areas of focus and what values should help guide decision-making."
"Visit the project page on Engage Waterloo for more information and future opportunities for feedback."
The University of Waterloo Art Gallery is presenting Laura Magnusson's I was Wearing Golden Clamshell Earrings from January 12 to March 4, 2023.
"I was Wearing Golden Clamshell Earrings is the impact statement I was not permitted to give before the law," the artist writes. "In 2013, I was sexually assaulted. The perpetrator was tried in the Court of Queen’s Bench and was acquitted of all charges. Throughout the legal process—from issuing a police statement, to undergoing a forensic examination, to testifying before the law—I was required to compartmentalize my experiences, my very self, over and over and over to provide particular information on and in particular terms. The pursuit of factual truth actively excluded my felt, embodied knowledge. The crime scene was my very body, yet I was viewed as a witness, one among many, and according to the presiding judge, “not credible.”"
"Collectively, the works in this exhibition—video, installation, sculpture, drawing, and archival materials—testify to my lived experiences and their felt reverberations over time. A series of drawings produced in court, one for every minute of the perpetrator’s testimony, records my embodied response at a time when I was not permitted to speak. A silent video shot underwater, 70-feet beneath the surface, sees me wander an endless ocean bottom as I bear witness to the complex nature of trauma and the ongoing process of healing. Clam imagery recurs throughout the show—from shells and growth rings to implications of dredges and dissections—forging connections between gender-based and ecological violences as I explore the limits of forensic, evidentiary pursuits of knowledge."
Laura Magnusson is a Canadian interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker based in Montreal, Quebec. Magnusson’s current research-creation explores and elucidates felt experiences of trauma through installation, sculpture, drawing, performance, and video. She is a trained scuba diver who has filmed underwater in Iceland and Mexico, using the medium water as a site for healing and reconnecting to the body. Magnusson holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from the University of Michigan (2019), and is currently pursuing a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities at Concordia University, funded by a Doctoral Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
The opening reception takes place on Thursday, January 12, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
If you or anyone you know has been impacted by sexual violence, please consider accessing the following resources for support:
- The University of Waterloo’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office: 519-888-4567 ext. 40025;
- the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region’s 24 Hour Support Line: 519-741-8633;
-
the University of Waterloo Special Constable Service, 519-888-4567 ext. 22222 or direct at 519-888-4911;
- The University of Waterloo’s Counselling Services for students: 519-888-4567 ext. 32655; and
- Homewood Health for University of Waterloo employees: 1-800-663-1142.
And for medical care:
- University of Waterloo Health Services - Student Medical Clinic: 519-888-4096;
- Waterloo Region Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centre at St. Mary’s Hospital: 519- 749-6994.