Friday, September 1, 2023

Nominations open for the Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity

A message from the Office of Research.

The Office of Research is currently seeking nominees for the Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity. Awarded through the tri-agency Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP), the award seeks to fund the implementation of bold and potentially game-changing research at the institution and/or within the research ecosystem.

Key Dates

Expression of Interest (non-binding): September 7

Internal Deadline: September 22

Sponsor Deadline: November 7

Awarded through the tri-agency Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP), the Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity seeks to fund the implementation of bold and potentially game-changing research at the institution and/or within the research ecosystem. The process and structure of the award concentrates a commitment to equity leadership from the nominee(s) and a transparent, equitable selection process from the institution.

To ensure that the University of Waterloo nomination is reflective of our community values, a campus-wide survey was issued to solicit feedback into understanding the definition of “bold and game-changing”. The survey was followed up by Community Sharing Circles, where feedback from the survey was further refined. As a result, the following themes were captured as being key drivers to determining a “bold and game-changing” project for nomination:

• Highly Collaborative
• Coordinated
• Representative
• Interdisciplinary
• Early-stage project

The themes will be used by the adjudication committee to determine the final institutional nomination, in addition to the Robbins Ollivier criteria.

The objectives of the annual Robbins-Ollivier equity award are to:

• fund bold and potentially game-changing institutional-level initiatives that will challenge the status quo, spark change and take action to address persistent systemic barriers within the institution research ecosystem and academia more broadly;
• recognize faculty members who contribute their time, expertise and lived experience to help address inequities in their institution, the research ecosystem and academia; and
• provide opportunities for students and trainees to contribute to this important work.

The objective of the award is not to fund research in EDI disciplines but rather to fund initiatives to be implemented within the institution to identify and/or address systemic barriers.

The award provides a total of $100,000 over one year, with the potential for a one-year no-cost extension, to a tenured/tenure track faculty member or team of faculty members nominated by Waterloo, to fund initiatives that:

• contribute to the understanding of the persistence of systemic barriers in the nominating institution and, by extension, the research ecosystem and academia more broadly; and/or
• identify innovative measures that could be implemented within the institution to change the status quo and break down those barriers in the long term.

Please email awards@uwaterloo.ca for more information or to express interest.

Music ensemble auditions kick off September 6

A message from the Music department.

Do you love to sing in a choir?  Were you in an orchestra or jazz band back home, and would like to continue? Join a Music Department ensemble for credit. Auditions start on Wednesday, September 6. 

Visit the website for list of 8 different ensembles available in the fall term. The ensembles are open to students from all six faculties.

14^th Annual United College Golf Tournament

A message from United College.

On August 24^th, approximately 150 alumni and friends came together from across Southwestern Ontario to tee off in support of United College.  This signature annual gathering is a tradition for many alumni, with some folks having attended all 14 tournaments.       

Over the past 14 years, the tournament has supported a variety of priority projects at United College, each one critical to the student experience and the legacy of the college.  

To commemorate the college’s 60^th anniversary, the United College $60K for 60 fundraising campaign was officially kicked off, with proceeds from the golf tournament supporting this effort.  United College will bring the next generation of students together by enhancing outdoor amenities and building a pavilion with a seating area, a basketball court, and a playground for the children of students in the graduate building.      

What's open and closed on the Labour Day long weekend

If that was summer, we've had it.

September is already upon us with move-in underway and Orientation in full swing as of tomorrow. Somewhere in the middle of all the hard work of gearing up for the fall term falls Labour Day, a holiday that occurs on the first Monday in September. Many University operations will be closed or operating under modified hours over the long weekend.

The Dana Porter and Davis Centre library branches will be closed on Monday, September 4. The chat feature will be unavailable and the email accounts will not be monitored. Check the Library's opening hours page for more details.

Athletics facilities, including the Physical Activities Complex, CIF and Field House, will be closed Sunday, September 3 and Monday, September 4. Check the hours of operation page for more detailed information.

All W Store and W Print locations will be closed on Monday, September 4 for Labour Day. W Store Essentials (located in MC) is currently closed and will reopen on Tuesday, September 5.

W Store in South Campus hall will be open for extended hours on September 6 and 7 (9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.), as well as Saturday, September 9 and 30 (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) and Saturday, September 16 and 24 (12 noon to 4:00 p.m.).

Visit the locations and hours page for more details.

Most Food Services operations will be closed over the long weekend, with the exception of the Tim Hortons in the Student Life Centre, which is open 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 2 and Sunday, September 3, and from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 4. On the residence side, The Market at CMH will be open all weekend, including holiday Monday, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and Mudie’s in V1 will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. all weekend, including Monday. REVelation in Ron Eydt Village will be closed today, but open 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 3 and Monday, September 4, and 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5. For full Food Services operating hours over the long weekend, check out the locations and hours page.

The Student Life Centre and Turnkey Desk are open 24/7 throughout the Labour Day weekend. The Flock Stop convenience store is also open 24/7 throughout the weekend.

Turnkey@DC remains closed due to renovations. 

Have a great long weekend. The Daily Bulletin will return on Tuesday, September 5.