Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Campus emergency communication system to be tested on Thursday

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST).

Information Systems & Technology (IST) will be testing the University’s campus-wide emergency communication system on Thursday, January 11, at 11:15 a.m.

What is the impact?

Emergency communication channels being tested include:

• Tweets to @UWaterloo and @WatSAFEapp
• WatSAFE mobile app
• The ‘WatSAFE Desktop Notification’ on-screen pop-up for desktops and laptops
• Portal alerts and push notifications

Messaging

The message displayed will read “TEST of the UW Emergency Notification System. During an actual emergency or threat, you would receive instructions. No action is required.” More information regarding the emergency would be available at alert.uwaterloo.ca.

Approximately 15 minutes after the test activation message is sent, a deactivation message will display, “The test of the UW Emergency Notification System is complete.”

In the event of a real emergency during this test, please contact Police Services at 519-888-4911, or ext. 22222.

Be sure to install the WatSAFE app on your device and WatSAFE Desktop Notification tool on your desktop/laptop to receive this test message, and more importantly, to stay informed of campus emergency situations. Visit the WatSAFE website for more details.

Questions or concerns? Please contact the IST Service Desk via the IST Help Portal.

Policy 76/77 town hall forum coming up for faculty

Changes to Policy 76/77 will be discussed during an upcoming faculty town hall on Monday, January 15, which will be hosted by Policy Drafting Committee co-Chairs, Peter Wood, head of the FAUW Lecturer’s Committee and David DeVidi, Associate Vice-President, Academic.

A question and answer period will follow.

The University of Waterloo and the Faculty Association recently announced an agreement regarding revisions to Policy 76/77 and related memoranda associated with the creation of new teaching stream ranks at Waterloo.  

This will be a hybrid, online and in-person event in Needles Hall 3407. You can submit a question in advance of the town hall during the registration process. For those attending the event virtually, a link will be sent to your University of Waterloo email address the morning of the town hall, on Monday, January 15.

Velocity announces programming deadlines for winter term

A message from Velocity.

With the start of a new term brings some exciting new programming from Velocity. Upcoming deadlines include: 

Up Start (apply by January 12 at 11:59 p.m.)  

If you wish to explore the commercialization of your project/research, then this program is for you. Get up to $15,000 in funding to help you commercialize your research or project. We know turning technology into a product is hard. That is why the teams at Velocity and the Waterloo Commercialization Office (WatCo) are combining our expertise in startups and technology transfer to accelerate your ambitions. If you are building something that can help people, businesses, or society flourish, we want to hear from you.

Cornerstone (apply by January 15 at 5:00 p.m.)  

So you’ve got an idea? Before building anything in startups, you have to validate that it’s actually something somebody wants. While sounding relatively straightforward, figuring out whether people actually want your thing is the crucible on which most great startups are forged. Come join us for a new imagining of Cornerstone. Lead by Eric Blondeel, a two-time YC alumni, you’ll learn how to validate your idea without fooling yourself and others with bias. Learn about the mistakes of the teams that came before you and maybe earn some prizes along the way too.

Foundations (apply by January 19) 

It’s no secret that AI has been changing and enhancing the nature of work across different industries, but what about creative industries? Artists, designers, and musicians want AI art to be regulated, while technology companies insist on fair use. This winter, students in Foundations will dive into the many aspects of generative AI, art, and opportunities for innovation.

We're excited for a great term of innovation and entrepreneurship ahead!

A word about storm closings

With winter deciding to show up a little late this year, now is the perfect opportunity to review the University's Weather Closing Guidelines before the streets and walkways on campus become fully covered in ice and snow for the season.

According to the University's weather closing guidelines, the University and the affiliated and federated institutions of Waterloo will close "because of severe weather when normal operation would pose a significant danger to students and employees, or would prevent large numbers of them from coming to campus or returning safely to their homes.")

The decision to close or remain open in severe weather is usually made by the Vice-President, Academic and Provost in consultation with the Director of the Special Constable Service, the Associate Vice-President, Communications, and the Executive Director of Plant Operations. The Provost and the team of advisors connect to consider the conditions whenever severe weather is in the forecast and the team also seeks a wealth of information in order to inform the difficult decision of whether it is safe to keep campuses open.

The advisory team evaluates:

• multiple sources of weather information and radar, as well as actual outside conditions, and the forecasted conditions throughout the day;
• community impacts, such as what other local institutions including the school board and the City of Waterloo are doing;
• the condition of campus, including pathways, roadways, and buildings - and how long it will take to make movement on campus safe; 
• the status of local and regional roads, with input from the local city governments;
• whether local and regional public transportation is running including GRT, ION, and GO; and
• the conditions at Waterloo's satellite campuses.

The guidelines define the condition of "closed" to mean that "classes are not held; meetings and other scheduled events are cancelled; scheduled examinations are cancelled, to be rescheduled; deadlines for assignments and other submissions are postponed until the same hour on the next business day on which UW is not "closed"; staff, other than those providing "essential services," are not expected to be at work, but are paid for a normal day."

For the most part it is safe to assume that the University's default status is "open" unless messaging indicates otherwise.

Notice of the University's status will be posted on days where severe weather is forecast, normally at 6:00 a.m., to allow faculty, staff and students time to decide their course of action that day. As the guidelines indicate, "those who judge that it may be unsafe to come to campus should discuss alternate work and study arrangements with their instructor or supervisor."

In the event of severe weather that warrants a closure, all members of the University community should consult the University’s homepage, Twitter feed and Portal and check the WatSAFE app to learn whether or not the University has closed. The old standbys of checking local radio stations and visiting local media websites still apply as well. If you can hold out until 9:00 a.m., the Daily Bulletin will also make a note of whether or not campus is open or closed.

Recently, the University has established a new Campus Status page with real-time status updates for each of Waterloo's campuses, links to the Eric D. Soulis Memorial Weather Station on the north campus, Environment Canada weather notices for the region and safety tips that will be updated in the event of severe weather.