Friday, February 16, 2024

CEE Employer Impact Conference set for March 7

A message from Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE).

The Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) Employer Impact Conference is coming up on March 7! We would like to highlight two sessions that will provide key insights from first-hand experience: a student panel and an employer panel.  

Employer panel: Hear from CEE’s recent Employer Impact Awards recipients. Learn strategies and best practices to motivate and empower students for success during their work terms. Gain valuable perspectives on fostering a positive and productive work environment that cultivates the next generation of professionals and benefits organizations.

Student panel: Hear directly from students about what drives them to excel in their work terms. Gain insights into what supports motivation, enhances learning, and contributes to a fulfilling and rewarding work experience benefitting employers and students.

You don’t want to miss this event, which will be held on March 7 from 12 noon to 4:30 p.m.

See the full conference agenda and register for the Employer Impact Conference.

Caution: beware of bots when looking at survey responses

A message from the Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit.

It has become increasingly difficult to differentiate online survey answers from real respondents and “bots” (computer programs that perform an automated task) which contribute to fraudulent responses. Any incentive offered for completing an online survey with an open link that is distributed through unrestricted channels, including social media, increases the risk of fraudulent respondents.

Online surveys are generally more prone to receive responses from both bots and humans who do not meet eligibility requirements but complete the survey with fraudulent data in an effort to claim the incentive. The Statistical Consulting and Survey Research Unit (SCSRU) has experience creating flags to prevent fraudulent responses and detect bots.

Please visit our website to learn how our team of experts can help you develop and program survey questions to help prevent bots from attacking your online surveys. 

Read more about bots.

A fantastic finish at annual alumni, faculty, staff and retiree day basketball games

A message from the Office of Advancement.

Almost 1,000 alumni and friends filled the stands at the Physical Activities Complex (PAC) Saturday, February 10 for Fantastic Alumni, Faculty, Staff and Retiree Day. 

Donning University of Waterloo apparel from decades past, alumni, family and friends cheered the Warriors to victory in both the women’s and men’s games. The women beat Windsor 51-42 and the men took the Lancers to overtime for a 73-68 win. 

Presented by sponsor Manulife, the fantastic basketball games are an annual tradition for many alumni who eagerly return to campus to relieve memories. 

“I remember writing exams here, exercising in the PAC ... it’s great to see it still has its original form, but the renovations look fantastic,” says Andrew Kuglar (BMATH ’03), Vice President, Head of Distribution, Affinity Markets Canada at Manulife. “I think there’s a tremendous sense of loyalty and pride coming back to the school.” 

Read the full story

WUSA general election sees historic voter turnout

A message from the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA).

The 2024-25 Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) election results are in! An astounding 1 in 4 undergraduate students voted in this year’s election, with 8,876 of 35,325 eligible voters having cast a ballot for an overall turnout rate of 25.127 per cent. This is the highest number of voters in WUSA history and shows how students can continuously reform WUSA to meet the changing demands of being a student at Waterloo. Thank you to the entire University of Waterloo community who helped make this election possible.

Special thanks to faculty and staff who encouraged undergraduate students to vote by including promotional slides in their lectures, putting the Vote messages up on their digital screens, promoting it on their social media, and everything else in between. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Check out the full election results on the WUSA website.

What's open and closed on campus for Family Day and Reading Week

How is it this time of year already? 

Monday, February 19 is Family Day, and since it's a statutory holiday in Ontario the University will be closed. Reading Week kicks off on Saturday, February 17 and students will be scarce on campus until Sunday, February 25. Here are some operational changes to look out for next week:

The Centre will be closed for the Family Day holiday on Monday, February 19 and will re-open on Tuesday, February 20. Documents will not be processed, phones and emails will not be monitored and The Centre will be closed for in-person service. For the remainder of Reading Week, the Centre will have regular operating hours.

All W Store and W Print locations will be closed on Monday, February 19 for Family Day. W Store SCH will be closed on Friday, February 23 for inventory day, while W Print will be open Friday. W Store Essentials (MC) will be closed from February 19 to February 23. W Store and W Print locations will resume regular hours on Monday, February 26.

Food Services locations are either closed or operating with reduced hours between February 17 and 25. Exceptions include Mudie's in Village 1, which will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on February 19, and The Market at Claudette Millar Hall, which will be open on February 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and open from February 20 to 23, 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Market will also be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on February 24. While Brubaker's Food Court in the Student Life Centre will be closed on February 19, it will be open from February 20 to February 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Bear in mind that only Subway and Quesada will be open at Brubaker's during that time.

Check the Food Services locations and hours page for more details.

The Davis Centre and Dana Porter Library branches will be open from 12 noon to 6:00 p.m. on Family Day Monday. Check the Library's hours page for details on Reading Week operations.

Athletics facilities will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 17, but closed Sunday, February 18. The Physical Activities Complex will be open on Family Day Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon, while the Columbia Icefield Arena will be closed, but also open, for a special Family Day with the Warriors event from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon that will include football, baseball, basketball, ice skating and more. You can register online in advance for some family fun.

The Earth Sciences Museum will be open to the public for Family Day at the Museum on Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. "Drop in and explore our activity tables, touch dinosaur fossils and view mineral exhibits," says a note from the Earth Sciences Museum.

The Student Life Centre (SLC) and Turnkey SLC are open 24/7 throughout Family Day and all of Reading Week, although the Turnkey@DC location will be closed Family Day and during Reading Week. Manager, Facility Operations & Membership Scott Pearson notes that on Sunday, February 25, there will be a power shutdown throughout most of the SLC between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. During this time, the building will remain open with emergency power and lighting, but study rooms and other spaces will not be available. In addition, there will be no internet service, either wired or wireless. The SLC's Turnkey desk will be staffed on February 25 but will not be able to perform all of its usual functions due to the outage. Turnkey@DC, however, will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on February 25.

Have an excellent Family Day long weekend, and if you're a student, may you find Reading Week to be a relaxing break from your studies.