Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Creating a conversation for a better future

The Council of Ontario Universities is asking students and their parents what excites them and what concerns them about the future, and has engaged the province’s 21 universities in sparking a province-wide conversation about how universities can be good partners in ensuring the future is brighter for everyone.

Students and parents are asked to imagine the future and their place in it by taking an online survey at ontariosuniversities.ca.

The pace of change is rapid and accelerating. Disruptive technology, demographic shifts and globalization bring tremendous opportunities, but all that uncertainty can also make people anxious. Universities want to have a conversation with the public about what we can all do together to help shape tomorrow, and to make sure no one is left behind in this fast-changing world.

As part of the Council of Ontario Universities’ Futuring campaign, Ontario’s universities will be in their communities to ask businesses, health and social service agencies, arts and cultural creators, not-for-profits, researchers, municipal governments and more what they think about the future.

The COU wants to hear from everyone who shares their interest in the future of Ontario.

Survey questions include what skills students and parents think Ontarians need to prepare them for the future. Is it problem-solving, or communication? Just-in-time knowledge, or the ability to adapt to change? Leadership qualities, or an entrepreneurial spirit?

Universities also want to tap into ideas and aspirations about the future from a broader audience. Ontarians can send their feedback by email to insights@ontariosuniversities.ca, or they can share their ideas through a variety of social media platforms - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat and Instagram - at @futuringON or by searching Ontario’s Universities.

Geography and Environmental Management hosts record-breaking conference

More than 200 geographers and interdisciplinary scholars converged at the University of Waterloo this past weekend for the 2016 Canadian Association of Geographers - Ontario Division (CAGONT) Annual Meeting.

This year’s event breaks records as the largest CAGONT conference in the history of the organization, with participants from 19 universities. “We had higher attendance and a higher number of abstracts than any other time this conference has been offered,” said Professor Susan Elliott, whose team orchestrated the event. “Our team was VERY pleased with both the record turn-out as well as the quality of the papers.”

Highlights from the two-day conference included an urban walking tour of Kitchener, a more traditional field trip to the Fletcher Creek Ecological Preserve, a scintillating keynote lecture, 126 presentations and 50 posters with topics ranging from global health to geochemistry.

Faculty of Environment Dean Jean Andrey, who is also a past president of CAG, said, “This conference highlighted the vibrancy of the discipline of Geography and showcased why Geography at Waterloo is ranked #45 in the world.”

Global Business and Digital Arts interns for hire

A message from the Stratford Campus.

Did you know the Stratford Campus has a paid internship program for their Bachelor of Global Business and Digital Arts (GBDA) students?  The third cohort of GBDA students are now applying for their paid internship positions in spring 2017. 

The students are heading into fourth year and have a background in digital media design and production, global business, marketing, videography, photography, sound editing, project management, and user (UX) experience design. They are adept at working in teams as the program places a strong emphasis on teamwork and project-based learning. 

Our curriculum is based on knowledge integration, bringing together creativity, technology and business in the framework of digital media and design thinking. Listen to what employers have to say.

If you would like to hire one of our talented Global Business and Digital Arts Students for four months in spring 2017, we would be happy to hear from you.  For more information please contact susan.cole@uwaterloo.ca and she will be in touch.

November's notes

The Science Undergraduate Office in STC 2031 will be opening later than usual at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 2 due to a staff training session. On Thursday, November 3, the office will be closed from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for a staff meeting.

"We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause," says a note from the office. "Check the SUO webpage for regular office hours. Don't forget to sign up for our drop-in hours, if you need to speak to a specific advisor."

Columbia Street between Phillip Street and Hagey Boulevard is closed this morning after an early-morning car crash did a spectacular amount of damage to LRT crossing poles and other property at the rail tracks.

According to CTV news, the crash occurred at about 4:30 a.m. and resulted in heavy damage to both car and infrastructure. The driver somehow escaped injury, but may face charges. Regional Police are investigating. The road was still closed as of 8:30 a.m. this morning, so drivers should use alternate routes to the north and south campus entrances until the road reopens.

Speaking of crashes: as the Halloween sugar crash sets in, here's a ghoulish gallery of costumed colleagues from across campus:

From the School of Architecture, there's no emoji for what I'm feeling:

From the Science Undergraduate Office: Priscila Carrara, James Lamb, and Maryann Gaspic:

And from Health Services: