Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Preparations and protocols for tomorrow's royal visit

On Thursday, May 28, Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will visit the University of Waterloo as part of a half-day visit by a delegation from the Netherlands. The visit coincides with Their Majesties’ state visit to Canada on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian Forces.

"This is a tremendous honour for the University of Waterloo, and I invite you to join the campus community in welcoming Their Majesties," says a memo from Vice-President, University Relations Sandra Banks, which was circulated yesterday.

There will be an opportunity to welcome the king and queen outdoors upon their arrival at the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre (QNC) at 11:00 a.m. and witness their departure at 12:35 p.m.

Members of the University community can be part of the official greeting party inside the Quantum-Nano Centre on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees must present their Watcard upon entry.

As it is standing room only, guests are being asked to not bring any personal belongings like backpacks or purses, or welcome signs, letters or gifts.

Arrive at the Quantum-Nano Centre entrance nearest the MC building (adjacent to the Peter Russell Rock Garden) no later than 10:30 a.m. so that your Watcard can be examined and you can find a place in the atrium.

Once the atrium in the Quantum-Nano Centre has reached capacity, there will also be a public access area set up on the creek-side of the Ring Road across from the Quantum-Nano Centre. Please note that spectators will be outside, rain or shine. Seating is not provided, but people may bring a camp/lawn chair if needed.

The delegation's visit will impact transportation along the Ring Road Thursday morning. A section of the road from the Student Life Centre to Needles Hall will be completely closed to traffic as of 9:00 a.m. Thursday morning, with police, parking attendants and barricades in place. Grand River Transit has been notified of the road closure, and buses will be rerouted to the other side of the Ring Road between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. Waterloo Regional Police Service and Waterloo Fire and Regional Ambulance Service have also been notified.

Members of the public are invited to park in Parking Lot X on the north campus. The use of public transit is also recommended as parking will be limited.

Now, a few words about protocol: if the occasion arises, you may address the King and Queen as “Your Majesty.” You are not required to curtsy or bow in their company, and if you have the opportunity to shake hands with Their Majesties, do so only after they have first extended their hand.

You may wonder what Their Majesties are doing here on campus. The King and Queen are attending as part of a half-day visit by a higher education mission that includes representatives from Maastricht University, Tilburg University, Groningen University, and the Delft University of Technology, as well as the Mayor of Eindhoven, the Netherlands' Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Education, Culture and Science, and both the Dutch ambassador to Canada and the Canadian ambassador to the Netherlands.

The delegation will attend an event in the Quantum-Nano Centre's atrium Thursday morning that will showcase Waterloo's world-leading research and the building partnerships between Waterloo and Dutch institutions. The event will feature academic presentations by the University of Waterloo, Maastricht University, Tilburg University, and the University of Groningen. 

The Royal delegation will then arrive so that the King and Queen can witness the formal signing of an agreement between Delft University of Technology and the University of Waterloo, as well as an agreement among the Region of Waterloo, Canada's Technology Triangle and Brainport Eindhoven.

Following the agreement signing, the delegation will then participate in the launch of the Liberation Scholarship Program that will see six students awarded with a certificate signifying their participation in the Liberation Scholarship program. Waterloo student Madelaine Liddy is among the six winners, along with students from Athabasca University, Brescia University College, Wilfrid Laurier University, and the University of British Columbia.

The royal and academic delegation will then tour a lab at the Quantum-Nano Centre. Their Majesties and the royal delegation will depart the University of Waterloo at 12:35 p.m.

"We are honoured to host Their Majesties this week and further strengthen the ties that the University of Waterloo has to The Netherlands, including partnerships with world-leading institutions," Banks's memo concludes. "Thank you for your participation."

WatCACE seminar explored work terms and social capital

By David Drewery.

Dr. Phil Gardner, the director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute (CERI) at Michigan State University and executive director of the Career Service Network, visited Waterloo last week and gave a lecture to a group of staff, students, and faculty. Phil has been heavily involved in co-operative education and internship research during his career. His list of accomplishments include serving as the senior editor of the Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships and acting as a Fulbright specialist to New Zealand on work-integrated learning. He spoke on the topic of social network ties and relationships during work-integrated learning experiences.

Social capital has emerged as an important topic within the literature linked to students’ transitions to and from work experiences. However, research points to the many challenges they may face in developing and activating social capital within work contexts. The current study assesses how the growth of social capital may play-out during internships or co-op work terms. A large survey with more than 200 U.S. post-secondary institution participants measured students’ social capital, task mastery and integration within the work place.

Results suggest that the role of the supervisor and/or mentor within the workplace is important in the integration process. Students who felt they had a mentor and received higher levels of supervisor support tended to learn more. In turn, students who experience deeper integration tend to report higher levels of satisfaction with their work experiences, and may be more likely to receive and accept a job offer with the organization upon graduation. In addition, results revealed that students with stronger career networks experienced higher degrees of social and team integration within the workplace.

Together, these results point to the important role of social capital within the co-op context. Students must be trained for specific skills but must also develop their social networks in order to succeed. Future research from Phil and CERI will look to address these relationships further, potentially through the use of “big data” analyses, and longitudinal designs.

Google Street View now extends to campus

Waterloo’s main campus walkways, footpaths, and roads are now featured on Google Maps Street View, and the popular app can now be used to navigate campus pathways with Street View Future.  

Current students, staff, alumni, community members, and the general public can explore campus from a ground-level perspective and see 360-degree images of campus buildings and landmarks with Google Maps. The online tool means that users can explore campus from their phone, computer, or tablet anywhere in the world.

To use street view, simply drag the orange pegman from the navigation area onto the map of campus.

Disability management training for leaders

Following the launch of the Disability Management Program changes on June 1, 2015, the Disability Management Team asks you to participate in a Disability Management Training session. Details appear below. 

Title: UWaterloo Disability Management Program: Training for Leaders 

Dates: June 2, 4, 11 

"What is the Disability Management program and how is it used at UWaterloo? What is my role as a leader?" says the workshop's description. "In this training, you will learn what has changed in the Disability Management process, how you can assist your employee through their absence and the tools available to support their return to work." 

The goal of this workshop is to review: 

• Sick leave and long-term disability benefits and processes 
• Return to work planning 
• Roles & responsibilities 
• Resources 

Questions regarding material covered in the sessions may be directed to the Disability Advisor at ngomes@uwaterloo.ca.

Please visit myHRinfo online to register for a session. Registration questions may be directed to HR Help at HRhelp@uwaterloo.ca.

#BikeMonthWR and other notes

June is Bike Month in Waterloo Region—a time to bask in the rays of the morning sun on your way to work, to revel in the pride of conquering that pesky hill, and to relish the beauty of our trails and urban environment.

"The University of Waterloo has organized several Bike Month festivities throughout June, and we hope you will join us," writes Sustainability Coordinator Mat Thijssen. 

Students, faculty and staff can:

• Take the challenge – Log your biking trips online to win cool prizes and rule the Waterloo cycling leaderboard!
• Celebrate cycling – Stop by our bike breakfast on June 18 for free snacks, a complementary bike tune up, and more!​
• Get cycling smart – Attend a bike safety session on June 23 from a certified instructor to learn safe cycling rules, equipment must-have’s, and tips to build your confidence.
• Get out there – Join a community event, whether it’s a charity bike ride or family excursion.
• Spread the love – Join the local community by sharing your cycling pictures and stories using the hashtag #BikeMonthWR

"All the details and registration can be found on the Bike Month event page," writes Thijssen. "Happy cycling!"

Employers on campus next week hosting employer information sessions include PointClickCare, Arista Networks, Zenefits, Sandvine Inc, PDT Partners, Apple, TD Innovation Lab, and Meraki.