Thursday, August 3, 2017

How Waterloo's green initiatives inspired food activist

by Darcy Higgins. This is an excerpt of an article originally published on the Innovation 60 blog.

Back when Canada’s Confederation had reached 100, and the University of Waterloo was just 10, a student government on campus formed which later became the Federation of Students or FEDS. At the 40^th Anniversary of FEDS, I had just been elected its VP Internal, allowing me to put my four years being involved in campus to good use. I had the pleasure of attending its 50^th anniversary a couple months ago, re-connecting with the campus where I’d learned so much.

Being back at my Waterloo home recently allowed me to see some great people I’d worked with, and reflect on the changes we had made. Ten years ago (time flies!) we students were working with staff and faculty to push for and create positive changes on campus. We wanted to see a sustainability office, a greater focus on equity and on mental health.

I’m still learning how positive change happens these days.

Institutional change-making was the topic of my honours thesis in Environment and Resource Studies. My visit back allowed me to reflect on the time it can take, and the resistance you can face. 

I recently learned about advancement on all these fronts. The University and Feds have created a number of new initiatives, making headway by creating new offices, objectives and programs in sustainability, equity and mental health.

There is more consideration now for understanding the needs of diverse groups of students. Institutions that excel need to stay progressive and move forward on all fronts, and it’s great to see a lot of this happening.

Within my program in the Faculty of Environment there was a belief in using the campus as a laboratory to allow students to experiment, innovate and learn environmental solutions. The practice was encouraged as part of the previous WatGreen program, and UWaterloo staff were asked to support student learning no matter their department.

I got to explore the idea of green roofs, long before they were common practice for new buildings. And then within FEDS, I was able to implement modest changes by working with staff who focused in human rights, counselling and Aboriginal issues.

One initiative that helped me learn and prepare for future goals was the creation of the UWaterloo Farm Market, which is still going strong after ten years. Within a culture of local food thinking in Waterloo Region, UWaterloo Food Services staff as well as students from the UWaterloo Campus Greens were excited to bring local food to campus, and we innovated to create a unique type of market, borrowing from our strong local agriculture and Mennonite farmers.

The creation of the Market taught me the importance of partnerships, innovation and economics, while we addressed a need for students to access better healthy food (and recipes!) I took the lessons with me to Toronto as I created Food Forward, and more recently co-founded Building Roots with partner Lisa Kates.

Read the rest of the article on the Innovation 60 blog.

St. Paul’s names champion of Indigenous entrepreneurship its new chancellor

St. Paul’s University College at the University of Waterloo named JP Gladu its next chancellor. Gladu is the president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), one of Canada’s premier organizations for Indigenous entrepreneurs.

“We are delighted to welcome such a distinguished leader to the St. Paul’s community,” said Brenda Simpson, chair of the St. Paul’s Board of Governors. “Given our strategic focus on both indigenous education and social entrepreneurship, he is a perfect fit with the mission of our college.”

Gladu is Anishinaabe from Thunder Bay, and has more than two decades of experience in the natural resource sector. His career path includes work with Indigenous communities and organizations, environmental non-government organizations, industry, and governments from across Canada. He currently serves on the boards of Ontario Power Generation and Noront Resources and is a member of the public advisory panel of the Canadian Electricity Association.  He holds an undergraduate degree in forestry and an MBA from Queen’s University.

“JP Gladu's dedication to the causes he believes in is boundless,” said Paul Martin, former prime minister of Canada. “I have worked with him for years and his understanding of the major issues facing Canada is exhaustive. What a wonderful appointment for St. Paul's."

Richard Myers, principal of St. Paul’s, believes Gladu’s appointment will significantly strengthen the college’s capacity to improve educational opportunities for Indigenous students at the University of Waterloo and beyond.

“The University of Waterloo is extraordinarily focused on entrepreneurship. Adding the lead voice for Canadian Indigenous entrepreneurs to our team is a terrific step in this period following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” he said.

Gladu’s appointment is effective immediately and continues through 2020. He replaces Lloyd Axworthy, former president of the University of Winnipeg and former federal cabinet minister.

Deadline to get "Fees Arranged" is approaching

A Message from Student Awards and Financial Aid.

The due date for students to submit their payment or Promissory Note to become Fees Arranged for Fall 2017 term without a late fee is August 23, 2017. This due date applies to any student with a balance on their account prior to August 23.

Students who are not Fees Arranged by October 31 will be unenrolled and lose access to assignments, exams and course material on LEARN. Co-op students on a recruiting term will find their active applications on WaterlooWorks also cancelled.

Students can view their bill for Fall 2017 by logging into Quest, going to Student Center, and then clicking Finances>Account Inquiry. 

There are two ways to become Fees Arranged:

• Payment of the entire Term Balance - bank payment, Western Union Global Pay for Students or a certified cheque, money order or bank draft originating from a Canadian or US bank. Students can use their Aeroplan miles or TD Travel Rewards points to pay tuition.
• Promissory Note - if students wish to deduct approved financial aid (including funding showing as Anticipated Aid on their student account) and only pay the remaining balance, they must submit the Promissory Note. Follow the step-by-step instructions.

If students do not submit the Promissory Note to become Fees Arranged, their financial aid will not be deducted from their balance owing. This includes scholarships, bursaries, and awards funding. Also, government student loan and grant funding will not be released unless a student is "Fees Arranged" for the term.

Fall OSAP amounts will be posted as “Anticipated Aid” on Quest and updated frequently. Students must complete a Promissory Note if they want to use their OSAP funding to pay their fees. If OSAP funding has not yet been posted, students can attach a screenshot of their approved OSAP assessment (not the estimate) to their Promissory Note. Student Awards & Financial Aid recommends that students apply early for OSAP and allow up to 4 weeks for processing.

In a new development for the Fall 2017 term, OSAP funding will be sent directly to the University to pay fees if the student has opted in to this service. Any remaining balance will be deposited in the student's bank account.

Anyone with questions can contact Student Financial Services at sfs@uwaterloo.ca or find helpful information on the Student Financial Services website.