On March 11 the following email was sent to Waterloo graduate students and the graduate student community
To: Graduate students, Faculty Associate Deans, Graduate Studies, Faculty Administrative Assistants, Graduate Studies, Faculty Recruitment Officers
Department/program Graduate Co-ordinators, Department/program Graduate Officers/Associate Chair, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs staff
The Centre staff
From: Jeff Casello, Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
Date: March 11, 2021
Recently, I reflected on an important milestone – on March 5th, it was the one year anniversary of the first COVID-19 case in Waterloo region. The pandemic has been incredibly disruptive for all of us, including our University community. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing resilience as we continue to navigate the instability surrounding COVID-19.
Next week, Monday March 15 and Tuesday March 16, additional scheduled pauses are planned for all University of Waterloo students. The purpose of this pause is give the University community an opportunity to concentrate on their wellness.
You may be unsure about the expectations around your multiple roles – as a student, a researcher or a Teaching Assistant – during the break. The University has articulated requirements during scheduled pauses that establish expectations for you, your supervisors and your instructors; the key message is that you should have the opportunity to use the pause in ways that advance your well-being.
I recognize that over the past year our teaching and learning has evolved; the results of which have included new and different expectations of Instructors and TAs. Despite the changes that have arisen in remote environment, the University remains committed to being respectful of our graduate students and their requirements during a TAship. To these ends, we encourage you to review with your instructor how your TAship is progressing, with particular attention to the amount of time you have committed to date, and the remaining hours available to the end of term. University administrators are also communicating with instructors, encouraging them to connect with you and to have ongoing dialogues regarding the activities and time commitments associated with the TAship.
The University’s expectation is that these conversations will be collegial and productive, resulting in outcomes that are respectful of your time commitments and ensuring high-quality course delivery. If your experience does not meet this expectation, there exist a number of pathways to address outstanding concerns. These may include a conversation with your Graduate Officer (Associate Chair) or your Faculty Associate Dean. Outside of your Faculty, other points of contact to support you include Ashley Ryan, Student Wellness Coordinator, Graduate Student Association (GSA) and Liz Nilsen, Assistant Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.
As part of the university community, we all have a role to play in keeping our wellness at the forefront of all we do, and to ensure we are doing what we can to stay well. On behalf of the graduate community, we remain eager to support you and are grateful for your contributions to teaching and research. As you plan for your upcoming break, take time to be well and visit the GSPA graduate student wellness webpage for resources available to you.
