The CECA has implemented some of the most staunch Science Society's requested measures to lift the conditional censure revised at the beginning of Spring term 2017. These changes include implementing WaterlooWorks feedback mechanisms on the CECA website and targeted Co-op experience reporting (anonymous reporting sought by the Science Society and students at-large to ensure unfiltered concerns and criticisms reporting to CECA staff). Changes can be found on the Co-op and CECA websites.
The anonymous feedback mechanism allows voluntary disclosure but can be sent without any identifying information. We would like to take this time to remind our constituents that providing your personal information while a concern does allow for better response and management of the problem by the CECA Student-Faculty relations staff to whom these reports are sent.
Learn more about other aspects of CECA reforms and reporting to the Co-op Student Council (CSC) by CECA Student Experience Manager Franco Solimano:
Updates on WatPD
Additionally, Waterloo Professional Development Program (WatPD) through Jamieson Cox and Erin Kelly have taken measures to address concerns listed by Science Students in the anonymous survey feedback. Since the meeting between former Board Speaker Seneca Velling and SciSoc VP Academic Shirley Chung, WatPD leadership team has discussed and agreed to the following recommended action items:
- Adding some information regarding the organization and uploading an organizational/structural chart, as well as the use of finances to the WatPD website;
- Creating a "comments and criticisms" form for the website;
- Connecting with Andrew Clubine (FEDS VP Education) regarding securing a non-voting seat on the Co-op Students' Council to ensure better student oversight and involvement in WatPD decision making;
- Addressing some of the emergent issues in the CECA survey comments with a student-facing report;
- Exploring the possibility of an in-class visit program for SCI students modelled on the existing WatPD-Engineering visit program;
- Exploring a more robust role for students (who aren't employed by WatPD) in the course redevelopment process;
- Building an invitation to provide more detailed feedback into each PD course.
More detailed timelines for some of the items are not available yet, but reviews of the course structure and reform of the early PD courses is also underway reported Mr. Cox.
For more information on WatPD, please see the CSC data provided by the WatPD CSC Report.