Now Recruiting: Student Representatives on College Committees for Fall 2024

Student engagement is vital to Renison. We are seeking student representatives interested in joining a number of college committees this Fall. 

We are looking for first-year and upper-year undergraduate and graduate students interested in:

• Gaining experience on either an advisory or action-oriented 
• committee working with Renison staff, faculty, and administration
• Learning about the democratic process of committee engagement
• Making a difference in their Renison community!

Take a look through our list of college committees seeking representation this Fall!  We are seeking student representatives for the following committees:

• Academic Council
• Academic Council’s Curriculum Committee
• Academic Council’s Library Committee
• Academic Council’s Research Committee
• Academic Council’s Scholarships & Awards Committee
• Academic Council’s Teaching Committee
• Accessibility Matters Committee
• Green Team Committee
• Spokescouncil on Anti-racism and Decolonization
• Student Affairs Advisory Committee
• Student Affairs & Community Education (SACE) Council
• Student Affairs & Community Education’s Library Committee
• Student Wellness & Advocacy Committee

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Academic Council

Academic Council (AC) holds general responsibility for the degree programs of Renison, in which Students take courses to satisfy degree requirements of the University of Waterloo and courses towards a degree requiring approval by the Senate of the University of Waterloo (UW).

AC considers and makes recommendations to the Board with respect to academic matters and serves as a forum for discussion on the translation of the mission of Renison into an educational vision and framework.

The committee meets once per month on average with a minimum of two meetings per academic term.

Academic Council is seeking two student representatives:

• One undergraduate student
• One Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate student

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting: 

Ally Vonk, Administrative & Research Officer
ally.vonk@uwaterloo.ca
Office: Room 2601 (President's Office) 

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Academic Council’s Curriculum Committee

The AC Curriculum Committee makes recommendations to AC concerning academic degrees, programs, plans, and courses at Renison.

The responsibilities of the AC Curriculum Committee include, but are not limited to:

• Making recommendations to AC concerning rules and regulations for degree programs at Renison;
• Making recommendations to AC concerning the approval of new academic programs, plans, or courses at Renison;
• Making recommendations to AC on the creation, establishment, maintenance, modification or removal of academic structures such as departments, schools, institutes, chairs;
• Making recommendations to AC on candidates for nomination for UW honorary degrees and UW distinguished professors emeriti, if any; and
• Preparing an annual report for AC on the activities of the committee at the end of each academic year.

The Curriculum Committee is seeking two student representatives:

• One undergraduate student
• One Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) student or Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate student

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting: 

Ally Vonk, Administrative & Research Officer
ally.vonk@uwaterloo.ca
Office: Room 2601 (President's Office) 

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Academic Council’s Library Committee

The AC Library Committee supports the Library services for Renison faculty and students in degree programs.

The AC Library Committee is responsible for:

• Providing a channel for communication between AC and the Librarian on library services for degree programs at Renison;
• Providing feedback on reports from the Librarian;
• Making recommendations to AC on library service developments of significance to degree programs, the development of operational guidelines as related to degree programs; and the development of strategic plans and priorities for the Library as related to degree programs; and
• Preparing an annual report for AC on the activities of the committee at the end of each academic year.

The Library Committee is seeking one student representative:

• One undergraduate student

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting: 

Ally Vonk, Administrative & Research Officer
ally.vonk@uwaterloo.ca
Office: Room 2601 (President's Office) 

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Academic Council’s Research Committee

The AC Research Committee supports and promotes excellence in research at Renison.

The responsibilities of the AC Research Committee include, but are not limited to:

• Identifying professional development opportunities related to research and identifying resources for knowledge mobilization and community engagement;
• Supporting research at Renison;
• Adjudicating Renison Research Grants;
• Making recommendations to AC regarding procedures for the evaluation of research and Renison Research Grants;
• Making recommendations to AC regarding the administration of Renison research awards; and
• Preparing an annual report for AC on the activities of the committee at the end of each academic year.

The Research Committee is seeking one student representative:

• One Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate student

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting: 

Ally Vonk, Administrative & Research Officer
ally.vonk@uwaterloo.ca
Office: Room 2601 (President's Office) 

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Academic Council’s Scholarships & Awards Committee

The AC Scholarships and Awards Committee oversees the scholarships and awards at Renison for students in degree programs.

Duties of the AC Scholarships and Awards Committee include, but are not limited to:

• Receiving a report (for information) from the Director, External Relations and Communications, on the funded scholarships, awards, and bursaries available as a result of the financial return of endowments;
• Receiving a report (for information) from the Registrar on the disbursement of scholarships, awards, and bursaries (e.g., number of recipients, total amount awarded);
• Receiving a report (for information) from the Director, Finance, on the operating budget that supports scholarships, awards, and bursaries;
• Making recommendations to AC about policies related to scholarships, awards, and bursaries, as needed; and
• Preparing an annual report for AC on the activities of the committee at the end of each academic year.

The Scholarships & Awards Committee is seeking two student representatives:

• One undergraduate student Position has been filled
• One Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) student or Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate student

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting: 

Ally Vonk, Administrative & Research Officer
ally.vonk@uwaterloo.ca
Office: Room 2601 (President's Office) 

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Academic Council’s Teaching Committee

The AC Teaching Committee exists to support and promote excellence in teaching at Renison.

The Teaching Committee is responsible for:

• Identifying professional development opportunities related to teaching and resources to support the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL);
• Mentoring new faculty members;
• Making recommendations to AC regarding procedures for the evaluation of teaching;
• Making recommendations to the AC regarding the administration of Renison teaching awards; and
• Preparing an annual report for AC on the activities of the committee at the end of each academic year.

The Teaching Committee is seeking one student representative:

• One undergraduate student Position has been filled

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting: 

Ally Vonk, Administrative & Research Officer
ally.vonk@uwaterloo.ca
Office: Room 2601 (President's Office) 

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Accessibility Matters Committee

The Accessibility Matters Committee at Renison is an advisory body established to enhance equitable access on the Renison campus for students, staff, faculty, and visitors.

• Serves as a resource to the Renison community on issues related to accessibility;

• Serves as the Renison campus contact point for all accessibility concerns; Raises awareness and make recommendations to the Renison community and appropriate departmental and administrative contacts on real and potential barriers to accessibility, including sharing best practices for addressing issues and eliminating barriers;
• Provides, when needed, liaison with services on campus at the University of Waterloo to ensure that accessibility barriers are effectively responded to for student, staff, faculty, and visitor members of Renison’s community. 

The committee has one meeting every 1-2 months for the Fall and Winter semesters.

The Accessibility Matters Committee is seeking three student representatives:

• One residence studentPosition has been filled
• One undergraduate student or graduate student in SDS, School of Social Work, or studying in Culture and Language Studies Position has been filled
• One student studying in Community and Professional Education, including the English Language InstitutePosition has been filled

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting: 

Accessibility Matters Committee
ren-accessibility@uwaterloo.ca

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Green Team Committee

The Renison Green Team is comprised of representatives from every department across Renison. Our goal is to provide expertise for the development and implementation of environmental and sustainability initiatives in and around Renison.

We welcome student reps who are committed to advocating and applying sustainable practices and ideas throughout the college. We especially like having one Renison Residence student representative and one non-resident student representative. 

Participating on the Renison Green Team involves:

• A one or two-semester commitment
• Working and collaborating with Renison Green Team members
• Providing a student lens on how to best promote sustainable actions to the Renison community
• Committing to assisting with a project or task during their tenure

The commitment will involvement 1-2 meetings per term; extra meetings as required for work on sub-committees.

The Green Team committee is looking for two interested student representatives who wish to join. Positions have been filled

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting:

Renison Green Team
renison.greenteam@uwaterloo.ca

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Spokescouncil on Anti-racism and Decolonization

Recognizing that this important work requires a full commitment from all corners of the organization, Renison is adopting a grassroots approach for the Spokescouncil on Anti-racism and Decolonization. Making purposeful use of the resources provided through the University of Waterloo including the Office of Equity, Diversity and Anti-Racism; UW’s Racial Advocacy for Inclusion, Solidarity and Equity (RAISE); UW’s Black Association for Student Expression (BASE); the Office of Indigenous Relations; and the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre (WISC); and providing intentional educational opportunities to all employees through Renison’s Human Resources department, Renison will provide training and guidance to all of its existing committees and working groups on how to approach its work through a lens of racial justice, reconciliation, and decolonization. This training will be supplemented by Renison-wide training and information sessions.

Everyone who has a role in the Renison enterprise will be provided with development opportunities; we will also provide various means, including anonymous, for employees to provide feedback and recommendations on how we are doing as an organization. Renison will also introduce a Spokescouncil on Anti-Racism and Decolonization (ARD) with broad representation from across Renison to help advance this work and evaluate its success.

The ARD Spokescouncil will convene on a quarterly basis (or special meeting if necessary):
• Provide guidance on budgetary decisions
• Provide guidance on key work projects
• Implement recommendations that have been submitted through various channels

More information about the principles of our work is available on the Renison website.

The Spokescouncil on Anti-racism and Decolonization is recruiting for one student representative and will typically meet once per term. Positions have been filled

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting:

Lisa Kessig, Executive Assistant to the President
lisa.kessig@uwaterloo.ca
Office: Room 2601 (President's Office)

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Student Affairs Advisory Committee

The Student Affairs Advisory Committee's mandate is to make recommendations to the SACE Council concerning Student Affairs at Renison. The duties of the Student Affairs Advisory Committee include making recommendations to the SACE Council concerning the approval of new Student Affairs programs and initiatives at Renison or the modification or deletion of existing Student Affairs programs and initiatives at Renison; make recommendations to the SACE Council on strategic planning in relation to Student Affairs; ensure adequate policies regarding Student Affairs are established and kept up to date; make recommendations to the SACE Council concerning work within SAAC subcommittees; promote staff access to professional development (PD) opportunities; ensure a ‘framework’ is in place to support and disseminate best/effective practices.

The Student Affairs Advisory Committee is seeking two student representatives: 

• One residence student Position has been filled
• One student studying in either a degree program at Renison or in Community & Professional Education, including the English Language Institute

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting:

Ryan Connell, Assistant Director of Student Experience & Housing
ryan.connell@uwaterloo.ca
Office: Room 1108 (Ministry Centre)

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Student Affairs & Community Education (SACE) Council

Student Affairs and Community Education Council (SACE Council) shall have general responsibility for Student Affairs and Community and Professional Education initiatives. Student Affairs includes but is not limited to Student Experience and Housing, Renison International Office, Chaplaincy, and Library.

Community and Professional Education (CAPE) includes Renison courses and programs that satisfy conditional admission or entry requirements to the University of Waterloo and Renison courses, programs and micro-credentials that are not for University of Waterloo credit and may or may not require approval by the Senate of the University of Waterloo (UW). CAPE units include the English Language Institute (ELI), Continuing Education, the Institute of Intercultural Research and Community Engagement (IIRCE), and Pathway Programs.

The SACE Council is seeking two student representatives:

• One student living in Renison ResidencePosition has been filled
• One student enrolled in Community and Professional Education programs, including the English Language Institute

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting: 

Ally Vonk, Administrative & Research Officer
ally.vonk@uwaterloo.ca
Office: Room 2601 (President's Office) 

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Student Affairs & Community Education’s Library Committee

The mandate of the Student Affairs & Community Education (SACE) Library Committee is to support library services for Renison instructors in CAPE (Community and Professional Education) and students in both CAPE programs and residence.

The duties of the SACE Library Committee include providing a channel for communication between SACE Council on library services for SACE programs, providing feedback on reports from the Library Supervisor, providing feedback on operational policies and guidelines, aiding in the development of strategic plans and priorities for the library, and submitting an annual summary of the committee’s work to SACE Council.

The SACE Library Committee is seeking two student representatives who are studying at Renison or the University of Waterloo. 

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting: 

Ally Vonk, Administrative & Research Officer
ally.vonk@uwaterloo.ca
Office: Room 2601 (President's Office) 

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Student Wellness & Advocacy Committee

The Student Wellness and Advocacy Advisory Committee is an opportunity for students to share input about student wellness needs, as well as advocacy needs and issues based on student perspective from personal experience and/or peers’ experiences at Renison.  As a committee, we will work on several areas:

• Advocacy and Advisory Work: Making recommendations to relevant leadership at Renison for how to best serve student life and wellness. The committee also serves as an advisory to Renison’s Managers and Directors Group (MDG) on issues facing and related to students; in this way, the committee serves to promote the collective voice of students on issues that our senior leadership/administration may advocate for with internal or external stakeholders.
• Advising and supporting all Renison students, outside of their courses and when other resources have been spent, are unavailable, or unknown, with issues such as:
  • student conduct appeals (student life and residence),
  • sexual violence response,
  • issues of harassment,
  • physical safety/accident/slip and fall response,
  • physical accessibility concerns (coordinating with Renison’s Accessibility Committee),
  • and other issues, such as invisible barriers, as they emerge.
• Event planning: planning and executing two listening events per year, to get input and feedback from students around wellness and issues they may be facing or dealing with.
• Food Security: supporting the Community Fridge and Community Cupboard at Renison in promoting food security for students. Also, seeking to improve awareness and access to Food Security resources on and off campus by providing relevant information through flyers and online information about Renison, UW and Community resources.
• Improving awareness and access to resources: working with relevant Renison areas, we hope to improve the availability of flyers and online information about wellness resources at Renison and UW so that students know what to access.

The committee hosts two 1.5-hour meetings per term and additional 2 hours per month is spent on the implementation of advocacy and wellness initiatives outside the meeting times.

The Student Advocacy and Wellness Committee is seeking three student representatives

• One student studying in Social Development Studies
• One student studying in the School of Social Work (BSW or MSW)
• One student studying in Community & Professional Education, including the English Language Institute

Questions? Want to sign up?

Sign up before Monday, September 30 by contacting: 

Student Wellness and Advocacy Committee
ren-swac@uwaterloo.ca