Frequently asked questions

Yes, all current undergraduate and graduate students can participate in this program.

At this time all SLP workshops are offered virtually on Microsoft Teams. As public health restrictions are lifted, in-person workshops may be offered to complement the virtual schedule.

Online workshops are 1.5 hours long, except for Personality Dimensions® and Understanding and Developing Intercultural Competence, which are both 2 hours long. 

Do

• Arrive on time, or preferably, a few minutes early.
• Test the technology or any web applications in advance to avoid technical difficulties.
• Mute your microphone when you are not speaking.
• Speak clearly and slowly; there is often a few seconds of delay.
• Keep body movements minimal.
• Dress appropriately and professionally.
• Position your camera properly. Be sure it is in a stable position and focused at eye level, if possible. Look into the camera instead of at other participants. This will mimic the in person feeling of eye contact.
• Be mindful of your surroundings and the space you in.
• Refrain from eating.
• Be present. Try not to multi-task i.e. look at your phone, check email.
• Minimize distractions. For example, silence your phone, turn off notifications or close/minimize apps.  
• If you are sharing your screen, close any personal websites or information that you don’t want others to see.
• Be yourself and have fun!

Do not

• Shout.
• Create distracting noises (rustling paper, typing) and mute your microphone if you need to do so.
• Make distracting movements.
• Interrupt others when others are speaking.
• Carry on side conversations verbally; do this in an individual chat if necessary.

We recommend that you complete at least two workshops before beginning your leadership experience so that you can apply what you learn in workshops to your experience.

See Experience Leadership for ideas and inspiration. If you still need support finding an activity, contact Sam Germann.

We’ll consider experiences that go back one term. For example, if you start the program in winter 2021, we may accept an experience from the fall 2020 term.

Yes, you can combine time spent in different leadership roles towards your 10 hours in a leadership experience. Please make sure to outline the different roles or activities in your reflection.

We know many students are not in Waterloo this term. However, there are still many ways you can get involved with the UWaterloo community online. See opportunities listed under Leadership Experience.

No, co-op jobs do not count toward the SLP leadership experience.

Yes, you can use on-campus EDGE experiences as your SLP leadership experience.

No, we count completion of our old workshops towards the new program requirements.