Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca
ݮƵ will celebrate the life and legacy of Pearl Sullivan
The University of ݮƵ is preparing to celebrate the life of Pearl Sullivan, former Dean of Engineering who died on November 28, with two memorial events in 2021.
“A champion for ݮƵ and for Engineering, Pearl made an incredible impact on this institution, our people and partners during her service as a professor, department chair and dean as shown by the continued outpouring of support and tributes from her students, colleagues, and members of the community.” wrote President Feridun Hamdullahpur in a memo to employees. “I want you to know that the University, together with the Faculty of Engineering, is planning to celebrate Pearl’s life and legacy on two occasions in the new year.”
The first event will be a celebration of life, held virtually in January, for the internal University community that will feature remarks from President Hamdullahpur and Dean of Engineering Mary Wells.
The second event will be hosted sometime in May and, to the extent possible, in person, at Engineering 7 (E7).
More details for the virtual celebrationwill be shared in early January.
COVID tracking update:one new case leads to outbreak at Claudette Millar Hall
On Thursday, December 10, 2020,Region of ݮƵ public healthinformed usof anindividualon our campuswhotested positive for COVID-19.The individual tested positive on Monday, December 7 and has been in self-isolation since their test.
Upon further investigation, public health officials today confirmed that this person is a close contact of an individual who tested positive on Friday, December 4.As both individuals currently live inClaudette Millar Hall, public health officials have declared these two cases as an outbreak of COVID-19 in the residence.
Bothindividuals are self-isolatingin dedicated unitsand our residence teamsare supportingthe students affected.
Public health officialsare continuing to monitor the outbreak and are in touch withallhigh-riskcontacts.Residentswho are experiencing symptoms, are concerned about exposure, have been identified as a high-risk contact, or have received advice to self-isolate cancontactreslifeteam@uwaterloo.caor the appropriate college residence teamfor support.
If youdo not hear from public healthor Universityofficials, you shouldcontinue to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and seek testing if needed.Public health officials have not identified a risk to members of thepublic.
If you have any concerns you can contact theCampus Housingteamfor support.
University of ݮƵ has robust protocols to manage COVID-19 cases on campus and in residence.OurCampus Housing teamdevelopedthe proceduresinconsultationwithpublichealth and the Safety Officeto protect the safety of our community. We maintain cleaning and disinfection that exceeds public health requirements.
COVID-19testing is available for University students, employees,postdocsand family members living in the same household.To book a test, please use theonline registration form.
We take the privacy of individuals extremely seriously. In reporting on positive cases, the University will protect the private health information of individuals. You should check our disclosure protocol for what to do if someone reveals to you that they have tested positive for COVID-19.
New site supplies instructors with resources for student success
A message from the Office of Academic Integrity.
A new site in LEARN is now available for instructors. TheInstructor Resources for Student Success LEARN site connects instructors with resources they can easily import into their Learn courses to help support students. The content includes videos, workshops, and other resources from academic support units at the University of ݮƵ, such as the Office of Academic Integrity, the Student Success Office, and the Writing and Communication Centre.
Taking the good with the bad
This article was originally featured on ݮƵ Stories.
Work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences, whether positive or negative, play an important role in developing successful entrepreneurs, according to recent research.
“Work-integrated learning is tied to developing entrepreneurs because it provides experiences for students to think outside the box, build resilience and establish strong professional networks,” said Judene Pretti, director of the Work-Learn Institute at the University of ݮƵ and lead author on the new study. “This enables students to be better critical thinkers and problem solvers, further supporting them in turning disruption into opportunity.”
Supportive mentorship and positive outlook were found to help WIL students build confidence and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities.
As part of the study, interviews were conducted with seven university alumni from Canada and the United Kingdom. Each of the alumni had at least one WIL component in their degree and went on to set up their own business.
During the interviews, participants reflected on how WIL impacted their career. The participants created pictorial representations to depict their perceptions of an entrepreneur, and what influenced them to become an entrepreneur.
WIL experiences didn’t have to be positive to be impactful.
One student in the study noted that a tough WIL experience helped develop their resilience and their ability to respond when facing adversity. They deemed these traits as key ones for entrepreneurship.
Despite the study being completed prior to COVID-19, the pandemic presents increased opportunities for the development and application of entrepreneurial activities. The world’s response to the virus has exemplified the importance of these skills students and graduates will need to navigate a rapidly changing world.
Entrepreneurial WIL programs may prove to be viable alternatives during an uncertain job market.
Other important themes expressed by alumni in terms of entrepreneurial skills were “thinking outside the box,” being resilient during difficult times and the importance of networks.
One study highlighted within the research indicated that 29 per cent of managers look for students with entrepreneurial experience when recruiting for their workplace.
The role of work-integrated and learning in the development of entrepreneurscan be read in the.
Grad gives everyone their 15 minutes of fame; other notes
ݮƵ alumnusUlkar Akhundzadahas developed an app that gives normal people a taste of fame, and has received some recognition of her own in the process. Akhundzada's app recently topped the app charts in early December in the USA, Canada, UK, UAE, Bahrain, and Israel. Hype Simulator simulates what it's like being a celebrity on social media, with rapidly-increasing follower counts, notifications, DMs, and other aspects of going viral—all fake, of course—available in athrill ride of fame and stardom that resets after 15 minutes, in accordance with Andy Warhol's famous prophecy, "In thefuture, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."
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It's that time of year again and President Hamdullahpur can't wait to share a special message of good cheer with you next week. Check your inboxes Monday for a special holiday video gift.
Beyond the Bulletin Episode 70
The latest episode of the Beyond the Bulletin Podcast .ݮƵ’s 12th dean of mathematics tells us about the solutions math is seeking for the world right now, entrepreneurship in the Faculty, and what excites him about its future. Most academic and student-service buildings are now locked until January 10. A committee to review the University’s pregnancy and parental leave policy seeks feedback. And ݮƵ signs strategic mandate agreements with the province, which introduced a performance-based funding model.
Upcoming office closures
Organizational and Human Development (OHD) and Human Resources(HR) will be in an all-day department meeting on Friday, December 11.
Linkof the day
When and Where to get support
Studentscan visit theStudent Success Officeonline for supports including academic development, international student resources, leadership development, exchange and study abroad, and opportunities to get involved.
Բٰܳٴǰcan visit theKeep Learning websiteto get support on adapting their teaching and learning plans for an online environment.
Updated Course templates are now available within your course in LEARN to help you build and edit your content and assignment pages quickly.is available.
The following workshops, webinars, and events are offered by the KL team (CTE, CEL, ITMS, LIB):
Independent Remote Course Design Essentials. Self-directed, continuous self-enrollmentcourse in LEARN.
Remote Course Design Essentials, beginning Wednesday, November 11.
Employeesto help them work remotely, includingmanaging University records and privacy of personal information.Here are sometips for staying healthywhile working from home.
Stay informed about COVID cases on campus by consulting the COVID case tracker.
Whether you’re student or faculty, the Writing and Communication Centre has virtual services and programs to help you with your academic writing needs.
- Undergraduate students -come brainstorm, draft, revise and polish your assignments with us by meeting with one of our writing and multimodal communication specialists at a virtual appointment. Chat with our awesome peer tutors at our virtual drop-ins, PJ-friendly writing groups and Instagram Live Q&As. Or check out our online workshops at anytime, anywhere.
- Graduate students - meet with one of our advisors at any step of the process at our virtual appointments. Take an online workshop at anytime, or join a virtual writing session at our Virtual Writing Cafés and #ݮƵWrites groups.
- All UݮƵ instructors and faculty can request and access WCC workshops for use in your courses. You can also join a virtual writing group, or speak with a writing advisor about a writing project.
We understand that these circumstances can be troubling, and you may need to speak with someone for emotional support.Good2Talkis a post-secondary student helpline based in Ontario, Canada that is available to all students.If you feel overwhelmed or anxious and need to talk to somebody, please contact theUniversity’s Campus Wellness services, either Health Services or Counselling Services. You can also contact the University's Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment.
The Libraryhasonhow to avoid information overload.
The Faculty Association of the University of ݮƵ (FAUW) continues to advocate for its members. for more information.
The University of ݮƵ Staff Association (UWSA) continues to advocate for its members. Check out the UWSA blog for more information.
The ݮƵ Indigenous Student Centrefacilitates the sharing of Indigenous knowledge and provides culturally relevant information and support services for all members of the University of ݮƵ community, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, staff, and faculty.
WUSA supports for students:
food hampersare currently available from the Turnkey Desk on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.in the ݮƵ Centre. If you have any questions please email us atfoodsupport@wusa.ca.
– Now open by appointment for your bicycle repair and rental needs in the ݮƵ Centre.
Centre for Academic Policy Support-CAPS is here to assistݮƵ undergraduates throughout their experience in navigating academic policy in the instances of filing petitions, grievances and appeals. Please contact them atcaps@wusa.ca. More information at.
WUSA Commissionerswho can help in a variety of areas that students may be experiencing during this time:
- Equity –equity@wusa.ca
- Co-op and Experiential Affairs –coop.affairs@wusa.ca
-Seeking legal counsel can be intimidating, especially if it’s your first time facing a legal issue.The legal assistance helpline provides quick access to legal advice in any area of law, including criminal. Just call1-833-202-4571.
is a confidential mental health and wellness service that connects students with qualified counsellors 24/7. They can be reached at 1-833-628-5589.
When and Where (but mostly when)
.Free programming including Online Fitness, Health Webinars, Personalized Nutrition and more from Warriors Athletics and Rec. Open to students, staff, faculty and alumni..
continues to offervirtual events and workshopsto help students practice their English language skills.
Warriors vs. LaurierBloodDonation Battle, until December2020. Join your fellow Warriors, donatebloodand help us win theBloodBattle against Laurier for a second year in a row.or add the PFL code: UNIV960995 to your account if you have ablood.ca account already. Questions? ContactWarriorsInfo@uwaterloo.ca.
. ݮƵ International is asking the ݮƵ community to fill out a survey to gather your perspectives about the state of global governance and where it should be headed. If you have questions, contact Aisha Shibli.
,Tuesday, December 1 to Saturday, December 12.Refocus, recharge and reduce stress with your fellow Warriors by following on Instagram for daily practices. #12DaysOfMindfulness .
Examinations on Sunday, Sunday, December 13.
Research Talks: Mapping the human brainan online panel discussion exploring cognition, behaviour, and degenerative disease,Tuesday, December 15, 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Register to receive alink to this virtual event.
Faculty panel: Making the Most of Your Mid-Career Years, Tuesday, December 15, 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Please register to get the link.
Portfolio & Project Management Community of Practice (PPMCoP) session, "Picking the right projects and getting them started"Wednesday, December 16, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m..