Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Editor:
Brandon Sweet
University Communications
bulletin@uwaterloo.ca

Black History Month is shared history month

Michaelle Jean.

A message from St. Paul¡¯s University College Chancellor Micha?lle Jean.

When you start feeling despondent, discouraged, and so very alone, who can you turn to? These trying, turbulent times put the core of our humanity to the test. Will we overcome the suffering brought on by this deadly global pandemic? How can we survive and maintain sanity?

Every year, the month of February brings an opportunity to recognize painful historical truths, as well as the luminous, exemplary struggles for freedom that brought more humanity into all of our lives.

As your new chancellor for St. Paul¡¯s University College, I¡¯d like to extend this invitation to you: you can use Black History Month as a source of personal inspiration. There is nourishment, courage and fierce determination to be found. I know it serves me always, and it may serve you.

We come from 400 years of humiliation, abject violence, untold cruelty and endless suffering. For centuries, colonialism feasted on the odious practice of mass enslavement of its conquered peoples, Black and Indigenous, deemed inferior, deprived of their humanity, robbed of their freedom, reduced to being called ¡°savages¡± and treated as beasts of burden. This gruesome reality, with the most abusive and barbarous acts ever perpetrated against human beings, gave rise to the most epic, uplifting struggles ever waged. Against all odds we emerged, our humanistic values harder than steel through the fire of hatred.

Black history is Human History, inextricable from the story we all share, the story of our one and only race: the human race, its labours and ultimate triumph. Black history shows how strength of character and a collective capacity for protracted struggle can become the greatest force for change. And that is good news. Shining examples of intelligence and perseverance in the face of extreme adversity are there for the taking.

It is a legacy we yearn to share with the world. How cultural resistance keeps us alive. The feat of the abolitionists who ended the institution of slavery, the first movement to go global. The campaigns to stop public lynching. The right to vote. The end of racial segregation. The current worldwide mobilization to value racialized lives as much as other lives ¡­ Countless stories await to sustain you. Look around. Read a book. Watch a movie. The CBC, the NFB, your local library all have tons to offer. This month and beyond, online and in the flesh, join the celebrations, join the work.

At St. Paul¡¯s University College, where community learning and social innovation serve the larger purpose of creating a more just and humane world, the foundational Indigenous presence, the African diaspora, every culture is honoured. Here lies our greatest treasure, a source of unimaginable wealth.

The year?2020 heard a resounding cry for justice that arose from the depths of history. This year, our many voices are coming together with concrete actions to eradicate racism, the age-old template for other forms of oppression. To fight against discrimination¡ªand the fatal inequities it produces¡ªis to fight against all forms of systemic exclusion based on ethnic, racial and other features including age, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, social origin, political opinion, property, birth¡­ This is a fight for humanity itself. Human beings were not made to be oppressed.

In the end, the question that matters most is this: what role you will want to play ¡°in the fierce urgency of now,¡± as Dr.?Martin Luther King,?Jr. used to say. To borrow another phrase dear to President Obama, Dr.?King, and other anti-slavery abolitionists before them: Will you join in helping bend the arc of history faster towards justice

My invitation to you

Please consider joining Black History Month as Shared History Month. Make it a year. Make it a life.

New entrepreneurship training program launches for Indigenous students

Jacob Crane poses with a t-shirt that says "Indigenous Entrepreneur."

Indigenous post-secondary students from across Canada will soon be able to participate in a new entrepreneurship?training program.

Hosted by St. Paul¡¯s University College and lead by industrious entrepreneur Jacob Crane, the program will be administered online by the?À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Indigenous Student Centre?and?GreenHouse?social impact incubator at the College.

¡°We are delighted to start offering programs which will support Indigenous students in their entrepreneurial aspirations,¡± said Richard Myers, principal at St. Paul¡¯s. ¡°As an institution, I believe we are uniquely suited to provide an innovative learning experience, which focuses on an Indigenized approach to business.¡±

Programming will be tailored to meet the needs of Indigenous youth and their communities while also training host organizations with the cultural competency required to work with Indigenous youth.

Over four months, students will receive four weeks of classroom coaching from notable Indigenous entrepreneurs from across the country and a three-month period for which students will work to achieve specific milestones within their enterprise. At the end of the program, students will receive co-curricular credit, a certificate of achievement and be able to compete for up to $3,000 in funding for their venture.

¡°By investing in Indigenous entrepreneurship, we can help solve problems at the forefront of our communities,¡± said Jacob Crane, program manager. ¡°When an Indigenous person starts a business, 20 people are positively impacted in the first month alone.

¡°This is very empowering because it allows them to take economic ownership of their life.¡±

¡°Indigenous Entrepreneurship is very different because it focuses more on solving problems and sharing wealth with the collective,¡± said Crane. ¡°There are 631 indigenous communities in Canada, if we had just one member from every community participate in the program, it would make a significant positive and direct impact on our communities.¡±

This training program will pilot the entrepreneurial work integrated learning (WIL) component of an Indigenous Entrepreneurship minor to be offered by the College starting in Fall 2021. A total of sixty Indigenous students will participate in the WIL experience.

À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Centre for German Studies announces book prize winner

A message from the?À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Centre for German Studies.

The book cover of Matthew Birkhold's "Characters before Copyright."

The À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Centre for German Studies is pleased to announce the winner of its prize for the best first book published in 2019.?Characters before Copyright: The Rise and Regulation of Fan Fiction in Eighteenth-Century Germany, written by Matthew H. Birkhold and published by Oxford University Press, was selected from a shortlist of seven excellent academic monographs. The prize?includes?a cash award of?CAD?$3,000.

It may come as a surprise to us, but fan fiction was a phenomenon in?18th-century Germany, and Birkhold explores the emergence and rapid proliferation of the practice of literary borrowing after 1750. In doing so, he sheds light on?several?interwoven issues: the nature of publishing and the German book market in the later eighteenth century, the extent and practices of reading and the development of a reading public, and the conventions which developed to define the intellectual property rights of authors, which?ultimately led?to the formulation of formal legal codes. The legal and copyright issues surrounding fan fiction in our own day were also?apparent?in the 18th century, but with one singular difference: the idea of copyright was in its infancy, and authors had to find other means to pursue their grievances.

Birkhold¡¯s intriguing investigation of 18th-century German book and literary culture earned the admiration of the award jury. The originality of Birkhold¡¯s ¡°new approach?to forgotten, neglected, overlooked material?. . . .?recovers a thriving literary culture and sees it has doing something really important: debating and creating new norms around what constitutes ¡®fair¡¯ and ¡®unfair¡¯ use.¡± The jurors thought this ¡°superb¡± and ¡°brilliant¡± book also deserved recognition for its ability to make ¡°connections to today¡¯s copyright questions such as Star Wars and Harry Potter.¡±??

Matthew H. Birkhold is Associate Professor of German at Ohio State University where he is also Affiliated Faculty in the Moritz College of Law. His teaching and research focus on law, culture, and the humanities. He earned his BA and JD from Columbia University and his PhD from Princeton University. Prior to joining Ohio?State?he worked as an attorney-adviser in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State. In addition to publications in leading academic journals, Professor Birkhold has published in?venues?such as?The Atlantic,?The Paris Review,?The?Washington?Post, and?The New York Times.??

The À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Centre for German Studies takes?great pride?in sponsoring an award that celebrates the dynamic and engaging scholarship?occurring?in all fields of German Studies. The prize is?adjudicated?by a jury of German studies scholars chaired by James M. Skidmore, Director of the À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Centre of German Studies. Members of the jury were Ann Marie Rasmussen (University of À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ), Joachim Whaley (University of Cambridge), and Stephan Jaeger (University of Manitoba). Over 20 books published in 2019 were nominated. In addition to Birkhold¡¯s book, six of the nominated books were named to a shortlist that illustrates the quality and range of German studies today:?

Nominations are now open for the?WCGS Prize for books?published in 2020. Eligibility guidelines and nomination procedures can be found on the?WCGS Book Prize site. Nominations must be received by March 31, 2021.?Questions and comments may be directed to?wcgs@uwaterloo.ca.

Treat your team, or yourself, to a sweet Valentine's gift from W Store

A University branded coffee mug with chocolate next to a plush Canada Goose.

A message from W Store.

Just in time for Valentine¡¯s Day, W Store has introduced a collection of limited-edition gift sets guaranteed to spark joy. Whether it¡¯s a token of appreciation for your co-worker¡¯s hard work, or a ¡°just because¡± mid-February pick-me-up for your team (or for yourself!), these sweet gift sets are sure to hit the spot.

All Valentine¡¯s gift sets come wrapped in cellophane and ribbon with a Valentine¡¯s tag for easy gifting.

Shop limited-edition Valentine¡¯s gift sets and more at?.?

Wednesday's notes

The latest in the?Noon Hour Concerts @ Home series?will take place today at 12:30 p.m.?Do? n¨¤ke?ÆëÐÄ?(Two people, one mind)?is a collaboration between mezzo-soprano?Michelle Lafferty?and?Pianist?Kimly Mengyin Wan.?

Compositions include pieces?by?,?is a Canadian composer of art song, opera and orchestral work. Of M¨¦tis (Georgian Bay M¨¦tis Community) and French Canadian descent, his work explores the Canadian Indigenous experience, including the history of the M¨¦tis people, the hybridity of mixed-racial identity, and the intersection of Western and Indigenous cultures.??and??are the other two composers featured.?

Michelle Lafferty

Mezzo-soprano?Michelle Lafferty?is a First Nations indigenous woman from the Northwest Territories and graduated in 2019 from The University of Western Ontario with her Master¡¯s in Literature and Performance.?In 2017 she?performed the roles of Mrs. Peachum in Benjamin Brittens opera?The Beggers Opera, Katisha in The?Mikado?and La Zia Principessa in?Suor Angelica. She recently performed the role of Eileen in the?Ecstasy of Rita Joe?by Victor Davis.?

Kimly Mengyin Wang

Pianist?Kimly Mengyin Wang?is currently pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Collaborative Piano at the New England Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Pei-Shan Lee and Cameron Stowe. Born in China, Kimly studied at Musikgymnasium C.P. E Bach in Berlin, Germany before she immigrated to Canada.

Check the event website for a link to the virtual performance.

Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (HREI) is soliciting applications?for a new Senior Manager, Anti-Racism Response. Reporting to the Director of Equity, this position will be responsible for providing direct support to individuals experiencing racism and will engage in informal mechanisms to resolve complaints. The senior manager will also help to develop a centralized process to manage complaints related to racism and will provide senior leadership with advice in handling disclosures/complaints of racism.

The senior manager will respond to individual disclosures of racism from students, staff and faculty by providing support, advocacy and referrals based on individual needs and will collaborate with internal support units and external organizations to appropriately support racialized members of the campus community. The position will also advise senior administration, central communications, and associate deans on their response to concerns related to racism.

Details relating to the new role are available in this week¡¯s Positions Available listing on the Human Resources website. To learn?more about efforts to advance anti-racism on campus,?visit the President¡¯s Anti-Racism Taskforce (PART) website.

A screenshot of the Instructor Resources page on LEARN.

Instructors can self-register for the?Instructor Resources for Student Success?site in Learn?to download student resources they can upload into their Learn courses. A collaboration between the OAI, SSO, and WCC, find resources that will teach students how to manage their time, prepare for tests, cite their sources, work in teams, create effective presentations, organize their writing, understand academic integrity expectations, and much more.

Link?of the day

When and Where to get support

Students?can visit the?Student Success Office?online for supports including academic development, international student resources, leadership development, exchange and study abroad, and opportunities to get involved.

Instructors?can visit the?Keep Learning website?to 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.?Support for Winter 2021?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-enrollment?course in LEARN.

Getting Ready to Facilitate Online Courses: TA Training,?Monday, January 18, 2021,?8:30 a.m.?to Friday, February 12, 4:30 p.m.?

Microsoft OneNote - Class Notebooks,?Wednesday, February 3, 1:00 p.m. to?2:00 p.m.?

Introduction to Bongo Virtual Classroom (Technical Session), Wednesday, February 3, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Introduction to Bongo Video Assignment (Technical Session),?Friday, February 5, 1:00 p.m. to?2:00 p.m.

Employees?can??to help them work remotely, including?managing University records and privacy of personal information.?Here are some?tips for staying healthy?while working from home.

Stay informed?about COVID cases on campus by?consulting the COVID case tracker.

Whether you¡¯re a student or faculty member, the?Writing and Communication Centrehas virtual services and programs to help you with all of your academic writing needs. This term we have added evening and weekend one-to-one appointments with our peer tutors, and our?NEW?one-to-one workshops, where you can learn the content directly from one of our writing advisors.

  • Undergraduates:?Work with us to brainstorm, draft, revise, and polish your assignments in one-to-one appointments. Ask questions and learn writing tips at our Instagram Live Q&A sessions, and beat isolation while improving your writing skills at the weekly PJ-friendly writing groups.
  • Graduates:?Meet with our advisors in one-to-one appointments. Join the online writing community at the Virtual Writing Caf¨¦s, learn how to present your work at Speak Like a Scholar, or get moving on your dissertation at Dissertation Boot Camp.
  • Faculty and Instructors:?Request custom workshops for your courses, join the À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ writing community at the Virtual Writing Caf¨¦s, or make progress on your article, book, or chapter in one-to-one meetings with our faculty specialist.

We understand that these circumstances can be troubling, and you may need to speak with someone for emotional support.?Good2Talk?is 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 the?University¡¯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 Library?has??on?how to avoid information overload.

The?Faculty Association of the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ (FAUW)?continues to advocate for its members.??for more information.

The?University of À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Staff Association (UWSA)?continues to advocate for its members.?Check out the UWSA blog?for more information.

The?Indigenous Initiatives Office?is a central hub that provides guidance, support, and resources to all Indigenous and non-Indigenous campus community members and oversees the university Indigenization strategy.

WUSA supports for students:

Peer support?(Visit??to book an appointment):

  • MATES?¨C Available Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Saturday and?Sunday,?10:30 a.m. to?5:30 p.m. (online only)
    • Support sessions available in the following languages: Cantonese, English, Hindi, Mandarin, Portuguese,?Punjabi, Spanish, and Urdu.
  • Glow Centre?¨C Available Monday to Friday,? 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (online only)
  • RAISE?¨C Available Monday to?Friday ¨C Varied hours (online only)
  • Women¡¯s Centre?¨C Available Monday to?Friday,?2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (online only)

Bike Centre?¨C Will be reopening soon. Check??for current operating times.

Campus Response Team, ICSN, Off Campus Community and Co-op Connection?all available online. Check??for more details.

?food hampers?are currently available from the Turnkey Desk on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.?in the À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Centre. If you have any questions please email us at?foodsupport@wusa.ca.

Centre for Academic Policy Support?-?CAPS is here to assist?À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ undergraduates throughout their experience in navigating academic policy in the instances of filing petitions, grievances and appeals. Please contact them at?caps@wusa.ca. More information at?.

WUSA Commissioners?who can help in a variety of areas that students may be experiencing during this time:

-?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 call?1-833-202-4571.?

?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 offer?virtual events and workshops?to help students practice their English language skills.

Warriors vs. Laurier?Blood?Donation Battle. Join your fellow Warriors, donate?blood?and help us win the?Blood?Battle against Laurier for a second year in a row.??or add the PFL code: UNIV960995 to your account if you have a?blood.ca account already. Questions? Contact?WarriorsInfo@uwaterloo.ca.

Warrior Rec Free Programs for Students,?January to February.Wide range of free opportunities available to keep students active and healthy including:,?,?,?,??and?.?Register today.

Drop-in to?Warrior Virtual Study Halls?on Wednesdays from?5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Come together in this virtual space to set goals and work independently or in groups each week.

,?January 20 to?February 20. Support your Warriors ?varsity teams by purchasing a pre-set??box filled with the best quality locally sourced meat and fish.?.

,?Monday, February 1 to Sunday, February?7. Join your fellow Warriors for free online HIIT Classes, Esports Tournament and hair cutting as we create awareness and??for the Breast Cancer Cause at the Canadian Cancer Society.?.

NEW -?PJ-Friendly Writing Groups,?Wednesday, February 3, 10:00 a.m.

Noon Hour Concert:?Do? n¨¤ke?ÆëÐÄ?(Two people, one mind), Wednesday, February 3, 12:30 p.m.?

NEW -?Virtual Writing Caf¨¦, Wednesday, February 3, 1:00 p.m.

, Wednesday, February 3, 6:00 p.m., virtual event.

Master of Taxation Virtual Information Session,?Wednesday, February 3, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

NEW -?WIN Member Seminar Series: Hamed Shahsavan, Thursday, February 4, 1:00 p.m.

NEW -?Virtual Writing Caf¨¦, Friday, February 5, 8:00 p.m.

Intellectual Property Presentation Series - IP101 & Commercialization,?Friday, February 5, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., virtual event through WebEx,?register today.

NEW -?Managing Personal Wellness in a Global Pandemic: Breaking Free From Low Mood, Tuesday, February 9, 10:00 a.m.

NEW -?Managing Personal Wellness in a Global Pandemic: Motivating Yourself Through Habit Change, Tuesday, February 9, 2:00 p.m.

NEW -?English Conversation Circles, Tuesday, February 9, 3:00 p.m.

NEW -?, Tuesday, February 9, 5:30 p.m., virtual event.

Positions available

On this week's list from the human resources department, viewable on the?UÀ¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Talent Acquisition System (iCIMS):

  • Job ID# 2021-6113 - Clinical Psychologist - Campus Wellness - Counselling Services, USG 14
  • Job ID# 2020-6055 - Intermediate Designer - Creative Services, USG 8
  • Job ID# 2021-6137 - Laboratory Instructor/ Hardware Specialist - Electrical and Computer Engineering, USG 8 ¨C 12
  • Job ID# 2021-6184 - Senior Manager, Anti-Racism Response - Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion, USG 12

Secondments/Internal temporary opportunities

  • Job ID# 2021-6171 - Community Relations and Events Specialist - Community Relations and Events, USG 9
  • Job ID# 2021-6185 - Co-op Student Experience Manager - CEE - Co-operative Education, USG 10
  • Job ID# 2021-6155 - Manager, Corporate Accounting and Financial Reporting ¨C Finance, USG 12
  • Job ID# 2021-6166 - Communications Officer - Dean of Science Office, USG 9