Students invited to 'mid-cycle review' meeting

Undergraduate and graduate students are a big part of the “mid-cycle review” process that’s looking at Waterloo’s plans and directions, they were reminded in e-mail messages from the president of the university last week.

They’re invited to meet with president Feridun Hamdullahpur next week to talk about the issues — undergraduates on Tuesday, October 4, at 6 p.m., grad students on Wednesday the 5th at the same time. Both sessions will be held in the Village I great hall.

At least one more meeting for undergrads and one more for grads will be scheduled for later in the term. Students are also being invited to offer their comments by e-mail or in writing, and meetings have been scheduled with the leaders of student organizations.

The memo to students was a briefer version of what was sent to faculty and staff members a few days earlier. It points readers to the mid-cycle review website, which includes an explanation of the current process and a schedule of some 50 meetings that Hamdullahpur is holding with groups across campus in the course of the fall term.

Said the president’s e-mail memo: “Next year marks the mid-point of the University of Waterloo’s Sixth Decade Plan. We have enjoyed many accomplishments since this plan was introduced five years ago but much has changed, both here and around the world. These changes bring new challenges and opportunities that require the attention and input of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni as we review our plan for the next five years.

“Your input to this mid-cycle review is critical as we consider the ambitious goals set out in 2006, reflect on our accomplishments, realign our plan, and introduce an accountability framework with action plans and progress outcomes. Our work will be built on our foundational pillars: academic excellence, research excellence and impact, co-operative education, graduate studies, internationalization, and entrepreneurship.

“I invite you to dedicate 1.5 hours of your day for this important conversation.”

Would-be participants are asked to sign up online no later than this Friday. The president adds: “If you have a conflict and can't attend your scheduled session, there will be an additional session available — dates and times to be confirmed. As well, you can share your input by e-mail (midcyclereview@ uwaterloo.ca) or on-campus mail to the Office of the President, Needles Hall.”

There are no mid-cycle review meetings scheduled today, but Hamdullahpur will have two meetings tomorrow: one with the arts faculty’s department chairs, the other with the council of the Graduate Student Association.

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The international student office "has been sending groups of volunteers to Pearson Airport to pick up new international students in early September for the last six years," Maggie Xiaohui Liang writes from the ISO's new location in South Campus Hall. "This year, 167 students were picked up on September 3 and 4. Twelve dedicated volunteers helped out," and some of them had time to pose for this photo in the airport concourse.

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Registrar's office forming 'wish list'

The registrar’s office is starting to look at an improved “advising tool”, the software that goes along with the online Quest system to help faculty and staff members advise students and plan academic programs.

A memo went out last week to more than 1,800 people who use the present Waterloo Inquiry system, asking for “ideas, suggestions, outlines or simply a wish list” for a replacement. “I have received some very thoughtful suggestions,” associate registrar Mark Walker said Friday, adding, “Campus-wide participation is encouraged.”

Said last week’s memo: “Under the heading of Student Support Services in our Sixth Decade Plan is defined a goal to engage staff and faculty advisors in the development of metrics, including the best student academic advising process in North America through a seamless integration of accurate online advising support and productive one-on-one consultation; high positive response rates in student satisfaction surveys that Waterloo took special interest in helping students fulfill goals; stronger alumni support and satisfaction; higher graduation rate; lower failure rates.

“Currently, Waterloo Inquiry is the primary advising tool when dealing with an individual student and the record contains a wide range of student-related information. However, over the years, there has been a growing need by academic departments and advisors for information on larger cohorts of students and these requests resulted in the establishment of data extracts. The initial release of data extracts was designed to support small select groups of academic administrators but it was only a short time before requests for access to the data extracts showed us that many decision makers and advisors required an array of data to support their activities.

“The availability of data extracts also afforded the opportunity for the development of home-grown advising tools in a number of areas across campus. Reasons for these developments include a need for additional information to supplement Waterloo Inquiry; a desire for a more streamlined version of Waterloo Inquiry data; a preference to combine information for an alternate display of information currently in Waterloo Inquiry.

“In many cases, the creative skills of these talented developers have resulted in features that would be beneficial to all advisors on campus and better serve students seeking academic advice. Also, the mode of delivery of data extracts through email attachments will require changes to meet our increasing requirements for a more secure gathering, retention and delivery of student data.

“I have begun a process to gather information from advisors who have developed advising tools with the intention to re-develop Waterloo Inquiry. A second task will be a critical look at data currently being provided through data extracts to ensure they contain the information you need in a form that can be delivered or accessed in compliance with security protocols and Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) legislation.

“I invite you to submit your ideas, suggestions, outlines or simply a wish list of features you would like to see in an advising tool. Please forward your comments to mwalker@ uwaterloo.ca.”

CAR

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