Library issues copyright update

A message from the Library.

"There have been significant and positive changes related to copyright over the summer," reads a notice from the university's library. "When those changes are better understood, several documents on the campus Copyright webpage, notably the Copyright FAQ, Fair Dealing Advisory, and Guide for Those Teaching Courses, will be revised."

In the interim, campus members should continue to be guided by the current documents.

• Bill C-11, the Copyright Modernization Act, passed third reading at the Senate and has received royal assent, BUT it is important to note that it is not yet in force.
• The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released on July 12, 2012 decisions in five appeals on copyright cases.
• Bill C-11 and the SCC decisions expand the scope of fair dealing in ways that will be advantageous to the campus community.
• As noted in the Daily Bulletin the University has decided not to sign the copyright license negotiated by Access Copyright and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.
  

The Provost has established a Copyright Advisory Committee to provide advice on the impact of the above and other copyright-related matters. The committee includes representatives of major departments involved in copyright issues and key campus stakeholders, including the Federation of Students, the Graduate Students Association, the Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo, the University of Waterloo Staff Association, and the Federated University and Affiliated University Colleges (FUAC).

Another campus-wide update will be provided once the Copyright FAQ, Fair Dealing Advisory, and Guide for Those Teaching Courses, etc. have been updated. Information sessions will also be scheduled at the same time.

In the meantime, if you have questions, please feel free to contact Mark Haslett, Susan Routliffe or Rebecca Wickens.

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Alumna awarded Action Canada Fellowship

with material from an Action Canada media release

A Waterloo graduate has been named one of 17 Action Canada Fellows for 2012-2013 by Action Canada, a national leadership development program.

Alexandra Kuperman (right), who graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, is director of operations at Macro Properties in Toronto. She is leading an initiative to launch the Centre for Jewish Innovation to encourage social entrepreneurism. She is also the founder of Shoresh, a non-profit environmental organization in Toronto.

Other Fellows include Erin Freeland Ballantyne, the first Rhodes Scholar to hail from Canada's north, Nicholas Chadi, a medical resident in pediatrics in Toronto and jazz pianist, James Haga, the first director of advocacy for Engineers Without Borders Canada, and Clifton van der Linden, founder and executive director of Vote Compass, to name a few.

"They have founded charitable organizations at home and abroad; launched new community initiatives; even established a university centre of research in Canada's North," says Action Canada's media release. "They include PhD candidates, business and academic leaders, lawyers, scientists and educators from across the country."

The Action Canada Fellows are participating in an 11-month leadership development and public policy program. During their fellowship year, the Fellows attend five working conferences across Canada, researching and developing new public policy projects, and learning from mentors who are current leaders in government, business, academia, and non-governmental organizations. They also join the Action Canada Network of Fellows, which now has 136 members.

Each year up to 20 emerging leaders are selected to be Action Canada Fellows following a nationwide call for nominations.

Action Canada is based in Vancouver and is a partnership between the private sector and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage.

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Wednesday's notes

With less than a week to go before Orientation Week gets underway, the campus is already awash in fresh faces, with said faces usually buried in one of the new campus maps as they negotiate the terrain.

The Graduate House (left) is sporting a snazzy new front porch, and, most encouragingly, a sign that says they will be re-opening in September. "The rejuvenation project over the summer is nearing completion and all indications are that the facility will be ready to open on September 4, 2012 at 9:00 am." reads a notice on the Graduate Student Association's website. No word on whether the porch will come equipped with a rocking chair.

The university bookstore is open and is offering free shipping on orders between August 24 and September 21.

The Federation of Students has given its website a facelift for the upcoming academic term.

Information Systems & Technology has released the lineup of IT professional development seminars for September and October. The seminars, which cover everything from file transfers, Nexus consolidation, to virtual desktops and digital asset management, run Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. in various locations around MC and DC. The seminars are open to all university staff and there are no fees or registration required.

Continuing in a technological vein, on Tuesday, September 4, beginning at 10:00 p.m. and ending by 3:00 a.m., IST will be performing routine maintenance on the Connect Exchange servers. "While email and calendar services will continue to be available during this time, some servers will be restarted and it may be necessary to re-authenticate (login) when accessing Connect email/calendar accounts," reads the notice from Trevor Bain. The IST Help Desk is always available to answer questions and concerns at ext. 84357 or helpdesk@ uwaterloo.ca.

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