Students, parents to get tips on applications

by Andrew Smith, Marketing & Undergraduate Recruitment

A university information night for grade 10 students may seem early, but those students are about to pick courses which will influence their choice of grade 11 and 12 courses, which universities use for admission. To help parents and high school students get a head start on planning for university, Waterloo is hosting Grade 10 Family Night on Wednesday, January 16. Visitors (in person or online through a live webcast) will learn about applying to any of Ontario’s universities.

Valerie Herteis, manager of liaison in Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment, explains that although “faculty, staff, and alumni may be aware of Waterloo’s academic programs, details of the admissions process and of financing a post-secondary education may be not be as familiar.”

Grade 10 Family Night will feature:

• Building your momentum at Waterloo, by Dr. Barb Moffatt, Distinguished Teacher Award recipient
• Admission requirements and application information, by Nancy Weiner, associate registrar (admissions) (Weiner is pictured above delivering remarks at last year's event)
• Budgeting for a university education, by Maureen Jones, director of Student Awards and Financial Aid
• What I wish I knew about university while still in high school, by current Waterloo students

Danielle St. John, one of the university students who spoke last year, said that it is important for students to consider their options early on. In her last year of high school, she initially wanted a commerce program but didn’t have the pre-requisites and had to broaden her search for the right fit. St. John encouraged students to research university programs and to think about what type of careers appeal. “Visit campuses you’re considering – picture yourself going to classes, living there, living close to home or experiencing a new culture,” she adds.

The evening starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in the Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages building. The sessions will be available as a live webcast. Registration information and details of the live webcast are available online.

Back to top

Co-op admin system replacement in the works

by Karina Graf, Co-operative Education and Career Action (CECA)

Have you heard the news? The new Co-operative Education and Career Action (CECA) administration system, which includes the JobMine replacement, reached a major milestone in December; the university intends to issue a letter of intent to enter into contract negotiations with Orbis Communications for a replacement system for CECA’s core administration and interview day services systems. Orbis Communications is a leading edge provider of online software solutions for post-secondary institutions located in Dundas, Ontario.

A dedicated project team from CECA and IST completed extensive analysis over the past four months to bring forward this recommendation with a strong partnership with Procurement & Contract Services. Orbis Communications earned strong support from all participants for its knowledge of Co-operative Education and Career practices in Canada. Their software offers a breadth of functionality to meet the current needs of CECA, and they are eager to partner with us to create a unique Waterloo solution and to share opportunities for future growth.

More than 50 staff members and 30 students participated and provided feedback over four days of vendor presentations. Orbis Communications was chosen for: 

• The breadth of coverage to meet the functional requirements
• Our confidence in the vendors understanding of our requirements and the Canadian Coop and Career markets
• Our belief that we can work effectively with this vendor
• Their clear vision for the product consistent with CECA vision

We’re looking for more students to provide feedback on the next phase of the system; let us know if you’re interested. Next steps for the project team include contract negotiations and planning. For more information about the project, check out our website.

Last week’s poll results: 66 per cent of you guessed correctly; 17.9 per cent of our co-op employers are universities. Congratulations to last week’s draw winner Catherine Koene from Finance.

This week’s question: After viewing Orbis’ vendor presentation, which feature of the new system are staff and students most excited about? Take a guess and enter to win a Starbucks gift card.

Back to top

Nominations open for distinguished teachers

The Centre for Teaching Excellence has opened nominations for awards that recognize the best teaching talent at the University of Waterloo.

The Distinguished Teacher Awards (DTA) were established in 1975 and are given "in recognition of a continued record of excellence in teaching at the University of Waterloo."

Successful candidates for the award must possess a "record of excellent teaching at UW over an extended period, usually at least five years."

DTA nominators can be an undergraduate, graduate, alumni, or faculty/department member and can nominate anyone who teaches at the university and its federated and affiliated university colleges, including lab instructors and clinical associates, as well as professors and lecturers. A minimum of ten nominees are required for each candidate.

DTA nomination forms are available for pickup at the Davis Centre and Dana Porter libraries, at the Student Life Centre's Turnkey Desk, and in EV1 325. Drop boxes for completed forms are also available at these locations.

The deadline to submit a nomination for the DTA is Friday, February 1, 2013.

The Amit & Meena Chakma Awards for Exceptional Teaching by a Student (AETS) were established (under a different name) in 1998 and are handed out "in recognition of excellence in teaching of all kinds by registered students." The awards are "open to all registered students who have a formal teaching role (e.g., teaching assistant, laboratory demonstrator, sessional lecturer) at the University of Waterloo or its federated and affiliated university/colleges."

AETS nominators can be undergraduates, graduates, alumni, and faculty members (present or past faculty supervisors of the nominee, for example), but the nomination must be endorsed by at least three individuals who are past or present students of the nominee. At least five nominees are required for a nomination form to be considered by the selection committee.

Nominations for the AETS can be submitted via email to the Centre for Teaching Excellence. The forms are available online.

The deadline to submit a nomination for the AETS is Friday, February 8, 2013.

More information about the teaching awards can be found on the Centre for Teaching Excellence's website.

Back to top

Wednesday's notes

As students fall back into their campus routine this week, several retail operations continue their extended hours of operation. The Book Store, Waterloo Store, and Write Stuff are open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and are open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 11. The Media.Doc MC location is open late today and tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Feds Used Books, in the Student Life Centre's lower level, is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. today, and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week.

William Payne, who started working at Renison University College in 1962, died December 27, 2012, according to Human Resources. He had retired from the university in 1991. He is survived by his wife Pearl.

Back to top