Marking a milestone: On Monday, October 28, Conrad Grebel University College hosted a 50th Anniversary Open House and Reception for friends and colleagues from the uWaterloo community, according to Jennifer Konkle, who writes "many thanks to those who "crossed the creek" to celebrate 50 years of innovation and collaboration with Grebel, in our mission to challenge mind and spirit."

Pictured are (l-r): Glenn Cartwright, Principal at Renison (in background), Fred W. Martin, Director of Development at Conrad Grebel, Katherine Bergman, President of St. Jerome's, and Heather Montgomery, Director of Advancement at St. Jerome's.

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International Education Week approaches

by Katie Eley, Student Success Office.

As a Science and Business co-op student, Sarah Vaselenak enjoyed her program but knew that she wanted to enhance her university experience.  Interested in pursuing a career in the global health field, Sarah decided to amp up her degree by participating in an international exchange through the Global Experience Certificate program. 

While on exchange to Lancaster University in England, she not only embraced British culture but also travelled to 18 European countries.  “While living in Europe, I learned things that you can’t experience on Google,” explains Vaselenak.  “This exchange changed my life and has given me the courage to follow my dreams of an international career.”

During International Education Week (IEW), experiences like Sarah’s will be featured along with a number of other international initiatives and programs.  From November 18-22, departments across campus will run a number of programs and activities highlighting international experiences and cultures.  IEW programs include country spotlight presentations, exchange information sessions, an international movie night and dance lessons from various cultures.

To encourage participation in IEW, passports will be available at each IEW event.  Participants that attend at least five IEW events and collect stamps at each, can enter their passport into a draw for $100 on their WatCard and a Lonely Planet travel book.  Passports must be dropped off at the Student Success Office no later than 4:30pm on Monday, November 25.    

Staff, faculty and students alike are encouraged to participate in IEW events and explore your world.

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Registration now open for WatITis conference

Registration opens today for the 11th annual Waterloo Information Technology and Information Systems (WatITis) conference. Registration details are available online.

The conference will be held on Tuesday, December 3 in the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre.

"We have had an overwhelming response to our call for session speakers offering an incredible amount of relevant and informative IT presentations from across campus," writes conference co-chair Jenn Brewster.

WatITis is a one-day conference for those involved in IT planning, support and decision making at the university, an opportunity to see what others are doing on campus in information technology, to exchange ideas, and make new contacts.

For more information, please contact conference co-chairs Kevin Paxman or Jenn Brewster or get on the mailing list.

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A word about storm closings

With a bout of flurries in recent memory, and with Hallowe'en's high winds and driving rain, it's probably a good idea to dust off the university's storm closing guidelines and give them a review as we head into a season of unsettled weather.

Beginning in October 2009, the university ended its practice of following the lead of the local public school board in determining whether or not to open for business in the face of severe (or potentially severe) weather conditions. The decision is now made in most cases by the Vice-President Academic & Provost after consultation with the Director of Police and Parking Services, the Vice-President Administration and Finance, and the Director of Custodial and Grounds Services.

The storm guidelines provide for a complete closing of the university “when normal operation would pose a significant danger to students, staff and faculty, or would prevent large numbers of them from coming to campus”. But they also say: “When UW does not close in inclement weather, faculty, staff and students are reminded that they are responsible for determining when weather conditions make their travel unsafe and should consider public transportation because it may well be the safest option and cleared parking spaces may be in short supply.”

When a decision about the university's opening or closing in the face of severe weather conditions, a notice will be posted to the university's homepage and audience pathway pages by 6:30 a.m., and a message will be sent out through the university's Twitter accounts. The university's info line (1-866-470-0910) will be updated to announce the closure. A storm closing call list exists to inform the members of the university's Executive Council, faculty and staff association presidents, federated and affiliated college administrators, and satellite campus contacts of the decision in the early morning. The Daily Bulletin will also be updated.

Such closures will remain in effect until 7:00 a.m. the following day.

Regular updates of storm-related conditions on campus, including things like power or service outages, will be posted to the university's homepage, the Daily Bulletin, and through Twitter as needed.

As autumn gives way to winter, look for messages to appear at the top of the university's homepage that will inform you of the university's status when the storm clouds gather, and be sure to follow @uwaterloo on Twitter for real-time updates.

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More spooky snapshots from All Hallows' Eve

Jacqueline Martinz writes "Despite the pouring rain, over 200 undergraduates joined the Federation of Students' Food Bank for Trick or Eat on October 31. Clad in bright orange t-shirts, the volunteers went door to door and asked for nonperishable food items instead of candy. They returned to campus with 3, 674 pounds of food including cans of vegetables, peanut butter, and soup. The items will be donated to the Feds Food Bank and the Food Bank of Waterloo Region. The Trick or Eat initiative was started by Meal Exchange, which is a national non-profit organization run by youth. For the past few years, it has been held annually at the University of Waterloo by the Federation of Students. The Feds Food Bank accepts donations throughout the year, and more information about it is available online."

Photograph provided by the Federation of Students.

More photos have been submitted showing members of the campus community celebrating the spirit of the spooky season:

Even Porcellino got in on the act:

And members of the Engineering Undergraduate Office, keeping it real:

Thanks to Bonnie Bishop and Shirley Lokker for submitting photos.

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