Funding for co-op student hiring available

On the fence about whether to hire a co-op student this term? An announcement from Co-operative Education and Career Action (CECA) may help you jump off that rail.

“To support the highest number of co-op students ever scheduled out for a Winter work term, the provost has agreed to provide significant funding support to academic and academic support units to create incremental work opportunities for first work term co-op students for the Winter term 2014,” wrote CECA Director Peggy Jarvie in a note circulated earlier this week.

"Incremental" in this case refers to the creation of net new co-op jobs.

Up to $5,000 in funding per first work term co-op student is available.

In order to be eligible, the employing unit or manager must contribute $500 per student. The student will then be paid the minimum salary for the term as per the payroll rules, which is $6,220 for a full 16-week work term.

There are some caveats, of course: The funding is available to any on-campus employer, but can only be used to fund incremental hiring after January 15, 2014, and cannot be applied retroactively or otherwise transferred to a student already hired for the Winter term. Nor can the funding be carried forward to next term.

To be eligible, students must start work no later than February 10, and all jobs must be creditable and verified by Co-operative Education and Career Action (CECA).

Co-op students are required to work a minimum of 12 weeks to receive credit for their work term, so anyone interested should move quickly to take advantage of this funding opportunity. Please contact Danijela Vukancic by email or by calling extension 31808 for more information.

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Piggybacking on Pop along the Cola Road

by Alumni Relations.

Last night, President Feridun Hamdullahpur, joined by Applied Health Sciences Dean Susan Elliott, welcomed close to 400 guests at the Canadian Museum of Civilization to showcase the new documentary, The Cola Road, which features the work of AHS alumnus Rohit Ramchandani (BSc ’04).  Ramchandani is pictured above with Dean Susan Elliott and Jason Coolman, associate vice-president, alumni relations.

The Cola Road is a documentary about the shocking reality that Coca-Cola is more readily available than crucial medications in developing countries. In these same places, one in nine children die before their fifth birthday from simple, preventable causes like dehydration from diarrhea. Using the transit routes of Coca-Cola products, and making the packaging to fit in between the cases, simple medications are able to reach some of the most remote areas of the world.

After a well-received screening in Toronto last year, Alumni Relations was thrilled to be able to showcase the documentary in Ottawa to alumni, friends, and students. During his remarks, President Hamdullahpur spoke of how proud Waterloo is of Rohit.

“Rohit is an outstanding representative of Waterloo’s culture of innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said. “He is an inspiring example of what can happen when a sense of humanity and the spirit of entrepreneurship come together.”

Rohit, the Founder and Executive Director of Antara Global Health Advisors, and the Public Health Advisor and Principal Investigator for ColaLife, has been a key player in helping advocate for this impactful idea. “The number one strategic priority in the newly-minted AHS Strategic Plan states that we need to inspire and prepare students to take on the challenges of our time,” said Dean Elliott. “Rohit is the perfect example of this type of student; one who has gone on to change the world.”

Be sure to check out the event’s Storify.

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Can we Build it? Yes we can!

by Jenn Zehr.

The Community Relations & Events team in partnership with the Federation of Students is leading our first-ever campus-wide food drive in support of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region and the Feds Food Bank.

This event isn't a typical food drive. We are asking students, faculty and staff to team up and put their creativity to work by building structures out of their food donations.

The new UWaterloo CanBuild program, which kicks off today, is a unique opportunity for the university to make a difference in our community while engaging in some healthy competition across campus.

Food collection and structure building runs from now until Friday, February 28, with judging taking place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The panel of judges will grant the following awards:

• Best Meal Award: The food products used in the structure could make a complete meal. Nutritious choices, which include all food groups, are important.
• Ingenuity Award: How did they get that to stand? This structure will be the most innovative and will demonstrate the clever use of resources.
• Most Cans Award: Based on the total quantity of can/food products used.
• Judges’ Award: The judges pick their favourite structure.
• Spirit Award: This award demonstrates the best use of the University of Waterloo’s visual identity (colours, logo) and promotes internal pride.
• People’s Choice Award: The University of Waterloo community votes for their favourite structure via social media channels (Facebook and Twitter).

The winning teams will be awarded a trophy, the “UWaterloo CanBuild Cup,” and have bragging rights for the next year. The University of Waterloo is a community partner of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region and together we continue to make a significant impact in our community so Waterloo students and others in our community don’t go hungry.

For complete rules and build guidelines visit the CanBuild website. The team registration deadline is Monday, February 17.

Any questions can be directed to Community Relations by email or by calling extension 31843.

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Student senator nominations due today

The nomination period for student senators closes today. Nominations have been requested for the following undergraduate student seats:

Faculty Seats

• One student elected by/from the full-time undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts, term 1 May 2014 to 30 April 2016.
• One student elected by/from the full-time undergraduate students in the Faculty of Environment, term 1 May 2014 to 30 April 2016.
• One student elected by/from the full-time undergraduate students in the Faculty of Science, term 1 May 2014 to 30 April 2016.

At-large Seats

• One student elected by/from the full-time undergraduate students of the university, term 1 May 2014 to 30 April 2016.
• One student elected by/from the full-time undergraduate students of the university, term 1 May 2014 to 30 April 2015.

Each nomination form shall be signed by the required number of members from the constituency from which the member is to be elected. For faculty candidates, 25 signatures are required. For at-large candidates, 100 signatures are required.

Completed nomination forms should be submitted to the Chief Returning Officer, Secretariat, Needles Hall, Room 3060, no later than 4:00 p.m. today. Elections, if necessary, will coincide with the annual Federation of Students elections.

Information about Senate and its committees/councils can be found online.

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OHD workshop registration, other notes

Organizational & Human Development (OHD) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for their Winter 2014 workshops.

"OHD is offering the entire Principles of Inclusivity series and the full series of the Business Communication Certificate courses," writes Mark Lisetto-Smith. "As well, if getting personal finances in order is your goal for 2014, OHD is offerings two courses, Defining Your Financial Future (OHD701) and Taxes 101 (OHD702), facilitated by Financial Planner Libor Pirchuta to assist with your planning.  Finally, in conjunction with annual employee appraisals, OHD is offering multiple sessions on Performance Conversations (OHD405), which presents methods and strategies in conducting a performance appraisal conversation."

Course descriptions, dates, and times are available on the OHD Website. You can register for these courses through myHRinfo.

Waterloo Unlimited, this university's on-campus enrichment program for high school students, has unveiled its theme for this spring's Grade 10 Program, and that theme is "Change."

To wit: "We live in the midst of change: technological change, social change, political change, environmental change. In modern times humankind has experienced an unprecedented rapidity of change. How do we adapt, or not adapt... and what are the consequences? Students will consider the perspectives of scientists, engineers, writers, and philosophers, as they examine the dynamics of “Change”."

The program runs from May 11 to May 15, and the application deadline is Monday, March 10. More information about Waterloo Unlimited and the application process can be found on their website.

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