2013-14 Report on Giving is now available

The 2013-14 Report on Giving, published by the Office of Advancement, is now available online. The report contains details about the impact of a year's worth of philanthropy and why every gift matters.

Some highlights: In 2013-2014, 9,129 donors gave $58.8M to the University. This figure includes dollars raised in cash, pledges, gifts-in-kind and other revenue promised or given from May 1, 2013 to April 30, 2014.

The report contains a number of stories outlining the impact of these contributions.

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CECA: Spreading Waterloo’s reputation abroad

Peggy Jarvie, executive director of Co-operative Education & Career Action (CECA), spends a considerable amount of time telling Waterloo’s story to global audiences.

While CECA often attracts delegates to Waterloo to hear about our co-operative education model, during the last few months Jarvie’s expertise has been increasingly in demand at various international conferences.

Beginning in April, Jarvie was in San Francisco at the International Finance Corporation (IFC)’s sixth International Private Education Conference. Jarvie, Rocco Fondacaro, director of faculty and student relations at CECA, and Judene Pretti, director of WatCACE, among other Waterloo delegates, were then off to Sweden in early June to attend the World Association for Cooperative Education (WACE) International Symposium on Cooperative & Work-Integrated Education.  

“It was exciting to hear about the research on work integrated education that is underway around the world,” says Jarvie of her experience at the WACE conference.

Directly following her time in Sweden, Jarvie joined George Dixon, Waterloo’s Vice President, University Research, at a seminar in Prague to deliver presentations on the interconnectedness of Waterloo’s co-op program with entrepreneurship and commercialization in the Waterloo region.

The CECA team also took advantage of conferences closer to home too. In June, Fondacaro, Pretti, and Shabnam Ivkovic, international manager at CECA, presented at the Global Internship Conference in Toronto, and Jarvie and several others attended the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education (CAFCE) conference in Niagara Falls.

Many of these opportunities, such as the events in San Francisco and Prague, are funded by the hosting association or institution. The willingness to cover travel expenses demonstrates how keen international researchers and academics are to learn valuable insights from the largest co-operative education operation of its kind in the world. The scale of Waterloo’s operation tells a compelling story of what is possible in co-op, and can provide inspiration and justification for others’ plans for work-integrated education.

This is a win-win arrangement because Jarvie loves to share the Waterloo story with diverse audiences from around the world. In her presentations, she often emphasizes the growth and stability of the program along with what makes our model so successful. One of the central reasons that the CECA model works so well is because of the connections fostered with employers.

“We invest in the people and time to nurture relationships with employers because that’s what creates those opportunities for students to have great experiences,” says Jarvie.

While abroad, however, Jarvie hasn’t just been talking about the great things happening within CECA - she’s also been discussing all of the outstanding academic programs that support the success of co-operative education at Waterloo.

“The success of our co-op program doesn’t just speak for what CECA does, but also for what the university as a whole accomplishes. The quality of the programs and the quality of the students is what makes our co-op program so successful. We do a lot of really good work to attract employers, but if students weren’t learning important things, learning them well, and performing well on the job as a result, we would not succeed. Collectively, as an institution, we prepare students for the workplace.”

Jarvie will continue to grow Waterloo’s reputation internationally this month. Later this month she heads off to Seoul, South Korea to present at a conference for women in science and technology.

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A Bridge Too Far on University Avenue

For those travellers to campus who use the University Avenue exits on Highway 85, prepare for a bit of a detour in the months ahead.

The recent spate of bridge repairs along Highway 85 continues with reconstruction set to begin today. Now, it's University Avenue's turn.

The immediate effect is that the westbound ramp to University Avenue from the parkway is closed as of today, and that closure will last until mid-October. Just in time for the Fall 2014 move-in!

The recommended detour is to access the University by exiting at Bridgeport and using Weber Street to connect to University Avenue.

Signs have been posted on the 401, Highway 8, and Highway 85 noting this closure.

The Visitors Centre has updated the driving directions on its Find Out More page, and automated tour confirmation messages have been altered to reflect the new driving reality.

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Wednesday's notes

The Federation of Students is hosting Feds Open House today from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Student Life Centre.

"Students, staff, and faculty are invited to meet the Feds executive, full-time, and part-time staff to learn about how they contribute to the organization and campus life," writes Jacqueline Martinz. "Fun facts will be shared and valuable connections will be made."

To attend, come to the SLC Courtyard during the event and join a tour group. A contest will be held on the Feds' Twitter account during the day.

Attendees will also have the chance to win prizes like an iPhone 5C. More information is available online. 

Eminent theologian Dr. Gregory Baum received an honorary Doctor of Theology from St. Jerome’s University during the institution's first graduation ceremony on June 8.

The Honorary Doctor of Theology is the highest form of recognition conferred by St. Jerome’s University. It is awarded to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the Roman Catholic community, academia and Canadian society.

With more than 40 years in academia, Dr. Baum is the author of numerous books, and has been a frequent lecturer in the St. Jerome’s Lectures in Catholic Experience. His most recent publication is Truth and Relevance: Catholic Theology in French Québec since the Quiet Revolution. Among his many important books are Religion and Alienation as well as Compassion and Solidarity, which was a prestigious CBC 1987 Massey Lecture.

During the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), Dr. Baum was a theological advisor to the Ecumenical Secretariat, the commission responsible for three conciliar documents: On Religious Liberty, On Ecumenism, and On the Church’s Relation to non-Christian Religions. His interest in ecumenism led him to found the theological review: The Ecumenist. Since 2004, he has passed on its editorship to SJU’s own Dr. Seljak along with Dr. Kline as a contributing editor.

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