No matter where you go, there you are: Pictured above is one of three MappedIn kiosks that have been installed in the Student Life Centre to assist with wayfinding.

"These kiosks will make the maze that is the SLC easier to navigate. I think all of us can relate to not always knowing where things are in this building," wrote Federation of Students Vice President, Operations and Finance Ben Balfour in a recent blog post. "These kiosks will allow everyone to use the space we have to the fullest."

Aside from offering navigational services to the many people who wander through the Student Life Centre every day, the kiosks will also serve as an information resource, offering descriptions and contact information for all Federation of Students services, departments, and offices.

 

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WatPD course design ideas sought

The university's Co-operative Education Council is seeking proposals for the development of two new professional development courses taken by students on co-op work terms, according to a memo sent to faculty and staff by WatPD Director Anne Fannon at the end of October.

The first course will focus on reflection and learning in the workplace and the second on technical report writing, and will replace the current PD2: Critical Reflection and Report Writing course. The PD courses are a requirement for being granted a co-op degree.

“We are looking for individuals with interest and expertise in the aforementioned subjects to develop course content,” writes Fannon in the memo. “We will require that the authors commit to being the course instructor for the first two course offerings. Course development will occur between January and December 2015.”  

The WatPD program "aims to improve the professional skills of Waterloo’s co-op students through the delivery of dynamic and engaging online courses.  Recognizing that the co-op workplace provides an opportunity for real world professional skill development and application, the PD courses serve to provide the theoretical foundation for students.  The courses also provide an opportunity for students to make connections between what they are experiencing in the workplace and the PD course content."

The memo linked to a formal Request for Proposals document that outlines the course guidelines and proposal requirements.

Questions can be directed to Anne Fannon and proposals need to be submitted by Monday, November 24. The shortlisted proposals will be presented on Monday, December 1.

 

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Committee to review faculty appointment policy

The Faculty Relations Committee has established a drafting committee to review and propose amendments to Policy 76 - Faculty Appointments. The Policy 76 Drafting Committee, as it is known, held its first meeting on November 5.

"The committee will be consulting with members of the community at different points in the review process," says a memo sent to faculty members this week. "However, you should feel free to submit comments at any time to any member of the committee or to the committee secretary, Rebecca Wickens.

The Policy 76 Drafting Committee's membership is as follows:

• John Burbidge (Chair/President’s appointee)
• Kelly Anthony (Senate appointee)
  
• Shannon Dea (FAUW appointee)
  
• George Freeman (Senate appointee)
  
• Sally Gunz (FAUW appointee)
• Gerry Schneider (President’s appointee)
• Rebecca Wickens (Secretary and Policy Resource)
  

All comments will be held in confidence.

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A healthy proposal

by Brent Thornhill. November 15 is National Philanthropy Day. For more stories about the impact of philanthropy at Waterloo and beyond, check out the National Philanthropy Day Storify page.

The grand opening of the University of Waterloo’s new Health Services facility this fall was a momentous occasion for the University. It was the culmination of years of teamwork between students, faculty, staff, architects and donors. For Waterloo donor and former Feds president Bradley Moggach (BA ’12), the completion of the project had an extra-special meaning.

Brad was Feds president during his third year at Waterloo. During his tenure, he was responsible for working with the building architects to make sure students would get a facility that met their needs.

“This project was very important to me, and the University as a whole,” he explains. “It’s impossible to go through school without having some interaction with health services and the old facility didn’t reflect what students deserved. With a lot of teamwork, we now have a facility that meets the needs of the campus community and is becoming of a university with Waterloo’s reputation.”

It was also during this time that he met his wife, Cailin. She was a project coordinator representing one of the architecture teams who interacted regularly with Brad. They kept in touch and began dating after reconnecting at an event. Although, they have both moved on from Waterloo, Brad had a special place in mind to pop the question.

That place was a room now known as The Bradley and Cailin Moggach Examination Room in the Health Services building. Brad arranged for a private tour where he could surprise Cailin with his proposal.

“To this day, I can’t remember what I actually said,” laughs Brad. “I was good up until the actual moment, but once that came, I was all nerves. The important thing is that she said yes.”

With the impact health services had on his University experience and personal life, Brad is happy to be able to give back to Waterloo.

“Giving to health services was an easy decision for me. Personally, I feel that the student life experience is sometimes overlooked despite its widespread impact. I’m glad I could give to something that can benefit everyone at the University.”

 

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Prizes, courses, and events on a Thursday

Philip Schuster and Natalie Toro of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics are among the winners of the 2015 Breakthrough Prizes in Fundamental Physics and Life Sciences. The pair, who are also adjunct professors at the University of Waterloo, received the 2015 New Horizons in Physics Prizes for "pioneering the “simplified models” framework for new physics searches at the Large Hadron Collider, as well as spearheading new experimental searches for dark sectors using high-intensity electron beams."

The Breakthrough Prizes aim to celebrate scientists and generate excitement about the pursuit of science as a career. The $100,000 New Horizons in Physics award recognizes exceptionally promising young researchers.

Spaces are still available in Organizational & Human Development’s course, Integrity Matters (OHD120), which was developed in partnership with the Office of Academic Integrity.  This workshop takes place on Wednesday, November 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

 

What's the course about, you may ask? 

"What is integrity, and how can you promote a Culture of Integrity through your everyday behaviour? Building on the Six Fundamental Values of Integrity, this interactive session explores what actions and avoidances demonstrate these values in our ‘work, study and play’. Knowing that integrity is personal, and requires personal choice, learn how it influences your everyday interactions and decision making. You will have the opportunity to discover what integrity means to you by examining your own core values and creating a personal mission statement."

To register for this or any other OHD workshop, visit MyHRinfo. Register through the Learning and Development module of the Self Service MyHRinfo menu. Select Request Training Enrollment and enter the course information.

OHD is also reminding staff that proposals are still being accepted for workshops sessions for the eighth annual Staff Conference, which is scheduled for April 7-8, 2015.

"Proposals should be for an educational and interactive session(s) focused on professional and/or personal development—from all areas of campus life, be it work-life balance, to health and wellness, to emerging technologies—that will include discussion, activities, or engagement on your specific topic," says the notice from OHD.

For more information about the Call for Proposals, please review the 2015 Staff Conference: Call for Proposal guidelines. The deadline for submissions of proposal abstracts is Tuesday, November 18.  

The Centre for International Governance Innovation's Signature Lecture Series continues with a lecture by François Crépeau, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants. The event, entitled "Between Myths and Crisis: Rethinking Migration Policies," takes place on Thursday, November 20 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the CIGI Campus Auditorium. The event is free, and will be webcast.

International Education Week is coming up next week, and in support of the event, the UW Recreation Committee has organized a series of "Grocery Store Tours with an International Flavour." Registered dieticians Michelle Jones and Kate Young will take participants on a tour of the Beechwood Zehrs on Tuesday, November 18 at 5:30 p.m., the Conestoga Mall Zehrs on Wednesday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m., and the Glenridge Zehrs on Tuesday, November 25 at 5:30 p.m. with an eye on, well, international flavours. You can register via email. There are limited spots available for each tour.

 

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