Marcus Shantz, president of Conrad Grebel University College, discusses 60 years of Grebel and the way its guiding principles inform its course offerings and student life. President Vivek Goel releases his annual winter holiday video. A new campus status page provides real-time status updates for each campus in the event of severe weather. We tell you where to find out what’s open and closed over the break.

Links and resources:

Holiday video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxksIM73-4I

https://uwaterloo.ca/news/presidents-news/what-university-waterloo-made

Severe weather: : https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat/policies-guidelines-signing-procedures/weather-closing-guidelines

https://uwaterloo.ca/campus-status

Daily Bulletin: https://uwaterloo.ca/daily-bulletin

Conrad Grebel University College: https://uwaterloo.ca/grebel/

Dr. Jenna Gilchrist, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology, discusses her study researching students' transition to first year of university. Get a recap of Giving Tuesday by the numbers. And the Keeping Well at Work Committee organizes a lunchtime jam session for people on campus to get together for musical collaboration.

Links and resources:

Giving Tuesday recap: https://youtu.be/Pd0bFRExHBg?si=N4r43BPkiALd4KC9

Lunchtime Jam: https://portal.uwaterloo.ca/#/events/8595/registration

UC holiday special: https://uwaterloo.ca/university-club/events/holiday-special

Suzanne Kearns, aviation professor and director of the Waterloo Centre for Sustainable Aeronautics, discusses the ways that interdisciplinary research and learning in sustainable aeronautics can benefit industry, people and the planet. Nominations are open for teaching excellence awards. The deadline for filling out the Employee Engagement Survey has been extended.

Links and resources:

Online Teaching Award https://uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8HZOM63iFGXaB9k

Online Course Design Award https://uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eQGEuonwHhvzxlA

DTA: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/dta

AETS: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/chakma

December 6: https://uwaterloo.ca/engineering/national-day-remembrance-2023

16 Days of Activism: https://uwaterloo.ca/sexual-violence-prevention-response-office/get-involved/16-days-activism-against-gender-based-violence

Employee Engagement Survey:

https://uwaterloo.ca/employee-engagement-survey/

Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics: https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainable-aeronautics/

Mathew Thijssen, director of sustainability, discusses the 2023 Environmental Sustainability Report and the progress we are making towards becoming carbon neutral. A dozen Waterloo researchers appear on a distinguished list for being highly cited. Fundraising challenges for Giving Tuesday allow you to support many causes at the University. And the Faculty of Arts and Office of Research host a speaker series on antagonism and intimidation in academia.

Links and resources:

Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers: https://uwaterloo.ca/news/12-waterloo-researchers-make-highly-cited-researchers-2023

Rapid antigen tests: https://www.ontario.ca/self-assessment/

Coronavirus website: https://uwaterloo.ca/coronavirus

Giving Tuesday: https://imodules.uwaterloo.ca/s/1802/cf20/home.aspx?sid=1802&gid=2&pgid=1912&appealcode=24A2GGSMG

Antagonistic Responses to Science and Technology in the Academy: https://ticketfi.com/event/5384/antagonism-and-intimidation-in-academia-speaker-series

Sustainability office: https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainability/

2023 Environmental Sustainability Report: https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainability/our-progress

Free Store: https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainability/operations/waste/free-store

Waste sorting guide: https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainability/operations/waste/sorting-guide

Graduate student Jake Chateauneuf tells us about a system he’s co-created to prevent whales from getting entangled in fishing gear. Health Services is offering the flu vaccine to students, their families, employees, alumni and retirees. Training is available for staff and faculty to help them intervene when they see harmful or potentially harmful behaviour. And the University homepage has a new look.

Links and Resources:

High-risk flu clinic: https://uwaterloo.ca/campus-wellness/news/high-risk-flu-vaccine-clinic

New-look homepage: https://uwaterloo.ca/

Bystander training: https://uwaterloo.gosignmeup.com/public/Course/browse?courseid=7590 (in-person session)

https://uwaterloo.gosignmeup.com/public/Course/browse?courseid=7591 (virtual session)

Equity census: https://uwaterloo.ca/equity-data-strategy

Whale Safe James Dyson Awards: https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/2023/project/whalesafe/#:~:text=What%20it%20does,prevent%20the%20extinction%20of%20whales.

First Nations student Jeremiah Hyslop tells us what removing an offensive term in an eye exam has to do with reconciliation. The University Club is reopened for your dining pleasure. Complete your employee equity census to help paint an accurate picture of the UWaterloo community. And Waterloo recognizes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Links and resources:

University Club: https://uwaterloo.ca/university-club/

Equity Equity Census: https://uwaterloo.ca/equity-data-strategy

Nish Vibes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7wfkgWn3uY

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: https://uwaterloo.ca/indigenous/national-day-truth-and-reconciliation-2023

United Way: https://ecommunity.uwaywrc.ca/crm/Start.jsp

https://uwaterloo.ca/united-way/about-united-way-campaign/go-red-day-2023

Math student Rastin Rassoli discusses SMILE, a student mental health club he created. Some units on campus have refreshed their identities for 2023 and beyond. Waterloo hosts a number of events as part of National Postdoc Appreciation Week. And Waterloo’s Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office is bringing awareness to the 2nd Annual Consent Awareness Week.

Links and resources:

NPAW: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/

Postdoc Appreciation: https://uwaterloo.ca/graduate-studies-postdoctoral-affairs/welcome-postdoctoral-affairs/national-postdoc-appreciation-week

Consent Culture: https://www.couragetoact.ca/consent-awareness-week

https://uwaterloo.ca/sexual-violence-prevention-response-office/get-involved/consent-week

SMILE Club: https://www.smileclubs.ca/

Colorful Zone: https://colorful.zone/

Joyi App: https://joyi.app/

With Canada's new health warnings on individual cigarettes and little cigars, we hear from professor Geoffrey Fong on his work examining the effectiveness of anti-smoking policies. The University hopes to raise $100,000 for the Global Emergency Student Relief Fund. The Centre for Teaching Excellence announced the deadline to apply for Learning Innovation and Teaching Enhancement (LITE) seed grants. And get your tickets for a sneak preview of this year’s performance of TBH: To Be Honest.

Links and resources:

Global Emergency Student Relief Fund: https://imodules.uwaterloo.ca/s/1802/21/form.aspx?sid=1802&gid=2&pgid=2660&cid=7415

TBH: To Be Honest: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/tbh-to-be-honest-2023-premiere-performances-tickets-696180664107?aff=oddtdtcreator

LITE Seed Grant: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/support/teaching-and-learning-research-and-grants/learning-innovation-and-teaching-enhancement-lite-grants/learning-innovation-and-teaching-enhancement-lite-seed-grant

International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project: https://itcproject.org/

Rebecca Rooney, a professor and wetland ecologist in the Department of Biology, discusses Ontario’s More Homes Built Faster Act and allowing development in the Greenbelt. Following the hate-motivated attack on campus, the president, provost and vice-president, administration and finance participated in two campus forums, now available online. Volunteers are needed for student orientation and move-in days. And the Centre for Work-Integrated Learning has a new website that combines the previous WatPD and EDGE websites, while also highlighting newer programs and initiatives.

Links and resources:

Community Forums:

https://uwaterloo.ca/university-relations/uwaterloo-community-forum-july-2023

WIL: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-work-integrated-learning/

Waterloo Orientation: https://uwaterloo.ca/welcome-warriors/waterloo-orientation

Move-in and Orientation Volunteer Sign-up: https://app.initlive.com/web-admin/app/#/join-party?k=lo3gat4b8ainpb&fromOpp

Save Ontario Wetlands site: https://saveontariowetlands.weebly.com/take-action.html

Special Report on Changes to the Greenbelt: https://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/news/specials_newsreleases/ataglance_Greenbelt_EN.pdf

Save Ontario Wetlands on Greenbelt special report: https://saveontariowetlands.weebly.com/response-to-auditor-general-report.html

Wetlands and climate: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/extent-wetlands.html

The attack that took place on our campus shook our entire community. Dr. Dillon Browne, professor and clinical psychologist, tells us ways to support each other and ourselves. The president and provost will host two community forums to hear concerns and answer questions about moving forward together. Waterloo invests from its endowment into a for-profit VC fund. And a community initiative will identify and inventory all species around our main campus.

Links and resources:

Campus Attack: https://uwaterloo.ca/news/prioritizing-well-being

Community Forum: https://uwaterloo.ca/president/uwaterloo-community-forum-july-2023-registration-page

SEE Grant: https://uwaterloo.ca/human-resources/strategic-partners-programs-and-initiatives/see-canada-grant

BioBlitz: https://uwaterloo.ca/sustainability/events/bioblitz

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/bioblitz-tickets-666920054837

Campus Wellness https://uwaterloo.ca/campus-wellness/

Employee and Family Assistance Program https://uwaterloo.ca/employee-assistance-program/

Here 24/7 https://here247.ca/

Good2Talk https://good2talk.ca/

Talk Suicide Canada https://talksuicide.ca/

Empower Me https://studentcare.ca/rte/en/IHaveAPlan_WUSA_EmpowerMe_EmpowerMe

IMPACT https://cmhaww.ca/programs/impact-integrated-mobile-police-and-crisis-team/