Convocation considerations

A message from Community Relations and Events.

A huge thank you to everyone who played a role in making spring convocation a memorable experience for close to 6,500 students and an estimated 25,000 guests.

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It takes about 90 staff and 160 volunteers from all across campus to deliver convocation! 40 percent of our volunteers who were first timers, and new volunteers for future ceremonies are always welcome. More information can be found online.

Faculty celebrated alongside our students; 165 faculty and special guests joined President Hamdullahpur, Provost Jim Rush, and Chancellor Dominic Barton in the Chancellor’s parties, and participated as mace bearers, hooders, graduand readers, and diploma presenters. Another 189 faculty took part in the academic processions throughout the week.

As part of convocation, 134 different awards were presented. Thank you to all faculty partners who assisted with the coordination of awards and valedictorians, and to those who hosted our honorary doctorate winners from around the world.

The collaboration behind the scenes to deliver a professional, seamless experience for convocation cannot be understated. Some of the many partners who each play a critical role in the convocation experience include:

The Registrar and the team in the Registrar’s office;

Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs;

Plant Operations;

AccessAbility Services;

Catering and Event Services;

Central Stores;

FEDS catering;

Health Services;

ITMS;

Parking Services;

Police Services;

Retail Services;

Secretariat and the Honorary Doctorate committee; and

Staff from the PAC and the Student Life Centre;

It is important to note that convocation is not just about the ceremonies. Convocation week is a time of deepening relationships with our newest alumni. If you have ever visited the Student Life Centre after a ceremony, you can appreciate the commitment of the Alumni team to hosting twelve receptions, selling frames and making sure that families enjoy their time on campus with their graduates. Social media also plays a key role for Alumni, as new alumni are welcomed to “the club”! Students and their families loved the Instagram-worthy photo activations created this year, as well!

For more information on convocation, including access to recordings of the 12 ceremonies later this week, please visit www.uwaterloo.ca/convocation; and visit our social media channels to revisit the smiles and celebrations at #UWaterlooGrad – we were even trending across Canada during some of the ceremonies.

If you participated in convocation and have feedback to share, we would love to hear from you! Please contact Colleen Fitzpatrick, Director, Convocation.

Community dialogue event aims to create change

In dramatic political climates it can be difficult to effect change. Join the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business for a Community Dialogue on Creating Effective Activism and Change on Tuesday, June 18 at 7:00 p.m. At the event, expert panelists will examine how involvement can transform a landscape and inspire others to action.

Speaking will be:

Anna Drake , Assistant Professor, Political Science;

Assistant Professor, Political Science; Fiqir Mequanent Worku , founder of RAISE (Racial Advocacy for Inclusion, Solidarity and Equity);

, founder of RAISE (Racial Advocacy for Inclusion, Solidarity and Equity); Heather Smyth , Professor, English Language and Literature; and

, Professor, English Language and Literature; and Shana MacDonald, Assistant Professor, Communication Arts.

Associate Professor Shannon Dea of Philosophy will be moderating the panel.

This is the second Community Dialogue lecture of 2019. The Community Dialogue series is put on in collaboration between the Stratford Public Library and the University of Waterloo Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business.

Senate meets today and other notes

The University's Senate meets today at 3:30 p.m. in NH 3407. As it is the last meeting before a summer break that resumes in September, the agenda is chock full of items for decision. Among them:

Motions to make academic plan changes in the Faculty of Mathematics including options in Computer Science and the Computing Option;

A motion to approve clarifications to the regulations around scheduled pauses such that public holidays and statutory holidays are included in the definition of scheduled pauses, and that the definition of reading week includes the weekends on both ends;

A motion to approve harmonized rules around the double counting of courses;

A motion from the Registrar's Office to approve a standardized approach for students who do not have the necessary prerequisite for a course to request permission from the instructor;

A motion to appoint Kareem Tarek Mostafa as the graduate student representative from the Faculty of Engineering to Senate Graduate & Research Council with a term ending April 30, 2021;

A motion receive proposed bylaw changes to bylaws 1, 2, and 4 in light of restructuring and title changes in the Office of Research, and the office of the Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs for second reading;

A motion to approve curricular modifications and adjustments to the length of the Master of Public Health (MPH), effective September 1, 2019

A motion to approve Graduate Studies Academic Calendar changes pertaining to add/drop regulations for graduate students, effective September 2019; and

A motion to approve the dissolution of the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact.

A number of senior administrators will deliver reports including the President, the Vice-President, Academic & Provost; and the Vice-President, University Research and International.

Pour out a double-double on the curb for the Tim Hortons in DC, as it is closing for renovations effective Thursday, June 20. "Currently, we are working hard on renovations in all of our Davis Centre locations to serve you better with wonderful new offerings due to open in September," says a note from Food Services. "Please visit CEIT Café in the EIT building, Starbucks in STC, and Tim Hortons and Brubakers in the SLC. For construction and renovation updates, follow us at @UWaterlooFood. Thank you for your patience and understanding!" The location will be closed for approximately 6 to 8 weeks.

The WatITis submission deadline is just 3 days away on Thursday, June 20. There is still an opportunity for you to contribute to this year’s conference as a speaker, panel participant or poster presenter. To participate, simply submit a brief synopsis of your topic or idea to the WatITis program committee at watitis2019@sharepoint.nexus.uwaterloo.ca.

"After 38 years of employment, 14,000 days, hundreds of problems solved, countless projects, lots of meetings, unforgettable friendships and everlasting memories," says a note from the Faculty of Environment, "the best is yet to come for one happy retiree." Friends and colleagues of Marko Dumancic are invited to a retirement celebration in his honour on Thursday, June 20 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Grad House. Dumancic is the director of Mapping, Analysis & Design (MAD) in the Faculty of Environment.

Speeches will begin at 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday is Spring Thrive Day. Thrive is a series of events focused on building positive mental health for University of Waterloo students, faculty, and staff. Thrive is also a mindset that encourages you to flourish. We all have mental health, and we can each strengthen our mental health by learning about it, thinking about it, talking about it, and discovering new skills and resources to help us Thrive all year long. Be sure to wear your Thrive t-shirts on Wednesday and take part in the series of Thrive events across campus.