Like a boss: Theoretical physicist and science rock star Stephen Hawking was a special guest at Friday's opening of the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, and took time after the ribbon-cutting ceremony to meet the considerable crowd of excited students that had amassed outside the front entrance of the new centre.

"I am getting to know Waterloo well and it is clear to me that this place is special," said Professor Hawking in his remarks to the audience. "It is special for many reasons, including its collaborative culture; its research excellence; its philanthropic visionaries; and its leadership in post-secondary education. The Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum Nano Centre showcases each of these qualities, in the context of this building’s architectural genius."

Hawking was in Waterloo on a research visit to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.

The Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre has its public open house on Saturday, September 29.

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Creating an inclusive campus: what's your role?

A message from Organizational and Human Development (OHD).

How might you create a work environment in which all employees, students and community members are respected and valued – and included?  One of the first steps is to recognize that difference and diversity does not guarantee inclusion and some ‘differences’ have the potential for misunderstandings, difficulties, conflict, assumptions, biases…and ultimately missed opportunities.

The University of Waterloo’s Principles of Inclusivity present the ideals in which each of us can model unconditional respect for each individual regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, social class, sexual orientation, ability, and all of the other characteristics that are ‘different’ yet make us who we are.

Organizational & Human Development has developed seven workshops to explore inclusivity and provide practical suggestions for promoting and practicing inclusivity. The workshops challenge participants to question personal assumptions, enhance self-awareness, and develop an action plan to reinforce and champion inclusivity in their daily lives.

Participants need to enroll in “The Principles of Inclusivity” (OHD502) first as it is a prerequisite course for all other sessions. This term we have two offerings of OHD502:

• Thursday October 11^th 8:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. or
  
• Tuesday November 13^th 8:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

After completing the intro workshop, participants can enroll in the other specialized Inclusivity sessions. These may be completed in any order and at your own pace.

These sessions include:

• Understanding Inclusivity (OHD503)  Oct 25 | 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  
• Accessible Communities (OHD507)  Nov 1 | 8:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
  
• Generational Inclusivity (OHD505)  Nov 8 | 8:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
  
• Sexual Orientation & Gender ID (OHD506)  Nov 15 | 8:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
  
• Inclusive Communication (OHD504)  Nov 22 | 8:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
  

The final offering is the Inclusivity Capstone (OHD508). The capstone session builds on the knowledge, skills and experiences gained through the six Principles of Inclusivity workshops. Participants will have the opportunity to integrate and apply learning from the previous sessions. This session is offered:

Inclusivity Capstone (OHD508) Nov 29 | 8:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Participants receive an Inclusivity e-Certificate upon completion of the seven inclusivity modules.   

Details on how to enroll can be found on the OHD website.  We would be happy to provide customized sessions for departments. Please contact OHD with any questions.

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Waterloo set to impress at universities' fair

Waterloo will have a big presence at the Ontario Universities' Fair in Toronto this weekend, where thousands of next fall’s first-year students will form their first impression of the university.

The fair, running Friday to Sunday in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, is the largest post-secondary fair in North America, with more than 120,000 visitors last year and at least as many anticipated for 2012.

Says Sue Brubacher of the marketing and undergraduate recruitment office: “About 500 Waterloo staff, faculty, and students are involved in this year’s plans to welcome prospective undergraduate students from the Greater Toronto Area and their families to Waterloo’s new booth (above).

“The booth was the product of the impressive and ground-breaking collaboration of a number of areas on campus along with the talents of our students and graduates. Designed by recent architecture grads Diana Zepf and Steve Burrows, it is intended to be a physical representation of both our campus and our reputation as Canada’s most innovative university. Colours, fonts, and, indeed, the evolution of the booth itself are strong representations of our new brand and visual identity.”

She says visitors are greeted by a customer service team stationed around the perimeter, symbolizing the ring road, and colour-coded interior “pavilions” house representatives of the faculties, the university colleges, and campus life. “The signage and matching T-shirts worn by the boothers have proven to be an effective tool for helping visitors locate the people who can answer their questions.

“The corner towers also assist with wayfinding by displaying Christie MicroTiles, programmed by Terry Sin and Jamie Usas, Waterloo architecture students, with colour-coded video images to identify the faculties and university colleges.”

Says Brubacher: “Our successful participation in the OUF — one of the largest annual undergraduate recruitment events — would not be possible without the enormous effort contributed by the many Waterloo people involved.”

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Tuesday's notes

That sound you may have heard on the weekend was that of an 11-game losing streak being broken as the Waterloo Warriors football team defeated the York Lions 23-22 at York Stadium on Saturday. This was the football team's first win since October 2009.

“It's a great day for Waterloo football,” commented Waterloo head coach Joe Paopao. “I think we can all now look forward to a positive future for the program. We did what we had for the win today and I couldn't be more proud of each guy in that locker room.”

A detailed description of the game can be found on the Athletics webpage. Congratulations, Warriors!

Full-time and part-time university support staff have been invited to a question and answer session about the proposed revisions to Policy 18. The drop in session is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. today in DWE 3522A and should run until 1:30 p.m. For those unable to attend, feedback may be sent to Karen Jack, Secretariat, Needles Hall until noon, Monday, October 1, 2012. The draft policy and its draft appendices can be found on the Secretariat's website.

University of Waterloo women staff, grads, post-docs and faculty are cordially invited to attend the next Waterloo Women's Wednesday (W3) to be held on Wednesday, September 26 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Grad House. "W3 is an informal monthly drop-in social and networking event," writes Shannon Dea. "Some participants come to every meeting; others come once a term. Some come for the full two hours. Some drop in for a few minutes. Choose what works for you!"

"Typically, we mingle for the first hour and then convene for a group discussion around 5:00. Since this is the first meeting of the new school year, we will devote the group discussion time to welcoming newcomers and planning the term ahead. In particular, we are looking for event suggestions, W3 coordinators from the respective stakeholder groups, and advice on launching a lunchtime W3 series. Please join us!"

If you wish to be added to the W3 email list, you can subscribe online. If you have questions about W3, please send them to Shannon Dea.

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