Governors approve Strategic Plan

It's official.

The university's Board of Governors has put their stamp of approval on "A Distinguished Past - A Distinctive Future," the University of Waterloo's strategic plan.

Building on the institution's foundational strengths, the overarching goal for the next five years is for the University of Waterloo "to be recognized as one of the top innovation universities in the world."

The hallmarks of Waterloo's contribution to higher learning over the course of the plan's five-year lifespan include "experiential education for all in a uniquely entrepreneurial university environment" and the commitment to allocate current resources and align future resources to support transformational areas of research where Waterloo has the greatest potential for world leadership, "including quantum science, water and aging."

Waterloo will "build this dynamic future on a foundation of excellent academic programming, global prominence, vibrant student experience, robust employer-staff relationship and a sound value system."

Among the plan's goals:

• Solidifying Waterloo’s global leadership in all forms of entrepreneurship education and practice;
• Being the world-leading university in co-op education and other forms of experiential and work-integrated learning;
• Increasing the worldwide impact and recognition of University of Waterloo research;
• Offering leading-edge, dynamic academic programs;
• Being a leading provider of technology-enabled learning opportunities;
• Becoming one of the most internationalized universities in Canada;
• Ensuring that students have an engaging, purposeful and relevant experience;
• Being an exemplary employer; and
• Promoting a sound value system through:
  • enhancing the well-being of students, faculty and staff;
  • promoting integrity as a core value of the campus community; and
  • providing an equitable and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff

The approved plan follows a broad-based Mid-cycle Review consultation that included 40 meetings with over 60 groups of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community leaders, an online survey with more than 2290 responses, and discussions among 75 stakeholder group representatives, followed by a Board of Governors retreat and a review of Key Performance Indicators by university vice-presidents. Following that, Institutional Analysis & Planning met with Faculties and academic support units to identify actions to support the goals.

The Strategic Plan Working Group then crafted a draft plan, which was reviewed by stakeholders and the university's Executive Council. The draft plan was also the subject of two Town Hall meetings in May. Since then, the plan has received the endorsement of the Senate Long Range Planning Committee and the approval of the university's Senate.

What's next? "Now, we have to implement it," says Geoff McBoyle, vice-president, academic & provost. Work will commence on the accountability framework, which will complete the plan. McBoyle has been asked to chair a steering committee, supported by Institutional Analysis & Planning, to do just that by appointing a leader from the university community for each key theme in the plan. These leaders, and the subcommittees of content experts they will chair, will begin their work this Fall. Monitoring and reporting frameworks, and quantitative and qualitative indicators will be developed and validated by the steering committee by January 2014, with the Board of Governors receiving a progress report at its meeting in February 2014, after which the theme leaders and their groups will take actions to implement the plan and move towards success.

Progress will be reported on annually to the Board of Governors, the Senate, and the university community.

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Grads can slap on a sticker to win a prize

A message from the Office of Alumni Affairs.

Are you a proud Waterloo alumnus now working on campus? Well, with first-year students arriving during Orientation Week to begin an exciting phase in their lives, it’s time to share your Waterloo pride.

To show these future alumni your university pride, wear a “glad to be a grad” sticker which will be mailed to you this week, each day from September 3-6. To share and spread your pride, be sure to pass along the “glad to be a future grad” stickers to our newest students.

Also part of this initiative, Alumni Affairs staff will be scouting and taking pictures of people wearing their “glad to be grad” stickers across campus to be featured on the alumni Facebook page or Twitter account using #uWOWalum.

If you are one of the lucky people to get spotted, your name will be entered into a draw at the end of the week for a chance to win a $100 gift card from Future Shop. Take and post your own pictures of yourself or others wearing the sticker to participate in this great contest as well, using #uWOWalum.

Thank you for helping welcome our future alumni to campus and showing your alumni pride. Don’t miss this fun way to share your Waterloo pride!

To request additional stickers, please email echuxley@uwaterloo.ca or phone ext. 36225.

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No parking on the dance floor at Conrad Grebel

Conrad Grebel University College’s parking lot will be closed to visitors beginning Monday, September 9 from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, Monday to Friday to provide room for the high volume of tradespeople working on the construction site.

“Visitor” is defined as anyone who does not have a Grebel parking permit or who is not an invited guest. Guests are invited to pick up parking passes at the front office, as are visitors to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario, which is located at Conrad Grebel.

The pay machine will not accept payments between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. during the week, and “no parking” signs will be posted.

Visitors to Conrad Grebel University College will be able to use the parking lots at nearby St. Paul’s, Renison, and St. Jerome’s.

Paid parking will be available between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and parking will remain free after 7:30 p.m. and on weekends.

It is anticipated that the lot will be closed to visitors for the Fall term.

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