The first Senate meeting of the year occurred on Jan 18th. There weren’t too many decisions but there was lots of information, so I’m going to try and convey the most important points:
1) There is a new direction being taken on the issue of Orientation length. It includes an effort to start student orientation much earlier (i.e. in the summer, to get students prepared even before they are on campus) as well as continue the orientation/integration well after the first ‘O-Week.’ Overall, there is a very open discussion occurring to determine what will result in the best possible introduction and preparation of new UW students. The creation of a committee is being considered that would have representation from all University aspects (some include: counseling, student services, students, registrar’s office, etc.). The exact purpose of the committee hasn’t been stated, but it would probably work towards establishing the future of Orientation Week, how we can start earlier, continue later, and how best overall to make the process effective for students.
2) The creation of the next university budget is looking to be very difficult, as government funding levels are uncertain. In any case, the financial strains on the University are clear and the next budget will have to be very well thought out to make it balanced.
3) Applications to UW are down relative to applications to Ontario universities as a whole. No reason to panic, as there are still way more people applying than we could accept, but it does raise the question as to why. If this becomes a long term trend it will have fairly significant negative impacts on the university.
4) There is an acknowledged need to celebrate (in a broad way) teaching excellence. “We are what we celebrate,” so to encourage great teaching at this educational institution we must take pride in it and show how much it is truly valued.
Overall the vibe at Senate is quite inspiring, there’s a genuine desire to make UW constantly better.
The key to growth lies in the hands of each student who thinks, “this could be so much better IF….” Unlocking that positive change means that students need to share their thoughts with their peers, colleagues, professors, and other members of the university that have the ability to implement them. Acknowledging a weakness is the first step; acting on it is the leap.
Feel free to email me at senate@engmail.uwaterloo.ca. Good luck on midterms!
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