Help Shape the Future with Plan 2015!

With Vision 2010 concluding this year, it is time that the Faculty create a new set of goals to achieve over the next 5 years. As some of you may know, Vision 2010 had a focus on improving graduate level programs in our Faculty. This time around the Dean’s Office would like to focus on improving undergraduate studies, which is great news! This new set of goals has been codenamed “Plan 2015” for now. This creates a great opportunity for undergrad students to make things better for the future of Waterloo Undergraduate Engineering. This is why I am writing to you, so that with your feedback your student representatives can tell the Dean’s Office what they think needs to be prioritized. Don’t be mistaken, this proposal will be taken seriously, and the Faculty administration is very eager to hear what we think! With that said, the rest of this article will focus on our submission (How and What).
In preparation of this submission, I have collaborated with all EngSoc Executive and other students to brainstorm a list of goals. I am asking for your feedback on these goals as well as your input on what the Faculty’s priority should be on accomplishing them. These are the items that I am asking you to assign priorities to (see below on how to do that):
• Improve Professor Teaching Skills (Communication, Presentation, etc…)
• Improve TA Teaching Skills (Communication, Presentation, etc…)
• Increase the amount of study space (Group and/or Individual)
• Increase the amount of classroom space (to alleviate scheduling problems)
• Increase the amount of student space (to enable groups like EngSoc/FOC/IW to improve the services they offer and create new ones)
• Improve/Revamp the IT Infrastructure used by the faculty (Nexus, Engmail, UW ACE)
• Expand counselling services to better serve student needs
• Modernize the labs used by undergraduate students
• Increased awareness of scholarships offered after first year
• Grow the Faculty endowment
If you feel that there is an item missing from this list that should be a priority, please be sure to include it when you fill out the feedback form on the EngSoc website. Just go to engsoc.ca, log in, and click the link on the homepage to go to the form. On this form you will be asked to assign a priority to each of the items listed above.
In preparation of the submission I will be spearheading a campaign asking students to give their input. It is very important to me that I get feedback from as many students as possible so that as many students as possible are properly represented. I will ensure that as much advertising as possible is done. I will also ensure that the off-stream members (B-Soc) have the same chance to give feedback as the members on-campus right now. I will do my best to get an email sent to all undergrad students, though if this is not possible I will have to rely on mailing lists I have access to. I plan for there to be discussion at the EngSoc Meeting on Oct. 13th to allow face to face feedback as well. I encourage students who are passionate to write individual feedback submissions to me, though I ask that they are submitted by Oct. 15th.
Thanks for taking the time to read this article, I hope that you can pass along this information and encourage others to submit feedback! If you have any questions please let me know (asoc_vpedu@engmail.uwaterloo.ca)! This input will help shape what the Faculty does over the next 5 years – let’s make the future better together!
Just to remind you, go to http://engsoc.uwaterloo.ca/plan2015 to submit your feedback. Please make sure you’re logged in or you won’t be able to fill out the form!