Question: I have heard rumours that the university wants to shut Edcom down. Is this true?
No, this rumour is not true. I do not think the university is trying to “shut down” Edcom. However, members of the senior administration have expressed concern about the dress and behaviour of Edcom, which they feel could intimidate first-year students.
Edcom is a valued tradition within our faculty. During orientation week, these carefully selected and trained student volunteers are some of the hardest workers on campus. They are responsible for the complete setup and dismantling of engineering events, providing security for events across campus and ensuring first year students stay safe.
The Engineering FOC leaders have been working with the faculty’s Student Relations Officer and orientation advisor, Meg Bauman, to create guidelines for Edcom to ensure orientation runs smoothly. The document outlines the purpose of Edcom, which will help all involved in planning orientation week understand the value of this role.
I have assured the senior administration of the university that we will continue to work with our Engineering FOC leaders to ensure all first year students have a fun orientation week, safe and free from intimidation.
If you have a question you’d like Dean Sedra to answer please submit your questions to Meg Bauman, SRO mebauman@uwaterloo.ca.
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