Welcome to Waterloo Engineering and to your Orientation Week!
We are very pleased that you have chosen the University of Waterloo to pursue your post-secondary education. Once again we have attracted a bright and talented group of students to our first-year engineering programs. You should take pride in joining this faculty, where you’ll be in the company of top researchers and teachers, dedicated staff and motivated undergraduate and graduate students.
As you know, we are widely recognized as the premier engineering faculty in Canada, with an excellent co-operative education program. The success of our students – academically, on co-op terms and in their extracurricular pursuits – is a major contributor to our excellent reputation. The Student Design Centre in the new E5 building was built specifically to support students in pursuing their passions and interests. The result is a vibrant and involved student body, home to active student societies, award-winning student teams, the founding chapter of Engineers Without Borders and many other service organizations, as well as businesses, newspapers, clubs and bands.
Throughout Orientation Week you will develop a community of friends and classmates, find a place in your academic environment and start to think of Waterloo as home. You’ll learn about the many student services the university offers, as well as the abundance of extracurricular activities available.
You may feel overwhelmed at times this year, adjusting to new expectations for academic and workplace performance, learning the ins and outs of co-op, and choosing among all of the great opportunities available to you. Always remember that there is a strong support system available to you. The First-Year Office is an invaluable service, here to help with your transition by offering academic and personal counselling as well as tutor sessions and upper-year mentors. Your professors and teaching assistants are also tremendous resources, and senior-year students can provide great insight. There are many other services and resources available: all you have to do is choose to tap into them.
We recognize the importance of a vibrant student body and value the contributions our students make to the faculty, the university and the community. We encourage you to get involved with campus life. To help make your time at Waterloo the best possible Waterloo Engineering has a staff member dedicated to enriching your student experience. Meg Bauman is engineering’s Student Relations Officer and your contact in the Dean of Engineering Office. Be sure to get in touch with her to find out about activities in your area of interest, to provide feedback on Orientation Week or to share your Waterloo achievements. Meg can be reached at mebauman@uwaterloo.ca, ext.38306, CPH 4361.
Throughout the year please remember that our offices are always open, and we look forward to meeting and helping you. Enjoy your Orientation Week!
Best Wishes,
Adel S. Sedra
Dean, Faculty of Engineering
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