Hello hello!
Time flies and we are on our last Iron Warrior exec updates for the term! Without further ado, I will be splitting this update into 2 parts – the first discussing what’s new, and the second recapping what I’ve achieved in my VP role this term and what’s left to do in the Spring.
What’s New – Recent Meetings, Teaching Award and Raffles!
I attended a Cooperative Education Council meeting on November 18. The main item of interest was the discussion of potentially changing the $650 co-op fee to be weighted based on experience. Right now, everyone pays the same fee regardless of year. Co-op is mandatory within Engineering, but in other faculties, the university is noticing upper-year students dropping out of the co-op program, likely on the basis that students by 4th year have the connections to arrange employment outside of Jobmine without paying any fee. The fee as it is goes towards Jobmine and CECA services such as resume critiques and drop-in appointments. The rationale behind varying the fees is that junior students utilize those services more – but, the main point against it is that newer students with fewer accumulated co-ops are also less able to afford an increased fee as a whole. This is purely in the brainstorm phase right now, and no further action will take place until the Winter.
Winter employment was 59.0% as of November 12 (university-wide). WaterlooWorks development experienced minor delays, but remains slowly moving forward to a Winter 2017 launch. WatPD will be moving toward a course rotation system, where PD electives will be offered systematically 2 out of 3 terms a year, instead of all 3 terms, to save on operational costs based on enrollment numbers. This should not affect anyone significantly as all the courses will be offered on a fixed schedule and students can plan ahead. PD 11 (Technical Writing) and 12 (Reflection in the Workplace) will be launched in the Winter.
FEDS-wise, if you have any opinions regarding whether Final Exam Schedules are currently released too early or too late in the term, please feel free to let me know as it is a current item of discussion. Schedules released earlier have more potential conflicts, while schedules released later reduce conflicts but also reduce planning time for students.
Finally, I’d like to congratulate the following 3 people: Professor Vincent Gaudet from the ECE Department for winning this term’s EngSoc Teaching Excellence Award, and Dilan Badshah (Civil 2017) and Joel Ruhland (Tron 2020) for winning the first Exam Bank raffle! Thank you to everyone who submitted exams. We will be raffling away 2 more $25 Cineplex gift cards before the end of term, so please keep the submissions coming!
Term Recap
I campaigned on 3 major improvements in the winter: the Exam Bank, PD and communication. Exam Bank-wise, my director and I have created and promoted the first incentive program, and this is something that will be continued into the Winter and Spring. We are also pursuing improvements to the submission process and interface; this, too, will continue in the Spring.
In terms of PD, I wrote an article to increase transparency between students and the WatPD program, based on interviewed information from program directors. You can read it at engsoc.ca, and I will be continuing to represent you at committee meetings and trying to keep content directors accountable.
Communication is what I am doing now, in the Iron Warrior, Council and weekly emails, and what I will continue to do in the Spring. It doesn’t make any sense to attend things on behalf of students when students don’t know what I’m doing, so that’s the whole logic behind the thing.
I will be trying something new in the Spring – creating a “co-op contact directory” service on the website, as a reference for engineering students who have been matched with a job and are looking for students who have had that job before to reach out to. Super preliminary right now, but look out for it, and if you want to help, definitely apply to the co-op directory directorship at engsoc.ca!
Thank you! As always, feel free to contact me at vpeducation.b@engsoc.uwaterloo.ca, on-term or during co-op, I’m happy to hear from you. If I don’t see you until then, good luck on exams, enjoy your holidays and have a fantastic co-op!
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