Questions: How was the decision made to suspend the Formula Team in April? Why was the entire team suspended?
Let me assure you that this decision was not taken lightly. Waterloo Engineering places tremendous value on all of its student teams and the remarkable work they do. I also want to clarify that, although the word “suspend” has been used to describe the decision to withdraw the team’s access to space, none of the team members have been penalized academically. Furthermore, co-op students and student projects received credit for their work during the term.
This decision resulted from use of the centre’s space for a personal photo shoot which was not intended to promote the team, its vehicle or the student design centre. The photo shoot was brought to the Faculty’s attention by students who saw the photos being taken and were uncomfortable. We subsequently learned that the photos were part of a student’s application to appear in a calendar published by an external organization which donates 10 per cent of its profits to charity.
Use of the student design centre is a privilege enjoyed by less than five per cent of our 6,000+ undergraduate students. The space provided to teams is intended to be used to complement the learning experiences students receive in class and on work terms. In return, the team is expected to use the space within specific guidelines and for student project-related purposes only.
Waterloo Engineering is committed to creating a learning environment that is comfortable for all its students. In this situation, university facilities and property were used to take photos which, when placed in the context of a university engineering student lab, make some members of our community uncomfortable. The Faculty did not make this decision as a means to limit or judge what our students wear on campus or in photos, or how they express themselves.
Waterloo’s student teams are student-organized and self-governing, with responsibilities and accountabilities shared by all team members. Access to the student design centre is provided to the team, as a team. Therefore the decision was to withdraw the team’s access to its space in the student design centre until June 1.
I want to again take this opportunity to commend the Formula SAE team members for demonstrating professionalism and maturity in this situation. They have accepted the withdrawal of access to their space in the student design centre and are now focusing their attention on moving forward.
If you have a question you’d like Dean Sedra to answer please submit your questions to Meg Bauman, SRO mebauman@uwaterloo.ca.
Leave a Reply