ALL SCHOOL MEETING

The All School Meeting, a “State of the Union” address given by director Rick Haldenby at the beginning of each term, is a chance to get caught up on what has been happening lately at Waterloo Architecture. Below is a summary of the announcements and issues raised at this term’s meeting, which took place on Thursday May 8th at 12:30.

 

FACULTY:

Undergraduate Officer _ Anne Bordeleau
Graduate Officers _ John McMinn, Robert Jan van Pelt
Sabbatical/Leave _ Lola Sheppard S13, Dereck Revington F13, Maya Przybylski
2B Studio Faculty Lead _ Anne Bordeleau
4B Studio Faculty Lead _ Andrew Levitt

 

STAFF:

There have been a number of changes to the staff at Waterloo Architecture over the past two terms. Below are the current Administrative Staff members and their job descriptions, as written on the current Waterloo Architecture website. For more information, including contact info/phone extension see https://uwaterloo.ca/architecture/about/people

Administrative Officer _ Mona Skuterud
This position is responsible for strategic planning and support, human resources administration, financial oversight management of facilities and equipment on a satellite campus, maintaining relationships with external organizations and other administrative functions required to support the teaching and research missions of the School of Architecture. The Administrative Officer is the senior administrative staff position in the department and provides continuity as academic leadership changes.

Resource Assistant _ Linda Rowe Moakler
Linda is the front line staff member in the administrative office, receiving visitors, corresponding with students and faculty members, answering the telephone and dealing with mail and deliveries. Responsibilties also include booking and coordinating events at the School. In addition, Linda administers the teaching evaluations, processes lab and studio fees, building keys, and assists with field trip coordination. Linda’s job is quite special, as the school is a very public facility attracting a great deal of attention and a tremendous number of requests for information, space and service.

Academic Administrative Manager _ Bianca Rau
The Administrative Manager regulates the operation of the Main Office to ensure the Waterloo Architecture Cambridge community has every available resource at hand. Although not directly involved with student programmes, Bianca actively supports the Student Services Coordinators, the Resource Assistant, faculty members, and all other support staff in administration of their responsibilities at the School.

Undergraduate Student Services Coordinator _ Emily Stafford, while Donna Woolcott is on leave.
The Undergraduate Student Services Co-ordinator is responsible for the undergraduate student community body in all aspects of the programme. Questions pertaining to any undergraduate issues can be referred to Emily for an answer, resource, referral to the correct person to answer a question, or assistance in resolving the concern. You may recognize Emily from any recruiting or admissions event you attended, as Emily is also responsible for these areas of the undergraduate programme.

Coordinator of Graduate Studies and Research _ Emily Stafford
The Graduate Student Services Co-ordinator assists graduate students throughout their academic and research endeavours and acts as a resource and liaison with other UW departments. He/she will do everything to guide and encourage graduate students, ensuring a smooth and timely move toward their thesis defence.

Graphics, Exhibitions, and Marketing Manager _ No longer a position at Waterloo Architecture

Heinz Koller and Dan Jessel continue to run the Fabrication Labs, while Matthew Oliver, Fred Hunsberger and Amy Townsend run ACM.

 

CO-OP:

The student performance evaluation form has changed – employers now fill out the form online.
IMPORTANT DATES:
June 22nd – First post opens
July 5th – Toronto Interview Day
July 8th & 9th – Cambridge Interview Day

 

STUDENT INITIATIVES:

For the second term, the student initiatives, including the student governments WASA and SWAG, BRIDGE, F_RMlab, Mole, The Film Club, the Photography Collective, and the Lecture Series, used a paper ballot system to gauge student interest.

Those students who indicated they were interested in each initiative will be contacted soon. To anyone who missed the ballot, please email bridge@waterlooarchitecture.com with your preferences!

 

ROME EXPANSION:

The Rome Program, run successfully by the School of Architecture for 35 years, is currently the only international presence of the University of Waterloo. After a series of negotiations during the past term, the University of Waterloo will be taking on the lease for the current studio space and the studio located directly above. Both these spaces will also undergo renovation. The former Prix de Rome studio will be returned to the landlord (it may be turned into student apartments). During the fall term, the 4A class will have use of both studio floors, about a 30% increase in space. In the winter term, the upstairs studio will be used for graduate programs, both in architecture and in other disciplines, while the current studio will continue to be subleased to the Pratt Institute. In the spring term, students in the Faculties of Arts and Math will have the opportunity to take classes in Rome.

The money for the studio, which came from differential tuition (the added cost of going to Architecture School), will likely be directed to a technology and facilities renewal fund for the building here in Cambridge.

 

LECTURE SERIES:

The lecture series for the Fall 2013 / Winter 2014 terms, directed by Donald McKay, will be thematically based on transit infrastructure. In addition to the Arriscraft funding for the series, Metrolinks and the Region of Waterloo have also contributed funding.

Also, the Lecture Hall projection and recording system was completely retrofitted over the last week of April between Winter and Spring terms. In addition to two new projectors, there is also a new mic system and a follow camera – meaning better presentation coordination and recording.

 

ALSO:

The rare North House Grand Opening and New Donor Recognition is scheduled for June 6th 2013. More information should follow.

The official offer for the directorship of Waterloo Architecture has been made to Ila Berman.

Funding for an addition to the Cambridge Campus, a proposed four-storey building to the south of the current School of Architecture in the first two parking bays, is currently being sourced. The new building would hold two new programs: a professional engineering degree in Architectural Engineering (6 terms on Main Campus, 2 terms in Cambridge), and a completely new program in integrated design, focusing on design for contemporary industry. The building would have a large scale, double height fabrication space.