The Campus Campaign for United Way will run March 27 to 31, raising funds for the charity’s work to support Windsor-Essex children and youth from the time they’re born until they find a career.

The effort will kick off Monday, March 27, with a flag-raising ceremony outside Chrysler Hall Tower at 10 a.m. In addition to free coffee and doughnuts, faculty and staff in attendance will be eligible to enter a draw for an extra vacation day.

The incentives continue all week: a table in the CAW Student Centre Commons offers multiple ways to win. Buying a campaign T-shirt or ballcap for $20 will earn students as well as employees a ballot in a draw for an eight-month campus parking pass. Volunteers are raffling off Apple AirPod headphones, personal training sessions at the Toldo Lancer Centre, and a prize package full of UWindsor apparel and swag. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20, with payment accepted by cash or card. The table will be staffed 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the campaign period, March 27 to 30.

UWindsor employes will receive an email inviting them to donate to United Way, either as a one-time contribution or by payroll deduction. All donors new or continuous will be eligible for a draw for an additional day’s vacation.

On Wednesday, March 29, Women United will hold a lunch-and-learn session on campus sponsored by Unifor Local 2458.

On Thursday, March 30, a luncheon by donation for students, staff, and faculty and promises vegetarian chili with the fixings: sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese, and a roll and butter, in the Student Courtyard from 11:30 a.m. while supplies last.

To close the campaign on Friday, a wrap event will see the lowering of the United Way flag, again at 10 a.m. outside the west side of Chrysler Hall Tower. Coffee, tea, and doughnuts will be served. Faculty and staff in attendance will be eligible can enter a draw for an extra vacation day, and the draw for prizes will take place there: the three raffle prizes, the parking pass, and two separate vacation days.

This Saturday, March 25, join Bob Fazecash and the University Jazz Ensemble for a one-hour concert and then two more dance sets featuring favourite jazz and pop tunes.

The cabaret kicks off at 7:30 p.m. in the student centre’s Alumni Auditorium.

Admission is $20 with a $10 student rate and includes a late-night buffet and a bar (pay by debit or credit card, no cash). This event promises a fun night of cabaret-style music and seating. Order your tickets today and shine your dancing shoes.

Find program details and ticket information on the Jazz Cabaret event page.

Year-end concerts planned for next weekend include the University Wind Ensemble on April 1 and the University Singers on April 2, both at the Capitol Theatre.

In addition to the large ensemble concerts, several student recitals are set for the SoCA Armouries’ Performance Hall. All are free and open to the public to attend; find a complete schedule here.

—Susan McKee

The University of Windsor is rubbing elbows with Division 1 schools in the United States in winning an international award for its Toldo Lancer Centre.

The National Intramural and Recreation Sport Association (NIRSA) has named the centre winner of its 2023 Outstanding Facility Award. Other winners who have also expanded their recreational facility offerings in the past year include Texas A&M, the University of Minnesota, San Diego State, Old Dominion, Florida Gulf Coast, and the University of Massachusetts.

“The overall impact of this project alone provides it as a strong contender for the award,” said the committee that chose the University of Windsor as the only Canadian winner of the 2023 award. “In addition to the overall design of a facility, it should greatly impact the student experience. The Toldo Lancer Centre exceeds expectations within both categories.”

NIRSA represents some of the largest universities and colleges in the United States. Canada has regional representation on the association. Its award for outstanding facility recognizes excellence in architectural design, functionality, and how well the facility meets its intended purpose. NIRSA says winning facilities exemplify their institutions’ commitment to providing a higher-education experience valued by students.

“The Toldo Lancer Centre would not be a reality if it weren’t for the generous $55 million contribution by our students,” said UWindsor president Robert Gordon. “This is the largest-ever contribution by students to any Canadian university, so the accolades this building is receiving is as much a testament to their dedication as it is to ours as an institution.”

The Toldo Lancer Centre opened last July. The $73 million building involved an overhaul of existing facilities and added 119,000 square feet of new space. In addition to being home to the Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse, the Toldo Lancer Centre includes a 25-metre pool that is fully accessible, a suspended track overlooking a new triple gymnasium, a fitness centre that spans two floors, and multipurpose rooms that include a spin studio and a martial arts studio.

Architect Craig Goodman, principal with CS&P Architects which designed the building, called the Toldo Lancer Centre a “beacon.”

“Our design offers this quality physically, but the essence of a beacon indicates how this project was conceived and executed by so many. Each step of the process was guided by the focus to have a destination and home for all students and the university community,” Goodman said.

“It has been an honour to work with the broader university community to achieve this wonderful international recognition.”

The award will be presented at the NIRSA annual conference taking place in Pittsburgh through Sunday.

‑—Sarah Sacheli

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID) Week will conclude today with a diverse range of events.

In an online session at noon, Ash O’Neil, Joyceln Lorito, and Anne Rudzinski will consider the efforts of the Thriving on Campus campaign a just, equitable, and inclusive environment for all. Register to attend “Helping the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community Thrive” on MS Teams.

Migrant workers form the backbone of Canada’s agricultural industry, usually hired through temporary contracts with no direct route to permanent residency. Researchers surveyed health-care professionals in Windsor-Essex to discover barriers faced by practitioners and potential avenues of policy change to better support care for these workers. Aya El-Hashemi will present on “Migrant Worker Health Care in Windsor-Essex County” at 3 p.m. Register to attend on MS Teams.

“Trivia Night with the Black Leadership and Excellence Program” promises a fun game night activity for students to engage with relevant topics: historical figures, Black hair, famous musicians and athletes, and facts surrounding African and Caribbean countries. Join quizmasters Brittney Ketwaroo, Confidence Norkplim Donkor, and Christy Chizinga at 7 p.m. in Katzman Lounge, Vanier Hall. Register here to compete for prizes.

March 25 is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. In a message issued to mark the occasion, Clinton Beckford, UWindsor acting vice-president for equity, diversity, and inclusion, called on institutions of higher learning to reflect on the intergenerational legacy of the Transatlantic slave system in the context of access to equitable and inclusive educational opportunities.

“Slavery and the trafficking of Africans have had a devastating impact on and altered the trajectory of Black people,” he wrote. “Those impacts reverberate today and are tied to economic marginalization, mass incarceration, and police violence and brutality against Black people.”

Read the entire message.

The Hire UWindsor campaign will help connect employers with the knowledge, expertise, and professional commitment of the University’s graduates, president Robert Gordon said Wednesday at an event to launch the program.

“Whether a distinguished senior leader or a new graduate, University of Windsor alumni can be found giving back, ascending the ranks, and helping to build a vibrant community,” he said. “Our faculty and staff are committed to enhancing the talent pipeline to industry.”

The University of Windsor Alumni Association, Co-operative Education and Workplace Partnerships, and Career Development and Experiential Learning are recruiting organizations to register as Hire UWindsor partners.

Representatives of Vista, Valiant TMS, and TD Bank Group were on hand to share stories of their success partnering with the University of Windsor as part of their recruitment strategies.

Geraldine Ymana (BComm 2010), an early talent acquisition specialist for TD Bank Group, expressed excitement at the prospect of tapping into the source of employees.

“The students here are so well-rounded and have been able to really make an impact on our organization,” she said, noting the experiential learning opportunities afforded students in professional programs.

Mike Van Nie (BA 1999), senior human resources manager for Valiant TMS, said the advantages of partnering with the University are invaluable to his company.

“As Valiant TMS has successfully made the transition from a local tooling supplier for the automotive and aerospace industries to a global automation solutions provider, the University of Windsor has been a key partner in supplying the talent needed to make this happen,” he said.

Van Nie listed engineering, accounting, human resources, sales, and marketing as departments that have hired UWindsor alumni.

“It’s great to see the region learning to harness our home-grown talent in developing economic opportunities — especially for those who want to stay,” he said.

Learn more about the Hire UWindsor program at uwindsor.ca/hireuwindsor.

In response to the recent earthquake that ravaged parts of Turkey and Syria, science students are raising funds for earthquake relief with a bake sale on Monday, March 27.

Irem Simsek is part of the team leading the fundraising event. Originally from Adana, Turkey, she is a Master’s student in the lab of associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, John Trant.

“Cities no longer exist. Millions of people were in that area. It is devastating,” says Simsek.

Sedat Karabulut is a post-doctoral researcher in the lab of James Gauld, head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Sedat’s hometown of Adiyaman, Turkey, was devastated by the earthquake. He lost his mother as well as other family members.

“I am far from my hometown, and I want to do something for the people who are suffering,” says Karabulut. “There are multiple issues like disease, lack of hygiene, weather conditions, and mental health concerns, especially for children.”

Dr. Trant applauds the students taking the initiative to raise support for victims of the earthquake.

“They’re feeling lonely, they’re far away from their families and this has crushed them,” says Trant. “I encourage the campus community to donate and get involved themselves because we have members of those communities here in our community, and we want to show our support for them. They are our community.”

The bake sale will take place from noon to 3 p.m. in the science student lounge located in room 250, Essex Hall. All proceeds will be split evenly between the Turkish NGO Ahbap which is operating in the area for emergency relief and the Canadian Red Cross which is partnering with the Syrian and Turkish Red Crescent societies to provide on the ground relief. The Faculty of Science’s Sci of Relief group will also be on hand to provide support.

Members of the University of Windsor Enactus team, along with teams from across Central Canada, visited Mississauga to present their community outreach projects and business ventures to a judging panel of business leaders.

Enactus is a student leadership organization with a focus on using business to address social issues.

A Windsor team won a second-place spot as regional runner-up in the Scotiabank Climate Change Challenge for its Mycolite Project, which uses a product named mycelium to replace plastic packaging.

“The product can be moulded for several uses including to package produce,” says faculty adviser Kent Walker, an Odette School of Business professor. “The experience itself was incredible and one that all participating students will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Participating students included Ian Trepanier, Nathaniel Pozzuoli, Elizabeth Spiridon, Erley Lafleur, Deema Boji, Brigitte Kok, Hemakshi Jani, Hansika Khokhar, and Rania Bal.

This is a stepping stone for many more wins to come says Khokhar, executive assistant and VP events and logistics for the Enactus Windsor team: “It was an amazing learning experience for the entire Enactus Windsor team and myself. We are working on the feedback received from this competition and implementing those ideas in Enactus nationals.”

The team will travel to Montreal in May for the Enactus Canada National Exposition, with the aim of winning and advancing to the Enactus World Cup in Utrecht, Netherlands.

The research finance department advises researchers and financial constituents that all Tri-Council Research Grants (NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR) and numerous other research grants require financial reporting by March 31.

Due to this reporting date, the usual UWinsite Finance general ledger closing date will be changed to accommodate the requirement for accuracy.

Accordingly, be sure to make the necessary arrangements to ensure that all financial transactions — purchase receipts, expense reports, journal entries, invoice requests — for charges and services related to projects covering the period ending March 31 are received for posting prior to the end of day April 11.

The department appreciates the additional effort that will be necessary to meet this financial reporting requirement. If you have any questions, feel free to contact resfinance@uwindsor.ca.