Webinars, online information booths, and a networking cyberspace will greet visitors to the UWindsor Virtual Spring Open House on Saturday, March 6.

The event will showcase the University’s academic programs, student services, clubs and associations through live, pre-recorded, and panel discussions. It is aimed at applicants — including those who have already accepted admission — and prospective students. New for this event, a team from the Office of the Registrar will be on-hand to assist admitted students with accepting their offer.

“We will be welcoming visitors from around the world to connect with professors and current students, ask questions through a chat function, watch presentations in our virtual auditorium, and tour the campus from wherever they may be,” says Chris Busch, associate vice-president for enrolment management.

He is especially enthusiastic about the Lancer Lounge, a virtual meeting space for social interaction.

“It’s a guest favourite,” Dr. Busch says. “We’ll be offering quizzes, challenges, and a chance to connect with other new students.”

Guests will also have opportunities to win prizes, including a draw for free fall tuition.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Find more details and a link to register at uwindsor.ca/openhouse.

This month, second-year law student Roxana Jahani Aval is applying her Human Dignity course learnings to the world of podcasts.

Chair of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities and past chair for the National Educational Association of Disabled Students, Jahani Aval has worked closely with professor Reem Bahdi and the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice (CIAJ) to host a three-part podcast series on human dignity: In All Fairness. The CIAJ channel features representatives from the legal community and explores ways we can contribute to improving the administration of justice in Canada.

Part one of the podcast, released Feb. 11, features Jahani Aval as the host as she discusses the constitution, definition, and context of human dignity in an interview with associate dean (research and graduate studies) Laverne Jacobs.

In parts two and three, released Feb. 18 and 25 respectively, the podcast series looks at the current landscape of dignity in the judiciary, the impact of systemic discrimination and oppression on dying with dignity, as well as the current legislation and shortcomings of end-of-life ethics.

“Roxana’s produced an excellent resource that will benefit the legal community and advance our thinking about dignity and the law,” says Prof. Bahdi, who instructs Jahani Aval’s human dignity class and developed criteria to guide the podcast content. “She worked exceptionally hard and drew on her own experiences to illuminate our conversations in class.”

She adds that dignity is not just a legal doctrine: “It must also inform legal methods and assumptions about our relationships with each other. Roxana’s excellent work shows how and why that’s the case.”

In addition to her volunteer work and education, Jahani Aval is an artist, photographer, and active member of the Iranian community in Toronto. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue her legal career at the Crown attorney's office.

Listen to parts 1, 2, and 3 of the CIAJ In All Fairness: Dignity podcast on the CIAJ website.

—Rachelle Prince

The University community came together Feb. 25 for a virtual presentation honouring the 2020 recipients of Employee Recognition Awards. The program, co-ordinated by Human Resources, recognizes the outstanding contributions and dedication of employees to advancing the University’s mission.

Thursday’s event celebrated these honorees:

• Excellence in Leadership Award — James Yaworsky, review counsel, Community Legal Aid
• Excellence in Health and Safety Award — Michelle Bondy, learning specialist, Faculty of Science; and Research Safety Committee (view the list of team members)
• Impact Award (Individual) — Nargis Ismail, organic analysis lab co-ordinator, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research; and the Centre for Teaching and Learning and the Office of Open Learning (view the list of team members)
• Service Excellence Award (Individual) — Alison Samson, director of graduate academic services (retired), Faculty of Graduate Studies; and Nick Keren, systems analyst, Information Technology Services
• Service Excellence Award (the First Five Years of Employment) — Sarah Hebert, communications assistant in the Office of the Vice-President, Student Experience
• Service Excellence Award (Team) — Faculty of Education Pre-Service Team (view the list of team members)

The presentations highlighted the positive impact of the award recipients and their contributions; attendees expressed their congratulations through live chat.

Nargis Ismail, organic analysis lab co-ordinator in the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, was honoured with the Impact Award.

“This award recognizes my service and pushes me further toward excellence in the field,” she said.

Her nominator credited Dr. Ismail as the central force in transitioning the lab’s services to accommodate both pollutants and trace nutrient analysis.

“One of her main successes this past year has been the successful national accreditation for nutrient analysis through the Canadian Analytical Laboratory Association. This ensures that the lab can continue to pursue new contracts and research partnerships at the highest standard possible,” the nominator wrote.

Recipient of individual Service Excellence Award Nick Keren, a systems analyst for Information Technology Services, called the award a true honour.

“What makes it so special is that the nomination comes from those I work with and the areas I support,” he said. “This award is something I will look back on with pride long after my time here at the U of W has ended.”

His nominator said Keren was “synonymous” with service excellence: “His depth of knowledge is unparalleled. His eagerness to go the extra mile and provide unprecedented support is unmatched. Nick’s contagious cheerfulness sets him apart from others.”

Those unable to join the virtual celebration live can view the Employee Recognition Awards video.

Nominations for the 2021 Employee Recognition Awards will open in the fall. More information about the awards can be found on the Human Resources website.

Access to computer workstations will resume at Leddy Library next week.

Computer workstations will be available for reservation starting Monday, March 1. The doors of the library continue to be locked and only those who have scheduled an appointment will be permitted to enter the library and must show approval from the Safe Lancer app.

Access to the building is limited to spaces booked by appointment. Students are encouraged to use the library’s Contactless Pickup and Digital Delivery options for accessing its print collections.

The library will also resume on a reduced capacity delivery of print interlibrary loans. Availability of materials is dependent upon the readiness of participating institutions.

In addition, the Statistics Canada Research Data Centre will offer limited in-person appointments on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

For more information, visit the library website.

A free public event Saturday, Feb. 27, will feature two artists discussing how they use environmental data to create works and virtual platforms to reach audiences.

UWindsor MFA student Michael Lucenkiw and Colton Hash will take to Zoom to explore their practices, including the various ways in which science and art can act in unison to generate critical discussion about climate change and the effects of industrial capitalism on natural environments.

Presented by the Incubator Art Lab and Artcite, the talk will begin at 2 p.m. Find more details, including a link to the event, on the gallery’s website.

The University of Windsor has purchased licences for everyone at the University (students, staff, faculty, etc.) to have free access to a set of premium tools.

Workshops are being offered for anyone who wants to learn how to use these tools. Sign up at the following link: https://ctl2.uwindsor.ca/openlearning/workshops/26/.

Read&Write is a suite of software tools designed to assist in the areas of research, studying, and of course, reading and writing. Whether used in conjunction with Google Chrome or as a standalone application, Read&Write can convert spoken notes or assignments into text, as well as read text and PDF files aloud. This application is also helpful with Blackboard exams, online journal articles, e-mails, and typed assignments.

EquatIO is an ideal tool for anyone looking for digital math tools. You can take a picture of written math and convert it to digital, editable equations, or if you prefer, just handwrite in the app itself and it will convert it to digital. The screenshot function will take any math on the web and make it accessible and editable. You can even speak your equations aloud and have them created. Of course, there is also a more traditional equation editor (LaTeX is supported, too) with a prediction feature to finish your equations, chemical symbols, and more. Some additional free features include a scientific calculator, an interactive periodic table, an interactive molecular viewer, a graph creator and editor, and an online space to work with interactive shapes.

The UWindsor payroll department advises that T4 and T2200S slips for the 2020 tax year have been processed and are available online on the myUWinfo employee portal.

Before users can view or print their tax slips, they must consent to accept their tax slips online.

“If you have not previously consented, your T4 tax slip has been mailed to your home address,” says Jessica Higgins, payroll manager. “However, you can still view and print them online if you wish.”

Instructions on the myUWinfo > my PAY section will help users through the process.

Note: finance has posted a memo to explain special items regarding the 2020 T4s: https://www.uwindsor.ca/finance/sites/uwindsor.ca.finance/files/special_items_memo_for_the_2020_t4s_.pdf.

Looking for solutions for research data management? Trying to find ways to collaborate on projects and share data easily with members of your research team?

WE-Spark Health Institute is hosting an introductory REDCap workshop for current and potential users of the new software.

REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) is a secure, web-based application for building and managing online surveys and databases, used around the world to support research projects. WE-Spark acquired REDCap with support provided by yhe University of Windsor’s Information Technology services and the Office of Research and Innovation Services.

The workshop will provide a brief background on REDCap, how it works, and the many ways it can help improve the quality of your research data. The workshop will end with a live demonstration of several types of projects that REDCap excels in, such as: randomized control trials, longitudinal research, administration and operations projects, and more.

The virtual session is the first in a series of REDCap workshops and will be held at 12 noon Friday, March 5, via Microsoft Teams. Everyone welcome. Click here to register.

Campus partners are working to maintain a robust set of Knowledge Base Articles (KBAs).

The team will continue to compile a weekly digest of the most-referenced KBAs to streamline student-focused questions to ask.UWindsor to support consistent communication with current and future students.

These are this week's top-five referenced KBAs:

• How do I sign in to UWinsite Student?
• How do I apply to graduate?
• How do I know when to register for classes?
• How do I search for classes?
• Where can I find resources to help me register for classes at UWindsor?

Submit common questions to askkba@uwindsor.ca.

Lancer Gaming will take on the Ryerson Rams in League of Legends this Saturday, Feb. 27, at 3 p.m.

The event will be live streamed on Twitch.TV/UWinLancerGaming.

For more information about Lancer Gaming, visit UWindsor.ca/LancerGaming.