University of Waterloo Stratford Campus

University of Waterloo Stratford Campus
Established June 2009
Type Public university
Chancellor V. Prem Watsa
President Feridun Hamdullahpur
Director Ginny Dybenko
Academic staff
 18[1]
Administrative staff
 6[1]
Undergraduates 89% [1]
Postgraduates 11%[1]
Location Stratford, Ontario, Canada
43°22′05″N 80°58′54″W / 43.3680°N 80.98177°WCoordinates: 43°22′05″N 80°58′54″W / 43.3680°N 80.98177°W
Degrees Offered
GBDA, MDEI
Website uwaterloo.ca/stratford-campus

The University of Waterloo Stratford Campus is located in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the three satellite campuses of the University of Waterloo,[1] a member of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities.[2]

Established in June 2009,[3] the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus is part of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo. With a focus on digital media, the campus was established to provide programs that focus on future careers in digital technologies, content creation and user experience.[4]

The University of Waterloo Stratford Campus is coeducational and attracts students from around the world who work on digital media technology and its creative applications.

History

On 16 October 2006, the city council of the City of Stratford authorized Mayor Dan Mathieson to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Stratford Festival and the University of Waterloo to explore the possibility of having a liberal arts college located in Stratford.[5]

The Province of Ontario granted $10 million to the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus on 26 March 2008.[6] The following day, Waterloo-based enterprise software company OpenText announced that they had committed $10 million to the project.[7]

The University of Waterloo Stratford Campus was originally located at 6 Wellington St. in Stratford, Ontario.

On 22 January 2009, the federal government announced that it was pledging $10.7 million over five years for the Corridor for Advancing Canadian Digital Media - now known as the Canadian Digital Media initiative under the Canadian Digital Media Network (CDMN) – a joint initiative between Communitech and University of Waterloo Stratford Campus.[8] In June of the same year, the first ever Canada 3.0 forum in Stratford, ON was hosted by the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus and CDMN. The event was the official launch of the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus.[9]

The official opening of the campus took place on 20 September 2010 at its temporary location at 6 Wellington St., Stratford, Ontario.[10] The first class of the Master of Digital Experience Innovation (MDEI) – an interdisciplinary, professional one-year program - began at the temporary campus the following year.[11]

Exterior of campus building located at 125 St. Patrick St., Stratford, Ontario.

On 1 October 2011, Ginny Dybenko, the former Dean of the Wilfrid Laurier School of Business & Economics, becomes the Executive Director of the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus.[12]

In January 2012, a part-time Master of Digital Experience Innovation option was added. The program integrated a Project Management Professional certification component into the curriculum for all students.[13]

The first class of the Global Business and Digital Arts program began their studies on 5 September 2012 at the new campus located at 125 St. Patrick St. On 16 October 2012 the building was officially unveiled to the community.[14]

On 15 November 2013 it was announced that the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus would receive approximately $1.75 million in federal funding to strengthen the Stratford Accelerator Centre over the next five years. The centre provides mentorship and coaching for tech-related startups, including those launched by University of Waterloo Stratford Campus faculty and students. It helps the startups connect to the resources they need to grow their fledgling businesses. The Stratford Accelerator Centre relocated to the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus in spring 2014.[15]

Campus

The University of Waterloo Stratford Campus is located at 125 St. Patrick Street. Built by Bondfield Construction and designed by ZAS Architects, the building is a three-storey, 42,000 square-foot, state of the art creative environment that features digital media labs, fully equipped sound and video editing suites, project rooms, bright open collaboration spaces and cutting-edge software for design, video production and web development.[16]

Christie MicroTiles Wall

The centrepiece of the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus is its Christie MicroTiles wall, the tallest display of its kind in the world. Three-storeys high, it incorporates 150 MicroTiles that can reproduce 115 percent of the NTSC colour gamut, exceeding typical LCD flat panels by more than 50 percent.[17]

The MicroTile wall serves as a showcase for student content, highlighting creative accomplishments and providing a unique open source canvas for digital media research.[18]

The University of Waterloo Stratford Campus’ MicroTile wall was the Gold Winner in the Education and Healthcare category of the 2013 Apex Awards.[19]

Engage: UX + Gamification Research Lab

The Engage Lab is open to local digital media entrepreneurs and industry partners looking to explore new understanding in audience engagement.

Located in the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus, the Engage Lab is a digital media sandbox equipped with technology for exploration in UX and gamification. It is a research area for students and faculty working on various industry products that were created to inspire new ways to enrich audience and user engagement.

This interactive digital media lab features the latest equipment and technology designed to encourage research, experimentation, prototype development and commercialization. It is open to local digital media entrepreneurs and industry partners looking to explore new understandings in audience engagement.[20]

Stratford Accelerator Centre

Situated at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus beginning in spring 2014, the Stratford Accelerator Centre is focused on accelerating the growth and maturation of early stage technology and digital media companies. The centre brings like-minded entrepreneurs together under one roof, delivering world-class mentoring, coaching, and programming services. The centre accepts clients through a competitive application and intake process, and works toward accelerating clients’ growth from vision through to early market success.[21]

School Within A University

The University of Waterloo Stratford Campus is home to the School Within A University (SWAU) initiative. Launched in February 2013, it is a partnership between the Avon Maitland District School Board and the campus that gives eligible university-bound high school students a glimpse of the post-secondary experience that awaits them. Students spend their mornings at the campus where they take English and business courses taught by Stratford Central Secondary Schoolteachers. They are exposed to the facility as well as the campus’ equipment and resources.[22]

Administration

Ginny Dybenko is the Executive Director of the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus.

The University of Waterloo Stratford Campus operates under the same bicameral system as the University of Waterloo; a system that consists of a Board of Governors and a Senate, as legislated by the University of Waterloo Act, 1972. Similarly, the campus shares the same Principal, President and Chancellor as the University of Waterloo.[23]

The Office of the Chancellor is held by Prem Watsa,[24] who has held the position since 2009. In March 2011, Feridun Hamdullahpur was announced as the sixth President of the university, having been interim president since October 2010.[25] The Executive Director of the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus is Ginny Dybenko, the Director of Academic Programs is Christine McWebb and the Director of International Entrepreneurship is Paul Doherty.[26]

Academics and Programs

The University of Waterloo Stratford Campus’ main focus is on career preparation in the area of digital media.[27] Students are brought together with researchers, cultural organizations, business and entrepreneurs through coursework and project-based learning.

University of Waterloo Stratford Campus students will have ties to a new Open Data Institute, a collaboration between the Canadian Digital Media Network (CDMN), the University of Waterloo, Communitech, OpenText and Desire2Learn. The goal of the Institute will be to take information or datasets collected by governments, and develop a standard format that will make it easier to access, share, and eventually commercialize that information.[28]

Master of Digital Experience Innovation (MDEI)

Offered at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus, this program began in fall 2011. It is made up of both recent university graduates and working professionals looking to expand their skills. MDEI is a professional degree that offers project-based learning and a multidisciplinary set of courses, complete with the education portion of the Project Management Professional certification. The MDEI is offered on a full-time or part-time basis. The full-time program occurs over three consecutive terms: fall, winter and spring, while part-time students take two courses per term over 24 months, with a final project in the last spring term of their program.[29]

Bachelor of Global Business and Digital Arts (GBDA)

The Global Business and Digital Arts program began in the fall of 2012. The first program of its kind in Canada , it focuses on digital media and is a blend of creativity, technology, and business. Students are involved in hands-on projects with industry partners and have access to the latest digital technologies. In addition, they experience a paid practicum and have the chance to earn the Certificate in Associated Project Management accreditation.[30]

Housing

Students live off-campus in the Stratford community. The University of Waterloo Off-Campus Housing Office provides resources to all students including a list of accommodations available in the Stratford area.[31]

Activities and Events

Canada 3.0

In 2008, the inaugural Canada 3.0 conference was hosted by the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus in Stratford, Ontario with over 1,500 attendees discussing how to make Canada a world leader in the digital economy. The conference brought together industry leaders, researchers and students to discuss digital media in Canada.[32]

Discovering Digital Media Days

Discovering Digital Media Days is an annual program that delivers interactive programming for high school students who aspire to be leaders in Canada's growing digital economy. Students interact with industry experts, develop their own digital designs, build business skills and discover the creative and commercial potential for digital media.[33]

Data Scientist Hilary Mason was the keynote speaker at the 2014 CODE conference hosted by the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus.[34]
The Stratford Accelerator Centre is home to the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus’ lunch and learn sessions.

Gamification 2013

Geared to both academics and industry, Gamification 2013, hosted by University of Waterloo Stratford campus, discussed the value of gamification in health care, marketing, education, and entertainment. There were academic research presentations, talks on gamification implementation and commercialization, workshops, and demonstrations of successful gamification initiatives.[35]

uXperience Design Camp

Hosted by University of Waterloo Stratford Campus from November 16-17, 2013, uXperience Design Camp was an experiential User Experience (UX) bootcamp that focused on creating viable solutions to real life problems utilizing the principles of user experience (UX) design.

Working in teams throughout the weekend, software developers, engineers, computer scientists, psychologists, designers, UX professionals and students leveraged the experience of mentors and usability testers to acquire the knowledge they needed to pitch their demos to a panel of judges.The winning idea was provided support to commercialize the solution.[36]

CODE

The campus was a host site for the Canadian Open Data Experience (CODE) Hackathon from 28 February – 2 March 2014. It was where participants from across Canada turned federal Open Data into interesting and beneficial applications.[37]

The University of Waterloo Stratford Campus hosted Inspiration Day with an information session on the use of Big Data and the power of combining it with Data Visualization to communicate and inspire.[38]

Accelerator Centre Lunch and Learn Programs

The Accelerator Centre located at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus provides lunch and learn sessions on relevant topics such as networking, how to secure funding for your business and public relations.[39]

SOCDOCS

The University of Waterloo Stratford Campus is a partner of SOCDOCS, a film documentary festival that offers teachers and students a creative opportunity to make visual and audio statements through the digital vehicle of choice on social justice issues such as poverty, war, homelessness, environment, sex discrimination, addiction, slavery, or prejudice.[40]

ESQ Camps

Throughout the summer, University of Waterloo Stratford Campus camps teams visit communities to engage kids in hands-on engineering and science activities.[41] The camps have won a national award for engineering and science outreach. [42]

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to University of Waterloo Stratford Campus.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "About UW". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  2. ↑ "U15 Submission to the Expert Review Panel on Research and Development". Review of Federal Support to R&D. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "Canada 3.0 Forum to Shape the Country’s Digital Future, by Michael Strickland". uwaterloo.ca. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  4. ↑ Day-Hamilton, Tobi. "Making the future in Stratford". uwimprint.ca. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  5. ↑ Arts campus proposed for Stratford
  6. ↑ Future for UW in Stratford
  7. ↑ Open Text announces $10M for UW digital media campus
  8. ↑ Ottawa kicks in millions
  9. ↑ Canada 3.0 Forum to Shape the Country’s Digital Future
  10. ↑ U of Waterloo showcases new Stratford campus
  11. ↑ University of Waterloo Stratford site greets first 17
  12. ↑ Beitz, Mike. "Digital dream now reality". QMI Agency. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
  13. ↑ Stratford announces MDEI enhancements
  14. ↑ Making The Future In Stratford
  15. ↑ Beitz, Mike. "University of Waterloo Stratford campus share of federal funding about $1.75M". stratfordbeaconherald.com. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  16. ↑ Bondfield fast-tracks construction of Stratford, Ontario university campus
  17. ↑ Christie lights up University of Waterloo’s new campus with tallest Christie MicroTiles installation in the world
  18. ↑ Czikk, Joseph. "U Waterloo Stratford Campus Hands Out Its Christie Design Awards". betakit.com. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  19. ↑ "DSE Announces 2013 Apex Award Winners". digitalsignageconnection.com. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  20. ↑ Engage: UX + Gamification Research Lab
  21. ↑ Beitz, Mike. "Stratford Accelerator Centre relocating to University of Waterloo Stratford campus". stratfordbeaconherald.com. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  22. ↑ Beitz, Mike. "Avon Maitland District School Board, University of Waterloo Stratford launch School Within a University program". stratfordbeaconherald.com. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  23. ↑ "Governance". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  24. ↑ Taylor, Lesley Ciarula (23 January 2012). "Prem Watsa: Meet the man behind the RIM shakeup". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  25. ↑ D'Amato, Luisa; Pender, Terry (11 March 2011). "Hamdullahpur named University of Waterloo president". The Record. Metroland Media Group Ltd. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  26. ↑ "People profiles". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  27. ↑ "Teaching". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  28. ↑ Beitz, Mike. "University of Waterloo Stratford campus students will have ties to new Open Data Institute". stratfordbeaconherald.com. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  29. ↑ "Graduate students". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  30. ↑ "Undergraduate students". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  31. ↑ "Student life". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  32. ↑ Ruffolo, Rafael. "Canada 3.0 event looks to attract IT pros". itworldcanada.com. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
  33. ↑ Discovering Digital Media Days
  34. ↑ Larraguibel, Angela. "Renowned Data Scientist Hilary Mason speaking at Canadian Open Data Experience (CODE) Inspiration Day at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus February 28th". communitech.ca. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  35. ↑ Gamification 2013: Gameful Design, Research, and Applications Conference
  36. ↑ "uXperience Design Camp 2013". betakit.com. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  37. ↑ "CODE Hackathon Sees 900 Participants Create 110 Apps, Declares Itself The ‘Largest Competitive Hackathon In Canada". betakit.com. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  38. ↑ "CODE: Canadian Open Data Experience". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  39. ↑ "Lunch and Learn Series". University of Waterloo. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  40. ↑ "SOCDOCS Film Festival". socdocsfilmfestival.com. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  41. ↑ "ESQ Camps". uwaterloo.ca/stratfordcampus. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  42. ↑ "Waterloo summer camp wins national award for engineering and science outreach". newswire.ca. Retrieved 30 May 2014.