Even though most students aren’t on campus right now, the International Student Centre still wants them to feel part of campus life, says director Beth Oakley.

That’s why the centre set up outside Vanier Hall on Thursday, distributing packages of material to welcome new arrivals to the University.

“Our international students are travelling at all different times,” Oakley says. “Some are still trying to get settled. We want to give them a little piece of Windsor.”

Students received a drawstring backpack with a UWindsor Proud T-shirt, chocolate treats, and other gear to acclimatize to Canadian life.

The timing couldn’t have been better for Mostafa Faramarzi. The engineering grad student had just completed two weeks in quarantine after arriving from his home in the Iranian city of Shahrekord.

“When I got the email there was an event on that date, I knew right away I would come,” he says. “It’s a great way for me to celebrate my first day being outside.”

Organizers hope the recipients will share their Lancer feeling Nov. 4. They have invited international students to participate in Windsor Wednesday by sharing photos of themselves wearing blue and gold, tagging @UWindsorISC and #UWinProud. The centre will draw an entry at random to receive a $25 gift card.

A UWindsor staffer and grad is one of the faces of a local campaign to ease the burdens of those facing a mental health challenge.

The Windsor-Essex branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association has named student awards outreach co-ordinator Cessidia DeBiasio (BSW 2015, BComm 2018) an ambassador for its Sole Focus Project, which seeks to raise funds towards mental wellness education and awareness.

“I am a huge supporter of storytelling and the power it has on mental, emotional, and physical well-being,” says DeBiasio. “At a time when many are feeling isolated, let us use storytelling to close the gap between people, establish inclusive mental health initiatives, and create stronger and healthier relationships with ourselves and with others.”

The association provides treatment to an average of 2,000 clients each year in Windsor and Essex County, and notes education is not fully funded by the province, but is essential to shifting the tide of mental health stigma.

Campus partners are working to maintain a robust set of Winter 2021 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:

• Can I defer my graduate program?
• What is an asynchronous course?
• What should students know before enrolling in an online course?
• What is the typical workload for an online course?
• Do students need to attend classes at specific times?

Find Winter 2021 KBAs by clicking here.

You can submit common questions to askkba@uwindsor.ca.

Workplace accommodation is a fundamental component of equal treatment in the workplace. It may involve a service, an adaptation, or adjustment in the work environment to enable an individual equal opportunities and full participation in employment activities without discrimination.

The duty to accommodate applies to all grounds of the Ontario Human Rights Code but within the context of employment, most accommodation needs relate to disability, religion, or family status.

“The accommodation process is grounded on the shared responsibility of all parties involved to work collaboratively and respectfully to find reasonable accommodation solutions, which can sometimes be complex,” says Rita LaCivita, UWindsor vice-president, human resources.

“I am pleased to share with the campus community the Workplace Accommodation Guidelines that provide an overview of the accommodation process including the responsibilities of Human Resources, supervisors, employees and the union or association, if applicable. Given the current situation, the document also outlines examples of potential accommodation needs within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The guidelines resulted from a collaborative process led by the Return to Campus Staff Working Group, with feedback and endorsement from the Pandemic Planning Committee. Faculty and staff are encouraged to become familiar with the guidelines, which can be found on the Human Resources website.

DailyNews reminds readers that they can gain an extra hour of sleep this weekend, as Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.

To resume standard time, turn back clocks to relive the hour between 1 and 2 a.m. Or just set your clocks back an hour before you turn in for the evening Saturday.