Don’t miss Connect U May 3-4

Connect U, the university’s all-staff conference, is back and better than ever. Registration for the May 3-4 event is free and open to all UVic employees.

“We’re encouraging staff who’ve never been to Connect U to come and check it out this year,” says conference sponsor Gayle Gorrill, vice-president finance and operations. “It’s a great way to meet your colleagues as well as build skills and learn more about the university.”

A pre-conference scavenger hunt kicks off the festivities on April 26 at noon at the MacLaurin pyramid. If you haven’t already registered your team of four, visit the website and start brushing up on your campus trivia.

The conference sessions and campus tours take place each day from 8:30 to 3:30. This year early birds can get energized for the day by attending free morning bootcamp (May 3) or yoga (May 4) classes at CARSA.

All day at Cadboro Commons, participants can drop into the info fair, featuring displays from a wide range of campus units (no registration required). The ever-popular campus tours will take participants “behind the curtain” in some fascinating campus locales, including the Phoenix Theatre and Enterprise Data Centre. The tours fill up quickly, so register soon!

A team of staff volunteers will again be helping the event run smoothly. “This will be my first time volunteering for Connect U,” says development officer Nicole Boulet. “I'm looking forward to the opportunity to help out and meet colleagues from across campus.”

The program line-up features something for everyone, including these new-for-this-year sessions:

• Keynote presenter Chancellor Shelagh Rogers (May 3)
• Keynote presenter Nancy Mollenhauer, two-time Olympian, field hockey Canada Hall of Fame member and UVic alumna (May 4)
• Meet members of the UVic executive, followed by a World Café
• Answering the call: Supporting the work of reconciliation
• Creating vital impact in your everyday work
• Why should sexualized violence matter to everyone?
• Generation Z
• Presentation of Staff Sustainability Champion Awards

“I‘m really looking forward to presenting this year at Connect U,” says Jim Dunsdon, associate vice-president, student affairs. “I’ll be talking about some of the unique characteristics of our incoming 'Gen Z' students as compared to previous generations, such as the millenials.”

Employees are welcome to register for one session or every session. Don’t forget to bring some cash for the 50/50 draw, with proceeds to the UVSS Food Bank and Free Store.

The President’s Extraordinary Service Awards take place immediately following Connect U on May 3 – a great opportunity to come out and recognize the hard work and dedication of your colleagues.

• Full info and registration