A news update to University of Waterloo tenured faculty, instructors, academic leadership, and academic support staff about the continuation of the Soft Launch of the Peer Review of Teaching (PRT) process through to 2026.
From May 7 to 9, 2025, a cohort of Department Chairs, School Directors, Associate Chairs and Associate Deans attended the Waterloo Leadership Academy, an intensive in-person leadership retreat which provides executive education and networking opportunities to participants across campus. Read the news story about the Academic Leadership Academy!
As of September 2025, the University of Waterloo will no longer support the use of the AI detection tool Turnitin.
From May 7- May 9th, Waterloo's Leadership Academy is hosting a three-day off-campus intensive leadership retreat primarily for for Department Chairs and Associate Deans. This retreat will provide highly engaging executive education and opportunities for interaction with colleagues from across campus. Registration is now open. Please complete the expression of interest form today to secure your spot in this year's programming.
As of March 2025, the Student Course Perception Surveys (SCP) now feature a link to encourage students to nominate their instructors for a Distinguished Teacher Award (DTA). Once students complete their SCPs, they will be presented with the option to complete a nomination form to nominate their instructor for a DTA. Note that students are directed to a separate page once they finish their SCP.
Updates about Waterloo's Teaching Fellow's team. The Faculty of Science has appointed Dr. Vivian Dayeh as the Faculty Teaching Fellow until July 1, 2025. Joining Dr. Dayeh as new members of the Teaching Fellow team include, Dr. Alison Chenier, Faculty of Arts, and Dr. Uzma Rehman, Faculty of Arts.
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In Winter 2024, Deans’ Council approved updates to Student Course Perceptions (SCP) surveys to ensure consistency and fairness across faculties. These changes mean that SCP surveys are now administered for classes with five or fewer students enroled, addressing inconsistencies that previously excluded these classes in some areas.
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We write to announce the launch of the University’s Peer Review of Teaching process, beginning in January 2025. This is a “soft launch” which means that participation in 2025 is optional. We also want to take this opportunity to encourage those who receive an invitation to participate.
All Faculties will be implementing systematic Peer Review of Teaching in 2025.
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The Teaching Innovation Incubator has announced its inaugural open call for project submissions.
The Incubator is seeking diverse project teams with teaching and learning ideas that are complex, necessitate change, require interdisciplinary and cross-functional partnerships, and have the potential to be a transformative part of the future of education at the University of Waterloo. Selected projects will gain access to funding, project coordination, and a suite of resources.
Check out the Open Call Innovation Incubator website for specifics!
Please help us recognize the great work Waterloo’s instructors are doing in the digital classroom.
The Office of the Associate Vice-President, Academic and the Centre for Extended Learning would like your help to identify these remarkable people by nominating an instructor or an online course author.