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The first major event at the Centre for Society, Technology and Values (CSTV) was a full-day workshop on “Technology and Autonomy,” held in March 1986. (See Newsletter, May 1986.) Some afternoon sessions had as many as 60 in attendance. This event can be usefully analyzed from a variety of perspectives.

In September 1985, a major student conference was held at the University of Waterloo. Organized by the now defunct Canadian Studies program, the conference was supported by a number of faculty members associated with the Centre for Society, Technology and Values (CSTV), including director Larry Haworth.

Dr. Scott Campbell, Director of the Centre for Society, Technology and Values (CSTV) and instructor of STV 100, still finds it useful to introduce students to the idea expressed by scientist and novelist C.P. Snow that Western intellectual life is split into two cultures—the sciences and the humanities. How Snow developed this basic idea is not the point here—or in STV 100.

The history of the Centre for Society, Technology and Values (CSTV) can tell us a lot about the history of the University of Waterloo. Founded in 1984, the Centre has been around for more than half of Waterloo’s 60 years. It began during a period of expansion and optimism on campus. Although the scope of its activities later contracted during a time of fiscal restraint, the Centre has survived and even thrived, in a modest way. As the university’s mission and goals have evolved to meet the demands of a rapidly changing society, CSTV has remained relevant and significant.

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From the archives: Anatomy of a collaboration: A 1986 workshop on technology and autonomy

From the archives: Let the voices of students be heard

From the archives: Bridging the divide between the “two cultures”

From the archives: The founding of the Centre—a timely reminder