Monday, November 3, 2025

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• Your pension plan: exploring a move to the University Pension Plan

• Reminder: Explore the future of our campus at the Campus Plan Open Houses

• From Insight to Action: revisiting the learnings from Accessible Education Day 2025

• Be there when ideas hit the stage at the Change Engine Live Competition Night

• Think global, act local at upcoming webinar

 Your pension plan: exploring a move to the University Pension Plan

A message from Jacinda Reitsma, Vice-President, Administration and Finance.

The University recently announced that Waterloo is currently exploring the possibility of joining the University Pension Plan (UPP), which would involve converting its existing Registered Pension Plan (RPP) into a multi-employer, jointly sponsored defined benefit plan.

Waterloo is considering UPP as a strategic opportunity to strengthen its pension plan, which has grown to approximately $2.8 billion. UPP offers benefits such as broader risk-sharing, enhanced investment diversification, and specialized expertise in pension management tailored to the university sector. Currently serving over 41,000 members and managing $12.8 billion in assets, UPP includes several Ontario universities and will welcome Wilfrid Laurier University in 2026.

This exploration is still in its early stages, and no decision has been made. Any move to UPP would require approval from plan members through a formal consent process. Waterloo has launched a dedicated website for updates and feedback and will host consultations with faculty, staff, retirees, and affiliated institutions to discuss the potential implications of joining UPP. The University is committed to ensuring transparency and inclusivity throughout this phase by engaging with employee groups and sharing relevant information. Look for further updates in the coming months.

Reminder: Explore the future of our campus at the Campus Plan Open Houses

By Sam Toman.

The University of Waterloo is nearing completion of its Campus Plan—a long-term roadmap for how our spaces evolve to support learning, research, community, and sustainability.

Join us on Wednesday, November 5, for one of two Campus Plan Open Houses. You’ll get a first look at the draft plan and a chance to explore:

• Concept maps, renderings, and design ideas that imagine new connections across campus
• Emerging ideas for open spaces, study areas, and sustainability features
• Opportunities to speak directly with the project team from Brook McIlroy

Your feedback will help refine the final plan that will guide how Waterloo grows and connects over the next decade.

• Open House 1, Engineering 7 (Rooms 2317 and 2357), 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Presentation at 10:30 a.m.
• Open House 2, Student Life Centre (Black and Gold Room), 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Presentation at 1:00 p.m.

Drop in, explore, and imagine the next chapter of Waterloo’s campus. Learn more on the Campus Plan website. 

From Insight to Action: revisiting the learnings from Accessible Education Day 2025

A message from the Teaching Innovation Incubator.

Last October, the Teaching Innovation Incubator launched Waterloo’s inaugural Accessible Education Day (AE-Day) to catalyze campus-wide conversations on accessible teaching and learning. On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, we built on that momentum with a second, fully online event that brought together over 100 students, staff, and faculty to demystify lived experiences, identify available supports, and share practical strategies for accessible education.

AE-Day Highlights

Accessible Education Day combined a lived-experience opening panel, research-informed talks, practical presentations, and engaging conversations about next steps our institution can take to improve accessibility in education for everyone—students, staff, and faculty alike.

Key Themes at AE-Day 2025

Accessible Education Day 2025 framed accessibility as a shared, campus-wide practice that must start with people's lived experiences and then move steadily toward systemic change at a course, program, and advising level. The morning panel grounded the day by showing how disability, chronic health conditions, and neurodivergence actually show up for Waterloo community members, positioning lived experience as the base layer for the rest of the conversations.

The late-morning research session then translated that lived experience into evidence, highlighting what thousands of Waterloo students say actually matters for course accessibility and where gaps still exist. In the afternoon, participants could choose practical pathways for learning. Concurrent sessions looked at emerging expectations around program-level essential requirements and how to distinguish those from ordinary learning outcomes (a key issue as legislation and policy evolve), while Session 1B walked instructors through using Waterloo’s own course accessibility guide to make immediate improvements.

A second set of concurrent sessions widened the lens to people who support students every day—advisors, student-facing staff, and instructors experimenting with inclusive design—so that students with unidentified or undisclosed disabilities meet a responsive, well-informed system.

Later in the day, an assistive-technology session sought to make accessibility tangible by demonstrating real tools students, staff, and faculty already use, before the closing session pulled it together into an institutional “what’s next?” conversation about sustaining momentum and knowing where to go for help.

Watch the recordings

Session recordings and transcripts are now available on the Accessible Education Day website. Navigate to the Related Resources section to find the link to access the session recordings. Note that a UWaterloo authenticated login is required to access the session recordings.

Get help and follow up

For questions or to connect with presenters and the supports/resources referenced during the sessions, contact the Teaching Innovation Incubator (tii@uwaterloo.ca). Check out the Accessible Teaching website for more information about steps you can take to begin your accessible education journey and for additional support.

Be there when ideas hit the stage at the Change Engine Live Competition Night

A message from the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA).

Are you ready to see bold student ideas take flight and be part of the crowd that helps them land? Join us on November 13 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Black & Gold Room at the Student Life Centre for the live finale of the Change Engine competition, brought to you by the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA).

Why you don’t want to miss it

• Watch as student-teams go head-to-head pitching their most creative, impactful ideas to improve student life, vying for the $5,000 prize. 
• Feel the energy of innovation and advocacy as undergrads transform their ideas into action.
• Enjoy free refreshments, network with other students and student-leaders, and cheer on your favourite ideas.
• Bonus: Every attendee has a chance to win a $100 door prize just by showing up.

What’s the vibe?

Think of it as your favourite “pitch-night meets student community” event. This isn’t just a showcase, it’s an experience: you’re there, live, watching students lay it all on the line for their vision of a better campus. Your presence matters - you’re the audience who gives energy, responds, and supports this movement of change-makers.

How to join

Seats are limited and RSVP is required. Reserve your spot early so you don’t miss this. It’s free to attend. Register online. 

Think global, act local at upcoming webinar

A message from the Conrad Grebel Centre for Peace Advancement.

How do we make global goals work locally? Join Local Futures upcoming webinar, Global Insights on Localizing the SDGs in Canada, to find out!

Hear from experts and changemakers who are turning the Sustainable Development Goals into real action, in Canada and around the world. You’ll explore innovative approaches, global lessons, and practical strategies to spark change in communities across Canada. Join us on Thursday, November 6 at 12 noon.

Please register for the webinar link.