Environment 2035

Sunlight over a road.
Our roadmap towards a sustainable future The Faculty is embarking on a change exercise to build resilience in the face of contextual challenges and to enable humanity to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving environments

The Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo is embarking on a transformative initiative, Environment 2035. This new strategic plan aims to realign the Faculty’s identity and strengths, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and supporting the University’s Waterloo at 100 vision.

This initiative is more than a strategic plan; it is our chance to shape a sustainable future for our students, faculty, and the planet. By aligning with the visionary goals of Waterloo at 100, we are poised to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges with innovation and collaboration.

Bruce Frayne, dean of the Faculty of Environment

Overview of Environment 2035 Phase 1

Explore

  • Leadership retreat held Summer 2023 to discuss future directions

  • Task teams formed Fall 2023 to research possibilities
  • Updates provided by Dean at Faculty Council and by email

Consult and refine

  • ENV 2035 website launched
  • Updates from Dean, ADs and other task team members in various forums, including Faculty Council, department/school meetings
  • Feedback gathered through different methods, inc. focus groups, online form, meetings
  • Ideas refined using feedback

Present

  • Present results of phase 1 at Annual General Assembly

  • New webpage updated to reflect results and beginning of Phase 2

Priorities that arose from the consultation process

Connect Connect our research and teaching to the world’s most pressing challenges. Connect with colleagues and partners who bring diverse perspectives to solve societal issues, and connect our community to foster inclusion and resilience.
Communicate Communicate who we are – areas of strength and interest; approaches to teaching and research; the culture of our Faculty; how our faculty, staff, students and alumni are making an impact; and opportunities to learn and work with us.
Collaborate Collaborate across organizational units, academic disciplines, and public and private sectors. Collaborate within areas of current and emerging strength to understand and co-create solutions to pressing societal challenges.

Inclusion and Indigenous Collaboration for a Sustainable Future

Advancing a culture of respect and inclusion is key to achieving the Faculty of Environment’s vision for the future. Input from the Associate Dean, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Justice, and the Environment Indigenous Initiatives Manager will shape the initiatives of Environment 2035. Notably, the Indigenous Initiatives Manager is developing an Indigenous Action Plan to foster better relationships with Indigenous Peoples and integrate Indigenous perspectives into our work.

Simplified cons of trees and a river

Research directions

Grounded in the Faculty’s research strengths - climate change, cities of the future, natural resources and environment, and sustainable transitions - enhance success and impact by removing barriers and increasing supports to areas of focus. Foster greater transdisciplinary practices by connecting research to socially relevant issues, and promoting collaboration across different academic disciplines and with external partners.

Simplified icons of a leaf and microscope

Graduate studies

Establish the Graduate School of Environment to clarify the identity of our programs, create a platform for interdisciplinary innovation, and improve the student experience. As part of this initiative, explore streamlining and harmonizing core requirements across relevant graduate programs, offering a unified PhD program, and developing innovative new programming such as an applied doctoral degree. By fostering a vibrant, creative graduate community, we aim to attract diverse talent and prepare graduates to lead change for a more sustainable future.

Simplified icon of a graduation cap

Undergraduate studies

Move toward "One Environment" through a common core curriculum, increased cross-unit teaching, and more flexible pathways for students. As part of this initiative, develop a picture of the core competencies we wish to instill in our students, enhance student experience and resilience, and foster learning that blends academic rigour and real-world experience through field courses, capstones, and work-integrated learning. Over time, explore opportunities to expand common core courses across all years and other flexible learning options, for example, a general Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES).

Results from Environment 2035 Phase 1

Research opportunities & priorities

Core areas of strength and practice

Identified strengths

  • Climate change​

  • Cities of the future​

  • Natural resources and environment​

  • Sustainable transitions​
     

Identified practices

  • Connecting to socially-relevant issues​

  • Transcending and integrating disciplines​

  • Engaging with external people and organizations ​
     

Priorities for Action

  1. Strengthen connections among researchers within ENV​

  2. Deepen and strengthen research connections between ENV and other faculties​

  3. Create new and strengthen existing external partnerships​

  4. Solidify and reinforce our four core areas of strength​

  5. Reinforce our core transdisciplinary practices​

  6. Build collective research capacity
     

Selected opportunities for accomplishing priorities for action

  • Create an ENV Research Council​

  • Establish and support a mentorship culture​

  • Build a community of practice around large grant leadership​

  • Increase access to core research facilities​

  • Develop connector events and academic industry meeting days with the Office of Research​

  • Establish leadership-level strategic alliances with key external partners​

  • Coordinate research priorities with Faculty of Environment fundraising priorities​

Graduate studies challenges & opportunities

Opportunities and priorities for action​ 

  • Increasing competition for programs/students​
  • An opportunity and desire to clarify the identity of our grad programs​
  • Overlap of graduate programs/courses. Branding and marketing implications. (39 grad program pathways, approx. 250 courses)​
  • Increase coordination/interactions between units and programs​
  • With limited resources, new initiatives may have to come from existing resources​
     

Graduate school of environment goals

  • Strengthen and clarify the identity of our graduate programs​
  • Foster a greater sense of community for students and faculty across graduate programs​
  • Create a platform to facilitate the launch of innovative new programs​
  • Facilitate coordination of course and program offerings across the faculty
     

Graduate school of environment key elements

  • Create a greater sense of unity and cohesion​
  • Explore options to consolidate course offerings and administration​
  • Free up resources for new initiatives​
  • Explore options to launch new programs​
  • Explore options to create new grad-focussed space​
  • Create a focal point for fundraising​

Undergraduate studies challenges & opportunities

Challenges & opportunities for resourcing, identity and students

  1. Streamline course offerings​

  2. Ensure specialty field courses are available to all students

  3. Foster common identity/skills base for students

  4. Build more flexible pathways through curricula

  5. Increase mobility among plans

  6. Enhance cross-unit collaboration on undergraduate teaching
     

Short term goals

Build out common core of three courses all Environment students take:​

  • ENVS 195  Introduction to Environmental Studies (F in person, W in person, S online)​
  • ENVS 131  Communication for Environment Professionals (F in person, W in person)​

  • ENVS 178 Environmental Applications of Data Management and Statistics (F in person, W in person

Decouple specialty field offerings from specific plans via ENVS coding

  • ENVS 476A/B/C Field Studies in Environment (0.5/1.0/1.5 units)

Continue to collaborate with other faculties on interdisciplinary capstone option (ENVS)
 

Longer term considerations

Continue to work towards common core across the four-year degree​

Consider faculty-level minors that reinforce our research strengths and brand ​

Investigate other flexible programs and pathways, e.g. common first year, general Bachelor of Environmental Science

Contact us

We look forward to engaging with you to discuss opportunities and challenges, and to hear your perspectives on ideas the leadership team has been exploring with respect to undergraduate programs, graduate programs, and current and emerging research strengths. We welcome your feedback at any time during the process.