Implementation Dashboard

Guided by community voices by those most impacted, the Trans and Non-Binary Equity Strategy (TNBS) outlines 28 recommendations to advance gender equity across the University of Waterloo. The next step is to move these recommendations into action through coordinated projects and initiatives led by units across campus. Together, these efforts demonstrate the University’s ongoing commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism, and its work to create lasting, systemic change for trans and non-binary communities. Full implementation of the strategy is expected by the end of 2028.

Waterloo’s progress as of Fall 2025 term is presented below:

29

projects to address 28 recommendations
25%

7 projects in progress
7%

2 projects completed

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Recommendations to actions

Safety
TNBS Recommendations Status
1. Renew and/or redesign the Walksafe program on campus. In the past, the Walksafe service provided an additional level of safety to students by providing an escort or companion when walking on or off campus at night; the program was discontinued in 2010 due to high operating costs. The program has been recommended for renewal several times since then.

Scheduled
2. Proceed with Phase III of the All-Gender Washrooms Project to construct new or redesign existing all-gender washrooms into single-stall washrooms in strategic locations across campus. The strategic locations need to be identified in consultation with 2STNBGNC+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ community members. Introducing more single-stall washrooms will provide better accommodations to trans, non-binary, and queer students and employees. Scheduled
3. Develop awareness-raising and rapid-response protocols to actively respond to anti-2SLGBTQIA+ and anti-2STNBGNC+ vandalism in individual departments and divisions, addressing concerns reported by students and employees. Scheduled
4. Develop an education and awareness program that specifically addresses gender-based violence risks and prevention for trans, non-binary, and queer students and employees. Strongly encourage all faculty and staff to take the training on 2SLGBTQIA+ related gender-based violence prevention. In progress
5. Develop and implement cyber-bullying awareness and prevention programs addressing transphobia, homophobia, and gender-identity-based harassment. Scheduled
6. Promote the Office of EDI-R’s confidential online reporting form as a safe and community-informed mechanism for reporting and addressing instances of homophobia and transphobia in classrooms, campus facilities, among university employees and in other settings. Scheduled
7. Create a web resource with safety tips, resources and emergency numbers that could be shared across different university departments and platforms Scheduled
8. Design a communication campaign on the measures taken to improve trans, non-binary, and queer safety on campus to provide information on new and existing programs and supports, and to foster a sense of safety and trust. Scheduled

Medical Well-Being & Gender Affirming Care
TNBS Recommendations Status
9. Improve communication by frequently re-announcing new and updated gender-affirming student services offered by Campus Wellness (CW) in a transparent way. Many 2STNBGNC+ reported that they were unaware of the changes and new services at CW. Completed
10. Continue (and expand on) programs to support gender-affirming care and activities, such as voice training, Gender Journeys, Binder Try-Ons, and ensure that current recommended best practices in Ontario, Canada Professional Association for Transgender Health (CPATH), and World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) are followed. Scheduled
11. Develop and implement training to build up or achieve competency in existing and new providers of trans, non-binary and general gender-affirming medical care, especially related to hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) and gender-affirming surgeries. In Progress
12. Expand the network of existing gender-affirming care resources and include services from local off-campus health care providers in Waterloo Region. In Progress
13. Work with GreenShield and StudentCare to expand employee and student insurance respectively to fully cover gender-affirming care and medication considering financial sensitivities associated with medical costs experienced by trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming students. Scheduled
14. Re-evaluate and find alternatives for existing mental health support for 2STNBGNC+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ employees, and for those employees who directly support trans, non-binary, and queer community members and experience additional emotional pressures because of it. Scheduled

Social Well-Being & Belonging
TNBS Recommendations Status
15. Evaluate and redesign shared showers and washrooms in student residences to make facilities more non-binary and trans inclusive. In Progress
16. For all departments, increase the visibility of trans, non-binary and queer friendly spaces by displaying Pride flags or stickers. In cases where employees are adequately educated and are willing and able to support trans, non-binary and queer folks, encourage them to identify themselves as allies. Scheduled
17. Create and implement a program to make personal pronouns available in MS Teams and Outlook that is based on the informed consent principle and is aware of the risks associated with involuntary outing and potential harms to trans, non-binary, and queer students and employees. Completed
21. Develop faculty training on building up or achieving competency in how to support trans, non-binary, and queer students, understand their needs and social risks, and prevent misgendering in the classroom and in student-faculty interactions. Make this training an essential part of professional faculty evaluation. Scheduled
24. Create and implement public awareness campaigns to educate students and employees about gender diversity and non-conformity, barriers and risks reported by community members. Scheduled

Recognition & Support
TNBS Recommendations Status
17. Create and implement a program to make personal pronouns available in MS Teams and Outlook that is based on the informed consent principle and is aware of the risks associated with involuntary outing and potential harms to trans, non-binary, and queer students and employees. Completed
18.Develop a university-wide protocol for the sharing of preferred names and personal pronouns between different university platforms, including but not limited to MS Teams and Outlook, LEARN, Quest, WaterlooWorks, email display name, class lists, exam lists, Dean's Honours List and other graduation awards, Watcard, OAT (MSCS), Accessibility Online System, Accuro (Campus Wellness), Workday, and other systems. The project needs to be based on the informed consent principle and an awareness of the risks associated with involuntary outing and potential harms to trans, non-binary, and queer students and employees. In Progress
19. Develop and implement a university-wide campaign to educate all departments and services about the dangers of non-consensual collection, sharing and storage of personal information, considering the risks associated with 2STNBGNC+ and 2SLGBTQIA+ identities. On all occasions, communicate in a clear and transparent manner who (and how and when they) can access personal information about the University students and employees on each platform and share personal data between platforms. Raise awareness about the principle of informed consent at all levels. Scheduled

Community Development & Sustainability
TNBS Recommendations Status
28. Develop and implement a program to recognize and reward the invisible labour that UW community members invest into advocacy and community building, which is often done on a volunteer basis. Future project

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