Dear Campus Community,
As we close out 2025, I want to speak plainly: equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism are not optional. They are essential to the integrity of our institution and to the future we are building together.
Over the past challenging year, your support has allowed the Office of EDI-R to push beyond performative gestures and into real, systemic change.
Our 2025 Impact Report tells that story:
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We supported equity-deserving communities with resources and advocacy, because representation without power is not enough.
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We continued to create spaces for truth-telling and accountability through initiatives like the Table Talks Series, ensuring that conversations lead to action.
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We listened to the trans and non-binary community and defined our strategy for addressing the systemic issues they continue to face.
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We heard that many community members don’t know where to turn when harm occurs, so we launched targeted campaigns and roadshows to promote our response processes to reduce barriers to accessing help.
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We critically examined emerging and persistent issues and developed a series of complex infographics and accessible social-media content to educate, inform, and increase institutional capacity.
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We held more educational events as part of the Menstrual Equity Program to further destigmatize menstruation for all genders and provide access to reusable menstrual products.
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We supported and advised campus partners across multiple offices to ensure data was being used responsibly, while strengthening institutional understanding of accommodation processes and policy compliance.
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We saw a significant growth in our online and social media presence, extending the reach of our work and strengthening how communities connect with our office.
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We engaged with students in a meaningful way through the Student Ambassadors Program and student-driven consultations, whose insights on belonging, safety, food security, and cultural wellbeing are now shaping our priorities for the year ahead.
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We opened our doors more intentionally to communities off-campus, strengthening our role within the Waterloo region while building stronger bridges between on-campus and off-campus communities.
This work is political because equity work is about power: who has it, who doesn’t, and how we redistribute it to create justice. And let me be clear: we are not slowing down.
In 2026, we will:
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Deepen our engagement with communities—not as a checkbox, but as co-creators of institutional change.
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Hold ourselves accountable through transparent reporting and policy reform that moves beyond rhetoric.
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Expand education and capacity building, equipping our campus to lead courageously in a world that demands more than neutrality.
We are kicking off the year by launching a series of community resources designed to empower campus and local communities to lead projects that matter most to them. These initiatives aim to reduce financial barriers, support community-led solutions, and strengthen relationships with communities that we are connected to.
As I often say:
“Equity work is not charity—it’s justice. And justice requires courage, persistence, and community.”
Our roots are in community. Our vision is bold. And our commitment is unwavering. But this work cannot happen in isolation: It requires all of us.
Our Purpose
As we enter this next chapter, we are also unveiling the new EDI-R visual identity, a design grounded in the belief that our collective work matters.
Inspired by our collective purpose, the interconnected hexagonal forms symbolize collaboration, shared strength, and collective change. The layered shapes reflect how communities come together, interlocking, supporting one another, and building something stronger than any one of us alone. Through its palette and structure, the identity visually echoes our values, reinforcing the commitments that guide and ground our work.
This identity is more than a look; it is a reminder that this is shared responsibility and that transformation happens through collective power.
Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for believing that equity and justice are not just ideals. They are actions. Together, we will keep moving forward.
In solidarity,
Christopher
Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism
University of Waterloo