Undergraduate student survey results

Option 1: 

• My initial response was somewhat uncomfortable (since I think of pre-med when I think of 'health'), but after reading the rationale, it eased my mind. I understand that not everyone in the faculty receives a BSc so having 'Sciences' in the name might be misleading. I also like the acronym AHS so I think including that somehow is a great idea! 
• I think the name change is an excellent idea. The Faculty of Health better describes what the four core programs are centered towards as opposed to Applied Health Sciences. This new name is far simpler and represents what we do. Not to mention, a faculty of health generally receives more respect from academics than applied health science 
• I agree that Applied Health Sciences can hold a negative connotation or makes it seem less rigorous than say the Science faculty based on what society associates with 'applied' (high school applied is lower than academic etc). Also Applied is an unnecessary term to add on to our Faculty name. 
• In my opinion, renaming the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences to the Faculty of Health is a good change. When I first applied to the University of Waterloo, my parents and I thought that the term Applied meant that the faculty was not as studious as the others. A possible reason is that the term Applied is used in high school for courses meant for college pathways. I believe the Faculty of Health Sciences or Faculty of Health are both very good options. 
• Being from Waterloo, the word Applied does have other meanings, and I didn't understand which one the university meant before I applied. I think 'Health' is cleaner, all encompassing of the departments and programs within and I really like that we would match the other faculties with a single word name! 
• Before reading the rational, I was more in favour of Faculty of Health Sciences. However, considering our undergraduates graduate with BA and BSc from our faculty this makes sense to not include the Science part. At first Faculty of Health sounds boring, then again considering that all other departments are one word as well, this does make sense to have a more coherent cross campus label. 
• I believe for the reasons listed in the rationale, it is beneficial to simplify the name making it more universally understood across Ontario as an institution. The word Applied always raises questions for me as people don’t truly understand what it means. Changing the name to Faculty of Health will make us as a student body be considered as the strong, academically advanced, and innovative students that we deserve to be recognized as. 
• After reading through the rationale for the change, I understood what the purpose of this name change is and how it could better represent the faculty. 
• As a member of the Recreation and Leisure Faculty, I have always found a sense of disconnect to the current faculty name of 'Applied Health Sciences'; I feel that a name change to 'Health' would be moving in a more inclusive and comprehensive direction. Further, as has been mentioned, I feel that a one word name is a short and simple title that fits well with the other faculty titles of UWaterloo.

• I understand taking out the Applied part of the faculty name due to the negative connotations; however, Faculty of Health does not seem to cover the scope of what our faculty is. There are also so many uses of the acronym AHS such as the AHSsies and the AHS building, it seems like a hassle to change and can cause confusion. I believe it should be left the way it is or at least titled faculty of Health Sciences like other institutions because it covers more of the faculty. Programs in AHS are required to learn many sciences and not remotely just health. Changing the name will cause confusion among students trying to navigate the university and will cause a large adjustment period for students that is unnecessary. 
• Because it is not just health that is being studied in this faculty. As a rec and leisure student, I like the faculty of Applied Health because it includes us and how we apply knowledge to others and help out others. 
• Short answer: No, i definitely don’t agree with this new name. To my original question - how is this supposed the represent the RLS Department?? The name Applied Health Sciences made sense to have the Department of Rec and Leisure in it - with the explanation being Rec and Leisure being a major component/driver of wellbeing. “Faculty of Health” does not. There’s not enough material offered in class to teach us how RLS relates to health and just “health”. (unless you are planning to move us out of the faculty, which is unfair and such a hassle to explain to everyone. If you want, wait until everyone currently in the faculty graduates). So your rationale on how the current name is misleading... it still is. If you must change it, change it to Faculty of Health and Wellbeing or something to better reflect RLS Department. Or rework the RLS curriculum to make it less misleading and relevant to health. 
• I feel like RLS does not fit into this new name change and I did read the reasoning behind it and think that as a student coming into university will also not understand that. Also when I hear health I immediately think of healthcare and I think a lot of others do too so RLS does not fit under that category. For me I am in sports business and I do not think that that Faculty of Health represents RLS majors at all. 
• I have read the Q & A's, and in my opinion, the name Faculty of Health diminishes the significance of the scientific work done in most of the programs in the faculty (kinesiology, health studies, and public health). I recognize that wellness is a part of health, but with 3 of the 4 programs in the faculty being BSc degrees, I believe the name should reflect this accordingly. 
• I think it is unnecessary to change it and the current name is a great fit considering the aspects of our 3 programs. It is a large reason I choose the University of Waterloo and this specific faculty because it is one of the first places that truly gives the importance of an applied science program and putting a strong emphasis on it. Changing that name alters the dedication of a science program in the eyes of future students who will choose another path if they only see health. 
• The name change does not add anything beneficial to the program. Since AHS students aren't studying a pure science means that they are ridiculed by students in other fields. Removing the Sciences part of Applied Health Sciences faculty would make this issue worse. Additionally, the word Health still puts more emphasis on the School of Public Health and implies that AHS only comprises of SPHSS. 
• I like it as AHS, it’s different and unique and I feel like we stand out from the rest of the faculty’s because of this. It holds history behind the name and it works to encompass all of the degrees it covers. Naming it “health” would make it feel like we focus most on public health and health studies rather than RLS or even Kin 
• I can understand that there was significant thought behind what to change the name to but I still can't see the need for it. It seems like this was just something that the faculty wanted to do and is doing. It does not seem like there is enough of a necessity to change the name. The fact that it is in the plan to change the name is not necessarily a reason to change it. The reasons given (confusion from high school students) are not backed by data and not sufficient. The name change impacts current students not high school students. While I can see that there are benefits of the name change, there are also drawbacks that I feel are not given enough weight. 

• Not a good use of funds at this point-perhaps try to work on issues such as diversity and equity rather than rebranding. 
• Maybe you should spend your money on actual things that matter. The financial welfare of your students and their health in the time of a global pandemic and police brutality. The optics are terrible, anyone can see it. I thought AHS was better than this. 
• I don’t believe that during this Time we should be spending resources and finances on rebranding our faculty, if you look at the job overall we would have to change everything from T shirts to posters two signs on our buildings. I believe the finances and resources such as those that will go into this project would be better suited to help support students directly. I think that this would be overall a waste of our money and that it would be better used to help. Time we should be spending resources and finances on re-branding our faculty, if you look at the job overall we would have to change everything from T-shirts to posters two signs on our buildings. I believe that finances and resources such as those that we’re going to this project would be better suited to help support students directly. I think that this would be a overall a waste of our money and that it would be better used to help in more crucial areas of our campus. 
• I think the faculty could focus their time and funding on more pressing issues (e.g. student mental health) instead of rebranding 
• It is a lot of money to re brand everything, swag, all the teachers and courses. AHSUM would need to be rebranded as well as all associated organizations. I dont think it is a good use of money. 
• I feel as if applied health sciences encompasses all departments of AHS effectively. I also think changing the name is a waste of AHS money and could be put towards more opportunities for students to do research, community work and other initiatives to help AHS students build their resume for post graduation. 

• We have been AHS since the faculty started, I think it would be weird to change the name all of a sudden. 
• AHS has been a name that has been in the university ever since it started so it is symbolic for the students. Applied health sciences seems like a great fit of all of the departments that are enlisted under it, and changing this to only health makes it seem like kinesiology students are not part of it, especially since our degree has bachelor of science. 

• Identify how you distinguish between 'Health' students in the faculty vs. 'Health' students in the program in every day language 
• I think a more specific faculty name may be more effective. A name that represents all aspects of what AHS is all about. Something like “Health and Well-Being” “Health and Wellness” or even keeping “Health Sciences”. 
• Calling it Faculty of Health would not be a true representation. It is important to recognize the science part as well, so I think that it should be called Faculty of Health Sciences. 
• I agree that “Applied” should be removed, but not the “Sciences”. We study the science of health, though the body and movement (Kinesiology), though health System infrastructure and disease burden (public health) and through the social determinants (Health Studies) 
• Faculty of Health Science would be a better reflection of the academic strengths of our university and of this faculty. All 4 programs study health with some form of scientific approach. 
• The idea of the word 'science' still being in the faculty name is important, as it allows others to take our faculty more seriously, and it also provides a better idea of how science can be integrated into the real world with medicine and those working for health. Even if not all the programs under this faculty are science-based, most of the class requirements still encapsulate concepts of science, since health is all about learning the inner workings of the body, which is a biology, psychology and chemistry-based study. A name such as 'faculty of health sciences' would be very fitting.