Various campus shots with students in a variety of buildings and outside on Waterloo campus
Community conversations Discover what our campus community shared about health, wellbeing and the opportunities to create a healthier University of Waterloo.

Community conversations findings

Healthy Waterloo has hosted 20 community conversations with more than 105 students, staff and faculty members to better understand what supports health and wellbeing at the University of Waterloo.

Through small, facilitated discussions, participants shared their experiences of navigating health on campus and identified opportunities to create a healthier university community.

Four questions guided each conversation:

  1. What currently supports healthy habits
  2. What acts as barriers to health habits
  3. How campus culture shapes health
  4. What changes participants want to see

What supports healthy habits?

Participants identified a strong foundation of health-promoting resources across the University of Waterloo. Affordable recreation facilities, accessible health and wellness services, walkable campus spaces and food access initiatives were consistently recognized as helping students and staff maintain healthy habits while also highlighting opportunities to expand awareness and access.

Key themes

Accessible recreation and fitness programs

Participants valued affordable access to the Physical Activities Complex (PAC), Columbia Icefield (CIF), fitness classes and intramurals. Recreation opportunities were seen as accessible, inclusive and supportive of both physical health and social connection.

Walkable campus and green spaces

The campus environment encouraged movement through walkable pathways, trails and green spaces that also supported relaxation and mental wellbeing.

Health services and wellness resources

Health services, counselling, peer supports and workplace wellness initiatives were valued, particularly when they were easy to access and well promoted.

Food access initiatives

Affordable food programs, including produce bags and pay-what-you-can meals, helped improve access to nutritious food, although participants noted demand often exceeds availability.

What creates barriers to healthy habits?

Participants described several interconnected barriers that make it difficult to prioritize health and well-being. Academic pressures, the rising cost of healthy food, limited access to campus spaces and services and institutional challenges were identified as factors that often prevent people from maintaining healthy habits.

Key themes

Academic pressure and time constraints

Heavy workloads, competing priorities and limited time often reduced opportunities for exercise, healthy eating, sleep and self-care.

Cost and access to healthy food

The affordability and availability of nutritious food remained one of the most common concerns raised by participants.

Campus spaces and services

Overcrowded recreation facilities, limited study space and difficulty finding information about available supports created additional barriers.

Workplace and institutional barriers

Staff described workload pressures, organizational complexity and limited workplace flexibility as challenges that affected their health and wellbeing.

How does campus culture shape health?

Participants described a campus culture that can both support and challenge health and well-being. While experiences varied across faculties and roles, many participants spoke about the impact of high performance expectations, social isolation and the importance of creating a stronger sense of community, trust and shared responsibility for health.

Key themes

High performance and productivity

Many participants described a culture where academic achievement and productivity often take priority over health and wellbeing, contributing to stress and burnout.

Community and belonging

Participants wanted stronger opportunities to build relationships, connect across campus and feel a greater sense of belonging throughout their university experience.

Different experiences across campus

Experiences varied across faculties, departments and roles, with some groups reporting stronger health cultures and supports than others.

From listening to action

Participants appreciated opportunities to share their experiences but wanted greater visibility into how feedback informs decisions and leads to meaningful change.

What changes do participants want to see?

Participants shared practical recommendations to help create a healthier campus. Suggestions focused on improving access to healthy food and services, enhancing physical and social spaces, embedding health into academic life and fostering a culture that values wellbeing alongside academic and professional success.

Key themes

Improve access to affordable, healthy food

Expand affordable food programs, increase the availability of nutritious options and improve communication about existing food supports.

Enhance physical and social spaces

Reduce overcrowding in recreation facilities, improve study environments and create more informal spaces for connection and community.

Strengthen communication and access to resources

Develop a centralized location for health information, improve awareness of available services and make it easier to navigate campus supports.

Integrate health into academic life

Embed health and wellbeing into learning, provide greater flexibility where possible and ensure health is considered across the student experience.

Support community and culture change

Strengthen belonging, encourage collaboration and demonstrate visible leadership commitment to creating a healthier campus.

Limitations 

These conversations provide valuable insight into the experiences of participants but do not represent every community at the University of Waterloo. Undergraduate students, particularly those from the Faculty of Health, were more heavily represented than other groups. Future engagement will focus on reaching underrepresented faculties, student populations and staff groups.

Learn More

Interested in learning more? Contact healthy.waterloo@uwaterloo.ca to request a copy of the full Community Listening Report.