We are committed to build partnerships across the University, so together we can continue to lead transformative culture changes, disrupt oppressive systems, dismantle institutional barriers, and embed anti-racism and equity in policies, processes, environments, and experiences on campus.
Current initiatives
Take the mic
We’re opening our space, and our professional podcasting and video equipment, to students, staff, and faculty for free 30-minute recording sessions available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1–3 p.m.
Care corner
This initiative offers a recurring space for those supporting individuals impacted by harm, centred on rest, reflection, and mutual care. Through a workshop style series, it addresses vicarious trauma, burnout, and boundary setting while fostering connection and practical strategies for ongoing well-being.
Guided journal
What might it look like to slow down and make space for yourself? This guided journal was designed to support anyone navigating difficult or overwhelming experiences, including identity-based harm, inequities, and systemic barriers.
News and upcoming events
News
How do we make decisions reflect the communities they impact?
At the University of Waterloo, the decisions we make about research, programs, policies, and even physical spaces ripple across campus life. So how do we ensure those decisions genuinely reflect the people they impact? The Community Engagement Guide was developed to help answer that question.
Waterloo Launches PAIR: Black-Led, Inclusive, and Globally Engaged
The University of Waterloo launches the Pan African Initiative for Research (PAIR), a new interdisciplinary research initiative designed to advance collaborative, community rooted, and globally engaged scholarship across Pan African contexts, including Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Afro diasporic communities worldwide.
PCOS & Endometriosis: Separating Fact from Fiction
Events
How Can We Improve the Efficiency of Equity Training?
Waterloo Staff Conference Session:
Equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism training has become an essential part of professional development initiatives across industries. However, post-training feedback often reports medium or lower levels of efficiency and knowledge transfer associated with equity training programs. By revisiting cases of providing equity training, this workshop will identify and explain the challenges associated with delivering and receiving such initiatives. The session will compare the employees' expectations of equity training with the requirements of professional development programs. During the session discussions, we will examine the gaps and provide practical suggestions on how to enhance EDI-related training within individual departments.
Presenter:
Alex Pershai, they/them, Associate Director - Equity, Office of Equity/Diversity/Inclusion and Anti-Racism
CCDI Webinar: Mapping DEIA metrics in the workplace
Research and data continue to demonstrate that diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) create more innovative and stronger performing teams and organizations. How can we map DEIA metrics in our workplaces through stories, data, and benchmarks? Join us as we explore how mapping DEIA metrics can provide us with a strong foundation for sustainability and ethical growth
From Support to Partnership: Rethinking How We Work with Communities
Waterloo Staff Conference Session:
From Support to Partnership: Rethinking How We Work with Communities
Presenters:
Pamela Braza Pitman (she/her), Senior Manager, Outreach, Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-R)