Equity Office

From left to right: Gina Hickman, Director of Equity; Emily Burnell, Equity Specialist; and Tamara Zur, Project Manager, Equity Initiatives

Who are we?

As the Equity Office at the University of Waterloo, our job is to work with students, faculty and staff across campus to advance equity through evidence-based policies, practices and programs.

What we do:

• Develop, implement and evaluate strategic initiatives to advance equity on campus.
• Assist students, faculty and staff from underrepresented groups navigate solutions to equity-related barriers.
• Review and enhance University policies, procedures, and practices to address systemic barriers to equity.
• Provide guidance and advice on equity issues (including the duty to accommodate and other equity related legislative requirements).
• Build campus awareness on equity-related matters.
• Assist faculty and staff to embed equity in their jobs/programs/departments.
• Coordinate and evaluate initiatives to meet UWaterloo’s Employment Equity goals.
• Build relationships with stakeholders to collaborate on key equity initiatives.

How we support:

• By grounding equity initiatives and our recommendations in current legislation, robust data and consultation with people with lived experience.
• By using anti-oppressive, trauma informed approaches to support students, faculty and staff from equity seeking groups navigate UWaterloo structures and systems.
• By building strong collaborations on campus to embed equity across the institution.
• By engaging with equity seeking groups to amplify their perspectives and needs in key decision-making processes.
• By committing to continuous learning and improvement of our services.

For more information on our services and supports, please contact us at equity@uwaterloo.ca