Lenses

Lenses are broad and foundational priorities for the Faculty of Mathematics that describe how we will shape the environment in which members of the Waterloo Math community learn, study and work.

We will intentionally consider our plans and decisions through these lenses and will work to advance the objectives and strategic actions identified for each lens.

Collaboration and Consultation

Objective: Increase engagement and consultation with students and employees

  • Expand employee and student interest through information sharing by Faculty and unit leaders.
  • Enable regular engagement with members of the Faculty of Mathematics community to welcome feedback and diverse perspectives.

Objective: Leverage collaboration to enhance operations and improve employee experience 1

  • Build incentives for individuals and teams to collaborate for productivity gains.
  • Establish systemic mechanisms for employees to share experience, good practices, tools and innovations.
  • Increase employee awareness and use of the roles and offices across the Faculty and University that can support their work.
  • Seek opportunities to empower employees to engage with other units that are creating new systems or implementing new processes.

Equity and Inclusive Communities

Objective: Expand capacity for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) work

  • Uphold and apply the Math Equity and Inclusive Communities Principles broadly across the Faculty.
  • Increase employee and student participation in EDI and Indigenization training.
  • Increase the use of data to better understand the composition and experiences of the Waterloo Math community and to track progress toward EDI and Indigenization goals.
  • Build advocacy, allyship and understanding of the intent and value of EDI and Indigenization work.

Objective: Identify and address EDI barriers to student and employee participation 2

  • Increase the availability and dissemination of scholarships for underrepresented groups, including for students whose participation is limited by economic means.
  • Review employee recruitment, retention and promotion practices to include ways of pursuing excellence and measuring merit that better support EDI.
  • Seek opportunities for more diverse student recruitment and admissions practices.
  • Focus sustained outreach to groups underrepresented in mathematics, computer science and statistics, including to Indigenous communities.

Well-being and Community

Objective: Grow the sense of community in the Faculty of Mathematics

  • Increase student community through ongoing program development and by incorporating community-building opportunities in academic supports.
  • Facilitate employee connections within and across units and roles, beginning at onboarding.
  • Enhance alumni connections with the Faculty and each other.
  • Increase opportunities and incentives for faculty, alumni and students to interact outside the classroom.
  • Connect students and employees to the local community through projects and service opportunities.

Objective: Support the well-being of students and employees

  • Help students understand and feel comfortable accessing the full scope of well-being supports and services available to them.
  • Support students in adopting good practices that support well-being.
  • Identify and address barriers to work-life balance and other factors that negatively affect the employee experience.
  • Seek to understand and combat negative cultures that can be detrimental to well-being.
  1. See the goals “Mobilize Research and Education for Impact” and “Enhance Teaching, Learning and Curriculum” to learn how collaboration will also be leveraged in the development of students and the expansion of interdisciplinarity.
  2. This lens, and the use of the acronym “EDI” here, intend to broadly indicate advancing human rights, equity, diversity, and inclusion, including supporting accessibility, anti-racism, decolonization, gender equity, and promoting a sense of belonging for everyone.