Community

March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It is an opportunity to reflect on the actions we can take to advance anti-racism, equity and inclusion, not just today, but throughout the year.

As places of higher learning, universities have an obligation and opportunity to take leadership in this area. We play an important role in educating our students and the public about the inequalities and injustices that continue to pervade society. We also have a responsibility to address these issues on our own campuses and in our communities.

What is the most underrated benefit of being a graduate?

When students graduate from the University of Waterloo, not only are they earning a degree from a world-class institution with a stellar reputation, but they are also given access to practical services and an incredibly accomplished network of over 225,000 alumni around the world.

For me personally, engaging with alumni has had an enormous and positive impact on my life and career.  Here are three ways that Waterloo’s alumni network can set you up for success.

What a milestone achievement for Madeline Schizas, a student of Urban Planning at the Faculty of Environment, Waterloo! She competed at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics recording a personal best of 69.60 points in the women’s short program portion. 

Schizas is a competitive skater. The 19-year-old from Oakville, Ontario in her first Olympics accomplishment lifted Canada to fourth from sixth and moved the country into the five-team final round of the figure skating.

Emily Mills says she was looking for a peer-community of diverse women leading on their own terms when she founded How She Hustles in 2010.

“When we hosted our first event, the issues of equity, diversity and inclusion weren’t top priority in the world the way they are now,” Mills says. “That’s why so many diverse women joined us in person to feel reflected and included — they also wanted to feel informed and part of a community.”

The first International Women’s Day gathering took place more than a century ago in 1911. Today it is a global movement celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.   

The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. Over the past hundred years, we as a society have made great strides, but there is still much more work to do.  

Students facing barriers to higher education have a new resource to help them achieve their goals.

The Joyce Scholars Awards provide funding for learners in challenging financial or socio-economic circumstances. Open to students entering any program at the University of Waterloo, the awards can be renewed for up to four years.

A terrible tragedy is unfolding before the world as President Putin, the leader of a militarized totalitarian regime, continues his unprovoked assault on Ukraine and its people.   

University of Waterloo is unwavering in our solidarity with the innocent victims of this invasion, and we stand in support of those who are calling for an end to the invasion.  

Does working from home bring more work-life balance? What will it mean to go "back to normal"? And who exactly is doing all this great resigning? For many of us, the future of work feels pretty uncertain — maybe even stressful. 

In this episode, we explore employee desires with Anne Fannon (MA '03), director at the Work-Learn Institute, a research unit that pulls insights from Waterloo's world-renowned co-op programs. She offers valuable information about what the youngest workers want from their careers, and how tomorrow's most successful employers will meet their expectations.

Given the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the University of Waterloo offers its full support to any students, staff or faculty who may be affected by these events. More so, we offer our deepest sympathy to those who may be dealing with the loss of a friend, research colleague or family member in Ukraine. 
 
If you or someone you know is affected by this tragic event and need support, there is help available. Please contact any of the following resources: