Occasional updates, comments, and reflections from President Feridun Hamdullahpur
Black History Month is a time for reflection and celebration. It is also a time to learn, collaborate and act for needed systemic changes inside and outside of our community.
Highlighting our Black community and areas for positive change
It has been a year filled with extraordinary challenges, stress, anxiety and difficult decisions none of us thought we’d have to make. Not a day has gone by that I have not thought about the safety of our University of Waterloo community, and top of mind has been our community’s mental health. Many of us have dealt with and continue to deal with sleepless nights brought on by worry and apprehension – I know I have.
Now is the time for us to come together. Now is the time for us to look out for one another. Now is the time to thrive.
Every Fall, I have the privilege of welcoming our community together at the annual President’s Town Hall to provide an update on the state of the University and give a brief glimpse at the future. As we all continue to grapple with uncertainty and change, coming together has never been more important.
I want to start by thanking everyone in the University of Waterloo community for what has been a strong start to this very unique Fall Term. It has certainly offered its own obstacles but also successes for our University.
Today is the start of a new academic year for thousands of students, faculty and staff who make up the University of Waterloo community. I think many of us are craving a fresh start knowing full well the coming fall term will offer new experiences and some new challenges.
We have all been pushed and stressed by the past six months. I certainly feel it and see it. At the same time, we continue learning, working and creating because we believe in pursuing new knowledge and meeting the needs of our community.
Our community came together back in May for a special Virtual Town Hall amid a great deal of uncertainty. We continue to face a near future that is ever-changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the University of Waterloo community has never stopped planning and acting.
In June I announced my intention to form a new task force to tackle racism at the University.
I am deeply committed to making sure that we make lasting changes to address racism as an institution. This must include anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, and other issues of racism that we see too frequently on our campuses and in our society.
Dear University of Waterloo Community,
Many of us have watched the news over the past week of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the rise in protests across the world. I know some in our University community may have participated in protests to stand in solidarity against racism, violence and oppression.
I stand with you. I stand with your frustration. I stand with your anger. I stand with your sadness. And, I stand with your call for action.
Canada is a diverse country, but still racism, oppression and intolerance happen here, too often.
I know it has been said repeatedly over the past several weeks but there is no doubt that the University of Waterloo has undergone a great deal of change in a short amount of time. We are collectively navigating uncharted territory for any post-secondary institution. Decisions are being made quickly as situations arise and as we react to an ever-evolving environment dominated by the need for public safety.
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