In 2020, the University of Waterloo launched the President's Anti-racism Taskforce (PART) with a mission to address systemic racism on campus. The Taskforce, made up of Black, Indigenous, and other racialized faculty, staff, and students, proposed 88 recommendations for the University to implement to foster an equitable culture. These recommendations have served as a comprehensive blueprint for addressing systemic racism and have since evolved into 125 projects across campus. Over half of these projects have either been completed or are in progress.
Important to the success of the PART initiative is the recognition that the President is ultimately accountable for all recommendations, underscoring Waterloo’s dedication to long-lasting change. The Taskforce also emphasized that the University community shares responsibility for implementing these recommendations and proposed an accountability framework to ensure transparency and collective commitment.
As of September 2023 (Q3), the University of Waterloo has made significant progress in implementing these recommendations:
PART recommendations
projects
in progress
completed
As progress continues, ongoing collaboration and dialogue with Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities will remain vital to driving meaningful change.
Members of the University can stay informed on the progress of these recommendations by visiting the Implementation dashboard and staying engaged with campus departments to learn more about these initiatives as they develop.
Some highlights of the impactful work being done are presented:
