A message from James W.E. Rush, Vice-President, Academic and Provost.
The University of Waterloo continuously demonstrates our tight integration with society through our core mission commitments to Academics and Research, and our key differentiators of work-integrated learning, innovation, application, and entrepreneurship. These integral partnerships are why we have a deep understanding of the evolving needs of society, and are committed to meeting those needs through our teaching, learning, research, and service.
As a leading institution, we understand the critical role universities play as essential and sustainable structures in society. As such, Waterloo recognizes the importance of keeping pace with our community’s expectations, ensuring that modernization and integration of systems across the University are happening with efficiency.
In order to successfully address the organizational, planning, and operational features needed to help us realize our strategic goals and our Waterloo at 100 vision, in May 2022, I commissioned the Provost’s Advisory Committee (PAC) on Building a Resilient University of Waterloo.
This Committee has completed its work and created a report that provides six key enablers, along with a Resiliency Framework, that will guide our operations. This Resiliency Framework will help us work together to create “One University” — a theme that resonates throughout the report.
The Resiliency Framework pulls together the various multifunctional elements of operations at our institution, illustrating how many of the projects that are currently underway intersect across the six key enablers that are outlined in the report. This Framework will also serve as the axis for future initiatives, helping accelerate and streamline implementation through an integrated planning approach.
Future projects and announcements will be placed within the Resiliency Framework, and will be highlighted on the Provost's Advisory Committee on Building a Resilient University of Waterloo webpage. This will ensure that the community has insights into the strategic connections of our work, with ongoing access to a repository of institutional initiatives. Please refer to the PAC report, and my response to the report, for details on the Committee’s recommendations on how to create a resilient, sustainable, co-ordinated, and empowered University.
I would like to thank the Committee for their diligent commitment to this work and to all the leaders who were consulted in the development of the report. It is a tremendously galvanizing step toward creating a resilient University of Waterloo.