What we do

The Registrar is the senior department head responsible for the management of the Office of the Registrar. These responsibilities include:

• developing and maintaining an organizational structure that reflects the university’s culture and supports its mission
• making the case for adequate levels of budget support
• effectively managing and controlling resources allocated to the Office
• providing effective administrative support systems
• providing effective overall direction and leadership to staff, including enlightened change management
• ensuring fair performance evaluation and providing job-related training and encouragement of staff participation in personal and professional development on an on-going basis

The Administration team supports the Registrar and the office with these initiatives. In addition, the team provides:

• financial management and oversight
• Human Resources and payroll administration
• strategic planning
• information management
• orientation and training, and
• event management support.

The admissions team interacts directly with prospective students, parents, applicants, alumni, staff, and faculty to provide services and support that lead to a positive student experience. The team is responsible for:

• the evaluation and production of offers of admission
• recording and maintaining official student academic records

The marketing and undergraduate Recruitment team uses a research-based approach in the creation and implementation of leading-edge marketing strategies to recruit extraordinary undergraduate students from around the world to the University of Waterloo.

Calendar and Communications: The calendar and communications team is accountable for the following responsibilities:

• produce the annual undergraduate calendar and maintain archived calendars
• train calendar representatives, write user instruction manuals, test new version upgrades to the calendar software, and maintain a repository of past undergraduate calendars
• co-ordinate mass email communications to the undergraduate students for the university
• maintain the following website: Quest; Registrar’s Office; Scheduling; and Undergraduate Forms
• provide support services related to the Chancellor’s robing room and co-ordinate the management of hoods issued to graduates at Convocation

Customer Service: The customer service team is the face of the Registrar’s Office. The team:

• helps students in person, over the phone, by email, and can assist students with ordering transcripts, solving course enrolment issues, and providing enrolment verification at UWaterloo documents
• addresses over 40,000 questions per term and takes pride in addressing these queries professionally, promptly, and effectively

Records / Records & Systems: The records team interacts directly with current students, alumni, staff, and faculty to provide services and support that lead to a positive student experience. The team is responsible for:

• recording and maintaining official student academic records
• supporting the overall maintenance and implementation of features in Quest, our student information system

Scheduling, Examinations, and Convocation: The scheduling, examinations, and convocation team is responsible for:

• Producing the graduate and undergraduate timetables
• Scheduling and administering final examinations
• Scheduling and coordinating the university's spring and fall convocation ceremonies
• Timetabling and examination support/training for the academic units
• Maintaining, managing, and optimizing of 130+ classrooms (includes repairs, renovations, furnishings, and new builds)
• Booking academic rooms

The student awards and financial aid team:

• provides financial support, information and advice to help students achieve their post-secondary goals
• assists with the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)
• process and offer hundreds of awards, scholarships, academic grants, bursaries and emergency aid
• administer the Work Study Program