News

This past fall, Dr. Denise Marigold took key concepts from the Positive Psychology course she teaches at Renison and turned it into a workshop for high school students called “The Power of Perspective.” Through hands-on activities, students were given opportunities to reflect on how shifting their perspective on negative experiences can foster more positive emotions, behaviours, and outcomes—while also developing a realistic understanding of the limits of positive thinking as a quick fix.

This week, Renison University College had its first annual Stone Garden Memorial Celebration, where we remember community members who have passed away. It will be held on the Monday following All Souls Day each year.

This weekend, we celebrate with Renison grads who will walk across the stage and receive their degree during Spring Convocation. Congratulations to each of you on your incredible achievement!

We are so grateful and proud to have you as part of the Renison community of alumni – and we can’t wait to see what you do next!

During Convocation, we also announce the Fall 2025 Student and Faculty Award Winners. Each award winner embodies the values of Renison in a special way, and these awards recognize their contributions to our community. 

Renison’s School of Global Engagement and Education is excited to announce the launch of a new free online training resource: Skills for Success: Building transferable skills for the workplace.

This self-guided, asynchronous resource is designed to support newcomers to Canada who are developing foundational and transferable skills for the workplace. It integrates essential workplace skills with English language support, making it especially valuable for those entering or re-entering the workforce.

I am known for occasionally quoting the 16th century reformer, theologian, and church leader Martin Luther; today I am drawing inspiration from civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. who is quoted as saying, “you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

In the 16 months since I assumed the office of president of Renison University College, we have been collectively working towards creating a plan for the future of the College. The first few months saw us working closely with students, staff, faculty and Board members to develop a shared vision of our future. What should Renison look like in five years? Through a variety of working groups and visioning sessions conducted over the last year, we not only prioritized our strategic plan, but we also created a unified vision for the future of Renison. We created the staircase. We took those first steps.

Financial Statement highlights for the 2025 Annual Report. 

As I conclude my fourth and final year as Chair, I have had the privilege of witnessing remarkable growth and transformation across Renison University College. Over these years, we have navigated complex challenges while remaining steadfast in our commitment to providing programs that truly meet the evolving needs and interests of our students. At times, this has meant making difficult decisions regarding areas of low student demand, ensuring that our resources are directed toward programs and experiences that have the greatest impact.  As a former alumnus, I am proud of the Board, the senior leadership team and the faculty’s commitment to put the needs of students first.

By Jane Karanassiou and Nela Maluckov, Curriculum Managers, School of Global Engagement and Education

Future Ready

This summer, the School of Global Engagement and Education (SGEE) launched the three-week Future Ready program for students aged 15 to 17. This initial session brought together 20 Canadian and international high school students from around the world to explore significant global challenges and experience first-hand the academic and innovative ecosystem of the University of Waterloo. Inspired by SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, student teams were tasked with creating a waste reduction initiative aimed at helping the University of Waterloo achieve zero waste designation by 2035.

By Cort Egan, Director, External Relations and Communications

Stefany Kraft knows what it’s like to be a Renison and University of Waterloo student. She’s a proud graduate, having double majored in Peace and Conflict Studies and Social Development Studies before completing her Bachelor of Social Work at Renison. Today, Stefany is Renison’s Student Experience Coordinator, and our students couldn’t be in better hands.

By Nancy Schnarr, Senior Manager, Central Communications

Looking forward at Renison means not only building and managing our physical spaces but also evaluating and updating services and program offerings. For decades, the Social Development Studies (SDS) and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) programs have been pillars of Renison, meeting the needs of students as they made their way into professions like Social Worker, Teacher, or Lawyer – among many others. The two academic units worked together to support students’ professional goals throughout both the SDS undergraduate degree and the 10-month BSW post-graduate degree.  More recently, they embarked on further integrating the two and, after 5 years of planning, the single pathway SDS+BSW double degree will become reality for students starting in Fall 2026, pending University of Waterloo Senate approval.