News

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.

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.

To each of our many donors, thank you for your generous support of Renison University College.

At Renison, faculty and students are helping to change the world. Supporters like you help to ensure that Renison continues its strong presence as a place of education and social change within our community, nationally, and internationally.

The Renison University College Annual Report for 2024 is now available. Presented at the Annual General Meeting on October 22, 2025, this year's report includes financial highlights, remarks from the Board Chair and President, updates on Renison programs, and feature stories about students and alumni who have made an impact this year. Read on for more. 

Congratulations to Dr. Meg Gibson! On Tuesday, August 26, 2025 Dr. Gibson was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal by the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. She received this award in recognition of her service to Ontario and to Canada. 

Congratulations!

Just released: With the support of student feedback from an online survey and consultation sessions, Renison Student Experience and Housing has developed a road map report to explore ways we can make Renison an event better place to learn and grow for our student community.

This week, 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 Spring 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. 

It’s official – Renison has a Pride logo! We worked with students through our Queer and Cozy group to come up with something that resonated with our 2SLGBTQ+ community – and here it is!

Here’s what our President, The Rev. Dr. Marc Jerry, had to say about the new logo:

“Renison is a safe and inclusive space, and I’m deeply proud to be a part of it. This new logo is a visual representation of our values and an extension of our work to ensure that everyone feels welcome at Renison – not just during pride month but every day of the year.”

The logo is now also available in our merch shop, visit renison.ca/merch and select the new logo when choosing your item(s).

We hope you like it!