Blog

Over the past year, we've heard from staff who are struggling with the culture at Waterloo. After 18 years advocating for staff through the UWSA, Staff Advocacy Officer Gail Spencer sees a troubling pattern emerging lately: staff who feel overly scrutinized, not empowered, and not trusted within their roles, and leaders who are not prioritizing psychological safety. In this post, she explores how those attitudes shape staff experiences and what needs to change.

The Staff Spotlight series shines a light on the support systems that help staff at the University of Waterloo thrive.

In this Spotlight, we meet Andriana Vanezi, a Systems Integration Specialist with Information Security Services, where she helps staff and departments navigate cybersecurity risks and make informed decisions about technology. We spoke with her about cyber awareness, the simple habits that can help prevent attacks, and the role every member of the campus community plays in keeping Waterloo secure

Since our last Navigating Job Loss session, we've heard from managers who want to know how they can better support staff during periods of uncertainty, even as they face similar concerns themselves. Ahead of our next session on September 24, we're sharing practical guidance to help managers support employees who may be experiencing anxiety related to job security, organizational change, or other workplace uncertainties.

By combining regular communication, emotional support, and practical resources, you can help your team feel valued and supported during challenging times. Read on for actionable steps to help your team!

The Staff Spotlight series shines a light on the support systems that help staff at the University of Waterloo thrive.

In this Spotlight, we meet Jennisha Wilson, who works at the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-R), where she focuses on transforming culture, shifting institutional practices and leading campus‑wide initiatives that embed anti‑racism and anti‑oppression into the core of how we operate. 

The Staff Spotlight series shines a light on the support systems that help staff at the University of Waterloo thrive.

In this Spotlight, we meet Patricia Huynh, who works at the Sustainability Office, where she coordinates, leads, and implements projects across campus related to sustainability. We spoke with her about sustainability projects, campus collaboration, and the many ways staff can help build a more sustainable Waterloo. 

The University Pension Plan (UPP) is a multi-employer pension plan built for the post-secondary sector. The University is in the early stages of exploring possible conversion to UPP. Our role is to keep you informed and share key information as this exploration proceeds and so that you can make an informed decision if the process moves forward. Here’s what we think you should know.

The Staff Spotlight series shines a light on the support systems that help staff at the University of Waterloo thrive.

In this Spotlight, we meet Alyssa Doyle, who works in Community Relations and Events, where she helps plan and deliver events across campus—including convocation. We spoke with her about what goes into events behind the scenes, why convocation matters, and why staff volunteers keep coming back. 

The Staff Spotlight series shines a light on the support systems that help staff at the University of Waterloo thrive.

Gladwyn Badger is the Events and Special Projects Coordinator in the Office of Indigenous Relations. We spoke with him about his role, community, and what meaningful engagement looks like at UW. 

We’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about the functional reviews, in particular the outcomes of the functional review implementation teams (FRITs) and what’s coming next for staff. We don’t have much in the way of new information to share right now, but we want to be transparent about what we’re hearing from you and what we’re continuing to raise with the University.

The Staff Spotlight series shines a light on the support systems that help staff at the University of Waterloo thrive.

With elections of staff to the Board of Governors open now, we’re kicking off this series with Nancy Heide, a current staff governor, to help you learn more about the role of the Board of Governors and the staff representatives on the Board.