About Student Success

Creating a vibrant student experience at Waterloo

The Student Success Office (SSO) provides and facilitates strategic student support for academic and personal success. Our mandate supports Waterloo's strategic plan theme to provide a vibrant student experience as we work towards achieving our goal of being recognized as one of the top innovation universities in the world.

Our work is guided by the following principles:

Put students first
Focus on relationships and collaboration
Seek out impactful initiatives
Create an inspirational environment
Use evidence to make our decisions

2017-2019 priorities

Develop an international student experience strategy to best support the unique needs of the diverse population of international students to ensure they:
- have a positive experience; and
- achieve academic personal and professional goals.
Develop a student advising strategy that facilitates academic student success and a positive student experience.
Develop a streamlined and clear transfer process that helps support the student experience and the staff who are involved in helping them navigate this transition between faculties.
Develop a strategy that will coordinate and enhance the graduate student supports to provide students with an enhanced graduate student experience.

Organizational structure

Expand each section below to understand our management structure, or download the Student Success Office organizational chart (.pdf).

Management

Director, Student Success Office: Pam Charbonneau
- Associate Director, Integrated Communications: Jenn Willoughby
- Associate Director, Student Learning and Transition, Heather Westmorland
- Associate Director, AccessAbility Services: Jennifer Gillies
- Manager, International Mobility and Intercultural Learning: Sacha Geer
- Manager, International Student Advising: Darlene Ryan and Boon Khoo

Communications and research

Associate Director, Integrated Communications: Jenn Willoughby
- Marketing and Communications Manager: Lisa Brackenridge
  - Digital Communications Officer: Chantal Vallis
  - Digital Communications Officer: Taylor Small
  - Digital Communications Officer: Kayla Snyder
    - Digital Communications Assistant: Alexis Nagum
  - Communications Design Coordinator: Jay Mielke
    - Communications Design Assistant Co-op: Grace Gahore
- Student Engagement and Communications Manager: Claire Taylor
  - Student Portal Engagement Coordinator: Laura Stickel
- Student Relations and Office Operations Coordinator: Amanda Annarilli
  - Student Relations Assistant: Natasha Makorova
  - Front Desk Assistants Co-op: Anna Quijano
- Data Analyst and Evaluation Specialist: Shona Forrest
  - Data Analyst Co-op

Global Learning

International Mobility and Intercultural Learning Manager: Sacha Geer
- Global Learning Coordinator: Leslie Smith
- Global Learning Coordinator: Paula Murphy
- Global Learning Coordinator: Jennifer Jantzi
- Global Learning Coordinator: Kate Andrey
- Global Learning Coordinator: Andri Efstathiou (on leave)
  - Global Learning Associate Co-op: Madison Rykem

International Student Advising

International Student Advising Manager: Boon Khoo, RCIC
International Student Advising Manager: Darlene Ryan, RCIC
- International Student Advisor: Stefanie Heinbuch, RCIC
- International Student Advisor: Ambreen Husain, RCIC
- International Student Advisor: Jessica Vasylenko, RCIC

Learning and transition

Associate Director, Student Learning and Transition, Heather Westmorland
- Faculty Relations Manager: Kirsty Budd
- Faculty Relations Manager: Tanya Markvart
- Faculty Relations Manager: Katie Schulz
- Faculty Relations Manager: Theresa Nystrom (on leave)
- Senior Academic Development Specialist: Andrea Prier
  - Academic Development Specialist: Erin Jobidon
  - Academic Development Specialist: Erica McKellar
  - Academic Development Specialist: Maria Barichello
  - Coaching Specialist: Nasim Shojayi
  - Academic Support Programs Coordinator: Anne-Marie Hiebert
  - Academic Support Programs Coordinator: Shannon Leis (on secondment)
- Cross-Campus Advising Specialist: vacant
- Manager, Student Experience: Kate McCrae Bristol
  - Student Leadership Program Coordinator: Lauryn Poulin
    - Student Leadership Program Assistant: Emma Schroeder
  - Peer Mentorship Coordinator: Catherine Chan
  - New Student Transition Specialist: Jessica Bondy (on leave)
  - New Student Transition Specialist: Ashley McKnight
    - New Student Transition Coordinator: Jenna Hampshire
    - Orientation Coordinator - Undergraduate: Vacant
      - Assistant Coordinator: Madlynn Palmer
    - Orientation Coordinator - Graduate, International, Transfer: Meryl Norris
    - New Student Transition Program Assistant: Co-op
- International Student Experience Manager: Candace Brown
  - International Student Experience Programs Coordinator: Farzaneh Irani
  - International Student Experience Programs Coordinator: Hazel Kabibi
  - International Student Experience Programs Coordinator: Edita Gatchene
    - International Student Experience Assistant: Co-op