News

The Connections Program at United College, set to launch in September 2024, is designed to help incoming students transition into university life through a community-focused approach. Bringing together around 25 first-year students from various disciplines in a shared living and learning space, the program aims to foster strong social connections and a sense of belonging. This initiative reflects United College's commitment to supporting students' academic and personal growth by offering shared electives and group activities that encourage lifelong friendship.

Giving formal academic credit and recognition to the building of social ventures could be game-changing for students and could shape the social innovation landscape, paving the way for many more ideas, initiatives, and ventures, that are driven by skilled and talented changemakers, that profoundly touch people’s lives.

University of Waterloo students Emily Meissner and Millie Balmer embark on an 8-month placement in Uganda, contributing to local communities as part of the United College and Faculty of Environment run International Development (INDEV) program.

The passing of Dr. Ronald William Lang on May 15, 2023, a visionary, champion, advocate of workers' rights and a trailblazer in public policy, left a profound impact and void in the University of Waterloo, Faculty of Arts, United College, and broader academic communities. 

United College alumni, friends, and students gathered on Saturday, November 18 for our annual Stanley Knowles dinner and lecture, marking a year of impactful achievements and celebrating contributions to the college's 60-year legacy. This event, named after Stanley Knowles, emphasizes the college's focus on social good, reflected in both the evening's discussions and the accolades awarded to notable alumni and students. The highlight was a fireside chat with Chancellor Michaëlle Jean and Jody Wilson-Raybould, discussing Wilson-Raybould's book "True Reconciliation," which aligns with the college's efforts towards enhancing support for Indigenous cultures and tackling educational inequities. The evening not only honoured those who have enriched the United College community but also reinforced a collective commitment to reconciliation and social impact.

On Wednesday, November 15th, 2023, United College celebrated National Philanthropy Day. This Canada-wide event celebrates gift-giving and recognizes those who contribute to building a better, healthier, stronger, and more equitable world. On this day, United College celebrated the contributions of donors and supporters, all of whom have and continue to make the college campus community. Celebrated since the 1980’s, National Philanthropy Day recognizes the testimonies of philanthropy and the ways it can transform lives, people, and communities

Although delayed due to the pandemic, on October 11, 2023, Sheila Ball (BES’12), an alumnus of United College, received the prestigious 2021 United College Young Alumni Award at a special and intimate ceremony at the “SOCIAL” in downtown Ottawa, surrounded by fellow alumni, family, colleagues, friends, and staff.

Toast time is a treasured, decade’s old, United College tradition that saw a trolley full of bread, toasters, and all the toppings (ex. jam, Nutella, random inventions!), rolled out in the cafeteria every night. 

From solutions targeting at-risk youth to climate change and social justice, GreenHouse celebrates more than 100 successful ventures 

United College and University of Waterloo welcome dozens of new refugees to campus.