The Wellness Collaborative, which launched in June 2019, is a result of the signing of the Okanagan Charter and the Healthy Workplace Statement. The Wellness Collaborative is unique, as it addresses the wellbeing of the entire university community, including students, staff, faculty and CUPE.
The Wellness Collaborative is committed to the continual improvement upon health and wellness at the University of Waterloo in many ways, including but not limited to:
- A holistic approach to wellness, with an emphasis on mental health;
- Emphasizing mental health as a priority;
- Promoting and leveraging existing wellness programs and initiatives; identifying gaps in services and supports; setting priorities for new health and wellness initiatives; and working with campus partners to implement those initiatives;
- Responding to the unique needs and strengths of each Faculty, department and student group who will correspondingly share their insights and learnings with the campus-wide collaborative; and
- Sharing the University’s experiences and best practices with other campuses and broader society through dialogue with external stakeholders regarding health and well-being in universities.
The University of Waterloo also acknowledges the importance of health and wellness in the workplace, and has established a Healthy Workplace Statement that outlines commitments, strategies, and roles to ensure a supportive, healthy workplace for all employees.