University of Waterloo
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Waterloo’s Policy 33 – Ethical Behaviour, states: That the University of Waterloo is committed to providing an environment which supports and rewards its members on the basis of such relevant factors as work performance and achievement. Harassment, discrimination and the abuse of supervisory authority, for example, are inimical to this environment. Further, as required by the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the University has a responsibility to provide an environment free from harassment and discrimination, and accordingly must deal effectively, quickly and fairly with any situation involving claims of harassment or discrimination that come to its attention (taken from https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-33)

The UW Conflict Management and Human Rights department has a webpage for guidelines for responding to complaints of harassment and discrimination, including for supervisors, teaching assistants, and residence life staff. The guidelines indicate what to do, where to go for help, as well as a training course in harassment, and contact information for the Conflict Management and Human Rights Office if escalation or additional support is needed (https://uwaterloo.ca/conflict-management-human-rights/harassment-and-discrimination)

Waterloo has several ongoing programs to recruit indigenous students, students from Northern Ontario, and for Ontario Crown Wards. The University of Waterloo continues to partner with St. Paul’s University College and the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre to attended recruitment events targeted for indigenous students (such as the Aboriginal Post-Secondary Information Program). The University has also participated in tours through Northern Ontario to reach typically underserved and often marginalized populations, and has attended and participated in events that support recruitment for Ontario Crown Wards. The University of Waterloo has initiated a new cluster-hiring program that has been launched to support the hire of Black and Indigenous faculty members to address underrepresentation of these groups among faculty. https://uwaterloo.ca/provost/cluster-hiring-initiatives

A wide range of programs are available through Counselling Services, the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre, The Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity, and AccessAbility Services. Counselling Services provides a wide range of services available to any student at the University of Waterloo at no charge. These could include individual appoints in a private and confidential setting, seminars and workshops on cultivating resiliency, managing emotions, alleviating anxiety, developing self-compassion, stress reduction, and group therapy. The Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre provides services premised on understanding, respect, and trust, as well as a recognition of and sensitivity to the different cultural values and rights of Indigenous peoples and cultures. The Centre facilitates the sharing of Indigenous knowledge and provide culturally relevant information and support services for all members of the University of Waterloo community, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, staff, and faculty. AccessAbility Services provides academic support for students who have both permanent and temporary disabilities, including full-time, part-time, graduate and undergraduate students, as well as students completing a degree online. Counselling has also hired a Black counsellor to provide therapy and services specifically for Black students, as well as an Indigenous counsellor and a counsellor focused on students who identify as LGBTQ+

Requests can be made to Housing to seek accommodation depending on the preference of the student, such as for a single room, or suite-style for more private washroom use.