The Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo traces its roots to the institution’s formative years in the late 1950s. Initially, the University did not plan to establish a dedicated arts faculty. Instead, it anticipated that arts instruction would be provided by Waterloo College (now Wilfrid Laurier University), which was expected to affiliate with the University alongside St. Jerome’s College.[1] However, disagreements over governance, particularly concerning control of the arts program and representation on the University Senate, led Waterloo College to decline the proposed affiliation. In response, the University of Waterloo made the pivotal decision to create its own Faculty of Arts.[2]

This decision culminated in the formal announcement of the Faculty of Arts in May 1960.[3] President Dr. Gerald Hagey appointed Dr. W. Keith Thomas as acting dean, entrusting him with the task of building the faculty and recruiting academic staff. Under Dr. Thomas’s leadership, four departments were established: Mathematics, chaired by Dr. Ralph Stanton; History, led by Dr. Paul Cornell; German and Russian, headed by Dr. J.W. Dyck; and English, directed by Dr. Thomas himself. Historical records indicate that the Faculty employed approximately 22 academic staff members in its first year, with more than half serving in the Mathematics department.[4]

To support students enrolling in the new arts program, the University’s Senate Committee on Scholarships introduced ten scholarships, each valued at $1,650.[5] The Faculty welcomed its first cohort of students in the fall of 1960, with lectures beginning on September 26. Between 54 and 58 students enrolled that year, paying an annual sessional fee of $413, which covered tuition, health insurance, student activities, and a contribution to the Student Union Building fund.

In its inaugural year, the Faculty of Arts faced significant infrastructure challenges. There was no dedicated arts building, administrative space, or arts library. At the time, the campus library consisted of a single room on the third floor of the Mathematics and Physics building. These limitations eventually spurred the construction of key facilities, including the Modern Languages building, completed in 1962, and the Dana Porter Library, which opened in 1965.[6]

Within the first year, Dr. Thomas stepped down as acting dean to focus on chairing the English department. Dr. Norman H. High succeeded him as acting dean for the 1961–62 academic year and was formally confirmed in the role in fall 1962. This leadership transition marked a new phase of expansion for the Faculty, which soon added departments such as Sociology, Romance Languages, Economics, Political Science, Philosophy, Classics, and Geography. A major structural change occurred on January 1, 1967, when Mathematics officially separated to form its own faculty.[7]

From its modest beginnings, the Faculty of Arts has evolved into a vibrant and diverse academic community, bringing together students, faculty, and staff engaged in the humanities, social sciences, and fine, performing, and media arts at the University of Waterloo.

The Faculty of Engineering is one of six faculties at the University of Waterloo. It is not only the largest faculty at the University, but also the largest engineering school in Canada.

The development of the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment reflects an evolution from technical design programs to an interdisciplinary academic unit dedicated to addressing complex environmental and societal challenges.

Graduate studies in Human Physical Environments began at the University of Waterloo in 1965 with the introduction of a Master of Applied Sciences in Environmental Design and a Diploma in Design offered through the Faculty of Engineering.[1]

In 1967, Environmental Studies and Architecture programs were added under the Department of Design in the Faculty of Engineering to prepare students for architectural practice and address environmental challenges.[2] By 1968, growing recognition that architectural issues were more social than technical prompted a shift toward a broader academic structure. Under Vice-President Academic Dr. Howard Petch, these programs separated from Engineering in October 1968.[3] At the same time, the Faculty of Arts expanded its offerings through the Department of Geography and Planning, introducing programs in urban and regional planning.[4]

Later that year, Dr. Petch proposed creating a College of Environmental Studies to address pressing issues such as housing, air and water pollution, transportation, urban blight, farmland preservation, and unequal living standards. The proposal received broad support from the Senate, the Planning Group in the Department of Geography, and professionals outside the university, including Gordon Phillips, Director of Education Programs at the American Institute of Architects, and Norman H. McMurrich, President of the Canadian Association of Architects. The proposal gained further support through the findings of a subsequent ad hoc committee formed to investigate its merits. The committee, comprising Professors T. Bjornstad, J.B. Ellis, L.O. Gertler, and R.R. Krueger, concluded that universities were not adequately addressing pressing issues such as housing, urban development, and land use.[5]

On February 20, 1969, the Senate approved the establishment of the Division of Environmental Studies, effective July 1, 1969. Equal in status to existing faculties, the Division integrated two professional schools, Architecture and Urban and Regional Planning, and two academic departments: Geography and Man-Environment Studies. This structure fostered interdisciplinary collaboration. The term “Division” was chosen over “Faculty” or “College” to allow greater autonomy for the professional schools.[6] Dr. Peter Nash was appointed as the first Dean, Division of Environmental Studies in 1970.[7]

On October 17, 1972, the Board of Governors received a proposal to rename the academic unit as the Faculty of Environmental Studies to eliminate confusion caused by the term “division,” which was also used for sub-units in other faculties on campus. The proposal was later approved and came into effect in 1973.[8] In 2008, the Faculty adopted its current name, Faculty of Environment. The name change was driven by the perception that the term ‘studies’ conveyed passivity, whereas the Faculty sought to emphasize its active commitment to environmental action and solutions.[9]

Today, the Faculty is recognized as a leader in research, education, and innovation, addressing global challenges such as climate change, urban growth, resource management, and sustainability.[10]

The origins of the Faculty of Health at the University of Waterloo date back to 1964, when the University launched a one-year post-degree program leading to a Bachelor of Physical Education under the new Department of Physical Health and Education. This program was designed to provide professional training for university graduates pursuing careers in physical education, health, and recreation. It was supervised by the Senate Committee on Physical Education and the department chairman Dan Pugliese.[1] The program was supported by several full-time and part-time lecturers, including Ruth Hodgkinson, who became the first women's instructor in the department.[2]

The program enrolled 41 students in its inaugural year including 37 men and 4 women. The curriculum featured 13 lecture and laboratory courses. In addition to academic coursework, students learned the fundamentals of a wide range of sports. Students also participated in a camping trip at Camp Tawingo. This off-campus experience allowed them to practice activities such as canoeing and sailing that were not possible on campus.[4] This one-year post-degree program remained in place until 1966, with its final offering in the 1967-68 academic year.

In 1966, the Department of Physical Health and Education transitioned into the newly established School of Physical and Health Education. This reorganization introduced two distinct departments. The Department of Physical and Health Education focused on academic instruction and research in the fields of physical and health education, while the Department of Athletics managed intercollegiate and intramural athletics, as well as physical education services for students, faculty, and staff.[5]

Two years later, in 1968, the School was renamed the School of Physical Education and Recreation, following the introduction of a degree program in recreation. At this time, the School was reorganized into three departments: Kinesiology (formerly Physical and Health Education), Recreation, and Athletics.[6]

In Fall 1972, the Faculty of Human Kinetics and Leisure Studies was officially established, replacing the School of Physical Education and Recreation. It retained the same three departments, although by 1982, the Department of Athletics appears to have separated from the Faculty.[7]

In 1990, the Faculty was renamed as the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences and included four departments: Dance, Health Studies, Kinesiology, and Recreation and Leisure Studies. The Department of Dance was closed in 1996.[8]

The Faculty adopted its current name, the Faculty of Health, in 2021, following recommendations from its own strategic plan. The change aimed to enhance brand clarity, particularly for external stakeholders, and better reflect its three academic units: Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, and the School of Public Health Science.[9]

Throughout its history, the Faculty of Health has fostered a vibrant community of faculty, staff, and students, dedicated to promoting and protecting health and well-being through excellence in education, research, advocacy, collaboration, and partnerships.

The Faculty of Mathematics is one of six faculties at the University of Waterloo and stands as the only dedicated Faculty of Mathematics in North America.

The Faculty of Science is among the oldest academic units at the University of Waterloo. Its origins date to 1957, when students were enrolled under a combined Faculty of Science and Engineering. Although these students pursued engineering degrees, their programs incorporated substantial science coursework. By the 1958–59 academic year, more than half of the faculty members were scientists, establishing a strong academic presence that laid the groundwork for the creation of an independent Faculty of Science.[1]

This vision was realized in 1959 with the formal establishment of the Faculty of Science under the leadership of Dean Bruce Kelley. In its inaugural year, the faculty introduced four programs: Honours Chemistry, Honours Chemistry and Physics, Honours Mathematics and Physics, and a three-year General Science course. That autumn, approximately 24 students enrolled, attending classes in the Chemistry and Chemical Engineering building (now Douglas Wright Engineering) and the Mathematics and Physics building (now Physics).[2]

In 1960, Dr. W.A.E. “Pete” McBryde was appointed acting dean as enrolment increased to 75 students. Two years later, the University of Waterloo extended its pioneering co-operative education model beyond engineering for the first time, introducing a co-operative program in Applied Physics.[3]

The 1960s marked a period of significant departmental expansion. Biology was established as a separate department in 1964 under the leadership of Dr. H.B.N. Hynes, followed by the creation of the Earth Sciences department in 1965, chaired by Dr. P.F. Karrow. In 1966, the faculty launched a co-operative Chemistry program.[4]

Over the decades, the Faculty of Science has experienced sustained growth, broadened its academic offerings, and continually enhanced the diversity of its co-operative education opportunities for students. Today, it stands as an integral part of the University of Waterloo and is internationally recognized for its leadership in research and education.

The Office of the President team assists the University President with day-to-day activities on and off-campus. This includes setting and managing the President’s calendar of activities, working with internal and external stakeholders to move the University forward and managing the President’s communications activities and outreach efforts, including keynote addresses, digital presence, and more.

The Office of the Registrar is the central administrative unit working in co-operation with faculties and departments to administer undergraduate programs, prepare data for internal groups, and submit data to various government and external agencies.

Plant Operations oversees the maintenance, repair, renovation, and improvement of campus spaces, spanning 70 buildings and 1,112 acres of land.

University Relations is responsible for conveying the University of Waterloo's mission, vision, values and aspirations while working collaboratively to achieve the goals outlined in the University’s strategic plan.