Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
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Other form(s) of name
Division of Environmental Studies
Faculty of Environmental Studies
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
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]
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Functions, occupations and activities
The Faculty of Environment is one of the six faculties of the University of Waterloo.
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Sources
[1] University of Waterloo. Academic calendar, 1966-67, p. 67-68.
[2] University of Waterloo. Academic calendar, 1968-69, p. 78-79.
[3] "Architecture and the C.E.S. Proposal." Gazette. Friday, January 17, 1969 (v.9, n.12), p. 1-3.
[4] University of Waterloo. Academic calendars, 1963-1967.
[5] "College of environmental studies proposal." Gazette. Friday, January 3, 1969 (v.9, n.11), p. 1-2. ; "Architecture and the C.E.S. Proposal." Gazette. Friday, January 17, 1969 (v.9, n.12), p.1-3.
[6] "University Senate. Environmental studies approved." Gazette. Wednesday, February 26, 1969 (v.9, n.18), p. 1. ; University of Waterloo. Academic calendar, 1970-71, p. 84-86. ; "New environmental studies program for 1969-70." Gazette. Wednesday, April 9, 1969 (v.9, n.23), p. 1.
[7] Stoesser, Philip M. History of the Division of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo. University of Waterloo, 1971.
[8] University of Waterloo Archives. Office of the President fonds. Board of Governors minutes, October 17, 1972. UWA82-0001-62. ; Stoesser, Philip M. History of the Division of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo. University of Waterloo, 1971.
[9] University of Waterloo. Daily Bulletin. February 28, 2008.
[10] Faculty of Environment - University of Waterloo
Additional Resources
Bjornstad, T. E., J. B. Ellis, L.O. Gertler, and R.R. Krueger. College of Environmental Studies - Report to Senate University of Waterloo. December 17, 1968.