Identity area
Type of entity
Campus unit
Authorized form of name
University of Waterloo. Faculty of Health.
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
- Department of Physical Health and Education
- School of Physical and Health Education
- School of Physical Education and Recreation
- Faculty of Human Kinetics and Leisure Studies
- Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1964-
History
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.
Places
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
The Faculty of Health is one of six faculties at the University of Waterloo.
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
General context
Relationships area
Access points area
Subject access points
Place access points
Occupations
Control area
Authority record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Created by NM November 2025.
Language(s)
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Sources
[1] University of Waterloo academic calendar, 1964 ; Crerar, Jim. "U of W Physical Education Program No Pushover." Kitchener-Waterloo Record, Wednesday, November 18, 1964, p. 23.
[2] "Four take U of W courses: Phys Ed Jobs Plentiful for Women." Kitchener-Waterloo Record, Wednesday, November 18, 1964, p. 23.
[3] Crerar, Jim. "U of W Physical Education Program No Pushover." Kitchener-Waterloo Record, Wednesday, November 18, 1964, p. 23.
[4] Crerar, Jim. "U of W Physical Education Program No Pushover." Kitchener-Waterloo Record, Wednesday, November 18, 1964, p. 23. ; "42 Students Camping as Part of Course." Kitchener-Waterloo Record. Wednesday, September 23, 1964, p. 3.
[5] University of Waterloo academic calendar, 1966.
[6] University of Waterloo academic calendar, 1969.
[7] University of Waterloo academic calendars, 1972-82.
[8] University of Waterloo academic calendar, 1990.
[9] Applied Health Sciences to become Faculty of Health - University of Waterloo, October 28, 2020.
Additional Resources
Faculty of Health - University of Waterloo