By Sheila Ager, Dean of Arts
Over the past few years of exceptional challenge and change, the Faculty of Arts has been actively developing and launching new programs and research initiatives that respond to the needs of today and look forward to the years ahead. While we don’t claim to accurately predict the future, UWaterloo as a whole is indeed future-focused on many fronts.
Not only the pandemic, but other recent and current events – continued racism, accelerating climate crisis, economic uncertainty, rapid technological transformations, aggressive war, fomentation of intolerance, hate-speech and misinformation, and the rollback in human rights even in western democracies – call for researchers and students to actively engage in responsive programming.
As Arts finalizes our 2023-2030 Strategic Plan, we remain committed to our mission to contribute positive social impact. Here I’d like to share with Arts alumni and friends a few examples of new initiatives that exemplify this commitment.
- Bachelor of Sustainability and Financial Management: In Fall 2022 we accepted our first students into Canada’s only degree to merge sustainability and financial management. Jointly offered by the Faculties of Arts and Environment, we’re training a new generation of finance experts who connect natural systems and social impacts to financial outcomes.
- Diplomas in Black Studies and Anti-racism: It's not enough to say that we're committed to social justice — we want to drive positive change. Launched in 2022, the first two courses in this new program guide Waterloo students in anti-racist and anti-colonial engagement and actions, developing knowledge and skills for equitable practices in any sector.
- Postdoctoral research in health and society: Since fall 2021 Arts welcomed three Lupina Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellows who are focused on topical studies and applied solutions at the intersection of health, technology, and society.
- Making data meaningful: Responding to the growing demand for expertise in social sciences and humanities to assess and interpret data, Economics introduced the Graduate Diploma in Computational Analytics for the Social Sciences and Humanities. Launched in 2021, more than 100 graduate students across Waterloo have enrolled.
- Co-op for Social Good: Arts is working diligently to ensure more funding for co-op work experiences in employment and entrepreneurship in not-for-profit organizations, enabling our co-op students to build expertise to support this important sector.
- Longhouse Labs: Professor Logan MacDonald is creating more opportunities for Indigenous students and artists to thrive, while enriching education for all students. As the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Art and an artist and curator, MacDonald leads the Longhouse Labs project which is making space and opportunities to integrate Indigenous knowledge, traditions, and leadership in post-secondary and cultural institutions.
- Global Engagement Seminar continues to bring together students from across the six faculties and affiliated colleges to examine contemporary global issues. Guided by Waterloo faculty and mentors from the field (the Jarislowsky Fellows), student teams develop interdisciplinary proposals for address challenges such as climate, technology, and energy. The seminar culminates in the Desmarais Family Summit to showcase student projects to the public.