WUSA Impact Report 2025-2026

This has been a big year at WUSA. When we stepped into our roles, it was clear to us students were not looking for more of the status quo; they were looking for ambitious change. We began new programs, reformed our governance systems, and most importantly, changed the way we fight for students.  

This year, we more than doubled club funding, increasing from $75 to $200 each term for every club. The Bomber is continuing to improve, with an expanded menu and renewed infrastructure. WUSA installed the equipment to start serving alcohol, ready to go as we wait on university approval to finally come through. UPDATE: At the time of publication, we have now signed an agreement and expect service to commence later in the fall term. 

Originally passed by the 2024–2025 Board, the Pay-What-You-Can program launched in September 2025, and students voted at the 2026 Annual Members' Meeting to continue the program, reflecting a broader commitment to combat food insecurity on campus.  

This year marked a shift toward more visible, responsive, and coordinated advocacy than ever before. In February 2026, the provincial government announced sweeping cuts to OSAP, reducing the maximum proportion of non-repayable grants from 85% to only 25%. We held a vote for students, and 94% of you told us you were looking for action. Together, we led one of the largest protests in Waterloo's recent history, demanding the full reversal of the cuts. or, demanding the full reversal of the cuts.  

We also responded to the provincial government's introduction and passing of Bill 33. We worked closely with the University and other student associations across Ontario, representing undergraduate, graduate, and college students, presenting a united front to push back against this overreach.  

We continued to pressure the University on responsible partnerships and investments, acting on the mandate given to us in the October 2024 referendum, finally ending the University's partnership with Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Further, at the 2025/2026 Annual Members' Meeting held in March 2026, students voted in favour of a motion asking the Board to pursue amendments to WUSA's Corporate Social Responsibility Policy to align with BDS-related criteria, subject to the Board's legal and fiduciary responsibilities. Students who voted in favour of the motion did so because of concerns that student dollars could be complicit in the genocide in Palestine. 

We created the new Vice-President, Student Experience position, to focus on one of the issues that matter most to students—life on campus. We also brought in the new Advocacy Committee, to ensure that advocacy decisions continue to be led with a united and powerful student voice.  

We updated our Investment Policy and expanded the Audit Committee into the Audit & Finance Committee, ensuring that student funds are being properly overseen by students themselves, and enabling compliance with our divestment goals.    

Beyond all the work that you saw come to fruition this year, much more happened behind the scenes, opening new doors for future leadership to take us through. But it's important to deliver a clear message—ambition and a push against the status quo should not be viewed as exceptional, but instead the baseline of what students should expect from their elected leadership.   

Written in April 2026

The Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) is a student-led, not-for-profit organization serving as the official collective voice and legal representative of undergraduates at the University of Waterloo.  

Since 1967, we've worked to ensure that students have the services, resources, and representation they need to make the most of their university experience and to succeed – both academically and personally. We advocate for our members to ensure they receive an accessible, affordable, accountable, and high-quality post-secondary experience, bringing student voices to the University and all levels of government. 

We serve, empower, and represent the undergraduate students at the University of Waterloo.

A university experience where every member has the opportunity to thrive.

Our 2025-26 Annual Plan highlighted four advocacy priorities: affordability, co-op and employment, mental health and wellness, and academics and quality of education.  

Advocacy takes many forms. While we lead awareness campaigns and develop resources for students, quiet, behind-the-scenes work is constantly happening to move the needle on the issues we know matter most to students. 

Our other accomplishments this year fall into key themes: student voices, campus engagement, governance and leadership, and student spaces and commercial operations. 

Everything WUSA delivers to students is made possible by dedicated staff working behind the scenes, including our Accounting and IT teams. 

WUSA's Accounting Team supports our mission by ensuring financial accountability and transparency. With nearly 5,600 cheque requests being processed throughout the year, their work helps clubs, services, societies, and WUSA full-time staff carry out the essential activities that are the lifeblood of our organization.  

Our IT team maintained our website, supported clubs and other student groups, and kept all IT systems running at 99.9% uptime (outside of scheduled downtime), allowing 15,000+ students to access WUSA's website. Major milestones this year included supporting a fully hybrid Annual Members' Meeting with online voting; adding a ticket-scanning feature to member.wusa.ca for student group events; supporting 60+ elections through vote.wusa.ca; processing 440 audio/visual bookings for student groups; and saving students an estimated $60,000+ by supporting WUSA's own e-commerce platforms. 

Our Marketing, Communication, and Production teams provided support to WUSA services and clubs with their print, design, and social media presence.  

As we look toward the 2026-27 year with our next Annual Plan and move into year two of our 2025-2030 Long Range Plan, we continue to navigate the shifting post-secondary sector while fulfilling our mandate of supporting and representing students.