WUSA Impact Report 2023

As a not-for-profit organization which serves as the official collective voice and legal representative of undergraduate students at the University of Waterloo, our mission is to serve, empower, and represent students. This report outlines our organizational achievements over the past year in the pursuit of this mission. From large-scale initiatives to daily operations and services, WUSA continues to impact not only students, but the university community as a whole.

Much of our impact is rooted in our advocacy priorities: Housing, Equity and Accessibility of Education, Educational Quality, International Students and Affordability. From consultations, reports, working groups and meetings with campus partners, we continue to ensure that these priorities are emphasized. We hosted events and created awareness campaigns on topics such as housing and consent culture, participated in a variety of committees and working groups and supported the launch of the Inclusive Washroom Project.

Beyond the walls of the University of Waterloo, we continued to build relationships with local stakeholders such as the Conestoga Students Inc and a diverse range of municipal, provincial and federal politicians. We also continued to build a stronger relationship with the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) by supporting consultations for their policy papers and participating in their Student Advocacy Conference.

Aside from advocacy work, our impact this year was largely seen through our commitment to providing students with new and exciting events during Orientation and Welcome Week. We created a positive, fun and social environment for students to welcome them back to campus. In terms of day-to-day operations, we continued to involve students in all areas of our organization and provide our student part-time staff and co-op students with professional development opportunities throughout the duration of their roles and appreciation events to recognize their contribution to the organization. In addition to providing students with opportunities, we strive to build a community for and with them through supporting Faculty Societies, Student-Run Services, Clubs and an engaging social media presence. The services we provide to students such as FedBus, GRT UPass, Health and Dental Plan, Legal Services and Flock Stop are impactful too, as they are instrumental in providing students with affordable supports and services.

One major achievement this year was the launch of our Representative Survey Platform, which will enhance our ability to listen to student feedback, make changes to the above services and help us make impactful decisions for the students we represent. Overall, this report should serve as an extensive and comprehensive summary of the continued success of WUSA and our vision for the future.