What Students Told Us About University of Waterloo Services

Whether you’re looking for academic support, career advice, healthcare, or help navigating university life, there are plenty of services available at the University of Waterloo. But how many students know about them? Are they easy to access? And do they actually improve students’ experience at the University of Waterloo? 

To answer those questions, WUSA’s Research team surveyed 1,091 students through our Representative Survey Platform (RSP) to better understand student experiences with six University of Waterloo-operated services: 

• Campus Wellness 

• Student Success Office 

• Writing and Communication Centre 

• Centre for Career Development 

• Ombuds Office 

• Campus Housing 

While these services are provided by the University (not WUSA), our goal was to better understand how students interact with them, identify which services students find most important and explore opportunities to improve awareness and  accessibility of these services. 

Why is this important?  

As the organization representing all undergraduate students at the University of Waterloo, it is important for WUSA to keep a pulse on what students want and need, especially when it comes to services that support their overall experience as Waterloo students. With the passing of Bill 33 provincially and the Functional Review of Student Services taking place at Waterloo amidst budgetary concerns, it is more important than ever for WUSA to have a clear understanding of the services and supports students need the most. 

 

At a glance 

Here’s what stood out: 

• Students value these services. Every service received strong satisfaction ratings from students who had used them. 

• Awareness doesn’t always translate into use. Many students knew services existed but hadn’t accessed them, most often because they simply hadn’t needed them yet. 

• Students want better promotion. Across nearly every service, students said they wanted clearer information about what each service offers and how to access it. 

• Wait times and appointment booking matter. Students frequently identified these as barriers, particularly for Campus Wellness and the Writing and Communication Centre. 

• More tailored support is needed. Students also expressed interest in more faculty- and program-specific academic and career support. 

 

Campus Wellness 

What is it? 

Campus Wellness provides health care, counselling, health promotion, and other wellness support for University of Waterloo students. 

Key findings 

• 88% of students were aware of Campus Wellness—the highest awareness of any service surveyed. 

• Among students who knew about it: 

• 30% had used Health Services. 

• 18% had used Counselling Services. 

• Satisfaction was high: 

• 81% were satisfied or very satisfied with Health Services. 

• 67% were satisfied or very satisfied with Counselling Services. 

• Students overwhelmingly viewed these services as essential: 

• 94% said Health Services are important to the student experience. 

• 90% said the same about Counselling Services. 

What students told us 

Many students appreciated improvements to awareness and services but still wanted: 

• shorter wait times 

• easier appointment booking 

• more information about available supports 

“I think people may generally know what’s offered, but on a very basic level and not what it actually includes.” (RSP Survey Participant, Fall 2025)  

Learn more: https://uwaterloo.ca/campus-wellness

Student Success Office 

What is it? 

The Student Success Office supports students through academic skills programming, peer coaching, leadership opportunities, and learning resources. 

Key findings 

• 65% of students were aware of the office. 

• 15% of those aware had used one of its services. 

• 77% of students considered the Student Success Office important to the Waterloo experience. 

• 77% of users reported being satisfied or very satisfied. 

What students told us 

The biggest opportunity wasn’t improving the services—it was helping students understand they exist. 

“More advertisement and explanation of what the Student Success Office is and what they offer would be helpful.” (RSP Survey Participant, Fall 2025) 

Students also wanted more program-specific supports and additional workshops. 

Learn more: https://uwaterloo.ca/student-success 

 

Writing and Communication Centre 

What is it? 

The Writing and Communication Centre helps students develop writing, presentation, research, and communication skills across all disciplines. 

Key findings 

• 71% of students were aware of the WCC. 

• 17% of those aware had used its services. 

• 76% of users were satisfied or very satisfied. 

• 75% of students said the WCC is important to student success. 

Students most commonly visited for: 

• revising and editing 

• drafting assignments 

• brainstorming ideas 

What students told us 

Students praised the tutors while also asking for: 

• more appointment availability 

• longer appointments 

• faculty-specific tutors 

• better promotion of available services 

“It would be great for the mentors to be in the same faculty or have experience related to the course.” (RSP Survey Participant, Fall 2025) 

Learn more: https://uwaterloo.ca/writing-and-communication-centre 

 

Centre for Career Development 

What is it? 

The Centre for Career Development (CCD) supports students with career advising, workshops, job search preparation, networking opportunities, and career planning—for both co-op and non-co-op students. 

Key findings 

• 73% of students were aware of CCD. 

• It had the highest usage rate of all services surveyed, with 44% of students who knew about it having used it. 

• 68% of users were satisfied or very satisfied. 

• 88% of students considered it important to the Waterloo experience. 

One finding stood out: 

More than half of students (52%) didn’t know CCD supports both co-op and non-co-op students.

What students told us 

Students wanted: 

• more faculty-specific career advice 

• more support finding employment 

• increased awareness of available resources 

“I wish there were more opportunities to speak to professionals in my field.” (RSP Survey Participant, Fall 2025) 

Learn more: https://uwaterloo.ca/career-development 

 

Ombuds Office 

What is it? 

The Ombuds Office is an independent, confidential resource that helps students navigate concerns involving University policies, procedures, and fairness. 

Because the office had only been open for about six months when the survey was conducted, awareness was understandably low. 

Key findings 

• Only 6% of students were aware of the Ombuds Office. 

• 86% of students who hadn’t used it said they simply weren’t sure what the office does. 

• Students who had used the service reported very positive experiences. 

“They were so helpful, impartial… Truly an outstanding service.” (RSP Survey Participant, Fall 2025)  

What students told us 

The message was consistent: 

Students want to know what the Ombuds Office is and when they should use it. 

Learn more: https://uwaterloo.ca/ombuds

 

Campus Housing 

What is it? 

Campus Housing provides residence accommodation, community programming, residence life support, and shared amenities for students living on campus. 

Key findings 

• 73% of students currently live in or have previously lived in residence were satisfied or very 

• satisfied. 

• 87% considered Campus Housing important to the student experience. 

• The most commonly used services were: 

• shared amenities (75%) 

• study and meeting rooms (64%) 

What students told us 

Students appreciated community programming and opportunities to meet people, but also identified opportunities for improvement, including: 

• more consistent residence programming 

• better building maintenance 

• more food variety 

• improved meal plan value 

“It seems that it’s very variable what kind of don you get… that really changes your experience.” (RSP Survey Participant, Fall 2025) 

Learn more: https://uwaterloo.ca/campus-housing 

 

What happens next? 

These findings show that students place significant value on University of Waterloo support services; but they also identified ways to make them easier to discover and access. 

Across nearly every service, students asked for: 

• clearer communication about available supports 

• easier appointment booking 

• shorter wait times where applicable 

• more faculty- and program-specific resources 

These findings have already been shared with the services themselves to help them with future improvements, and with WUSA’s Board and Ownership Consultation Committee to inform future advocacy work. We have also been working closely with the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Provost to ensure that the findings from this survey and student voices in general are included in the ongoing Functional Review of Student Services at the University. We thank all the students who took the time to provide their feedback.  

You can view the full report here. 

Interested in helping shape future student research? Visit the Research page on wusa.ca to learn more about current surveys, research projects, and opportunities to share your voice.