University of Waterloo Faculty of Environment

Faculty of Environment
Established 1969 (1969)
Type Faculty
Academic affiliation University of Waterloo
Location Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Dean Jean Andrey [1]
Website uwaterloo.ca/environment/

The Faculty of Environment is one of six faculties at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

The faculty was established in 1969. During its 40th anniversary at the start of the Fall 2008 term, its name was changed from Faculty of Environmental Studies to the current name, Faculty of Environment. With the name change, the buildings formerly known as ES1 and ES2 have been renamed EV1 and EV2. Recently completed is a third building, appropriately named EV3. EV3 consists largely of the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) and the School of Planning, as well as a lecture hall.[2] The newly constructed building has obtained LEED Platinum status.[3] As part of this certification, there are many green features that conserve energy and resources. From a two-story high living wall to a constructed wetland that deals with wastewater to solar panels and energy efficient technology,[4] Environment 3 was built with sustainability in mind.


Programs

The faculty has grown significantly since its establishment, having become one of Canada’s largest centres for environmental research and teaching.[5] The Faculty offers undergraduate programs in:

  • Environment and Business
  • Environment, Resources and Sustainability
  • Geography and Aviation
  • Geography and Environmental Management
  • Geomatics and Computer Science
  • International Development
  • Knowledge Integration
  • Planning

The Faculty offers graduate programs in:

  • Climate Change
  • Development Practice
  • Environment and Business
  • Environment, Resources and Sustainability
  • Geography
  • Global Governance
  • Economic Development and Innovation
  • Planning
  • Sustainability Management
  • Social and Ecological Sustainability

In addition, the faculty offers:

  • Graduate Diploma in Planning
  • Professional Development in Economic Development Program

Currently matriculating 1,100 undergraduate students, 200 graduate students, and 50 faculty members, the Faculty is growing in both undergraduate and graduate enrollment.

Co-op education, whereby students alternate 4 months in school with 4 month paid work terms in jobs relating to their program, is a major feature of the Faculty. Co-op students can graduate with nearly 2 years of paid work experience.

Research

The faculty's research centres and groups include: Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change (IC3), Adaptation and Impacts Research Group, Ecological Restoration Group, Ecoplan China, Heritage Resources Centre, Parks Research Forum of Ontario (PRFO), Sustainable Energy Research, Transportation Research Group (TRG), Waterloo Laboratory for Earth Observations (WatLEO), and the Water Policy and Governance Group.

Student life

Students in the Faculty of Environment are represented by the Environment Students Society (ESS) which has many roles including event planning, student space improvements, management of a student coffee shop, and representing student interests on various boards within and outside of the Faculty. Additionally, all students pay into the Waterloo Environment Students Endowment Fund (WESEF) which has approved over $500,000 in student-led projects to improve student life.[6]

Each program within the faculty has their own student association that organizes social and academic events for students within the program, with the association presidents answering to ESS. These societies are:

  • Environment, Resources and Sustainability Student Association (ERSSA)
  • Knowledge Integration Student Society (KISS)
  • Waterloo Association of Geography Students (WAGS)
  • Waterloo Environment and Business Students (WEBS)
  • Planning Student Association (PSA)
  • Student Association of International Development (SAID)

References

  1. ↑ "Jean Andrey named Dean of Environment". Daily Bulletin. University of Waterloo. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "ENV3 | Faculty of Environment | University of Waterloo". Environment.uwaterloo.ca. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  3. ↑ "Environment 3 LEED® Platinum Certified | uWaterloo - Faculty of Environment". Uwaterloo.ca. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  4. ↑ Archived March 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ "Universities - forestry, Canada, careers, jobs, forest products, wood, paper, parks, trees, research, logging, sawmills, news, environment, professional associations". Canadian-forests.com. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  6. ↑ "Waterloo Environment Students Endowment Foundation | University of Waterloo". Environment.uwaterloo.ca. 2011-01-14. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
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