Self-Guided Waterloo Tour Script
Introduction
Hello and welcome to Canada’s most innovative university! Today you are visiting our main campus. Our School of Architecture is located in Cambridge, and
our School of Pharmacy is located in Kitchener. As of fall 2009, the University of Waterloo UAE offers Chemical Engineering and Civil Engineering in Dubai,
with Mathematics programs planned for fall 2010.
The aim of this self-guided tour is to direct you around parts of our 1,000 acre, park-like main campus. We’ll be visiting buildings and seeing facilities
where you would likely spend time as a student at Waterloo.
Students are proud to study here because of the University of Waterloo’s outstanding academic reputation, world-class co-op program, excellent student
leadership opportunities on campus, and great sense of community, as well as the success that Waterloo students have after they graduate.
South Campus Hall (SCH)
South Campus Hall is one of the busiest and most popular buildings on campus. It is one of the main entrances to the University of Waterloo and one of the
common buildings that all students come to during their studies because of the Book Store and the Waterloo Store.
The Graduate House (GH)
So you can get a sense of how Waterloo began, I’d like to tell you about our first President, Gerald Hagey. In 1957, Hagey and our founders had the vision
to purchase a 183-acre field – far more than what was needed to accommodate the first class of 74 students. Hagey dreamed of creating a non-traditional
university, a university that would be connected to the world and that would provide a way to help students pay for their university education. The solution
was Canada’s first co-operative education program.
In front of you, you’ll see the original Mennonite farmhouse, which now houses the Graduate Student Association as well as a pub frequented primarily by
graduate students and professors but open to all students.
About Waterloo’s Buildings
As you take a look around today, you may observe that even the architecture and the design of our campus was a break from tradition. Rather than ivycovered towers imposed on the site, our buildings have been designed to blend with the landscape.
Some of you may have noticed that our buildings are intentionally very simple in design so that they are cost-effective to run and maintain. The campus is
currently bustling with construction activity. In recent years, we’ve been part of the Super Build Project, with the opportunity to renovate and construct new
buildings to provide new residences, classrooms, and research facilities to make sure that we’ll be able to accommodate and support all Waterloo students
in the coming years. And even more buildings are now in the planning stages.
Most buildings are named after past Presidents, founders, and successful graduates who have donated back to the University – one of those buildings is the
Tatham Centre for Co-operative Education & Career Services, which you will see to your left.
William M. Tatham Centre for Co-operative Education & Career Services (TC)
Waterloo was the first university in the world to have a building dedicated to co-operative education and career services. Combining related work experience
with schooling is one of Waterloo’s strengths. If you’re in a co-op program, these are the chairs you’ll sit in while you wait to be called for an interview. The
Tatham Centre is the building where most of your interviews take place along with sessions to help you with résumé writing and taking part in interviews.
There are also change rooms and lockers in this building – so that you can change into a suit for your interviews and store your belongings.
The University of Waterloo has the best co-op program in North America and operates the largest post-secondary school co-op program of its kind in the
world, with more than 12,000 students enrolled over three terms. This system is a model of co-operative education which has spread to more than 100
colleges and universities across Canada. Waterloo’s program is twice as large as the next largest in the world and has connections with more than 3,500
employers – that’s 1,000 more than any other program.
The other important aspect of this building is Career Services, which is an excellent resource for all students at Waterloo. You can research grad programs
and professional programs, and learn more about co-op and full-time employers.
Dana Porter Library (LIB)
This is one of 8 libraries on campus; Dana Porter is the arts and humanities library and one of the most familiar landmarks at Waterloo. There are 10 floors
of books for research, reading, and studying. Located on the third floor of the library is one office of the Centre for Teaching Excellence. This centre is a
research laboratory for the development of innovative learning technologies, such as learning how computers may best be used in the classroom.
Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts is the largest faculty at the University of Waterloo, which is a surprise to a lot of people because the media tends to highlight more
information about our technology programs. There are 6 faculties at Waterloo - Applied Health Sciences, Arts, Engineering, Environment, Mathematics,
and Science. A faculty is a group of resources and facilities for related programs –you can think of your faculty as the academic home base for you and the
professors in your program.
Arts Lecture Hall (AL)
The Arts Lecture Hall, which is one of the Faculty of Arts buildings, has 2 large lecture halls that can seat 200-300 students. Lectures for many first-year Arts
programs are held here. There are also smaller classrooms on the second floor, where tutorials, discussions, and group meetings are held. These classrooms
hold anywhere between 20 and 75 students.
Modern Languages (ML)
The theatre in the Modern Languages building holds about 500 people and hosts up to 12 productions annually. In the past, we’ve seen Shakespeare’s The
Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet, musicals such as Godspell and Chicago, and modern plays like The Crucible. There are many small
classrooms and language labs in this building as well as a Tim Hortons and a cafeteria.
The statue of a wild boar – Porcellino – just outside of the main entrance to Modern Languages – is one of only a handful in the world. Porcellino is the
mascot of the Faculty of Arts, and during exams it is not uncommon to see students rubbing his nose for luck.
J. G. Hagey Hall of the Humanities (HH)
Hagey Hall is home to many classrooms, administrative offices, and Canada’s premier School of Accounting and Finance. The Humanities Theatre, also
located in this building, can seat up to 750 people and is occasionally used for lectures. This theatre is also the setting for a variety of community events,
such as concerts, public lectures, dance recitals, and plays.
Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology (PAS)
This building houses the offices of the departments of Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology as well as Independent Studies. The Undergraduate Office for
the Faculty of Arts is also located here. You’ll also find many classrooms, research facilities, and computer labs in this building as well as a day-care centre
for the children of students, professors, and staff.
The PAS building is very interesting to navigate through, which is no surprise, considering that it was designed to resemble the human brain. It is also
rumoured that, ironically, the architect is in an insane asylum!
Faculty of Environment
Professors, students, and staff in the Faculty of Environment are committed to improving the understanding, protection, and enhancement of ecological
systems and human communities through better design, planning, management, and policy making.
Environment 1
This building has a beautiful courtyard, which is a great place to read, study, relax, and drink coffee. A “living wall” is located inside the building entrance
just outside the courtyard. The plants in this living wall are a self-supporting ecosystem and filter indoor air, thus improving indoor working conditions. It is
one of very few living walls in Ontario and one of many forms of green innovation at Waterloo.
Needles Hall
As the University’s administrative headquarters, this building contains many of the essential services you’ll use while attending Waterloo. Located here
is the Office of the Registrar, which handles all student admissions and enrollment; Student Awards & Financial Aid, where you can find information about
OSAP, bursaries, and scholarships; Counselling Services (academic, career, personal); and the International Student Office. It’s also the building where the
President’s office is located!
Student Life Centre
The Student Life Centre is the hub of student activity and probably the most popular building on campus. It’s the place where students hang out when they’re
not in class. The SLC is open 24 hrs, 7 days/week, 365 days/year. Located here are a variety of services:
• Apple II Hairstylists
• Bike Centre
• Bombshelter (campus pub)
• Brubakers
• Campus Dentist
• CampusTech Shop
• CIBC Bank Branch and ATMs
• Club Offices
• Coach Canada (tickets sold at Turnkey Desk)
• Curry Up!
• Feds Xpress (convenience store)
• Federation of Students (FEDS)
• Feds Used Books
• Greyhound (tickets sold at Turnkey Desk)
• Ground Zero
• Housing Office
• Imprint (student newspaper)
• Lifetouch Photography
• Multi-faith prayer room
• Off-Campus Housing office
• Ombudsperson
• Piano room
• Pixel Pub (photo shop)
• Private boardrooms
• Pharmacy
• SOS Physiotherapy
• Study areas
• Tim Hortons
• Turnkey Desk (for information and services 24/7)
• TV Lounge
• WatCard Office
• Waterloo Public Interest Research Group (WPIRG)
• Wasabi (sushi bar)
• UW Housing & Residences office
• UW Sustainability Project office (UWSP)
Our on-campus student government, called the Federation of Students, or “Feds” for short, organized a referendum in which Waterloo students voted in
favour of a renovation and expansion of the SLC. Because of this plan, an additional floor was added to the SLC, and the overall size of the building was
increased by expanding the Bombshelter area. Along with the expansion, we also decided that some of the money raised would subsidize the addition of
more athletic facilities to the Columbia Icefield. These efforts show that students at Waterloo can make meaningful decisions regarding activities on campus
that affect us.
University Colleges (CGR, REN, STJ, STP)
In addition to the main campus of the University of Waterloo, there are 4 affiliated University Colleges: Conrad Grebel University College (CGR), Renison
University College (REN), St. Jerome’s University (STJ), and St. Paul’s University College (STP).
Some programs and professors are based at these Colleges, some of your classes may be taught there, and some of your main campus classes may be
taught by College professors. If you’re interested in programs in the Faculty of Arts, you have the option of registering through the main Waterloo campus,
through Renison, or through St. Jerome’s. If you’re interested in programs in the Faculty of Mathematics, you can choose to register through the main
Waterloo campus or through St. Jerome’s. Even if you’re registered through a College, your program and courses will be the same as for students registered
through the main Waterloo campus. The degree you’ll be awarded at the end of your studies is a University of Waterloo degree. The only difference in a
degree awarded through St. Jerome’s or Renison is that these degrees have one extra signature on them: the signature of the President of the College. Your
point of registration can be thought of as a “home base,” where all of your academic paperwork and services will be handled, but from there, you’ll have the
opportunity to take classes all over campus.
All 4 University Colleges also offer residence for Waterloo students no matter what program or faculty you’re in. The Colleges offer a smaller, more intimate
on-campus living experience. They range in size from 142 students at Conrad Grebel to 285 students at St. Jerome’s. At the University Colleges, you have the
opportunity to really get to know everyone in the residence through organized events and common meal times.
Campus Safety
You may have noticed the UW Police, who are fully trained police officers stationed on campus. They have the same authority as the regional police force,
and they’re on duty 24 hours/day. The Campus Response Team (CRT), trained in CPR and first aid, help to ensure student safety. Waterloo also offers the UW
Shuttle Service that provides student volunteers to drive you from night class, libraries, etc., to residence or areas off campus that are close by.
Physical Activities Complex (PAC)
When this gym was built, it had the country’s largest free-span roof, which means that there are no support or cross beams – an engineering feat at the
time. What we learn in our studies here at Waterloo is applied to our campus, the community, and the world. It’s cutting edge and practical.
Included as part of your incidental fees is a physical activities fee. This fee covers the use of the gym for shooting hoops, playing volleyball or badminton,
and access to all squash courts, our 25-yard 6-lane pool, rock-climbing wall, skating rink, tennis courts (located in Waterloo park), and 2 weight rooms.
You can also join any recreation sports team through an intramural league. For more information regarding recreation on campus, consult the Athletics and
Recreational Services website at www.gowarriorsgo.ca.
The University has 32 male and female varsity teams and our Campus Recreation program – one of the most extensive in the country – includes over 100
clubs, leagues, and instructional programs. Campus Recreation is also our largest student employer, providing part-time jobs for 600 students a year.
Waterloo students can get into all home varsity games for free by bringing their WatCard.
UW Residences – Mackenzie King Village (MKV), Ron Eydt Village (REV), Village 1 (V1), UW Place (UWP), Columbia Lake Village (CLV), Minota
Hagey Residence (MHR)
Residence at Waterloo is guaranteed for all first-year students. Where you live, whether in residence or in the community, adds to your overall university
experience and creates many memories that will be with you for a lifetime. When you’re attending the University of Waterloo, you can live in one of 3 village
residences (2 traditional – REV and V1– and 1 suite-style –MKV), 4 University College Residences, on University Avenue in the suite-style UWP, in the CLV
townhouse community residence, or in MHR. Minota Hagey was renovated in 2008 and transformed into an “incubator” for top students in a number of
disciplines to live and work on projects related to mobile communications, web, and new media.
Village 1 was the first residence at Waterloo, and it was designed to replicate a medieval town or village. The central complex is like the village centre,
where you’d find the market, with all the houses around it. At Village 1, you’ll find 26 “houses” around the centre, which is where the cafeteria and common
areas are.
*The following buildings marked with stars are found on the North Campus, across Columbia Street.*
*Columbia Icefield--North Campus Facility (CIF)*
This is a newly expanded athletic facility with an ice rink, gym, racquetball court, and varsity therapy centre. It features lots of new cardio equipment and
weight machines and is fully air-conditioned. Located around the facility are soccer and football fields, and 3 baseball diamonds as well as Warrior Field,
where varsity football home games are played.
*Research and Technology Park - North Campus Facility*
Waterloo has long been recognized as the most innovative university in Canada. This research park is a new community on campus whose mandate is to
foster innovation and reflect the enterprising spirit of the school. It has partnered with the Region of Waterloo and with alumni, staff, local businesses,
and the governments of Ontario and Canada. It houses researchers and businesses and creates technology jobs. The North Campus also includes an
environmental reserve.
*Optometry (OPT) – North Campus Facility*
This is the only English-language School of Optometry in Canada. The school accepts approximately 75 students per year from across the country. Students
applying to this program must have completed at least 3 years of an undergraduate university science program. The optometry clinic provides eye
examinations and full optical services for Waterloo students and staff as well as the surrounding community.
Federation Hall (FED)
This is the largest university pub in North America. This bar/hall has a capacity of 1,000 people and is used for concerts, conferences, receptions, and
community events. Every year, we have had an excellent concert line-up, attracting bands like Billy Talent, Alexisonfire, Pilate, Our Lady Peace, Sloan,
Bedouin Soundclash, and many more.
The University Club (UC)
This restaurant is open for lunch every day. Once reserved just for professors, this restaurant is now open to the entire University population. It’s a great
place to get your parents to take you when they come to campus to visit! The food and atmosphere are excellent, adding a touch of elegance for special
occasions.
Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
B. C. Matthews Hall (BMH)/Lyle S. Hallman Institute for Health Promotion (LHI)
The Faculty of Applied Health Sciences offers programs in Health Studies, Kinesiology, and Recreation and Leisure Studies. These programs are dedicated
to the prevention of disease and illness, the promotion of wellness and well-being, and the optimization of quality of life. This building houses some of the
many research labs and clinics on campus – with facilities for research ranging from dissecting human cadavers to measuring stresses on the human body in
a variety of situations.
The west wing, which is newly renovated, is named after Lyle Hallman, a local philanthropist who donated $2.5 million to the Faculty for innovative research
in areas such as obesity and the cessation of smoking in today’s youth.
Faculty of Mathematics
Mathematics & Computer (MC)
If you enter the Math and Computer building through the entrance near the blue “CS” sculpture, you’ll notice a brain sculpted on the wall. Officially, it is
artwork called Quasar that was erected in 1971. There are many classrooms and computer labs in this building, including the lab for the real-time course,
which is rumoured to be one of the most difficult courses available at Waterloo. The goal of this course is to learn to write an embedded operating system
from scratch. Above the doorway is written, “All hope abandon ye who enter.” On the third floor is the “Right-Angle Café – a great place to get food – as
well as the Math Society and tutorial centres. As a Waterloo student, regardless of the program or faculty you’re in, you’ll automatically receive a computer
account, which allows you unlimited access to state-of-the-art computer labs, email, and the Internet.
MC is attached to the Davis Centre by a glass walkway from the third floor; in fact, walkways and tunnels attach many of our buildings, which is particularly
nice in the winter months. Clever students are able to traverse most of the entire length of campus without going outdoors.
William G. Davis Computer Research Centre (DC)
This building is named after the former premier Bill Davis and was completed in 1988. It was designed by the same person who designed the Eaton’s Centre
in downtown Toronto, and was modeled to look like the motherboard of a computer if you look at it from overhead. The interior was designed to resemble a
street scene: the lighting is like street lamps, the dark carpet represents the asphalt on a street, and the seating is designed to look like park benches.
DC has offices for the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science, and the departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Systems Design
Engineering. There are 2 lecture halls in this building, with a capacity of 250 people each. The lecture halls are designed to promote optimum learning,
which is achieved through the lighting, colours, and ergonomic seating and desks, all designed for comfort. The programs in engineering, mathematics,
computing, and the sciences are all supported by the Davis Centre Library, the second largest library on campus.
East Campus Hall (ECH)
This building is unique in that it is a big, green building in the middle of a parking lot. East Campus Hall is another of the Faculty of Arts buildings. It is the
centre for Fine Arts and the Film Studies option. East Campus Hall also has an art gallery with work by undergraduate and graduate students on display. At
the annual art sale, both students and the community can purchase the student artwork on display in the gallery.
Centre for Environmental Information and Technology (EIT)
Waterloo’s centre for Environmental Information and Technology, or EIT, brings together experts from engineering, environmental studies, and earth
sciences to solve complex environmental issues. There are some great features inside, including state-of-the-art labs; a classroom with an amazing sound
system; and the Earth Sciences Museum, which has full-sized dinosaur skeletons. The best part about this building is that it was constructed around a 19
tonne 8.5 metre vertical slab of gneiss (pronounced “nice”). They brought the rock in from the Algoma Region and built around it. This building also houses
offices for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Make sure to check out the Great Lakes Fountain – it’s a favourite with both visitors and
students.
Faculty of Science
Biology 1 & 2/Earth Sciences & Chemistry (B1/B2, ESC)
Waterloo is one of the few universities in Canada where you can choose your Faculty of Science major right from the start. Or, if you prefer to be flexible, you
can take Honours Science and then select your major in second year or beyond. There are 6 buildings that house the Faculty of Science.
The Greenhouse, on the second floor of the Biology 1 building, is a cool place to visit, especially on cold days in the winter! From carnivorous plants to
genetically modified tomatoes, the greenhouse is home to many wild and wonderful plants. You’ll also work in here if you take an upper-year plant biology
course.
These buildings predominantly offer lab space, with one lecture hall in Biology 2. Most first-year science labs are located on the first floors in the science
buildings. The lectures, labs, and special facilities in our Science buildings prepare our students for a world increasingly driven by science and technology.
School of Pharmacy (PHR)
Waterloo’s satellite campus for the School of Pharmacy, a collaborative project between the University and the City of Kitchener, is located in downtown
Kitchener, approximately 6 km south of the main campus. It will include a Family Medicine Teaching Centre that will combine clinical care with teaching and
research in family medicine.
Physics (PHY)
This building is home base for our Physics students. Inside are classrooms, teaching and research labs, study and lounge areas, and one other unique
feature that can be seen on the roof – the Observatory! Named in honour of Waterloo ‘s first astronomer, Gustav Bakos, our observatory is used by students
in their undergrad courses and is open to the public once a month for stargazing. Waterloo students once painted the dome to look like a pumpkin for
Halloween!
Chemistry 2 (C2)
This is the main building for the Chemistry Department, and it also has facilities for interactive education. In cooperation with other universities, there are
classrooms where Waterloo students can attend lectures given by professors located at other institutions; as well, students at other institutions can interact
with both professors and students here via video display.
Faculty of Engineering
Carl Pollock Hall (CPH), J. R. Coutts Engineering Lecture Hall (RCH), Douglas Wright Engineering (DWE), Engineering 2 (E2), Engineering 3 (E3)
There are 5 buildings that make up the main Engineering section of the campus. Carl Pollock Hall is the centre of activity for undergraduate Engineering
students. Here you’ll find POETS pub/lounge, the C & D (coffee and donut shop), the Engineering Society Office, and the Engineering Undergraduate Office.
RCH has been newly renovated and now has classrooms above ground! The whole building used to be underground and was referred to as “The Submarine.”
The rest of the buildings have an assortment of computer labs, classrooms, robotics labs, graphics labs, heavy machinery labs, and much more.
When Waterloo first opened, it was an engineering school with 74 Engineering students in the first classes. The only classrooms were portable buildings with
tin roofs that became pretty uncomfortable in the summer; eventually, it got so hot that all the students (they were all guys back then) stripped down to
their underwear during class.
School of Architecture (ARC)
Part of the Faculty of Engineering, the School of Architecture is a satellite campus located in Cambridge, ON – nearly a 30-minute drive from our main
campus. Design courses are the primary focus of this program, which also includes broader courses in culture, technology, and the environment. Applicants
to this program must also submit a portfolio that represents the scope and quality of their creativeness. Tours of the Architecture campus are also available.
Contact Donna Woolcott for more information: (519) 888-4567, ext. 27604, or dwoolcott@uwaterloo.ca.
In 1979, the School of Architecture inaugurated its Rome Program for fourth-year students. The program has provided over 700 architecture students with an
opportunity to live and study in the eternal city, arguably the richest architectural environment on earth.
City of Waterloo
The city of Waterloo is a great place for students. Waterloo is home to 2 well-respected universities and a community college. It’s a vibrant and dynamic
community that is very student focused. The Region of Waterloo is referred to as Canada’s technology triangle, and many of the successful businesses
around our University were started by Waterloo professors and graduates – some of them even before they graduated. Waterloo was voted the most
intelligent community in the world in 2007 by the Intelligent Community Forum in New York City.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed your visit and that the rest of your day goes well. We would be so happy to see you at Waterloo in September!