Editing University of Waterloo (section)

== Campus ==
[[File:Uw brubacher house.png|alt=|thumb|Completed in 1850, the [[Brubacher House]] is one of the oldest buildings on campus. The farmhouse was acquired by the university in 1965.<ref>{{cite web|date=13 February 2012|title=Brubacher House|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/grebel/about-grebel/our-partners/brubacher-house|access-date=2020-07-16|website=Conrad Grebel University College}}</ref>]]
The university's main campus lies within the city of Waterloo, Ontario. It sits on the traditional territory of the [[Iroquois|Neutral]], [[Anishinaabe|Anishnaabeg]], and [[Haudenosaunee]] peoples that is part of the Haldimand Tract, land promised to the [[Six Nations of the Grand River|Six Nations]] that includes six miles on each side of the [[Grand River (Ontario)|Grand River]].<ref name="Frey">{{cite news |last=D'Amato |first=Luisa |title='A great first step for the university:' UW students declare they are on territory of indigenous people |url=https://www.therecord.com/news-story/7403050--a-great-first-step-for-the-university-uw-students-declare-they-are-on-territory-of-indigenous-people/ |access-date=30 September 2018 |work=TheRecord.com |date=2 July 2017 |language=en-CA}}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It is bordered by Waterloo Park to the south, Wilfrid Laurier University to the southeast, residential neighbourhoods to the northeast, east and west, and the [[Grand River Conservation Authority|Laurel Creek Conservation Area]] to the northwest. Three [[List of numbered roads in Waterloo Region|numbered roads]] also intersect the main campus: University Avenue West, Columbia Street West, and Westmount Road North.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/map |title=Campus Map |publisher=University of Waterloo |access-date=7 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705144806/http://uwaterloo.ca/map/ |archive-date=5 July 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> While the main campus is {{convert|404|ha|0}}, the majority of the teaching facilities are centred on a ring road in its southern portion.<ref name="size" />

The oldest building on campus is the Graduate House, originally a farmhouse dating back to the 19th century. The oldest building which was erected for the university is the Douglas Wright Engineering Building, which was erected in 1958.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/research-technology-park/university-waterloo|title=University of Waterloo overview|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=14 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205060214/https://uwaterloo.ca/research-technology-park/university-waterloo|archive-date=5 December 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> A large majority of the university's buildings, and its ring road, were constructed during the 1960s.<ref name="size" /> The university's main campus is divided into three major areas: South Campus, North Campus and Northwest Campus. South Campus is the academic core of the university, while North Campus holds the Research and Technology Park. Northwest Campus is the least developed area of the main campus, made up primarily of farm fields and an environmental reserve, which divides it from North Campus.<ref name="size" />

In addition, the university owns several other properties in [[Cambridge, Ontario|Cambridge]], [[Huntsville, Ontario|Huntsville]], [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]], and [[Stratford, Ontario|Stratford]], [[Ontario]]. The [[Ion rapid transit]] system provides a transit connection between the main campus, and several off-campus facilities, including the university's start-up incubator program in Kitchener.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/stories/ion-light-rail-we-choo-choo-choose-you|title=ION light rail, we choo-choo-choose you!|publisher=University of Waterloo|website=uwaterloo.ca|access-date=8 July 2020|date=21 June 2019}}</ref> 
{{wide image|File:Panorama MC green small.jpg|900px|Panoramic view of the main campus from the field south of BC Matthews Hall}}

=== Libraries and museums ===
[[File:Dana Porter Library 2.jpg|alt=|thumb|The Dana Porter Library, home to a collection of books focused on the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.]]
The university has four libraries housing more than 1.4 million books, as well as electronic resources including e-books, serial titles, and databases.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://analysis.uwaterloo.ca/statistics/cudo/SectionD.php?year=2011|title=D1 – Library Collections|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=6 July 2012}}</ref> Three libraries are on campus: the Dana Porter Library, housing material relating to arts, humanities and social science, the Davis Centre Library, housing material for engineering, mathematics and science, and the Witer Learning Resource Centre, housing material for the School of Optometry and Vision Science. The fourth library, the Musagetes Architecture Library, is in Cambridge, alongside the university's [[School of Architecture]]. The libraries of the university's affiliated colleges are also considered a part of the university's library system.<ref name="liblo">{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/tour/MainET.html#porter#porter|title=Locations|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=6 July 2012}}</ref> [[Doris E. Lewis]] was the first University Librarian.<ref>{{cite journal|last=American Library Association|date=1985-09-01|title=PEOPLE|url=https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/21206|journal=College & Research Libraries News|volume=46|issue=8|pages=438–446|doi=10.5860/crln.46.8.438|issn=2150-6698|doi-access=free}}</ref> The university's library system is also a member of the TriUniversity Group, a partnership between the [[University of Guelph]], the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. The group provides students and researchers at all three universities with access to all of the collections and services.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/aboutus/index.html|title=About Us|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=6 July 2012}}</ref> The group also operates the TUG Annex, a repository for less-used library resources from the three universities.<ref name="liblo" />

University of Waterloo also operates the Earth Sciences Museum, on campus in the Centre for Environmental Information Technology.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/earth-sciences-museum/about|title=About the Earth Sciences museum|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=24 January 2014|date=22 February 2013}}</ref> It is mainly used as an earth-science teaching museum for local schools and natural-science interest groups in southern Ontario. The main exhibits cover the [[Great Lakes]], rocks and minerals, dinosaurs and ice age mammals. The museum's fossil exhibit includes a complete cast of an ''[[Albertosaurus]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/earth-sciences-museum/exhibits|title=Museum exhibits|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=5 January 2014|date=22 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106035816/https://uwaterloo.ca/earth-sciences-museum/exhibits|archive-date=6 January 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> and an authentic skeleton of a [[Cave bear]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Motz |first=Jon E. |date=May 24, 2009 |title=Cave bear skeleton donated to the Earth Sciences Museum |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/wat-on-earth/news/cave-bear-skeleton-donated-earth-sciences-museum |access-date=March 6, 2022 |website=University of Waterloo}}</ref> The museum also houses an interactive, simulation mining tunnel which aims to teach sustainable mining practices.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/earth-sciences-museum/news/cobalt-discovery-mine-tunnel-grand-opening|title=Cobalt Discovery Mine Tunnel Grand Opening|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=5 January 2014|date=27 October 2012}}</ref> Also owned and operated by the university is the [[Museum of Vision Science]], which is at the university's School of Optometry building. The university had previously operated the [[Elliott Avedon Museum and Archive of Games]], created by the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies and previously managed by the university's [[University of Waterloo Faculty of Applied Health Sciences|Faculty of Applied Health Sciences]]. Due to a lack of specific academic interest, in 2009, the decision was made to close the museum and transfer the collection elsewhere.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesmuseum.uwaterloo.ca/The%20Museum/aboutmus.htm|title=About the Museum|publisher=University of Waterloo|date=28 July 2010|access-date=24 January 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201070332/http://www.gamesmuseum.uwaterloo.ca/The%20Museum/aboutmus.htm|archive-date=1 December 2009}}</ref>

=== Housing and student facilities ===
[[File:Minota Hagey Residence at uwaterloo.jpg|alt=|thumb|Minota Hagey Residence, one of eight residences at the university's main campus]]
The university has eight student residences: the Minota Hagey Residence, UW Place, Village 1 (the university's first residence), Ron Eydt Village, Mackenzie King Village, Columbia Lake North and South, and Claudette Millar Hall. In addition to the eight main campus residences, students may also apply to live at any of the university's affiliated college residences. The first residence built was Village 1, completed in 1966.<ref name="Campus Life">{{cite web |last1=Turriff |first1=Katie |title=Campus Life and Times |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/library/special-collections-archives/exhibits/campus-life-and-times-university-waterloo-student |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108000612/https://uwaterloo.ca/library/special-collections-archives/exhibits/campus-life-and-times-university-waterloo-student |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 November 2020 |website=Digital Exhibits |publisher=University of Waterloo Special Collections and Archives |access-date=2 June 2020 |date=2018 }}</ref> Ron Eydt Village was still known as Village 2 in 1995 but had been renamed by 2000.<ref name="Campus Life" /> The largest residential village at the university is UW Place, which houses 1,300 first-year students and 350 upper-year students, while the smallest residence is the Minota Hagey Residence, which houses 70 students and is almost exclusively for upper-year students.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/housing/residences/uwp|title=UW Place|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=9 July 2012|date=10 November 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/housing/residences/velocity|title=VeloCity – Minota Hagey|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=9 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705202200/https://uwaterloo.ca/housing/residences/velocity|archive-date=5 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In September 2010, 24.9 percent of the undergraduate population lived on campus, including 71.1 percent of first-year students.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://analysis.uwaterloo.ca/statistics/cudo/SectionE.php?year=2011#sectione4|title=E2 – Percentage of Full-Time Undergraduate Students Who Live on Campus|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=9 July 2012}}</ref> Residents are represented by two residential councils at the university, South Council which represents the students at UW Place, and North Council which represents the remaining residential villages. Each council organizes their own events and has their own executive, budget, and meetings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/housing/jobs-leadership/opportunities/residence-council/council-structure|title=Council structure|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=9 July 2012|date=21 November 2011|archive-date=6 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706001311/https://uwaterloo.ca/housing/jobs-leadership/opportunities/residence-council/council-structure|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, the overall mission of both councils is to act as the official representatives for all residents living at the university's residences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/housing/jobs-leadership/opportunities/residence-council|title=Residence Council|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=9 July 2012|date=21 November 2011|archive-date=5 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705202446/https://uwaterloo.ca/housing/jobs-leadership/opportunities/residence-council|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Uw slc.png|alt=|thumb|Exterior of the Student Life Centre with the [[Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre]] in the background]]
The Student Life Centre is the centre of student governance and student directed social, cultural, entertainment and recreational activities, open seven days a week, year-round. The Student Life Centre contains the offices of a number of student organizations, including the [[Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association]] (WUSA), Student Housing Office, a number of retail and food services, and a variety of club space and study rooms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/student-life-centre/inside-student-life-centre|title=Inside the Student Life Centre (SLC)|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=9 July 2012|date=4 June 2012}}</ref> In 2017 ground broke on a joint 63,000 square foot expansion of the Student Life Centre and Physical Activities Complex. Built to the west of Burt Matthews Hall Green the expansion will connect all three floors with the Red North corner of the PAC providing social, fitness, study, multi-faith, dining, and bookable spaces for students. The project was initially projected to complete in Fall 2018;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/associate-provost-students/slcpac-expansion-project|title=SLC/PAC Expansion Project {{!}} Associate Provost, Students|date=14 December 2015|work=Associate Provost, Students|access-date=11 October 2017}}</ref> although has not been completed as of 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/associate-provost-students/slcpac-expansion-project/project-updates-and-progress|title=Project updates and progress|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=10 April 2021|date=January 2021}}</ref>

The WUSA also operates an information desk in the Student Life Centre called the Turnkey Desk. It is open 24/7 365, and it is where students go to book out study spaces within the SLC, as well as where they go for information on campus events, directions, and any questions students have. The Turnkey Desk also sells a variety of tickets including [[GO Transit]] tickets and various local transit tickets and movie theatre tickets. It is staffed almost entirely by university students or recent graduates, and is a salaried job on the campus.

The idea for a [[student activity center|student centre]] emerged during the 1960s, and to raise the necessary funds for the building students began to levy a $10 fee. Construction began in July 1966 and was completed in 1968. Tensions between the university and the student community surfaced over the management and ownership of the Student Life Centre. The conflict was not resolved until 1969, when Professor Johnson resigned his position as chairman of the Campus Centre Board, along with his colleague Pim Fitzgerald.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/student-life-centre/about-student-life-centre/history-student-life-centre|title=A history of the Student Life Centre|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=9 July 2012|date=4 June 2012|archive-date=6 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706035336/https://uwaterloo.ca/student-life-centre/about-student-life-centre/history-student-life-centre|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Off-campus facilities ===
[[File:School of Pharmacy UW 2013.jpg|thumb|left|The university's [[University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy|School of Pharmacy]] based in [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]]]]
The university has several satellite campuses and facilities throughout [[Southern Ontario]]. The closest off-campus facilities are adjacent to the campus, with the university acquiring land and five buildings from [[BlackBerry Ltd]] in December 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/blackberry-stock-rises-16-despite-4-4b-loss-1.2471346|title=BlackBerry stock rises 16% despite $4.4B loss|publisher=[[CBC News]]|date=20 December 2013|access-date=20 December 2013}}</ref> As of February 2014, the university uses three of the buildings, and leases the other two to BlackBerry Ltd.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/business/2013/12/20/university_of_waterloo_buys_blackberry_buildings_land_for_41_million.html|title=University of Waterloo buys BlackBerry buildings, land for $41 million|newspaper=[[Toronto Star]]|date=20 December 2013|access-date=20 December 2013}}</ref>

The Centre for Extended Learning in Kitchener, Ontario is a facility owned and managed by the university.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/about/how-find-us/maps-and-directions/satellite-campuses-and-locations|title=Satellite campuses and locations|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=12 July 2012|date=15 May 2012|archive-date=5 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705164540/http://uwaterloo.ca/about/how-find-us/maps-and-directions/satellite-campuses-and-locations|url-status=dead}}</ref> The centre provides pre-university courses, part-time studies, online learning and professional development courses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dce.uwaterloo.ca/|title=Centre for Extended Learning|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=12 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718181244/http://dce.uwaterloo.ca/|archive-date=18 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In addition to the Centre for Extended Learning, Kitchener also holds the university's [[University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy|School of Pharmacy]]. The pharmacy building was designed by [[Siamak Hariri]], and was completed in December 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/pharmacy/about-school-pharmacy/pharmacy-building|title=The Pharmacy building|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=12 July 2012|date=21 February 2012|archive-date=8 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708232236/http://uwaterloo.ca/pharmacy/about-school-pharmacy/pharmacy-building|url-status=dead}}</ref> While the School of Pharmacy acts as the anchor institution of this campus, other students and faculty of the university's Faculty of Applied Health Sciences also use the facilities.<ref name="campu">{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/about/how-find-us/campuses|title=Campuses|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=12 July 2012|date=5 April 2012|archive-date=5 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705161700/http://uwaterloo.ca/about/how-find-us/campuses|url-status=dead}}</ref> The campus includes a primary care teaching clinic which will integrate clinical care and teaching in pharmacy and optometry. Two other universities also make use of the Health Science and Pharmacy campus. [[McMaster University]]'s medical school makes use of the campus as its base for its Waterloo Regional Campus, with 56 of the medical school's students admitted at the regional campus in 2012. Wilfrid Laurier University's School of Social Work also uses some of the facilities available on the campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/mdprog/waterloo_regional_campus.html|title=Waterloo Regional Campus|publisher=McMaster University|year=2012|access-date=12 July 2012|archive-date=29 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829102329/http://fhs.mcmaster.ca/mdprog/waterloo_regional_campus.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The university also operates the [[University of Waterloo Stratford Campus|Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business]] in Stratford, Ontario. The focus for the Stratford campus is on education in digital arts and media. The idea for the Stratford campus first took shape when the City of Stratford and the university signed a memorandum in October 2006. It officially opened in September 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/2010/09/21/u-of-waterloo-showcases-new-stratford-campus|title=U of Waterloo showcases new Stratford campus|work=Stratford Beacon Herald|date=22 September 2010|last=Beitz|first=Mike|access-date=25 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218220053/http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/2010/09/21/u-of-waterloo-showcases-new-stratford-campus|archive-date=18 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> In November 2009, the university also signed a memorandum of understanding with the [[University of Western Ontario]] regarding academic initiatives at the Stratford Campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://communications.uwo.ca/com/media_newsroom/media_newsroom_stories/waterloo_and_western_will_explore_digital_media_collaboration_in_stratford__20091106445177/|title=Waterloo and Western will explore digital media collaboration in Stratford|work=Western News|publisher=University of Western Ontario|date=6 November 2009|access-date=12 July 2012}}</ref> The campus also hosted the first four [[Canada 3.0]] forums, before its move to Toronto in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lfpress.com/news/london/2012/07/05/19953071.html|title=Stratford loses Canada 3.0|work=London Free Press|publisher=Canoe Sun Media|last=Beitz|first=Mike|date=5 July 2012|access-date=12 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612112558/http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2012/07/05/19953071.html|archive-date=12 June 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{multiple image
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| footer = The university's [[University of Waterloo School of Architecture|School of Architecture]] operates from several off-campus facilities
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| caption2 = Trastevere studio, Rome
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The university's [[University of Waterloo School of Architecture|School of Architecture]] uses a campus in Cambridge, Ontario, on the west bank of the [[Grand River (Ontario)|Grand River]].<ref name="arch">{{cite web|url=http://www.architecture.uwaterloo.ca/aboutus.html|title=About Us – Waterloo Architecture|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=12 July 2012|date=5 March 2012}}</ref> The architecture campus was the idea of the Cambridge Consortium, a group of Cambridge business owners, who spearheaded the school's fundraising drive to cover a portion of the $27 million cost{{clarify|Canadian dollars or U.S. dollars?|date=March 2014}} of creating the new campus. The school, along with its faculty and students, was moved to the new campus in September 2004.<ref name="arch" /> Since 1979, the School of Architecture has also operated an architecture studio in [[Rome]], [[Italy]] in the [[Trastevere]] neighbourhood. The opportunity to work at the Trastevere studio is offered to fourth-year architecture students.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/architecture/rome|title=Rome|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=25 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203200952/https://uwaterloo.ca/architecture/rome|archive-date=3 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Another facility which is owned and managed by the university is the Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment, in Huntsville, Ontario. It is a year-round research and teaching centre, which regularly hosts post-secondary student field courses and professional development programs, and also serves as a university outreach facility for the whole region.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-summit-centre/about-waterloo-summit-centre|title=About the Waterloo Summit Centre|publisher=University of Waterloo|date=25 January 2014|access-date=25 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203200927/https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-summit-centre/about-waterloo-summit-centre|archive-date=3 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-summit-centre/student-field-courses|title=Student field courses|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=25 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203201005/https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-summit-centre/student-field-courses|archive-date=3 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Close to [[Algonquin Provincial Park|Algonquin]] and [[Arrowhead Provincial Park]], the centre's facilities are used for research in ecological restoration and conservation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-summit-centre/research-facilities|title=Research facilities|access-date=25 January 2014|publisher=University of Waterloo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203200824/https://uwaterloo.ca/waterloo-summit-centre/research-facilities|archive-date=3 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Sustainability ===
Sustainability initiatives are divided between several departmental offices at the university, with the university's plant operations charged with their implementation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/green-it/node/22#UW|title=Green it up On-campus initiatives|publisher=University of Waterloo|access-date=14 August 2012|date=19 March 2012|archive-date=6 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806024833/https://uwaterloo.ca/green-it/node/22#UW|url-status=dead}}</ref> Prior to 2005, the management of sustainability efforts was conducted by the university's waste management coordinator.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://iwarrior.uwaterloo.ca/props/?module=displaystory&story_id=3182&format=html&edition_id=82|title=Office of Sustainability Initiative Underway|publisher=The Iron Warrior|access-date=14 August 2012|date=26 September 2007|last=Fortmueller|first=Chris|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111216010603/http://iwarrior.uwaterloo.ca/props/?module=displaystory&story_id=3182&format=html&edition_id=82|archive-date=16 December 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The university's sustainability initiatives are solely institution-specific, as it has not signed any national or international sustainability declaration.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Wright|first=Tarah S. A.|title=Definitions and Frameworks for Environmental Sustainability in Higher Education|journal=Higher Education Policy|volume=15|issue=2|date=2 April 2002|pages=105–120|doi=10.1016/S0952-8733(02)00002-8|s2cid=154815809}}</ref> However, the university, along with the other members from the [[Council of Ontario Universities]], signed a pledge in 2009 known as ''Ontario Universities Committed to a Greener World'', with the objective of transforming its campus into a model of environmental responsibility.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cou.on.ca/news/commentary---events/events/events-pdfs/committed-to-a-greener-world---a-pledge-from-execu|title=Ontario Universities Committed to a Greener World|publisher=Council of Ontario Universities|date=November 2009|access-date=14 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209211632/http://cou.on.ca/news/commentary---events/events/events-pdfs/committed-to-a-greener-world---a-pledge-from-execu|archive-date=9 February 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The university's School of Environment, Enterprise and Development placed first in Canada in the [[Corporate Knights]] 2011 ranking for undergraduate business programs incorporating sustainability.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corporateknights.com/article/corporate-knights-releases-its-2011-business-knight-schools-survey?page=2|title=Corporate Knights releases its 2011 Business Knight Schools Survey|work=Corporate Knights|publisher=Corporate Knights Inc.|date=26 September 2011|access-date=22 May 2012}}</ref> The university campus received a C+ grade from the Sustainable Endowments Institute on its College Sustainability Report Card for 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greenreportcard.org/report-card-2011/schools/university-of-waterloo|title=University of Waterloo – Green Report Card 2011|publisher=Sustainable Endowments Institute|year=2011|access-date=14 March 2012|archive-date=23 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123183405/http://greenreportcard.org/report-card-2011/schools/university-of-waterloo|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2021, the University of Waterloo was ranked 99th in the world, and 15th in Canada in ''[[Times Higher Education]]'' University Impact Rankings, a ranking that evaluated 1,115 universities from 94 countries/regions against the [[United Nations]]’ [[Sustainable Development Goals]]. A dramatic drop from 2020's ranking of 16th in the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=Impact Rankings 2021 |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/impactrankings#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/undefined |website=Times Higher Education |access-date=21 April 2021}}</ref>

Waterloo's Institute for Nanotechnology is Canada's largest nanotechnology institute committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.<ref>{{cite web|date=2012-05-09|title=Home|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/institute-nanotechnology/home|access-date=2020-07-16|website=Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology}}</ref>