University of Waterloo Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business

01/26/2026

All UWaterloo campuses will be closed on Monday, January 26, 2026 due to significant weekend snowfall affecting travel to and around Waterloo region.

The University will reopen on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 6 a.m..

When the University closes:

classes are not held
in-person meetings and other scheduled events are cancelled
scheduled examinations are cancelled, to be rescheduled
deadlines for assignments and other submissions are postponed until the same hour on the next business day
staff, other than those providing “essential services,” who can perform their tasks remotely are expected to do so in accordance with the current flexible work guidelines; if feasible, meetings, depending on the unit, may be moved to an online platform.
Read more on the Campus Status Page

01/19/2026

Due to severe weather conditions, the Stratford School physical campus will be closed as of Monday January 19, 2026 at 12:00 pm EST. 
* Classes will not be held at the Stratford Campus when the Campus is closed.
* If you have classes held at Waterloo Campus scheduled for today, please continue to check the University of Waterloo campus status page for updates.
* Stratford School Administrative operations will continue remotely. 
* Any Stratford Media Services returns that were due today (Monday January 19, 2026) will be auto-extended until tomorrow. 
* Please contact your course instructor directly/refer to LEARN for exact details on how missed classes and assignments will be made up. 
* Please monitor the University of Waterloo campus status page for further details and updates.

12/23/2025

11/26/2025

✨Stratford Spotlight: Meet Dr. Maryam Mohiuddin Ahmed✨

Dr. Ahmed reimagines social innovation through decolonial and relational approaches, inspiring Stratford students to create equitable, regenerative futures. 🌱

11/24/2025

Virtual reality is transforming industries, and now it’s reshaping the classroom. At the University of Waterloo, Dr. Ville Mäkelä and colleagues Dr. Daniel Harley and Dr. Cayley MacArthur are pioneering Canada’s first large-scale VR-centred 3D design course at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business.

Students use VR headsets and Gravity Sketch, the same tool used by global brands like New Balance, to create immersive 3D characters and objects, gaining hands-on experience with technology that’s becoming increasingly relevant across careers.

With 200 students already trained and a groundbreaking research paper to match, this living-lab approach is helping future graduates understand both the opportunities and limitations of VR, and preparing them for the technological futures ahead.

More: https://uwaterloo.ca/news/arts/extending-boundaries-education |

11/19/2025

✨Stratford Spotlight: Meet Dr. Ville Mäkelä✨

Dr. Mäkelä explores the future of tech through virtual reality, mobile computing, and games, bringing global research experience and a passion for user experience to the Stratford School. 🎮

11/17/2025

Thank you for joining our Stress Buster Event! 🎨🍕

Students relaxed and got creative by painting tote bags and mural tiles for a collaborative piece, Together in Community, that will up in DC library brought by our EDI-R partners!

A big shoutout to our wonderful Campus Partners for coming to Stratford and spending time connecting with students. 💛



@ uwaterloo Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office

11/12/2025

✨Stratford Spotlight: Meet Dr. Noorin Manji✨

Dr. Manji delves into digital culture and theory, challenging Stratford students to examine how technology shape identity, creativity, and society. 🌐

10/30/2025

✈️✨ Hey Stratford!

I’m Gaurav, a 4th-year GBDA student studying abroad in the UK 🇬🇧 and I’m excited to be doing a take over sharing what it’s like to live and learn abroad 🌎📚

💬Fun Fact: This is the 4th continent I've lived on so far (Wondering if I can speed run the other 3 post grad)

📩Got questions about study abroad, travel tips, or student life here? Until 8 pm ET today, feel free drop them in the story and I’ll do my best to answer them💛

10/28/2025

That’s a wrap on uXperience Design Jam, Fall 2025, sponsored by Sun Life

7 days where students designed and prototyped solutions for chronic care. Guided by Sun Life’s team of mentors, students were provided with 5 unique personas, where they built user-centred prototypes, applied design thinking to healthcare, and pitched impactful ideas.

👏 Huge congrats to everyone who shared their pitches and to the winning teams!

🏆 1st Place: Lumi - A compassionate companion for older adults managing chronic conditions, turning fragmented care into a unified, human experience. (Shivala Rampersad, Grace Park, Jiahan Zhang, Julia Nuguid)

🥈 2nd Place: DiabetesPath - A personalized care navigator for newly diagnosed diabetes patients, guiding sustainable habits with clarity and empathy. (Allen Lu, Naveena Krishnabagavan)

🥉 3rd Place: Sunbot- An AI-powered chatbot that simplifies insurance benefits, helping patients navigate chronic care with confidence. (Hanna Park, Kaley Yuen, Sandy Srinivasan, Justin Luu)

🌿 Honourable Mention: Thrivebridge - Connecting clinical care with community support to make recovery a shared, everyday journey. (Chavi Sharma)

A huge thank you to Sun Life for their support with this uXperience Design Jam! ☀️

10/23/2025

🌟 Congratulations to Dr. Noorin Manji, recipient of the 2025 Arts Award for Excellence in Teaching!

Honoured for her student-centred approach, mentorship, and ability to foster mutual respect in every classroom she teaches.

10/17/2025

📣Why you should join uXperience Design Jam!

Hear from past participants about their experiences:

✨ Connect with amazing industry professionals
🧠 Apply real design skills
📁 Build a standout portfolio project
🍽️ And free food!

So what are you waiting for? 👀

Registration will be open throughout the weekend!

🔗Link in bio.

Sponsored by Sun Life