The faculty of arts reorganization is moving ahead despite outstanding concerns about its motives and how it will integrate student feedback.

Starting July 2026, the faculty will move from 15 departments and two schools to six schools, a major reorganization that aims to make programs more connected, efficient, and sustainable.

According to Richard Eibach, associate dean of arts (undergraduate), this restructuring is part of the faculty’s strategic plan to strengthen collaboration across disciplines and prepare students for a changing academic and career landscape.

Not everyone is completely confident about the changes. Tanraj Dulai, the Arts Student Union’s (ASU) vice president academic, said that while there are positives, many students feel left out of the process. “From my understanding, the main goal of the Arts reorganization is firstly financial, and secondly to play ball with the changing attitude towards the social sciences and humanities,” Dulai said. “This is being framed as an evolution of our faculty — a pathway to interdisciplinarianism.”

“The key objectives are maintaining resilience across Arts’ academic programming and research,” Eibach said in an email. “The reorganization supports opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations in Arts and across campus, such as through Waterloo’s Global Futures strategic vision.” Eibach explained that many arts students already have cross-disciplinary interests, think mixing economics with political science or psychology with sociology, and the new structure aims to make those combinations easier.

He added that the shift will also reduce the amount of administrative work professors do, giving them more time to focus on teaching and mentoring students.

While no existing majors, minors, or diplomas will be cut, the advising structure will look a bit different. Each new school will have a dedicated advising team, which Eibach said will “enhance the consistency of student advising and support students more effectively.” He encouraged students to stay informed and attend the faculty of arts town hall in January, where they’ll have a chance to ask questions and share feedback.

However, Dulai said that student representation wasn’t fully included in the planning stages. “We’re being told the reorganization will consider more student agency,” he said. “However, I largely feel shafted — like I was used to manufacture the consent of the students. The ASU was not considered in the restructure, even though the changes will completely alter our governance structure.”

Despite his frustration, Dulai still sees potential in the long run. “This could open new pathways for interdisciplinarianism,” he said. “But realistically, I see it as a change we’ll notice around 2030, not for current undergrads.”

To help students stay informed, Dulai and Eibach are working together to launch the Arts Undergraduate Advisory Forum (AUAF), a group of student leaders from each arts field who meet to share feedback and concerns about the reorganization.

Both say student voices will play an important role as the transition moves forward. “Use this change as a chance to make change,” Dulai said. “Join your major society, involve yourself with WUSA or the ASU, and show that students united are a force to be reckoned with.”