As a church-affiliated institution, Waterloo Lutheran was ineligible for capital funding from the province, and the Lutheran church was in no position to invest heavily in the university. On November 1, 1973, Waterloo Lutheran University dropped its church affiliation and became the secular, public Wilfrid Laurier University. Theological courses continued to be offered by the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, which federated with the public university. Today Wilfrid Laurier University emphasizes liberal arts while the University of Waterloo emphasises science and engineering.
