Great Moments: Residence guarantee

Providing a smooth transition to university

When a student leaves home for university, the world becomes a much larger place — full of promise and nearly infinite possibility. It’s a situation that’s made countless memorable moments for UVic students. And UVic’s offer, beginning in 2004, of a guaranteed place in residence for incoming high school students, is a Great Moment in UVic History that has helped make many of those student experiences happen.

The campus boasts nearly 2,500 residences — including a family housing complex to make on-campus living accessible and inviting for families with children. That makes UVic’s residence population larger than 63 incorporated communities in BC.

Dedicated enhancements to residence life programming since 2000 have helped create an environment that fosters learning, personal growth and positive social interaction for studying and socializing beyond the classroom. New on-campus resources including the Mearns Centre for Learning and the Marnie Swanson International Commons give incoming students the support to ensure that new social and educational environments, while demanding, don’t have to be overwhelming. And sustainable local-purchasing initiatives that support our campus food outlets give an increasingly cosmopolitan student body healthy connections to comfort foods and international cuisine alike. It’s enough to make us all want to go back to university!