Current engagements & initiatives

On Oct. 11, UVic President Jamie Cassels delivered two presentations to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services - UVic's Vital Impact: BC's Investment in Ideas and People, and the BC Post-Secondary System Joint Submission: Supports for Student Success.

Dear colleagues,

Earlier this year, the University of Victoria launched a comprehensive review of our policies and programs related to sexual violence, with the purpose of developing a policy and programs that address this matter more specifically, directly and effectively. We want to make it clear that sexualized violence is unacceptable. We also believe in a collective responsibility to create and foster a safe and respectful environment in which students, faculty and staff can live, work and learn.

As it reaches the midway point of consultations and research, the Working Group on Sexualized Violence Programs and Policy Development is today delivering a progress report on its approach, consultations and research to date. We have had the opportunity to review in detail the report and preliminary recommendations and we are encouraged by the depth and breadth of work that has been done to this point. The report is comprehensive, thoughtful and focused on solutions - the result of significant consultation with the external and internal UVic community. There has already been a high level of engagement in the initiative across campus and we encourage you to take the time to read the report and visit the website for regular updates, and for opportunities to provide feedback.

Access the report (pdf) or visit the project website.

The report offers preliminary recommendations and observations of the Working Group from their work over the past five months. We acknowledge that, while there remains much work to be done, these preliminary recommendations are an important first step in developing a coordinated and consistent approach to education and prevention. We are committed to take action on implementing these recommendations, and we have already agreed to the hiring of a Sexualized Violence Education, Prevention and Response Coordinator and to the development of a comprehensive three-phase approach to education initiatives. In the coming weeks, the Working Group will continue research and consultations with our campus and wider community, and undertake further work in two areas: support for survivors and those who have experienced sexualized violence and related training; and response to and fair adjudication of reports of sexualized violence.

We want to thank Dr. Annalee Lepp (Chair) and members of the Working Group, involving diverse representatives from across campus including students, for their excellent work on this critical initiative. We are encouraged by the progress so far and look forward to receiving the full and final recommendations from the Working Group in January, and to working with all of you through the planning and implementation phases. It is expected that the final policy will be approved in May 2017.

Jamie Cassels QC
President and Vice-Chancellor

Valerie Kuehne
Vice-President Academic and Provost

Dear faculty and staff colleagues,

This week's federal budget provides important investments in research, opportunities for youth and First Nations education, protection of the environment, and promotion of social and economic innovation.

It also provides substantial support for Canadian universities, and creates significant potential for the University of Victoria.

The new $2 billion Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund should support us in addressing some key needs in updating our campus research infrastructure, while the $2.6 billion directed to on-reserve education will help to prepare Indigenous students for success in post-secondary education, aligning with a strategic priority at our university.

The $73 million to increase co-op placements and strengthen work-integrated learning plays to a key UVic strength and a critical component of the UVic Edge, and the increases to student financial assistance will help to enhance the access and affordability of post-secondary education for students from underrepresented groups. 

The increased support for research and innovation—$95 million more per year to the granting councils to support discovery research ($30 million each for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council; $16 million for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council; and $19 million for the Research Support Fund for the indirect costs of research), $800 million for innovation networks and clusters, and $1 billion for clean technology—stands to benefit a research-intensive university like ours that is already actively mobilizing knowledge in critical fields such as oceans, climate, the environment and green technology.

you’ll find additional information about the budget in this highlights package from Universities Canada, which played a key role in advocating for these investments. I'm proud to be serving as the chair of Universities Canada's Research Committee and in that capacity will continue to help build the case for the importance of federal investments in research in securing a prosperous future for all Canadians.

The federal government is showing great trust in the ability of universities to build a strong future for our country. It's now up to us to deliver on this. 

The University of Victoria is committed to the principles of equal rights and dignity of all persons and to being a place where students, faculty and staff can learn, work and live with mutual respect in a safe community.

However, on our campus, as well as at other universities and in the wider community, sexual and gender-based violence is a significant issue. I want to make it clear that sexual assault and other unwelcome sexual conduct are utterly at odds with our values and are not tolerated.

UVic has policies and practices related to education, prevention and response to sexualized violence. Recent focus on this issue on our campus and beyond, as well as advocacy by student and other groups, have made it clear that we need to do more.

I therefore reported to the Board, and to Senate, and most recently to the University Human Rights Committee last week that we will be reviewing our current policies, procedures and practices. In the time since I made that commitment UVic and other BC post-secondary institutions have been working with the provincial government to collect best practices and develop a framework that provides guidance and an integrated approach for responding to sexualized violence. This has also involved seeking advice regarding the process for the review and development of a university policy that more directly and effectively addresses the issue of sexual and gender-based violence.

Our approaches need to evolve as we learn from our experiences here and best practices elsewhere for effective supports and services for survivors and clearly articulated and fair processes to respond to reports of unacceptable behaviour.

I will share more information soon about the process and terms of reference for the policy review that the university has committed to. The process will involve extensive consultation with students and other campus stakeholders. Our students have a strong voice in this and I welcome and value their contributions to this important topic.

Sexual and gender-based violence affects every member of our campus, either directly or indirectly. As members of the UVic community, all of us have a responsibility to do our part to help create a culture where it is clear that this behavior is universally understood as unacceptable and that reflects the values of inclusion, safety, wellness and respect as the foundations of a healthy university community. As I earlier stated, there will be more information soon on how as a campus community we can continue to work together to address this significant challenge.

Dear colleagues,

UVic has joined the international effort to ease the mounting crisis for the tens of millions of refugees—more than four million from Syria alone—who have been forced from their homelands because of conflict and insecurity.

We've created a website to share the details about UVic's response to the international refugee crisis—support for more spaces for student refugees at our university, and for language and skills training for newly-arrived refugees in Greater Victoria.

Read more

Each Spring and Autumn, the President publishes an article in the University of Victoria’s Alumni Magazine, The UVic Torch.

Spring 2017 - Imagining the future of Canada

Autumn 2016 – Facing global challenges: Canada’s universities provide optimism amid conflict and crisis

Spring 2016 – UVic’s new campus plan

Autumn 2015 – How are things different?

Spring 2015 – The reach of research

Autumn 2014 – Education for a diverse economy? We need it all

Spring 2014 – Into focus: The imperative of defining UVic

Autumn 2013 – Charting our course

On Oct. 11, UVic President Jamie Cassels delivered two presentations to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services - UVic's Vital Impact: BC's Investment in Ideas and People, and the BC Post-Secondary System Joint Submission: Supports for Student Success.

Dear colleagues,

Earlier this year, the University of Victoria launched a comprehensive review of our policies and programs related to sexual violence, with the purpose of developing a policy and programs that address this matter more specifically, directly and effectively. We want to make it clear that sexualized violence is unacceptable. We also believe in a collective responsibility to create and foster a safe and respectful environment in which students, faculty and staff can live, work and learn.

As it reaches the midway point of consultations and research, the Working Group on Sexualized Violence Programs and Policy Development is today delivering a progress report on its approach, consultations and research to date. We have had the opportunity to review in detail the report and preliminary recommendations and we are encouraged by the depth and breadth of work that has been done to this point. The report is comprehensive, thoughtful and focused on solutions - the result of significant consultation with the external and internal UVic community. There has already been a high level of engagement in the initiative across campus and we encourage you to take the time to read the report and visit the website for regular updates, and for opportunities to provide feedback.

Access the report (pdf) or visit the project website.

The report offers preliminary recommendations and observations of the Working Group from their work over the past five months. We acknowledge that, while there remains much work to be done, these preliminary recommendations are an important first step in developing a coordinated and consistent approach to education and prevention. We are committed to take action on implementing these recommendations, and we have already agreed to the hiring of a Sexualized Violence Education, Prevention and Response Coordinator and to the development of a comprehensive three-phase approach to education initiatives. In the coming weeks, the Working Group will continue research and consultations with our campus and wider community, and undertake further work in two areas: support for survivors and those who have experienced sexualized violence and related training; and response to and fair adjudication of reports of sexualized violence.

We want to thank Dr. Annalee Lepp (Chair) and members of the Working Group, involving diverse representatives from across campus including students, for their excellent work on this critical initiative. We are encouraged by the progress so far and look forward to receiving the full and final recommendations from the Working Group in January, and to working with all of you through the planning and implementation phases. It is expected that the final policy will be approved in May 2017.

Jamie Cassels QC
President and Vice-Chancellor

Valerie Kuehne
Vice-President Academic and Provost

Dear faculty and staff colleagues,

As we begin the new term I want to convey my greetings to all of you, welcome those who are new to the University of Victoria, and thank you for your ongoing commitment to our mission. 

This week we welcome more than 5,000 new graduate and undergraduate students from every province and territory in Canada and 53 countries around the world and that is a wonderful reminder of the importance of the work we do together.

On October 5, I will host my annual President's Campus Update, at which I will review some highlights from the past year, reflect on our progress, and share some thoughts about areas of focus and direction for the coming year. These will include updates on our ongoing efforts to ensure that UVic is positioned as one of Canada's leading research universities, to ensure that the student experience continually improves (including improvements to our programs and policies concerning sexual violence), and to discuss academic directions and their implications for finance and capital.

The Campus Update will also provide an opportunity for me to hear your ideas about how we can further pursue excellence—for example, what are some things we could do better, or are there some exciting new initiatives or programs we could be exploring?

The townhall-style event will be held on Wednesday, October 5 from noon to about 1:15 p.m. in the lobby of the Continuing Studies Building. I hope you will be able to attend.

If there are issues that you feel would be of interest to the wider audience at the Campus Update please let me know in advance at pres@uvic.ca. I can't promise to address every question in the time available, but I will certainly do my best to cover major issues and themes. Your feedback and suggestions are always important to me.

I look forward to hearing from you and our conversation on October 5. In the meantime, I wish you all the best for the coming year.

Jamie

This week's federal budget provides important investments in research, opportunities for youth and First Nations education, protection of the environment, and promotion of social and economic innovation.

It also provides substantial support for Canadian universities, and creates significant potential for the University of Victoria.

The new $2 billion Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund should support us in addressing some key needs in updating our campus research infrastructure, while the $2.6 billion directed to on-reserve education will help to prepare Indigenous students for success in post-secondary education, aligning with a strategic priority at our university.

The $73 million to increase co-op placements and strengthen work-integrated learning plays to a key UVic strength and a critical component of the UVic Edge, and the increases to student financial assistance will help to enhance the access and affordability of post-secondary education for students from underrepresented groups. 

The increased support for research and innovation—$95 million more per year to the granting councils to support discovery research ($30 million each for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council; $16 million for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council; and $19 million for the Research Support Fund for the indirect costs of research), $800 million for innovation networks and clusters, and $1 billion for clean technology—stands to benefit a research-intensive university like ours that is already actively mobilizing knowledge in critical fields such as oceans, climate, the environment and green technology.

you’ll find additional information about the budget in this highlights package from Universities Canada, which played a key role in advocating for these investments. I'm proud to be serving as the chair of Universities Canada's Research Committee and in that capacity will continue to help build the case for the importance of federal investments in research in securing a prosperous future for all Canadians.

The federal government is showing great trust in the ability of universities to build a strong future for our country. It's now up to us to deliver on this. 

However, on our campus, as well as at other universities and in the wider community, sexual and gender-based violence is a significant issue. I want to make it clear that sexual assault and other unwelcome sexual conduct are utterly at odds with our values and are not tolerated.

UVic has policies and practices related to education, prevention and response to sexualized violence. Recent focus on this issue on our campus and beyond, as well as advocacy by student and other groups, have made it clear that we need to do more.

I therefore reported to the Board, and to Senate, and most recently to the University Human Rights Committee last week that we will be reviewing our current policies, procedures and practices. In the time since I made that commitment UVic and other BC post-secondary institutions have been working with the provincial government to collect best practices and develop a framework that provides guidance and an integrated approach for responding to sexualized violence. This has also involved seeking advice regarding the process for the review and development of a university policy that more directly and effectively addresses the issue of sexual and gender-based violence.

Our approaches need to evolve as we learn from our experiences here and best practices elsewhere for effective supports and services for survivors and clearly articulated and fair processes to respond to reports of unacceptable behaviour.

I will share more information soon about the process and terms of reference for the policy review that the university has committed to. The process will involve extensive consultation with students and other campus stakeholders. Our students have a strong voice in this and I welcome and value their contributions to this important topic.

Sexual and gender-based violence affects every member of our campus, either directly or indirectly. As members of the UVic community, all of us have a responsibility to do our part to help create a culture where it is clear that this behavior is universally understood as unacceptable and that reflects the values of inclusion, safety, wellness and respect as the foundations of a healthy university community. As I earlier stated, there will be more information soon on how as a campus community we can continue to work together to address this significant challenge.

Download the statement (pdf)

Dear colleagues,

At the beginning of this new term, I’m writing to wish you a happy new year and provide an update as we look forward to 2016.

We begin the new year with a refreshed planning and communications architecture nearing completion. The Enhanced Planning Tools are in the implementation stage. We are ready to approve and release the renewed Campus Plan and the Strategic Research Plan. And you will see more of the Edge as a way of describing our strengths and ambitions to external audiences. Thank you all for your engagement, discussion and suggestions that helped shape and renew our focus for UVic as reflected in these initiatives.

We are developing an Indigenous Academic Plan which will enhance the experience of Indigenous students on campus and build on UVic's commitment to and unique relationship with the First Peoples of Canada. We are also working on the renewal of our strategic plan for internationalization. Again, thank you for your participation in and support for these important initiatives.

Finally, I want to recognize the tremendous work that each of you do every day and voice my appreciation for your efforts. Together we are working with purpose—to create the best possible educational experience for students, to strengthen our dynamic learning and research environment, and to engage and contribute to our wider community. This purpose drives us all, and I hope will continue to inspire us.

I wish everyone a rewarding, joyous new year.

All the best,

Jamie

Jamie Cassels, QC
President and Vice-Chancellor

We are drawing inspiration from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report to renew our commitment to contributing to reconciliation with Canada's Indigenous Peoples and working towards the goal of closing the educational achievement gap.

Read more

UVic has joined the international effort to ease the mounting crisis for the tens of millions of refugees—more than four million from Syria alone—who have been forced from their homelands because of conflict and insecurity.

We've created a website to share the details about UVic's response to the international refugee crisis—support for more spaces for student refugees at our university, and for language and skills training for newly-arrived refugees in Greater Victoria.

Read more

The President's Beyond Borders Fund is a new suite of student mobility initiatives that will allow students, who might not otherwise have the opportunity, to engage in rich and meaningful experiential learning opportunities elsewhere in Canada and around the globe.

Read more