UVic plays key role in new West Shore campus in Langford

UVic is playing a key role in bringing new post-secondary learning opportunities to Southern Vancouver Island by partnering with Royal Roads University (RRU) and Camosun College to create a West Shore campus in downtown Langford.

“We are glad to be able to bring more education options to the Greater Victoria area, including sought-after UVic programming, such as computer science, engineering and humanities,” says Kevin Hall, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Victoria. “This collaborative campus is a new and promising model of delivering programming that meets community demand and serves the needs of West Shore students and the region.”

UVic plans to offer first- and second-year programming at the West Shore campus, starting with computer science and software engineering courses, as well as some core courses in humanities, fine arts and social sciences. Offerings will complement UVic’s existing programming at the main campus, with students having the flexibility to take certain courses at either campus. The West Shore campus is expected to open in fall 2024 and will provide pathways to UVic’s main campus for upper-year students.

“We want to meet learners where they are, and the West Shore is one of the fastest growing regions in Canada,” says Elizabeth Croft, vice-president academic and provost. “This exciting partnership between UVic, Camosun College and Royal Roads represents an opportunity to expand our high-quality academic offerings while serving the needs of the growing and diverse community.”

UVic is contributing $1 million towards the $98-million project, which also includes significant contributions from the BC government and City of Langford, along with investments from RRU and Camosun. As well, the West Shore campus will provide space for the Justice Institute of British Columbia and the Sooke School District (SD 62).

The West Shore campus will be built to zero-carbon building design standard—the first public post-secondary institution in BC to target this—and will also seek LEED Gold certification. The campus also aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including quality education, climate action and building sustainable cities and communities.

Read the BC Government news release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/27265

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