Rolling out the welcome mat

“Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome” are not just words in the popular song “Cabaret,” but part of the everyday vocabulary and philosophy for staff at who have rolled out the welcome mat at UVic’s newly opened Welcome Centre.

Located on the first floor of the University Centre next to the cafeteria, the new centre promises to be a “one stop shop” of information for prospective and current students, staff, faculty and visitors to campus.

“We’re planning to avoid the ‘run around’ that some students may experience,” says Welcome Centre Manager, Bruno Rocca. “We’re promising to get people where they need to be, answer the questions they have, provide them with correct, up-to-date information or direct them to the appropriate person, department or faculty in one referral.”

The experienced staff of five shares a wealth of diversity and backgrounds ranging from recruitment and communications to education and customer service. Their combined experience as former UVic students and their years of employment in different positions on campus will certainly add to the success of the centre.

“The Welcome Centre has been in the plans for several years now,” says Jim Forbes, director of campus services. “It’s wonderful to see such an important initiative come to fruition to enable us to be an even more diverse, welcoming learning community.”

In addition to delivering campus know-how and excellence in customer service, the Welcome Centre will serve as home to the UVic Campus Tours Program, which offers daily tours for prospective students and their families, school groups, dignitaries and other visitors to campus. “We have 18 enthusiastic campus tour guides who are thrilled to have a place to call their own,” adds Rocca. “The new space will also enable us to provide even more creative educational programming to school groups who visit campus from all over the world on a regular basis.”

And welcoming it is—after four months of construction the centre itself is comfortable and appealing. Encased with tempered glass walls to take greatest advantage of the natural light, it is bright and cheery. The interior walls and ceilings are lined with fir, reflecting the natural beauty of Vancouver Island.

In addition to three administrative offices, the centre has a large and comfortable seating area for students and visitors to relax, several public computer work stations, a state-of-the-art presentation room and two private consultation rooms for recruitment and admissions liaison staff to meet with prospective students and their families.

The centre opened for business on Tuesday, Jan. 3. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. M-F and 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Students, staff and faculty are encouraged to visit anytime and make the Welcome Centre their first stop for campus information.

There will be an official opening of the Welcome Centre Friday, Feb. 10 at 3 p.m.and an open house at the Welcome Centre on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.