Do you love samosas? Support UVic's 2019 United Way Campaign and treat your tastebuds at the same time with delicious homemade vegetable or beef samosas.

On Nov. 5, the First Nations Education Foundation announced the Language Revitalization Pole will be installed in Port Alberni. The university was honoured to be asked by the foundation in January 2019 to be the original intended location and also now supports the FNEF's decision to pursue a new location.

Join the UVic Development team at a philanthropy fair on Tuesday, Nov. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the University Centre. Drop in and help say thanks to one of the more than 5,000 donors who support UVic annually.

The university will be closed for the statutory holiday on Monday, Nov. 11 throughout UVic's Reading Break, which is Nov. 11-13. As a result, there will be no classes from Nov. 11-13.

Thank you to members of our campus community who helped make the sixth annual Student Affairs Stock-tober food drive for the UVSS Food Bank and Free Store a great success. Volunteers collected 2,335 lbs of food and other much needed non-perishable items—more than doubling last year's total of 1,114 lbs. Additionally, $440 was donated by offices across campus.

When it comes to dressing for success, Karla Stout knows how to get it right. As the head of wardrobe for the Department of Theatre and a volunteer rober since 1994, Stout has ensured thousands of graduating students look their best when they cross the stage at convocation. Beyond draping hoods, adjusting tassels and soothing jangled nerves, Stout has also helped a variety of UVic presidents and chancellors look tip-top for the big day.

As many of you are aware, the union representing support staff members in Saanich school district (CUPE) has served strike notice to the school district. The union has indicated that it intends to begin a full strike beginning Monday, Oct 28th @ 5:45am.

The Indigenous Territory Acknowledgement that you hear spoken at UVic’s public events and gatherings, and see in our printed publications and websites, is a vital and visible way that the university honours the traditional territory of the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. This summer, the university approved the option for faculty and staff to include the acknowledgement on university stationery and business cards.

Do you know a tenured faculty member who is making a difference through outstanding community-engaged scholarship? Nominate him or her for the Provost's Award in Engaged Scholarship. Recipients receive a one-time award of $10,000 to support community-engaged teaching and research. Nomination deadline is Dec. 13, 2019.

Since its launch on Sept, 19, 2018, UVic faculty, librarians, staff and students across campus have worked diligently towards achieving the vision, goals and priorities laid out in the Strategic Framework. The inaugural Strategic Framework Implementation Report features some of the accomplishments made in the past year towards achieving the university’s shared vision and goals.

Following several months of negotiations and two days of mediation, a tentative collective agreement has been reached between the University of Victoria and CUPE 4163 (Component 3).

Approximately 300 people gathered in the heart of the University of Victoria’s campus on Sept. 17 to be with each other for comfort, healing and reflection following the devastating bus accident in which two students died and several were injured.

Following a call for proposals in the spring, nine UVic initiatives have received funding of $294,551 in the first year of the new Strategic Framework Impact Fund. The fund provides up to $300,000 per year to strategic initiatives that are directly related to implementing the priorities of the Strategic Framework 2018-2023.

UVic’s Consent—it starts with a conversation campaign kicked off Sept. 1.

UVic has been rated as one of North America’s most sustainable universities, according to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

As the new academic year gets underway, the university has new collective agreements with faculty members and librarians, and professional academic and administrative staff. For unions representing other employee groups where new collective agreements are not in place mediation and bargaining dates are scheduled.