Responsibilities & organization

Reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor, the Vice-President Academic and Provost is responsible for leading the academic mission of the university. This includes teaching, learning, and related supports and services. The VPAC Office plays a strategic and service-oriented role in setting and advancing the university’s academic priorities. 

The academic portfolio is the largest on campus, comprising 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students and hundreds of non-degree-seeking students. Approximately 80% of university employees report up to and through the Provost, including 10 deans and the university librarian, 34 associate deans and librarians, 43 chairs and directors, 900 faculty and librarians, and thousands of professional and support staff.

Future-focused university

Beyond its operational responsibilities, VPAC provides strategic leadership to advance UVic's academic and research mission and position the university for long-term success. Working collaboratively across portfolios, VPAC leaders identify emerging challenges and opportunities, develop institution-wide strategies, and lead complex institutional change requiring academic, cultural, financial and governance alignment.

Recent examples include establishing the Faculty of Health, co-developing a new institutional budget model, securing Ministry funding for expansions in health and technology programs, and advancing curriculum redevelopment. Through this work, VPAC translates institutional priorities into coordinated action and helps ensure the university remains innovative, resilient and well positioned for the future.

Ensuring high-quality education

Through Senate, and with leadership from the Associate Vice-President Academic Programs, VPAC ensures the overall quality of academic programming. This includes working with academic units to develop and redesign academic programs, reviewing existing programs, and discontinuing programs, as well as partnership agreements with other post-secondary institutions.

The Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills approves all new academic programs, coordinated through the AVP Academic Programs.

The AVP Academic Programs is responsible for co-operative education, experiential learning, career services, and related offerings. The Division of Learning and Teaching Innovation, which provides academic supports to instructors and students, reports to the AVP Academic Programs.

Supporting students and their success

With leadership from the Associate Vice-President Student Affairs, VPAC is responsible for student success and support. The Division of Student Affairs includes all undergraduate and graduate student awards; admissions and records; academic advising; academic accommodations; campus housing and dining; health and wellness; athletics and recreation; and several other student services, supports and resources. There are approximately 1,800 staff in the following units:

• Wellness, Recreation and Athletics
• Student Development & Success
• Office of the Registrar & Enrolment Management
• Campus Engagement

UVic’s recruitment and retention goals are guided by the Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) Plan, which outlines strategies to expand experiential learning, diversify the international student population, increase graduate enrolment and double the Indigenous student population.

Student recruitment, marketing and outreach are led by Student Affairs, with teams working closely with Faculties to attract prospective students, progress applicants and registrants, and orient new students as they transition to university life.

Supporting and developing faculty, librarians and academic leaders

All human resource matters related to faculty and librarians are VPAC’s responsibility. With leadership from Deputy Provost, Faculty Relations and Academic Administration is responsible for academic appointments, salary awards, mentorship and development, and related policies.

VPAC supports the recruitment, onboarding and development of senior academic leaders, and the Provost (or delegate) chairs all decanal appointment and reappointment committees. The team provides advice to academic leaders on human resources issues and student academic matters.

The Deputy Provost and Executive Director lead the collective agreement negotiation and implementation on behalf of the university, and the team works with the Faculty Association to respectfully resolve faculty-related issues and manages grievances and investigations on behalf of the university.