Enhancing the student experience

Review and revise international undergraduate recruitment targets based on strategic enrolment goals

In progress. In 2023, we expanded our recruitment network and efforts, including through a new partnership agreement with Kaplan, and offered competitive scholarships. Recently completed an international tiering strategy that we are monitoring progress against.

Student Affairs; Deans; Faculties

Increase the diversity of international students by country of origin

In progress. Diversification efforts are underway in Student Affairs through our recruiters, recruiting network, and in-country engagements and outreach. China, India and the USA remain our biggest recruiting countries, but there is increased interest from countries in SE Asia and elsewhere.

Student Affairs; Deans; Faculties

In progress. Over the past 10 years we have seen a dramatic growth in Indigenous enrolment thanks in large part to K-12 pathway programs, from 1,086 to 1,495 students in 2022/23—a 38% increase. Currently, Indigenous students comprise over 6% of the overall student population and are enrolled in every faculty. Beginning in 2022/23, undergraduate growth has slowed.

Indigenous enrolment in graduate programs has increased by 41% over the last 10 years, and there are now 73 Indigenous PhD students at UVic—a 170% increase.

Student Affairs; Deans; Faculties; VP Indigenous; IACE

In progress.

Faculty of Graduate Studies; Institutional Planning and Analysis

Made new strategic investments in entrance scholarships for domestic and international students starting in the 2023/24 Winter Session. 

Student Affairs

Met 100% of bursary needs in 2022/23. We will continue to prioritize bursaries and programs like work study to support international and domestic students who demonstrate financial need, which may be increasingly in demand in the context of inflation and affordability more generally.

Student Affairs

In July 2024, UVic once again received a one-time contribution of $840,000 from the province for British Columbia Graduate Scholarships (BCGS) supporting UVic graduate students.

Plans are underway for temporary financial supports for international doctoral students in 2024 and 2025.

Faculty of Graduate Studies; Faculties

In September 2023, Food Services launched an everyday value menu and meal share program to help reduce food insecurity for students.

In 2023, Student Affairs raised a record number of donations through Stock-tober, the annual fundraiser for the UVSS Food Bank & Free Store.

In 2024, Student Affairs actioned feedback from the latest annual Food Services survey and the Residence Dining Committee to determine affordability strategies and programs with a focus on food quality and diversity.

Student Affairs

In August 2023, UVic opened the second of two new student housing and dining facilities.

UVic is currently developing a vision for a new mixed-use university district at the Ian Stewart Complex and adjacent lands and continues to actively work with government to access provincial grants and funding related to future residence expansion.

Student Affairs; Campus Planning; Executive Council; Board of Governors

In 2023, all UVic child care centres were approved as $10 a Day ChildCareBC Centres. With the new fee structure, UVic families have seen their monthly child care fees reduced to no more than $200.

Spaces at UVic Child Care are focused on meeting the needs of UVic undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, librarians and staff. Demand for child care spaces in Victoria exceeds supply, and UVic continues to expand programs and services, with 37 new spaces (within two programs) opening on the Queenswood Campus in April 2024.

UVic continues to explore future expansion supported by the BC Government's Major Capital Child Care Spaces Expansion Program.

Student Affairs; Campus Planning

The Faculties of Social Sciences and Science developed and launched a new interdisciplinary BSc in Climate Science, initially offered in fall term 2023.

The Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science recently established the Industrial Ecology master's program. Their Building Envelopes and Structures MEng program is pending approval.

VPAC; Deans; Faculties; Senate

In May 2023, Senate approved revisions to policy AC1135 to include micro-credentials, streamlining the process for faculties to establish micro-certificates.

Examples of new micro-credentials include:

• Facing Human Wrongs: Climate Complexity and Relational Accountability
• Climate Action Planning
• Mapping with Drones
• Business Intelligence and Data Analytics
• Palliative Care Pharmacy
• Indigenous Language Documentation

Some of these were funded through the BC Government's future skills grant program.

UVic recently launched the Transformative Climate Action Certificate.

VPAC; Continuing Studies; Deans; Faculties; Senate

Continuing Studies continues to offer new courses related to sustainability for the general public, including on drought tolerant plants; gardening with native plants; biology and natural history; and fungi and forest ecology.

Continuing Studies; Faculties

In 2022/23, UVic completed its final year of province-supported expansion in engineering and computer science programs, which began in 2018/19 and included 500 new student spaces, new faculty and staff positions and student supports. UVic met or exceeded our enrolment targets every year of this expansion including through enhanced pathways with our post-secondary partners. Building on this success, UVic secured provincial funding for 600 new technology seats in Engineering and Computer Science and associated equipment funding for 2023/24–2027/28.

Secured provincial funding for an expansion of 48 new graduate seats in Health Information Science (2024/25–2028/29).

VPAC; Deans; Chairs and Directors

Construction continues on the National Centre for Indigenous Laws and the engineering building expansion.

Developing proposals related to our aspirations in health programming and research.

Engage with the province on opportunities to expand on-campus housing.

In Spring 2023, restructured LTSI to improve services, following an external review.

LTSI has developed new resources and hired staff to support Universal Design for Learning, including to address the dramatic increase in students requiring academic accommodations in recent years.

VPAC; LTSI; Student Affairs