Fall 2014
As Grant Hughes has retired, I’m delighted to take on the
Community Relations portfolio on an interim basis until March of 2015. I’ve
worked at UVic for over thirty years. Many of these were with Continuing
Studies were I developed and managed UVic’s Cultural Heritage, Intercultural Education
and Aboriginal Language Revitalization programs in cooperation with colleagues
across the University. More recently, I have played interim roles with the
Office of the Registrar, University Art Collections and Ceremonies and Events.
Working with Community Relations is a great pleasure as I am able to interact
with so many of our community partners.
Our Fall term is well underway, with over 5,000 new students
attending the University and a total student body of 20,183. We’re proud
of our the wide range of people who come together to study at UVic, either
on-campus or in online formats. Here are some details on our student
population, based on enrollment in 2013/14:
· Students from the Victoria area 24%
· Students from other parts of BC 40%
· Students from other parts of Canada 20%
· International students 17%
The sight of so many students making their way between
classes, settling into the library, participating in myriad events, and
enjoying these final days of a beautiful summer reminds us all of the core
purpose of UVic. In many ways, September is our new year!
The University is busy on many fronts, both on campus and in
the community. Here are updates on a number of initiatives:
New Transit Exchange: The Victoria Regional Transit Commission (VRTC) along with the Government of British Columbia, BC Transit and the University of Victoria officially opened a 10-bay expansion of the UVic transit exchange, adjacent to the Student Union Building, on September 4, 2014. The expanded exchange will alleviate bus capacity issues at peak times and support future service expansion. The cost of the $1.52 million expansion was shared among the VRTC, the Government of British Columbia through BC Transit and the university. 17,000 passengers are served daily at UVic by 1,100 transit trips on 14 routes. There are now a total of 21 transit bays at the university.
United Way: We launch our annual UVic United
Way campaign on October 6, with a goal of contributing $250,000 to the Greater
Victoria United Way campaign. Over the past twenty years, this annual event has
raised millions of dollars in support of United Way’s important work in
this community. While a considerable portion of our annual goal is achieved through
faculty and staff donations, a range of fun events including a Plasma Car Race,
a Bug Push and a craft market engage members of the campus and local
communities. The annual Book Sale is widely anticipated. It takes place from
November 18-20 in the MacPherson Library … further details will be posted on
UVic’s United Way Campaign webpages at http://www.uvic.ca/unitedway/
Sponsorships: Community Relations is delighted to
sponsor a range of community initiatives including the Symphony Splash, The
Victoria Sexual Assault Centre’s ‘Walk a Mile in her Shoes’, the City of
Victoria’s Canada Day celebrations, and the upcoming talk on Community Social
Innovation by the Community Social Planning Council. For information on our
sponsorship program, please visit our webpage at http://www.uvic.ca/external/community/index.php
CARSA: UVic’s Centre for Athletics, Recreation and
Special Abilities (CARSA) has come a long way in the past year! Construction
should be completed in the spring of 2015 and it will be open for student,
faculty and community use in time for the 2015 Fall Term. This world-class
training and learning facility at the corner of McKenzie Avenue and Garbriola
Road will house Vikes athletic and recreational programs and CanAssist offices
and labs that support the development of customized technologies, programs and
services for people living with disabilities. You can take an online tour of
this landmark building at http://www.uvic.ca/carsa/project-info/photos/index.php
Advance Polling: The University of Victoria Student
Society (UVSS) is organizing advance polling stations for the first time on
campus on Thursday, November 6 in the Michel Pujol Room of the Student Union
Building from noon to 4 pm. By working with Oak Bay, Saanich and the City of
Victoria to establish these polling stations in an accessible location, the
UVSS is encouraging student participation in the democratic process.
Public Events and Activities: A new term brings a
wealth of engaging activities on campus. We welcome your participation in a
wide range of events and activities offered by the following UVic units:
- University Centre Farquhar Auditorium http://www.uvic.ca/auditorium/
- Phoenix
Theatre
- School
of Music events
- Cinecenta Movie
Theatre
- CFUV 101.9FM - UVic
campus community radio
- University of Victoria
Art Collections
- Legacy Maltwood
at the McPherson Library
- The Legacy Art
Gallery
- Vikes Athletics
- Vikes Recreation
- Finnerty Gardens http://www.uvic.ca/finnerty/
Scheduling
for many events, along with public lectures offered by faculties and research
centres, can be found on UVic Events Calendar.
I look forward to hearing from you as the Fall goes by if
you have questions about the University and its community initiatives.
Joy Davis, PhD
Interim Director, Community Relations University of Victoria t. 250-472-5047 | f. 250-853-3942 | c. 250-216-8716 office: ASB A113 | web: uvic.ca/external/community |
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"Creating Vibrant Communities
Together"