| University of Victoria | |
|---|---|
| Motto |
"יְהִי אוֹר" (Hebrew) "multitudo sapientium sanitas orbis" (Latin) |
| Motto in English | "A multitude of the wise is the health of the world" |
| Established | 1963 |
| Type | Public |
| Endowment | $296 million[1] |
| Chancellor | Murray Farmer[2] |
| President | Dr. David H. Turpin, CM, FRSC |
| Provost | Reeta C. Tremblay, PhD |
| Academic staff | 1073 faculty |
| Admin. staff | 6,048 employees[1] |
| Students | 22,405[1] |
| Undergraduates | 18,863 |
| Postgraduates | 3,542 |
| Location | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colours | Red Gold Blue |
| Athletics | CIS, CWUAA, NAIA, SIDEARM |
| Nickname | Victoria Vikes |
| Affiliations | AUCC, IAU, CUSID, CBIE, CUP |
| Website | uvic.ca |
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about 8 km (5 mi) northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students. UVic's campus is known for its innovative architecture, beautiful gardens and mild climate. The University attracts many students in part because of its size, its picturesque location, and its Cooperative Education, Earth & Ocean Sciences, Engineering, and Law programs. The University is also the province's second largest research institution and the nation's lead institution in the VENUS and NEPTUNE deep-water seafloor observatory projects.
The University is academically known for its research contributions by its School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, which has also helped predict and alleviate the impact of recent earthquakes around the world. The University of Victoria Law Programs has a long history of protecting human rights and the environment, and has worked closely on a large number of precedent setting environmental and First Nations legal cases across Canada and around the world.
The Victoria Vikes (more commonly known as the UVic Vikes or simply the Vikes) represent the University in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) community in a number of competitive sports, as well as through a variety of intercollegiate leagues. The Vikes have especially long and eminent ties to competitive rowing and basketball.
The University Of Victoria has been consistently ranked as Research University of the Year and as the Research University of the Decade by Re$earch Infosource. The University has climbed to 130th in the world and sixth place in Canada in the 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. UVic was the top-ranked university in Canada without an autonomous medical school in the THE rankings. The University has also been home to more than 40 faculty members who are Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada since the University of Victoria's founding. [3][4]
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University of Victoria was established on 1 July 1963 in Victoria, British Columbia.[5] Victoria College, which had been established in 1903 as a college of the University of British Columbia gained autonomy and full degree granting status on March 1, 1963.[6] The non-denominational university had enjoyed 60 years of prior teaching tradition at the university level as Victoria College. This 60 years of history may be viewed conveniently in three distinct stages. Between the years 1903 and 1915, Victoria College was affiliated with McGill University, offering first- and second-year McGill courses in Arts and Science.[7] Administered locally by the Victoria School Board, the College was an adjunct to Victoria High School and shared its facilities. Both institutions were under the direction of a single Principal: E.B. Paul, 1903–1908; and S.J. Willis, 1908–1915.
The opening in 1915 of the University of British Columbia, established by Act of Legislature in 1908, obliged the College to suspend operations in higher education in Victoria. University of British Columbia was created in 1908. A single, public provincial university, it was modeled on the American state university, with an emphasis on extension work and applied research. The governance was modeled on the provincial University of Toronto Act of 1906 which established a bicameral system of university government consisting of a senate (faculty), responsible for academic policy, and a board of governors (citizens) exercising exclusive control over financial policy and having formal authority in all other matters. The president, appointed by the board, was to provide a link between the two bodies and to perform institutional leadership.[5]
In 1920, as a result of local demands, Victoria College began the second stage of its development, reborn in affiliation with the University of British Columbia.[7] Though still administered by the Victoria School Board, the College was now completely separated from Victoria High School, moving in 1921 into the magnificent Dunsmuir mansion known as Craigdarroch Castle. Over the next two decades, under Principals E.B. Paul and P.H. Elliott, Victoria College built a reputation for thorough and scholarly instruction in first- and second-year Arts and Science. It was also during this period that future author Pierre Berton edited and served as principal cartoonist for the student newsletter, The Microscope.
The final stage, between the years 1945 and 1963, saw the transition from two year college to university, under Principals J.M. Ewing and W.H. Hickman.[7] During this period, the College was governed by the Victoria College Council, representative of the parent University of British Columbia, the Greater Victoria School Board, and the provincial Department of Education. Physical changes were many. In 1946 the College was forced by postwar enrollment to move from Craigdarroch to the Lansdowne campus of the Provincial Normal School (This is the current location of the Camosun College Lansdowne Campus). The Normal School, itself an institution with a long and honourable history, joined Victoria College in 1956 as its Faculty of Education. Late in this transitional period (through the co-operation of the Department of National Defence and the Hudson's Bay Company) the 284 acre (1,1 km²) now 385 acre (1.6 km²) campus at Gordon Head was acquired. Academic expansion was rapid after 1956, until in 1961 the College, still in affiliation with UBC awarded its first bachelor's degrees.
In the early part of this century, professional education expanded beyond the traditional fields of theology, law and medicine. Graduate training based on the German-inspired American model of specialized course work and the completion of a research thesis was introduced.[5]
The policy of university education initiated in the 1960s responded to population pressure and the belief that higher education was a key to social justice and economic productivity for individuals and for society.[5]
The university gained its autonomy in 1963 as the University of Victoria.[7] The University Act of 1963 vested administrative authority in a chancellor elected by the convocation of the university, a board of governors, and a president appointed by the board; academic authority was given to the senate which was representative both of the faculties and of the convocation.
University of Victoria's Arms were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on April 3, 2001.[8] The historical traditions of the university are reflected in the coat of arms, its academic regalia and its house flag. The BA hood is of solid red, a colour that recalls the early affiliation with McGill. The BSc hood, of gold, and the BEd hood, of blue, show the colours of the University of British Columbia. Blue and gold have been retained as the official colours of the University of Victoria. The motto at the top of the Arms of the University, in Hebrew characters, is "Let there be Light"; the motto at the bottom, in Latin, is "A Multitude of the Wise is the Health of the World."
The main Campus is located in the Gordon Head area of Greater Victoria. With a total area of 403 acres (163 ha), the campus spans the border between the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich. The original campus plan was prepared by the San Francisco architecture and planning firm of Wurster, Bernardi & Emmons. The general concept of the original design is still being followed with the academic portions of the campus located inside Ring Road which forms a perfect circle 600 m (1,969 ft) in diameter. Outside of Ring Road are the parking lots, Student Union Building, residence buildings, the sports facilities as well as some of the academic facilities that are more self contained (Law and Theatre for example).
The University's Cornett Building is an acclaimed example of architectural modernism on the campus. Home to many of the humanities, the Cornett Building boasts a long history of befuddling students who find themselves lost within its long corridors.[9]
The following is a list of the more prominent buildings on campus:
The university also offers on-campus housing for over 3,200 students. A extensive variety of housing is available, including single and double rooms, apartment-style housing with four people per unit (Cluster Housing) and family housing (Lam Family Housing). One of the oldest buildings is named for General Sir Arthur William Currie. Construction on the South Tower Complex was completed in January 2011. The largest residence building in terms of capacity is Ring Road Hall, which holds 294 beds.
Much of the university estate has been dedicated to nature, notably Finnerty Gardens and Mystic Vale, a 4.4 ha (11 acres) forested ravine. The campus is home to deer, owls, squirrels, the occasional cougar and many other wild animals native to the area. The large population of domestic rabbits, which likely descended from abandoned house pets from the surrounding community, is a memorable feature of the campus. As of May 2010, the University has begun trapping and euthanizing the rabbits [11] as they have been known to put athletes at risk in the playing fields. It has been documented that local veterinarians have offered to perform neutering of the male rabbits. As of July 2011 the UVic campus is free of rabbits. 900 rabbits have been saved and sent to shelters.[12]
Below is a partial list of divisions and faculties within the University of Victoria system.
Peter B. Gustavson School of Business[13] – Formerly the Faculty of Business, renamed following a donation by local entrepreneur Peter B. Gustavson. This leading business School is one of the finest in Canada with a wide range of programs including the BCom, MBA and other business degrees, EQUIS accredited.[14]
The University's School of Earth & Ocean Sciences is the premiere underwater and marine institution in Canada and has produced a large number of influential findings in its history. The School of Earth & Ocean Science also collaborate with the VENUS and NEPTUNE research institutes. In addition to this the University was a founding member of the Western Canadian Universities Marine Sciences Society, UVic maintains this field station on the west coast of Vancouver Island, which is jointly run by the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary.
The UVic School of Public Administration is western Canada's leading government management school. The School specializes in its M.A., and PhD. programs but also offers a selective admission Minors Program. The innovative course structure of these programs has led numerous graduates to pursue careers in Finance Management, Government Administration, and Local Governance.
UVic Faculty of Law is consistently ranked as one of the finest law schools in Canada and offers Joint M.B.A., M.P.A. degrees in association with the prestigious Juris Doctorate (J.D.) designation. In 2011 UVic Law was authorized to open a new research facility at Hakia Beach, BC in association with the Tula Foundation. UVic Law has been deeply involved with many of the Aboriginal, Ecological, and Environmental cases within British Columbia and continues this tradition today.[15][16]
The faculty of engineering, while modest compared to engineering faculties at other schools in British Columbia, allows students to specialize in the following disciplines: Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Software Engineering.[17]
The University of Victoria Libraries system is the second largest in British Columbia being composed of three 'on-campus' libraries, the William C. Mearns Center for Learning/McPherson Library, the Diana M. Priestly Law Library, and the MacLaurin Curriculum Library. The Library System has undergone significant growth in recent years as more of the University's operating budget goes towards library purchases and research. The University of Victoria Archives contains priceless collections from Imperial Japan, to carbon dated original manuscripts of the Sancti Epiphanii. The collection also boasts extensive histories of colonial Victoria and the Colony of Vancouver Island among other documents. Recently, the library began to digitize some of its collections through the groundbreaking Summon Program, as well as adding a large art gallery. The UVic libraries collection includes 2.0 million books, 2.3 million items in microforms, plus serial subscriptions, sound recordings, music scores, films and videos, and archival materials.[18]
In the 2010 Re$earch Infosource ranking of Canada's research universities, UVic topped all other comprehensive universities in Canada in two out of three measures of research performance over the last decade: growth in research income and growth in research intensity.
The University maintains a field station on the west coast of Vancouver Island to conduct marine research. The facility is jointly run by the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary. Undergraduates at the University of Victoria have full access to research and learning at this facility.
In 2011 the University, in collaboration with the provincial government purchased and modified a state of the art ocean vessel capable of launching 'deep sea submersibles' and conducting long range marine biology research expeditions. The 'floating laboratory' is undergoing upgrades and expansions currently and will be in service by late 2011.[19]
The School of Earth & Ocean Sciences is also home to the renowned VENUS and NEPTUNE research institutes responsible for seismic, oceanic and climate change research.
Located in the Greater Victoria area the University's legal centre provides free legal assistance to the disadvantaged as well as dealing with important environmental cases in British Columbia. The UVic Law Center is the only full-time, term clinical program offered by a Canadian law school. The Program reflects the Faculty's emphasis on integrating legal theory, legal skills, and community service while providing students with unique education and research opportunities.[20]
The University Of Victoria is the only institution in British Columbia to own and operate a research park. Located in the Greater Victoria, British Columbia area the Vancouver Island Technology Park is a state of the art, 35 acre commercial research facility. The venture allows the University to work with leading technology and biomedical companies while provided students with unparalleled research opportunities. The facility focuses on fuel cell, new media, wireless, and life science/biotechnological research. The UVic Genome BC Proteomics Centre and a number of other research institutes are based out of the research park. The Capital Regional District is a major commercial hub for technology companies.[21]
Admission to the University Of Victoria is based on a selective academic system. UVic requires all applicants to submit gross percentage averages to be considered for admission. The University accepts qualified applicants studying under IB programs, AP programs or other international distinctions. The University of Victoria offers scholarships and financial aid to a large number of students.[22]
The University Of Victoria has partnered with a number of research institutions to provide UVic students with the opportunity to gain research experience abroad. Both UVic undergraduate and graduate students may travel abroad with UVic's many partner universities. This international exchange programs develops the collegial yet international atmosphere at the University of Victoria, and promotes an exchange of information.
| University rankings | |
|---|---|
| University of Victoria | |
| ARWU World[23] | 201-300 |
| THE-WUR World[24] | 177 |
| Canadian rankings | |
| ARWU National[25] | 9-18 |
| Maclean's Comprehensive[26] | 2 |
Maclean's Magazine, a major Canadian news magazine, has ranked UVic as one of the top three comprehensive universities in the nation for three consecutive years. Its Faculty of Law has also ranked first in the country, 8 out of the last 11 years. Currently, it is ranked 4th by Canadian Lawyer Magazine. University of Victoria's MBA program is consistently ranked among the top 10 of its kind in the nation.[27] UVic is British Columbia's second largest research university, after UBC, and is one of Canada's top 20 research institutions.[28] According to ScienceWatch, UVic is nationally ranked first in geoscience, second in space science and education, and third in engineering and mathematics for the period of 2000–2004.[29]
UVic's oldest and most recognized weekly student newspaper, founded in 1948, is The Martlet. It is distributed all over campus and the Greater Victoria area. The paper is named after the legendary martlet bird, whose inability to land is often seen to symbolize the constant quest for knowledge, learning, and adventure. The Martlet is partly funded by student fees.
The University of Victoria Students' Society is a student society which represents the UVic undergraduate student body, plans campus wide events and maintains the Student Union Building. The student society's leadership is elected annually during campus wide undergraduate student elections. As a multi-million dollar organization, the UVSS is among one of the larger student unions which exist in Canada.
The GSS offers services and support for UVic's 3,000 Graduate students. The society publication is called "The Unacknowledged Source" and features content for and by Graduate students.
CFUV is on-campus radio station focusing on the campus and the surrounding community. CFUV serves Greater Victoria at 101.9, and via cable on 104.3, Vancouver Island and many areas in the Lower Mainland and northwestern Washington state.
UVic has one fraternity and one sorority. The Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity was installed in 2010 and the Kappa Beta Gamma sorority installed in 2011. The Fraternity/Sorority have no affiliation with the University of Victoria itself, however, they continue to thrive with membership growing yearly. The Omega chapter of Phrateres, a non-exclusive, non-profit social-service club, was installed here in 1961. Between 1924 and 1967, 23 chapters of Phrateres were installed in universities across North America, including three other chapters in Canadian universities.
The University is represented by its team the Victoria Vikes, more commonly known as the UVic Vikes or simply the Vikes. Vikes teams participate in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA) (the western division of Canadian Interuniversity Sport [CIS]) and in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
The University currently has both men's and women's teams in each of the following sports:
UVic Charter Inductees are:
Canadian Inter-University Sports(CIS) Championships[30]
Men's basketball: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1997
Women's basketball: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2003
Men's cross-country: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
Women's cross-country: 1981, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
Women's field hockey: 1985, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2008
Men's soccer: 1976, 1988, 1997, 2004
Women's soccer: 2005
Canadian University Championship Titles[30]
Men's rugby: 1998, 1999
Men's rowing: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2009
Women's rowing: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
Men's golf: 2003
Notable among a number of songs commonly played and sung at various events such as commencement and convocation, and athletic games is 'Rack and Ruin' a reminder of the tradition of the founding Victoria College. "Rack and Ruin, Blood and Gore, Victoria College Evermore!"
The first week of school and a celebration of admission to the University. Originally, Frosh Week was celebrated by students in all faculties, but its current iteration is exclusive to individual departments; most notably engineering and commerce. Engineering Frosh is a week-long series of extra-curricular events organized by the Engineering Students' Society. Frosh familiarizes new students to the university, their upperclassmen, and their society in fun social events intended to ease the transition to university life.
A martlet adorns many parts of the University of Victoria, including the crest, coast of arms, and flag. The legendary martlet bird's inability to land is often seen to symbolize the constant quest for knowledge, learning, and adventure. The oldest student newspaper on campus, The Martlet, is named after the bird.
UVic has 26 sport clubs which are administered by Vikes Recreation and run by students.
Some of the University's noted faculty members, past and present, are:
The University has over 88,000 alumni. Listed below are some of UVic's noted alumni:
The asteroid 150145 Uvic was named in the university's honour on 1 June 2007. UVic was the first university in BC to have an asteroid named for it.[44]
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