Campus Plan Update FAQs

What is a Campus Plan?

A Campus Plan guides decision making in matters relating primarily to buildings and land use, open spaces and natural areas, and transportation and parking. It influences not only the functioning of campus, but also the experience of being on and moving through it. It impacts quality of life on and near campus, ecological health, campus character, and more. The Campus Plan helps to implement the university's academic mission and guides development in accordance with its strategic priorities and its teaching and research needs.

Campus planning consultation process framework

The campus planning consultation process for the UVic campus community is guided by the principles and approaches set out in a 2005 report to the Campus Planning Committee. It includes best practice considerations as well as the university's responsibilities to:

Clearly identify all project stakeholders.
Provide timely information.
Obtain feedback by providing a variety of means appropriate to the project.
Consider and assess all input received through the consultation process.
Communicate how input was used and how the consultation influenced the final decision.

The consultation approach and level of effort required will differ by project given varying scope, complexity and impacts to campus stakeholders.

How was the Campus Plan updated in 2015?

Two documents specifically outline how the Campus Plan was updated: the Vision, Goals, and Principles, as well as the Campus and Community Engagement Plan.

In addition to being informed by input from campus and community stakeholders, the Campus Plan update process considered the foundational elements of the 2003 Campus Plan; recognized future university needs as identified from strategic planning; responded to key issues; review previous planning principles; and suggested new directions.

UVic’s academic mission and priorities outlined in the 2012 Strategic Plan provided a starting point for the Plan Update. The Strategic Plan includes Objective 34, to update, renew and implement our Campus Plan, driven by academic priorities and informed by community input and our commitment to sustainability, with the goal of building an engaged campus, vibrant seven days a week.

Many other factors provided additional context and set parameters for the Plan Update, including: existing commitments and policies; the defining elements of the first Campus Plan and its evolution since 1961; current land uses and natural features; the campus setting and its relationship to surrounding neighbours; and changing values that may impact future campus development.

Who led the Campus Plan Update process?

The Campus Plan update process was guided by the Campus Planning Committee (CPC) which acts as an advisory body to the President and provides recommendations on the physical development of the campus. The Vice President Finance and Operations and the Vice-President Academic and Provost are co-chairs of the committee, and other members include other vice-presidents, two deans, three faculty members, two staff members, one local resident member of the Alumni Association, one undergraduate student, and one graduate student.

The day-to-day management of the Campus Plan Update was led by a project team through the Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability, and a Steering Committee which included students, staff, and academic representatives. This is detailed in the Terms of Reference for the Campus Plan Update process.

What happens to the input provided on the Campus Plan?

Input received during each engagement phase was reported back to the community to demonstrate how diverse campus and community input influenced the development of the draft and final plans. All input received was reviewed in the context of UVic's academic mission and Vision, Goals, and Principles for the Campus Plan Update.