A crowdsourced history of UVic

If you’re lucky enough to already own a copy of Ian MacPherson’s recently published history of UVic, Reaching Outward and Upward, you might want to make just a little bit of room on the shelf next to it for this year’s special anniversary edition of the UVic Annual Review.

Available for free in publication boxes across campus beginning on Jan. 15, the annual review features 50 of the nearly 250 engaging achievements, individual reflections and events  nominated by members of the university and the local community that have helped transform our university during the last 50 years—along with a few of this year’s remarkable achievements that are poised to define our future.

At a slim 28 pages,

is a brief look back at the first 50 years of the university. Many of these moments, as seen through their sources in crowdsourced mini-histories, have contributed to UVic’s development into a world-leading research-intensive university; others have helped UVic make a difference in the world. Best of all, the great moments reflect a wide sampling of voices and accomplishments—from remarkable athletic achievements and philanthropy to a rising commitment to Indigenous education, and from sustainability initiatives that are more than 35 years young to discoveries and inventions that are helping people today to live better, healthier, and more active lives.

With milestones drawn from every decade of the university’s history, this trip down memory lane is a great reminder of how early efforts helped establish some of UVic’s distinctive strengths—in co-operative education, sustainability, distance education and community-involved research, among many others. And it’s a potent reminder that, as UVic President David Turpin explains, “Our history is rich, and it continues to influence our extraordinary capacity to shape our future—on campus, in our region, and around the world.”