UVic invites input to Campus Plan update

The University of Victoria is inviting participation and input from the campus community and the public as it undertakes an update to the 2003 Campus Plan to provide a refreshed vision, guidelines and direction for future campus development.

“Engaging our campus and the surrounding community is critical to the process of updating UVic’s current Campus Plan,” said Gayle Gorrill, vice-president of finance and operations. “The plan update will support our academic priorities, as well as build on our commitments to sustainability, and campus and community involvement.”

The purpose of the Campus Plan is to help guide future decision-making in areas such as building placement and parameters, transportation, open spaces and natural areas. It influences both the functioning of the campus and the experience of living, learning and playing at UVic. The plan update is intended to focus on a planning horizon of 10 years, along with consideration for the longer term future of the campus.

Phase 1 in updating the Campus Plan is to launch the process, invite interest and involvement from a wide audience and receive input on the vision, goals and principles that will be the foundation of the updated plan.
Two public events are scheduled to begin this conversation. The first is a Speakers Event on January 28th, featuring two special speakers: Dr. Eric Higgs from the School of Environmental Studies; and Antonio Gomez-Palacio, a national expert on urban and campus planning. The focus of this event is to inspire ideas on campus planning and set the stage for a dynamic, year-long campus and community conversation that will inform the future of the campus.

The second event, in early February, is an Ideas Forum in an open-house format, where participants can learn more about the Campus Plan update process and offer input on their priorities for the future of UVic.

• Speakers Event – Jan. 28, 2015 from 4:30 - 6 p.m. in the Bob Wright Centre, B150
• Ideas Forum – Feb. 4, 2015 with drop-in opportunities for discussion available from 12 - 2 p.m. and from 6 - 8 p.m. in the Student Union Building, Michele Pujol room

Phase 2, between Apr. and Sept., will see the development of the draft plan, and the continuing conversation on concepts, options and issues. Opportunities for input to the final draft plan will continue in Phase 3, from Oct. 2015 to Jan. 2016.

UVic’s academic mission and priorities, contained in its 2012 Strategic Plan (“A Vision for the Future – Building on Excellence”), provide a starting point for the Campus Plan update. The commitment to community engagement and involvement is described and guided by the 2005 Campus Planning Consultation Process and the 2012 Community Engagement Framework.

-- 30 --