A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

Reporting on our accomplishments at the University of Victoria in 2001-02 is a real source of pleasure and pride for me.

In less than 40 years, UVic has become one of Canada’s leading universities, and the past year has included many significant achievements.

In February 2002 we completed our new Strategic Plan, A Vision for the Future, (www.uvic.ca/univsec/strategicplan.html). UVic now has a blueprint to help us capitalize on our success and realize our full potential as a university of choice for outstanding students, faculty and staff from British Columbia, Canada, and the world. To achieve our vision and mission, we are now focusing on four key areas: people, quality, community and resources. This Annual Review indicates ways we have moved forward over the past year in these four key areas.

The University of Victoria has many strengths to build upon. UVic is recognized for its commitment to research, scholarship and experiential learning, and we offer students and faculty a unique learning environment. The university provides outstanding social, cultural, artistic, environmental and athletic opportunities, and our richly diverse campus community plays an important role in Greater Victoria and beyond.

We have embarked on an ambitious journey of challenge and discovery that will continue to benefit the citizens of British Columbia and Canada for generations to come. I now invite you to share in the accomplishments of a most exciting year.

David H. Turpin, PhD, FRSC
President and Vice-Chancellor

FOUR TO GROW ON

New On-Campus Housing
To enable the very best students from diverse places and backgrounds to attend UVic, we must ensure that housing is not a barrier to admission. To meet our goal of offering on campus residence to all first-year students by 2004, UVic has launched a development plan that will increase residential capacity by 600 beds over the next two years.

New Building for Island Medical Program
When the first class of medical students arrives at UVic in January 2005 to pursue their degree, they will benefit from a new, $12-million medical building. This facility will support the innovative Island Medical Program, which addresses B.C.’s physician shortage by training medical students closer to the communities where the needs and practice opportunities exist.

New Opportunities in Computer Science and Engineering
As our economy shifts toward technology-driven industries, there is a growing shortage of trained personnel in specific fields. In 2002-03, UVic will accept more than 140 additional computer science and electrical and computer engineering students as part of a provincial program to double the annual number of graduates in these fields within five years.

New Continuing Studies Building
UVic’s Division of Continuing Studies served more than 15,000 people this year with programs in professional development and personal growth, and that number is about to grow. In 2002, ground will be broken for a new building that will enable Continuing Studies to consolidate facilities and provide more courses and programs to meet the education needs of community members.