University of Victoria
PRE-3: Institutional Boundary

Established in 1963, the University of Victoria (UVic) has grown into a prestigious comprehensive university celebrated not only for its academic excellence but also its dedication to sustainability and community engagement. Located on Coast Salish territory, UVic embraces its role as a responsible steward of the land. We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ ʷəŋən and W̱ SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

With a diverse array of over 120 undergraduate and 160 graduate programs, UVic hosts approximately 22,000 students on its main Gordon Head campus. These programs span numerous faculties, including Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Humanities, Law, Science, and more, catering to a wide spectrum of academic interests. UVic also proudly houses the Gustavson School of Business and the Division of Medical Sciences. The Division of Continuing Studies extends accessible academic pathways to adult, part-time, international, and geographically dispersed students, with an impressive track record of over 150,000 degrees, certificates, and diplomas conferred.

One defining feature of UVic is its unwavering commitment to experiential learning, offering hands-on opportunities in tandem with outstanding academic instruction. These encompass co-operative education, practicums, field schools, and international exchanges, including partnerships with 300 global institutions.

UVic is a trailblazer in sustainability, championing initiatives that address critical issues such as climate change and environmental sustainability. With 37 Canada Research Chairs dedicated to sustainability and numerous faculty members engaged in impactful research, UVic is at the forefront of tackling global challenges. This commitment to sustainability aligns with the university's dedication to community engagement, social justice, and technology, making UVic an institution that not only educates but also leads in creating a more sustainable and equitable world.

Included: Main Campus (Gordon Head), which includes the Campus Storage Facility (Velox).

Not included: The Saanich Fire Hall site, off campus buildings owned or leased by the University but managed by third parties (including the Queenswood Campus – which is our satellite campus), off-campus field stations. This includes the UVic Legacy Art Gallery main downtown location.

Rationale: Data from excluded sites is not tracked and available from UVic’s Facilities Management or operational departments.

Additional note: As a public sector organization in BC, UVic is required to follow the BC Government Carbon Neutral Government Program (CNG) and report annually on CNG requirements to achieve carbon neutrality. This program has defined ‘in-scope’ activities or emission sources for greenhouse gas emissions reporting and offsetting. In-scope operational and organizational boundaries differ than UVic’s defined institutional boundary for AASHE STARS, which focuses on assets and programs it directly controls through campus operations. Off-campus buildings and sites are in-scope for our annual GHG inventory assessment as the program follows the financial control approach for consolidating GHG emissions whereas most other out-of-province institutions choose to follow the operational control approach.

The University of Victoria (UVic) purchased the Queenswood Campus in 2010 to provide child-care services to the UVic community as well as to accommodate future expansion of academic programs and research in a location nearby to the Gordon Head Campus. In 2018, the 15-acre property was rezoned to permit the conversion of the 26,000-square-foot Queenswood residence building to research and office uses, now known as the Ocean-Climate Building, to support physical space for climate and ocean research institutions.

Additional renovations were completed in 2022 for a new childcare centre. The Queenswood Campus is managed by University of Victoria Properties, separate from operations.