First meeting of the Fall semester welcomes Acting President, new Chair
Photo via the University of Victoria.
In a short meeting on Sept. 23, UVic’s Board of Governors voted to approve a number of policies and procedures, including the Indigenous Citizenship Declaration Policy and Procedures, and the Board Procedures for the 2025–26 year.
The meeting also heard reports from the Operations and Facilities, Finance, Audit, and Executive and Governance committees, detailed below.
This was the first Board of Governors meeting for both Qwul’sih’yah’maht, Dr. Robina Thomas, in her new position as Acting President, and Brian Cant in his new position as Chair.
The full agenda is available online, on the University Secretary website.
Indigenous Citizenship Declaration Policy and Procedures
The Board voted to approve a revised eligibility process for “Indigenous-specific opportunities that result in material gain,” which was drafted by UVic’s Office of the Vice President Indigenous (OVPI).
According to the submission by UVic’s Interim Vice President Indigenous, Lalita Kines, the policy “moves away from reliance on Indigenous self-identification to a more robust process of affirming Indigenous Citizenship,” ensuring that Indigenous-specific opportunities with a potential for material gain are accessed by Indigenous people, and that the eligibility requirements for these “are consistent with the ways that Indigenous Nations, Peoples and communities determine their Citizenship.”
The Policy and Procedures were submitted for Board approval following a period of consultation and engagement with Elders’ Voices, Indigenous members of the UVic community, and several campus partners, including the Faculty Association, the Equity and Human Rights office (EQHR), and the CUPE and PEA unions.
As it was successfully approved by the Board, the policy and procedures are effective Nov. 1, 2025.
Audit Committee
The Board voted to approve a budget and financial forecast for inclusion in UVic’s quarterly report in the Government Reporting Entity (GRE).
Since 2003, B.C. universities have been included in the GRE to “facilitate the consolidation of University Financial Statements into the Public Accounts of the Province.” This includes submitting two reports quarterly, including a year to date report and a forecast providing projections of the university’s financial situation for the current year and next three years.
Key items on the year to date report include a $12.8 million increase in government grants due to “increased research activity,” a decrease in non-credit tuition — tuition for courses or programs that do not lead to a degree — by $2.3 million and in credit tuition by $0.3 million, attributed to a decrease in “international revenue.”
The motion to approve these documents was carried.
Consent Items
Three items, the Annual Academic Staffing, Recruitment, and Vacancies Report, the Status Report on Capital Projects, and the VPRI Research Activity by the Numbers Report were included in a “consent agenda,” meaning the Board acknowledged all three simultaneously and did not discuss them at length.
The Staffing, Recruitment and Vacancies Report notes UVic’s employment of 901 full time faculty and librarians, above their 10-year average of 869. In 2024–2025, UVic reports hiring 34 new faculty and librarians.
UVic also reports 5 resignations and 4 departures due to termination or death in 2024–2025.
The university reports that 37 continuing faculty and librarians self-identified as Indigenous — an increase of 42 per cent over the past five years, and the creation of 19 new faculty positions since 2019 through the Indigenous Recruitment Support fund.
The Capital Projects report notes that the National Centre for Indigenous Laws (NCIL) construction project nears completion, but the Engineering expansion project’s timeline will be delayed due to the structural rebar collapse incident in June. The revised opening is now planned for January 2027.
Other projects reported on include two new electric boilers being added to the District Energy Plant, which has experienced a two-month delay due to a “necessary redesign,” and a proposed student housing expansion, which aims to provide 500 new beds “for upper-year undergraduate and graduate students in quad and studio configuration.”
Construction on this project is planned for June 2026, aiming to be completed August 2029.
In the Research Activity report, the university reports receiving record research income of $199 million — a 19 per cent increase over last year, bringing the university within reach of its 2030 funding targets.
UVic reports uneven distribution of research revenue, with the Faculty of Science bringing in the most, followed by Engineering, Health, and Social Sciences. Outside sources of research income include partnerships with OceanNetworks Canada and the ACET initiative.
According to the report, UVic received 852 new awards and contracts in 2024–2025.
The full breakdown of these reports are available on the agenda.
Finance Committee
The Board’s Finance Committee delivered two reports, one on Working Capital Investments and one on Responsible Investments. This was the first report to the Board following the new Responsible Investment Policy, which was updated Jan. 1, 2025, to “incorporate the university’s responsibility to honour local Indigenous laws and protocols and to be in right relationship with all people, beings, lands, and waters.”
Board Procedures
Lastly, the Board voted to approve the Board Procedures for the 2025–2026 year, alongside the Statement of Responsibilities of the Board of Governors and its Members, with no revisions proposed.
