Draft campus plan to be focus of fall consultations

UVic’s draft campus plan is being prepared for more public consultations this fall.

The draft plan, released by the campus development committee (CDC) in late May, is intended to help guide the physical development of the campus over the next 15 years. It seeks to support the goals of the university’s strategic plan by managing the anticipated growth in student enrolment while respecting the natural environment and UVic’s “spirit of place.”

The draft plan was posted on the university’s Web site, mailed to a range of community groups and local governments, and was the subject of a news release and a variety of ads in community publications in May and June. Written comments were encouraged throughout the summer and into the fall, two community forums were held to gather public input in early June, and presentations were made to Saanich and Oak Bay municipal councils. Consultation with the on-campus community was targeted for this fall.

As a result of feedback received to date, the 25-member CDC, composed of student, faculty and staff representatives, has approved an expansion of the fall consultation process to include open houses and theme-based working groups.

The open houses will be open to both the on- and off-campus communities and the working groups will include external community representation, as well as students, faculty and staff. The committee is currently considering when to schedule these and determining their format. The consultation schedule will be released publicly in the next few weeks.

The CDC has also approved the addition of a section to the draft plan that will provide details about the scope and timing of studies on environmentally sensitive “special study areas” identified in the plan. The new material will be available prior to the consultation sessions.

Jack Falk, CDC chair and vice president finance and operations, says that the committee has received a great deal of useful comments and suggestions over the past three months, and is responding to the obvious interest in more extensive consultation and to concerns that the special study process wasn’t sufficiently detailed in the draft plan.

The draft campus plan is available online at <www.uvic.ca/draftcampusplan> or by calling facilities management at 721-7591. It will be distributed on campus in advance of the open houses.
Comments and suggestions may be submitted in the feedback section of the draft plan Web site or by mail to Falk.