New residences welcome students home

by Joy Poliquin

Program co-ordinator Sarah Patterson, left, and residence life co-ordinator Liisa Gibson stand outside one of the new residences.

This fall there's something new on campus—and it's not just the students. With the addition of three new residence buildings, more than 2,300 students now call UVic home.

"September move-in is always my favourite time of year," says residence life co-ordinator Liisa Gibson, who is welcoming 480 additional students thanks to the new beds. "This year is even better. Students are excited to be here, everything is new and fresh, and it's hard not to get swept up in the moment."

The new buildings—which are unofficially being referred to as Park Hall, Ring Road Hall and Cadboro Towers by housing services—allowed the university to offer a place in residence to every student entering first-year from high school. This fulfils an objective outlined in the university's strategic plan, A Vision for the Future.

For Gibson and her colleagues the new buildings allow the intro-duction of several new initiatives, including the campus wellness centre and theme housing.

Located underneath the Cad-boro Commons Cafeteria, the wellness centre provides an all-in-one resource venue for students living both in-residence and off-campus.

"The centre is a collaborative effort among housing services, counselling, health services, the interfaith chapel, campus security, athletics and recreation, the international students office, and many others," says Gibson. "It's about bringing vital resources together to give students a one-stop place where they can find information, make connections and just relax."

The centre houses a residence life office that is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, as well as a lounge area for students to meet, a study area, and space for yoga and meditation classes.

"The university's hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but students lives continue 24/7," says Gibson. "This provides them with a more flexible resource."

Residence students also have the option of living on "substance-free" floors in Park Hall and Cadboro Towers. Each tower floor features a different theme for leisure activities and students are assigned according to their preference. Choices include: arts and culture; healthy living; diversity; academic focus; and graduate students.

"We wanted to help students meet with people who have similar interests. If a chemistry student is also interested in watching theatre, this gives them a chance to connect with like-minded people."

Gibson credits such initiatives to the growth of the residence population. "The fun thing about getting bigger is that we can offer specialized options without losing diversity. It lets us continue to grow."

UVic is a destination campus with over 70 per cent of its students coming from outside Greater Victoria. Giving more of these students the option of living on campus contributes to a more vibrant campus community and means less commuter traffic on surrounding roads.