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Updated May 2, 2025

Throughout Winter Session 2024/25, the Vice-President Academic and Provost visited Faculty Council meetings to hear what matters most to faculty members—as teachers, researchers and colleagues—as we work collaboratively to our advance institutional plans.

Key themes

Key discussion themes include the university’s future direction, strategic partnerships, academic accommodations, curriculum and pedagogy, technological advancements, resourcing, and interdisciplinary research and collaboration. These conversations reflected a shared commitment to innovation, inclusivity and academic excellence, setting a strong foundation for continued growth and collaboration across the institution.

Strategic partnerships: Faculty reaffirmed the value of strategic partnerships—both within and beyond the university—as essential to advancing UVic’s academic and research mission. There was strong enthusiasm for deepening interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthening connections between faculties and expanding partnerships with external organizations and communities. These conversations reflected a shared commitment to innovation, impact, and working together toward a future defined by academic excellence and a shared purpose. Partnering for a shared future.

Academic accommodations and diverse student needs: Faculty emphasized a shared commitment to supporting students with disabilities, while also highlighting the need for coordinated institutional approaches. These conversations pointed to opportunities for collaborative solutions—including around the use of Universal Design principles, the role of support services, and the need for sustainable resources. As the university continues to evolve its practices to meet a growing range of student needs, this dialogue sets a strong foundation for working together to create inclusive, responsive and sustainable learning environments. People, place & the planet.

Curriculum, pedagogy and the impact of GenAI: Several Faculties noted the need to adapt curriculum and teaching methods in response to shifting student needs and technological advancements, particularly GenAI. Faculty discussed how GenAI presents both challenges and opportunities, from integrating new tools like ChatGPT into teaching and assessment to addressing academic integrity concerns. There was a strong focus on diversifying program delivery, enhancing digital literacy and using GenAI to support recruitment and career readiness. At the same time, there was an emphasis on evolving pedagogy to meet diverse learning needs and ensuring that our curriculum prepares students for the future. These discussions reflect a broader culture of transformation, as UVic looks to align its teaching strategies, student supports and technological integration in ways that foster student success in rapidly changing academic and professional workplace environments. Culture of change & transformation.

Resources, budget and support: Conversations about budgets and resources reflected a shared interest in ensuring alignment of future investments with UVic’s academic priorities and long-term goals. While past budget constraints were acknowledged, these discussions opened the door to reimagining how UVic can support faculty, students and research in meaningful ways. There was a strong interest in finding creative solutions, from streamlining administrative processes to exploring new funding. Culture of change & transformation.

Research, scholarly activity and collaboration: There was strong enthusiasm for creating an environment where scholarly activity thrives, with an emphasis on supporting junior faculty and enhancing opportunities for collaboration across faculties. Discussions highlighted the role of libraries in advancing digital literacy, contributing to a research-intensive culture, and supporting new research publishing models. While funding challenges were acknowledged, conversations also focused on timely opportunities to streamline processes and build shared infrastructure. There is a shared vision for research excellence, as outlined in Aspiration 2030, and to cultivate a culture that supports faculty research, undergraduate research, graduate research, and community-engaged scholarship. Partnering for a shared future.

Next steps

 The VPAC Office will update the Academic Action Plan in 2025 to reflect some of the goals and strategic initiatives that were discussed along with actionable steps to advance these priorities.

A note of appreciation

Thank you to academic leaders and faculties for participating in the Listening Tour. Your feedback is essential both for refining and advancing the university’s academic and research mission.