University of Victoria

University of Victoria operates as a major public research university which serves the Greater Victoria area in British Columbia Canada. The university established its campus on the historical territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples and the Songhees and Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ nations. The campus which extends through two cities of Oak Bay and Saanich stands only a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean. The institution has achieved recognition as one of Canada's best comprehensive universities which promotes innovation and social justice and international participation.

Victoria College opened its doors to students in 1903 when it started operating as a partner college of McGill University and University of British Columbia. The institution operated as a prestigious teaching college for sixty years until it received permission from the provincial government to conduct degree programs according to its charter on July 1 1963. The University of Victoria started its journey as a new organization when it moved its operations to the present-day Gordon Head campus. The university has transformed from its early colonial beginnings into a contemporary research institution which excels in its Indigenous resurgence and climate action research.