Statement about encampment on the UVic campus
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Update on encampment demands
Dear students, staff and faculty,
We are a university community with widely diverse needs and viewpoints and how we respond to the encampment must represent this. We would like to provide a reflection to the university community on the demands before us and the dialogue that we are willing to participate in with students who are part of the encampment.
We do not have a prescribed pathway regarding the encampment. What guides us is our desire to come to a resolution that supports peaceful expression among our community and preserving our faculty's academic freedom. As I've shared repeatedly, we are committed to actively engage with concerned students regarding the encampment and to draw insights from the successes and failures of other institutions. We also need to learn from our own experiences here at UVic—both our successes and our failures.
On May 1 protestors from the encampment at the University of Victoria publicly shared a document, and provided a copy to the university directly via email, outlining five demands that they seek to have the university address.
As you can see, the demands are complex. We cannot simply agree to the list and immediately address the expectations of members of the encampment. In addition to this list of demands, our offices have received hundreds of emails with views varying from those supportive of the demands to those extremely opposed to the demands and their perceived implications to academic freedom and freedom of expression. We have also heard from those who feel unsafe on campus due to the presence of the encampment. To proceed we must all be willing to engage in thoughtful, reasoned and respectful discourse.
We will try to address the encampment's five demands below:
Divest
On May 10, we provided a public statement to build a shared understanding of UVic's investments and our approach to responsible investing which includes the calls for divestment.
We have invited students from the encampment to engage in further dialogue with us and to participate in the review of the university's policy on responsible investing (FM5215). This policy review is already underway and broad input is valuable to the process.
This dialogue and a robust and renewed policy will guide us both today and into the future. We hope that a student representative from the encampment will participate in these discussions and this policy review.
Boycott
The encampment demands include what has been called an "academic boycott" of all Israeli universities and students and academics. The university is unable to support this demand for two important reasons.
First, considering nationality in admissions and hiring decisions is unacceptable and against the university's values and policies, and may contravene BC's Human Rights code.
Second, while the university currently does not have any active exchange programs with Israeli institutions, individual academics do have partnerships and collaborations with academics in Israel. Scholarly connections like these are covered by the principles of academic freedom and Section 14 of the UVic Faculty Association collective agreement. The university will continue to respect the ability of individual faculty members to engage with academic partnerships, as protected by academic freedom.
Condemn
We echo our earlier comments and once again join the call from around the globe for a ceasefire and an end to the violence in the Middle East. The severity of this humanitarian crisis weighs heavily on all of us and is especially traumatic for those with ties to the region and survivors of armed conflict from other parts of the world.
The role of the university is to create and disseminate knowledge and engage in deep and constructive dialogue. Universities must be places where robust intellectual exploration and respectful dialogue can and should happen and we pledge to uphold this. We respect the diversity of opinion and viewpoint that exists within our community at UVic, and we have certainly experienced this diversity in the messages and comments sent to our various offices.
The university is a place for dissent and criticism. It should foster an environment where this dissent and criticism can occur by individual faculty members, staff and by students. If the university assumes it can speak for everyone on global conflicts or other topics beyond our operations, we undermine the right of our students, staff and faculty who hold different views to be welcomed in our community, to express themselves and to participate in debate. The university should not in any way hinder our scholars and students from their free inquiry or expression.
Since this current global crisis began in October and for the duration of the encampment, members of our community have called on us to address the crisis from a wide variety of often conflicting viewpoints. We continue to do our best to uphold our responsibility to enable constructive debate, to support individuals impacted by the crisis, and to work together to listen to and better understand diverse perspectives.
Affirm
Acts of violence and hate have no place in our shared pursuit of knowledge, understanding and peace. We share concerns for the future, knowledge and culture of the Palestinian people. As we shared earlier, UVic supports the ability of individual faculty to engage in academic partnerships and collaborations--this includes with Palestinian academics and Palestinian cultural institutions.
UVic is also a member of the Scholars at Risk program. In the past, we have welcomed scholars from regions experiencing conflict, and we welcome doing so with scholars from the Middle East as well.
Make campus safe
Creating an inclusive, welcoming environment at UVic is a shared responsibility among us all. Islamophobia, antisemitism and anti-Palestine hate are unacceptable on our campus. The University of Victoria is committed to cultivating a campus environment that is inclusive, equitable and supportive. We believe that education, work and learning cultures that value diversity and inclusion, and foster respect are key to the prevention of discrimination and harassment and are the fundamental underpinnings of a fair and equitable planet.
The university is continually reviewing its policies and procedures to ensure they are robust, align with human rights codes and legislation, and support a respectful, compassionate and inclusive campus environment for all. Policies are considered living documents that need to respond to recurrent challenges on campus. The policies and procedures related to campus security currently under review include: Response to At-Risk Behaviour (SS9125), Discrimination and Harassment (GV0205), Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response (GV0245), and the Campus Security Standard Operating Procedures.
The university has maintained a calm and measured approach to the encampment, and we have been consistent in signalling our intention to continue to do so while it remains peaceful and safe.
While some may not like the presence of security, emergency services and police on campus, many in our community welcome and need their support. We appreciate their efforts to keep our community safe and supported. The university will continue to do what is necessary to provide a safe and secure campus.
To be clear, the university does not have a campus police force. There are limits to what Campus Security can do and we rely on support from our policing partners when appropriate and necessary for the safety and security of the university community.
We have seen examples within the last couple of weeks where the university, including members of the encampment, required support from Campus Security and police partners. We are grateful to members of Campus Security and to Saanich Police for their quick and professional responses.
Campus Security has worked throughout the year with event organizers and campus partners to develop safety plans for events, demonstrations and individuals. They are eager to learn more about meaningful shifts in policies and processes that would better support the safety of the UVic community as it engages in these challenging conversations.
The evolving situation and our responses to it are set to leave a lasting impact on our university and our community. We commit to continuing to try to find a balance between allowing for peaceful, lawful and safe protest and ensuring all members of our campus community feel safe and supported.
We understand that this is a fraught topic and challenging for everyone involved. We appreciate the effort many are making to respond with empathy and patience. Even when we disagree, it's important to remember that we are all doing our best during very difficult times.
Sincerely,
Kevin Hall, President and Vice-Chancellor
Elizabeth Croft, Vice-President Academic and Provost
Kristi Simpson, Vice-President Finance and Operations
Concerns & frequently asked questions (FAQs)
We've heard many questions and concerns from our community since the encampment was established on May 1. We have developed a series of FAQs and will continue to add to these as necessary.
Please reach out to encampment@uvic.ca for:
- questions or concerns about how this encampment might impact you
- additional questions not listed in the FAQs
Supports for all
- If you feel you have experienced personal harassment or discrimination, please contact the Equity and Human Rights office.
- Campus Security: uvic.ca/security or 250-721-7599
- The Multifaith Centre is a space on campus open and available to all students, staff and faculty. Our team includes Anglican, Bahà'í, Baptist, Buddhist, Catholic, Christian Science, Jewish, Lutheran, Muslim, Presbyterian, Unitarian and United representatives.
Students
Download a list of student resources and supports
- SupportConnect is a confidential mental health support service available free of cost to UVic students. Through this resource, you can be connected with qualified counsellors, consultants and life coaches anytime, anywhere.
- Toll-free (calls from North America): 1-844-773-1427
- International collect calls: 1-250-999-7621
- Student Wellness Centre offers holistic wellness support for UVic students, including mental health and spiritual care
- Students can connect one-on-one with a spiritual care provider. Please call us at 250-721-8338 or email us to book an appointment.
- Find information on seeking an academic concession or speak with your instructor.
Staff & faculty
- UVic’s Employee and Family Assistance Program offers confidential counselling and referral services.
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Keywords: administrative, student life, community
