General University Policies

Students should check the Calendar entries of individual faculties for any additional or more specific policies.

Policy on Inclusivity and Diversity

The University of Victoria is committed to promoting, providing and protecting a positive, supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.

Accommodation of Religious Observance

The University recognizes its obligation to make reasonable accommodation for students whose observance of holy days might conflict with the academic requirements of a course or program.

Students are permitted to absent themselves from classes, seminars or workshops for the purposes of religious or spiritual observance.

In the case of compulsory classes or course events, students will normally be required to provide reasonable notice to their instructors of their intended absence from the class or event for reasons of religious or spiritual observance. In consultation with the student, the instructor will determine an appropriate means of accommodation. The instructor may choose to reschedule classes or provide individual assistance.

Where a student’s participation in a class event is subject to grading, every reasonable effort will be made to allow the student to make up for the missed class through alternative assignments or in subsequent classes. Students who require a rescheduled examination must give reasonable notice to their instructors. If a final exam cannot be rescheduled within the regular exam period, students may contact Undergraduate Records to apply for a Request for Academic Concession.

To avoid scheduling conflicts, instructors are encouraged to consider the timing of holy days when scheduling class events.

A list of days of religious observances is available at the following website: <web.uvic.ca/eqhr>.

Discrimination and Harassment Policy

The University of Victoria is committed to providing an environment that affirms and promotes the dignity of human beings of diverse backgrounds and needs. The Policy prohibits discrimination and harassment and affirms that all members of the University community—its students, faculty, staff, and visitors—have the right to participate equally in activities at the University without fear of discrimination or harassment. Members of the University community are expected to uphold the integrity of the Policy and to invoke its provisions in a responsible manner. All persons within the University who are affected by the Policy, particularly the parties to a complaint, are expected to preserve the degree of confidentiality necessary to ensure the integrity of the Policy, the process described in the Policy, and collegial relations among members of the University community. The Policy is to be interpreted in a way that is consistent with these goals, with the principles of fairness, and with the responsible exercise of academic freedom.

The Policy addresses discrimination, including adverse effect discrimination, and harassment, including sexual harassment, on grounds protected by the British Columbia Human Rights Code. Prohibited grounds for discrimination are race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex (including gender identity), sexual orientation, age, or conviction of a criminal offence when unrelated to employment. It also addresses personal harassment, sometimes called worksite harassment.

The Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures are administered by the Equity and Human Rights Office. Persons who experience or know of harassment or discrimination may contact the Office by phoning 250-721-8786 for confidential advice and information. Definitions are included in the Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures (Policy GV0205) which can be found on the office website, <www.uvic.ca/eqhr>.

Creating a Respectful and Productive Learning Environment

The University of Victoria is committed to promoting critical academic discourse while providing a respectful and productive learning environment. All members of the university community have the right to experience and the responsibility to help create such an environment. In any course, the instructor has the primary responsibility for creating a respectful and productive learning environment in a manner consistent with other university policies and regulations. Instructors or students who have unresolved questions or concerns about a particular learning environment should bring them to the Chair or Director of the unit concerned (or Dean, in the case of undepartmentalized faculties).

For more information on creating a respectful and productive learning environment or to share ideas, please visit <www.ltc.uvic.ca/initiatives/respect.php>.

Student Discipline

A student may be reported to the President for disciplinary action and may be suspended, subject to appeal to the Senate, for misconduct, including such matters as a breach of University regulations or policy (for example, Harassment Policy and Procedures, Violence and Threatening Behaviour Policy, Computing and Telecommunications User Responsibilities Policy), a breach of a provision in the University Calendar, or a violation of provincial law or a law of Canada. In particular, a student may be reported for unlawfully entering a building or restricted space on University property, providing false information on an application for admission or other University document, or participating in hazing, which is prohibited by University regulation.