A message from UVic’s Acting President & and Vice-President Academic
Dear colleagues,
Today, UVic is releasing the Substance Use Health Strategy: A whole-campus approach to safety and well-being — an important step in our ongoing efforts to respond to the toxic drug crisis and support our community.
Substance use is a reality in British Columbia, including on post-secondary campuses. Universities and colleges across BC have work to do, collectively, to help safeguard our communities against the toxic-drug crisis. This point was painfully demonstrated by the fatal overdose of a first-year UVic student in 2024. Since that tragic night, the university has taken significant steps to enhance harm reduction, overdose prevention and response measures for our campus.
Our new strategy takes a significant step in these efforts, recognizing that safety and well-being require an integrated, whole-campus approach. It lays out clear actions to reduce harm, promote well-being and build a campus culture of care around substance use.
The Substance Use Health Strategy was informed by the external review and Coroner’s inquest into the events surrounding the fatal overdose of a first-year UVic student; recommendations from the Students’ Assembly and engagement with students, staff and faculty, including those with lived and living experience; a scan of existing and emerging initiatives across campus; and sector knowledge, including provincial guidelines and our own researchers’ expertise in this area. More than 90 specific recommendations were thoughtfully considered, analyzed and embedded into this strategy, woven together into five key goals:
- Promote a culture of health, safety and well-being
- Prevent substance-related harms
- Improve access to mental-health and substance-use information and supports
- Strengthen awareness, education and response
- Foster collaboration, evaluation and continuous improvement.
We acknowledge the Province of British Columbia’s leadership and guidance in advancing substance-use health and safety across the post-secondary sector. We are grateful for their ongoing efforts to address the toxic-drug crisis and support institutions in building systems of care.
This strategy was realized through the efforts of countless individuals at UVic and through tireless advocacy by members of our community. In particular, we want to acknowledge the input and recommendations from the Special Advisor, Research Panel, Students’ Assembly, and the Campus Overdose Prevention and Response Committee.
We can all play a role in supporting substance-use health. Together –and guided by this strategy – we can support a caring, safer campus through harm reduction, education, resources and enhanced supports. Thank you for doing your part to support the implementation of this strategy over the coming months.
Yours sincerely,
Qwul’sih’yah’maht, Robina Thomas, Acting President & Vice-Chancellor
Elizabeth Croft, VP Academic & Provost
