Governance & administration
The 探花系列 operates under the authority of the University Act. We are governed by a Board of Governors and a Senate.
Executive
The role of our executive, headed by the President, is to lead and manage the affairs of the university. We operate in accordance with the University Act and the policies established by the university.
Qwul’sih’yah’maht, Robina Thomas
Office of the President
pres@uvic.ca
250-721-7002
Qwul’sih’yah’maht, Robina Thomas is the acting president and vice-chancellor of the 探花系列. Her three-month term began Aug. 2, 2025.
Searches are currently being planned or are underway for a longer-term acting president and as well as the next President and Vice-Chancellor of UVic.
Responsibilities
As the Chief Executive Officer of the university, the President provides overall leadership to the university. It is the President's responsibility to fulfill the vision and goals of the university.
The President directs the operation of the university. This includes its academic work, business affairs, alumni relations, government relations and engagement with the broader community.
Lalita Kines
Interim Vice-President Indigenous
vpi@uvic.ca
250-472-5510
Lalita Kines is the Interim Vice-President Indigenous (VPI). The VPI reports to the president and provides leadership and direction that furthers UVic's commitment to truth, respect and reconciliation as identified in UVic's Strategic Plan and our Indigenous Plan.
Elizabeth Croft, PhD
Office of the Vice-President Academic and Provost
provost@uvic.ca
250-721-7626
Responsibilities
The Vice-President Academic and Provost (VPAC) leads the academic mission of the university, including teaching, learning and related supports and services. The academic portfolio is the largest portfolio, comprised of 22,000 undergraduate and students, 900 faculty and librarians, thousands of professional staff, and hundreds of non-degree-seeking students.
VPAC is committed to:
- advancing research-inspired teaching and learning
- overseeing high-quality academic programs enriched with experiential learning
- ensuring student success and support
- recruiting, retaining and developing outstanding faculty, librarians and academic leaders
- championing equity and diversity excellence
The heads of academic units report to and through the Provost, including Deans and University Librarian. The Deputy Provost and three associate vice-presidents also report to the Provost. Download the VPAC org chart.
Lisa Kalynchuk, PhD
Office of the Vice-President Research and Innovation
vpr@uvic.ca
250-721-7973
Responsibilities
The Vice-President Research and Innovation (VPRI) promotes and facilitates research and creative activities at UVic. The VPRI:
- develops and implements strategic plans to support a rich research environment
- creates and oversees research policies and procedures that meet the highest ethical and regulatory standards
- works with potential research funders to enhance available resources
- promotes the mobilization of knowledge created through research for societal benefit
- seeks to enhance the reputation of the university through the excellence of the research conducted by its faculty and students
Through two associate vice-presidents and four directors, the VPR portfolio includes responsibility for eleven Senate and Board approved research centres and institutes, the Office of Research Services, Animal Care Services, and the Research Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization unit.
Kristi Simpson
Office of the Vice-President Finance and Operations
vpfo@uvic.ca
250-721-7018
Responsibilities
The Vice-President Finance and Operations (VPFO) is Chief Financial Officer at UVic.
The VPFO leads a large and varied portfolio that includes financial, human resources, computing and systems services, security and physical plant functions of the university.
Through department directors, the vice-president is responsible for:
- the overall quality of services
- meeting legal and reporting requirements within portfolio areas
- deploying resources
- planning improvements that enhance the university's ability to carry out its strategic plan
Chris Horbachewski
Office of the Vice-President External Relations
vper@uvic.ca
250-472-5474
Responsibilities
The external relations portfolio includes Alumni Relations, Public Affairs and University Relations, University Communications and Marketing, Ceremonies and Events, and Giving to UVic.
Carrie Andersen
Office of the University Secretary
usec@uvic.ca
250-721-8101
Responsibilities
The Office of the University Secretary supports UVic’s good governance through the administration of our governing bodies and respective committees, which includes the Board of Governors, Senate, and the Foundations. The Office is also responsible for the oversight of the Equity and Human Rights Office, and institutional policy development.
Board of Governors
In accordance with the University Act, the Board of Governors is responsible for the management, administration and control of the property, revenue, business and affairs of the university. This fifteen-member body consists of the chancellor, the president, two elected faculty members, one elected staff member, two students elected from the university’s undergraduate or graduate student societies, and eight members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
Current Board of Governors membersSenate
Under the University Act, the Senate is responsible for the academic governance of the university. This includes matters related to libraries, faculties, departments, courses of instruction, fellowships, scholarships, exhibitions, bursaries, prizes, admissions, student appeals and the granting of degrees (including honorary degrees, diplomas and certificates).
Current Senate membersUniversity Chancellor
As of January 1, 2022, renowned legal scholar and judge Marion Buller has been appointed chancellor of the 探花系列.
Chancellor Buller received her undergraduate degree in anthropology (’75) and her law degree (’87) from UVic. In 2012, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UVic Faculty of Social Sciences. In 1994, Ms. Buller became the initial First Nations woman to be appointed as a judge in British Columbia after working as a civil and criminal lawyer for six years. She was the chief commissioner for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls from 2016 to 2019.
She is a member of the Mistawasis Nêhiyawak, a Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan, but lives in the Lower Mainland, where she served as a provincial court judge. In 2006, she established and presided in the First Nations Courts—now known as Indigenous Courts—and provided the foundation for the Aboriginal Family Healing Court conferences, meant to incorporate traditional restorative justice principles into sentencing proceedings and child protection matters. She has served as both a director and president of the Indigenous Bar Association and has been a member of BC’s Law Courts Education Society, the province’s law foundation and the BC Police Commission. As well, she was commission counsel for the Cariboo-Chilcotin Justice Inquiry and published reports and articles dealing with Aboriginal rights and legal services for First Nations in BC In October 2021, Thompson Rivers University bestowed on Buller an honorary Doctor of Laws
More information about the Chancellor