Monday February 10, 2025 | LANGFORD, BC [Posted at 4:30 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Parents of high school students are invited to attend a Royal Roads University undergrad program Parent Info webinar on Tuesday February 11 (6 pm to 7 pm).
- PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT – webinar: Tues Feb 11, 2025 at 6 pm (to 7 pm) – Register for online webinar/recording
- STUDENT OPEN HOUSE: March 1, 2025 – in person, at Dogwood Auditorium (Colwood campus), 2005 Sooke Road. 9 am to 2 pm (includes breakout sessions, alumni panel and campus tours).
Announcement today by RRU President Steenkamp:
Today on this cold bright February morning President Steenkamp addressed media to show off Langford campus construction progress and to highlight the unique components of the undergrad offering.
Three new full-time programs:
Three new full-time on-campus programs (based on programs historically offered at the main Royal Roads campus) will start in September 2025 and registration is now open for:
- Undergrad certificate in Applied Environmental Sciences
- Undergrad certificate in Business & Sustainability
- Undergrad certificate in Social Sciences
That’s for Years 1 and 2. Then students can ladder into the existing seven other graduate programs at the Colwood campus.
See more about the new programs that offer career-ready skills in 1-Year Certificate, 2-Year Diploma, or 3/4-Year Bachelor’s degree.
Flexibility within the job market:
“You’ll end your degree with three credentials instead of one,” says Royal Roads University President Dr Philip Steenkamp today during a media availability across the street from the new Langford campus.
Even the first or second year credential that will be helpful for getting a job or other career opportunities, said Steenkamp.
Then students can return in future years to complete their studies, he explained.
“This is a much more contemporary way of offering education,” says Steenkamp, noting that people are “moving in and out of post-secondary in a way that they didn’t previously”, he told media today.
Over time RRU will look at additional options possibly including part-time.
Most classes at the Langford campus:
The majority of classes will be at the Langford campus.
Students who take the Applied Environmental Sciences certificate studies will also spend some time in the labs at the Colwood campus.
Entrance Award as financial assistance:
The first 100 undergrad applicants will each be eligible for a $1,000 Entrance Award, on a first-come, first-served basis. That totals to $100,000 and will come from within the Royal Roads University budget.
Application fees will also be waived for the September 2025 start, says Steenkamp. It’s part of marking the milestone of the “hugely exciting development” of both a new physical campus and a new style of university programming.
“This is the first time that west shore students will have access to all four years of undergraduate education on the west shore,” says Steenkamp. This model of education comes after many years of deliberation, exploration and planning with local and provincial government, the SD62 school district, and other post-secondary institutions.
There is a key component of helping more local students stay local for their education after high school, in a way that helps with reducing costs (i.e. not having to travel or pay for residence fees at campuses outside the region).
“Many families are facing issues around affordability and the cost of living crisis and rapid inflation over the last few years as well,” says Steenkamp.
Enrollment push for September 2025:
Also, this enrollment push in February for a September 2025 start comes at a time when many students may have already chosen and been approved for other universities in BC or across the country.
Giving back to community:
“This is our way of giving back to the community as well, saying Royal Roads is here for you,” said Steenkamp about the new campus.
New campus construction:
Royal Roads University President Dr Philip Steenkamp is very pleased with the physical campus development and the new programs that have been developed over several years.
There were some delays related to the mass timber supplier going bankrupt but things got back on track, said Steenkamp today; mass timber is a key feature of the building design and structure. He says the construction project saw some budget pressures but has been “managed very tightly” despite supply chain delays and inflation.
“When we announced (the RRU Langford campus) it was the biggest development in Langford’s history,” said Steenkamp.
The RRU Langford campus groundbreaking announcement in August 2022 was a big day in Langford, attended by then Premier John Horgan and then Langford Mayor Stew Young. The campus was first set to open in September 2024 but met with construction delays. The concrete foundation was poured in February 2024.
The occupancy permits are anticipated to come in May or June, the building “will probably be turned over to us in July”, and students will be in for September 2025, said Steenkamp today.
Post secondary campuses become anchors in their community as a component of city-building, explains Steenkamp.
The new RRU Langford campus is on Goldstream Avenue in the heart of downtown Langford near a range of shops and services and residential options. Eventually there will be over 2,000 people working at the new campus; more phases of campus development will follow the opening of Phase 1.
Royal Roads University has worked hard for years in collaboration with the local School District SD62, Camosun College, the University of Victoria and the Justice Institute of BC (JIBC) to develop their innovative phased undergrad programs.
Partnerships and funding:
Royal Roads, University of Victoria and Camosun College are the three official partners of the new campus.
Royal Roads University bought the Langford campus land (just over 4 acres in size) for just over $18 million, the BC Government contributed $80 million, the University of Victoria contributed $1 million, and Camosun College contributed $200,000.
Once the Langford campus is open, SD62 and JIBC will lease space as a way of making their contribution to the campus.
Other learning opportunities:
Some Royal Roads courses are offered entire online. The 3rd and 4th-year bachelor’s degree can be completed in 12 months (optionally). For adult learners there will be some micro-credential training opportunities.
West shore opportunity:
Students who graduate from high schools in the Greater Victoria area — particularly from the local west shore area near the Colwood and Langford campuses — will benefit by being able to still live at home and not have to pay for travel and residence or accommodation fees at long-distance campuses.
For many years, the City of Langford and the Sooke School District SD62 worked on this plan with RRU in order to facilitate a local post-secondary option for south Vancouver Island high school graduates.
The three current high schools in SD62 are Belmont Secondary School (Langford), Royal Bay Secondary (Colwood) and Edward Milne Community School (Sooke).
Langford’s population is currently about 55,000. As the city grows the next new high school that is under development on McCallum Road will be welcome (presently aiming for completion in 2032).
===== RELATED:
- Royal Roads grad student research focuses on west shore growth issues (November 23, 2024)
- First student open house at Camosun College since the pandemic (October 22, 2024)
- Royal Roads west shore campus aims for 2025 opening (May 13, 2024)
- BC pauses international student enrolment for 2 years (January 29, 2024)
- Royal Roads response to federal cap on International students (January 28, 2024)
- Dr Philip Steenkamp continues the journey at Royal Roads (July 20, 2023)
- Foundational day for Royal Roads West Shore campus (February 1, 2023)
- Post-secondary education expanding for students on the Westshore (August 3, 2022)
- NEWS SECTIONS: POST SECONDARY | SOOKE SCHOOL DISTRICT 62 (Schools in Langford, Colwood & Sooke) | EDUCATION