University Canada West celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, marking a significant journey from its modest beginnings in Victoria to its bustling campuses in downtown Vancouver. Over two decades, UCW has evolved into a premier institution for business and technology education.
UCW now offers MBA, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication and Associate of Arts degrees with more than 14,000 active students both on-campus and online.
UCW’s origins began with the BC provincial government modernizing the province’s post-education system. After permitting university colleges, colleges and institutes to grant associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in 1995, the BC government passed the Degree Authorization Act in 2002, allowing private universities to grant degrees.
That change got the attention of Dr. David Strong, who had been president of the University of Victoria. Dr. Strong realized that many potential students weren’t necessarily getting the opportunity to pursue a university education.
“Most universities across Canada post 65% as the high-school average required for entry, but use much higher cut-off grades as an enrolment management tool,” Dr. Strong wrote at the time. “Prompted by a belief that excellent marks in high school do not guarantee success in post-secondary education, UCW will accept registrations from motivated high school graduates with a 65% or higher graduating average.”
He also saw an opportunity for a university that offered greater flexibility in how students received their education. By using a quarter-term system, students could complete their undergraduate degree in three years, while the MBA program was designed to include both in-person and online learning and be flexible enough for students to continue working while completing their studies.
Dr. Strong brought together a group of private investors and University Canada West was born. UCW was “established under the written consent of the BC Minister of Advanced Education effective August 9, 2004, having undergone a rigorous quality assessment process and been found to meet the criteria established by the minister.”
“This is a new kind of university,” said Dr. Strong. “This puts us in a unique position in the province to deliver post-secondary education in new and innovative ways.”
With approval in place, Dr. Strong needed a team and a campus. In December 2004, UCW signed a lease agreement to take over the former Blanshard School site in Victoria.
UCW opened its doors to its first 19 students on September 26, 2005. The first degree offered was a Bachelor of Commerce in Management Technology. A few weeks later, UCW’s MBA program, which has remained a mainstay, started with 15 students.
The first graduating class of five had their convocation in 2006.
“It was fantastic. In the first class we had five students at the MBA level. They were all mature students, face-to-face. It was more of a classroom school environment rather than a university, but they didn’t mind,” recalled Dr. Milan Frankl, who was among the original professors.
There were growing pains. Plans to expand to Comox fell through and buying an arts school in an attempt to broaden UCW’s offerings didn’t work out.
Other ideas did work. In an effort to attract international students, UCW bought the Victoria-based ESL school Canadian College of Business and Language to form the UCW Language Academy. The first students for the academy came from the Faculty of Business at Meiji University in Tokyo, Japan, who took a four-week course in 2006.
While the experience of having smaller class sizes, quality instructors, experiential learning and learning flexibility pointed a way forward to success, mounting debts put pressure on the original owners. UCW was sold in 2008 to Eminata, which closed the Victoria campus in 2011, announcing “it is evident that the greatest potential for UCW’s growth is on-ground in the greater Vancouver area and online.”
UCW had expanded to Vancouver, opening its first campus in 2008, taking over two floors of 1111 Melville St.
In 2012, respected educator and former Kwantlen Polytechnic University president Dr. Skip Triplett became UCW’s first elected Chair of the Board of Governors. The University developed into its current form, keeping the MBA program and focusing its undergraduate degrees on Bachelor of Commerce and the precursor to Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication.
“Dr. Triplett’s unwavering commitment to excellence laid a strong foundation for UCW’s growth and success,” said Cyndi McLeod, who is the current Chair of the Board of Governors at University Canada West.
While UCW’s fortunes were heading in the right direction, it was still a small institution. For example, in 2013, UCW held its first-ever summer convocation and eighth overall, at the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver, with 55 of 80 graduating students attending.
In 2014, UCW was purchased by Global University Systems and began a new phase, with a greater focus on its core strengths that propelled UCW’s growth and reputation.
“The acquisition of UCW by Global University Systems in 2014 marked a pivotal moment in our history, providing invaluable resources and support that have propelled UCW to new heights,” said McLeod. “Today, we take pride in the significant strides we have made, not only in British Columbia but across Canada and beyond.”
UCW blossomed into a destination for domestic and international students. The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) accredited UCW’s MBA and Bachelor of Commerce Programs in 2017.
“This accreditation is evidence that University Canada West is committed to providing the highest quality business education for their students.” said ACBSP Chief Accreditation Officer Dr. Steve Parscale.
The following year, the University greatly expanded its services to better serve its students, including adding an Associate of Arts degree in 2018.
The university continued to grow. Convocation ceremonies went from dozens to hundreds to the thousands of today. In 2020, UCW’s state-of-the-art Vancouver House Campus opened and UCW’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) programs received NCMA National Accreditation from CIM | Chartered Managers Canada.
In 2021, UCW became the third university in Canada, and the first in British Columbia, to receive a 5 Star rating from QS Stars higher education rating system.
UCW’s reputation continues to grow and its students are excelling. The University won both the BC MBA Games and national MBA Games in only its second appearance at either games and won the right to host both events. UCW became the first institution to hold both titles at the same time.
Soon, UCW will move into nearly 89,000 square feet of space in the brand-new Microsoft Building on West Pender, replacing the current campus in the historic London Building on the same street in downtown Vancouver.
As UCW turns 20, its journey from Victoria to Vancouver underscores a remarkable evolution into a thriving hub for domestic and international students. UCW’s trajectory reflects resilience, innovation and a steadfast commitment to providing accessible, quality higher education.
“At the heart of UCW’s success lies its dedicated faculty and staff, whose unwavering passion for teaching and mentorship has empowered students to reach their fullest potential,” says Dr. Bashir Makhoul, UCW’s President and Vice-Chancellor. “Through personalized guidance and hands-on learning experiences, UCW equips graduates with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.”
