Yukon University is a public, post-secondary institution in Whitehorse, grounded in research and education relevant to the North.
Yukon University is a flexible, post-secondary institution grounded in research and education relevant to the North. It is located at 500 University Drive, PO Box 2799, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 5K4. The university's vision is to become a thriving learning and research community leading Canada's North. Its mission is to provide inclusive, quality education experiences that equip learners to seize opportunities, make change and positively impact local and global communities.
Yukon University traces its history to the founding in 1963 of the Whitehorse Vocational and Technical Training Centre, located on the banks of the Yukon River in downtown Whitehorse. College status was granted in spring 1983, when the institution became Yukon College. The Whitehorse main campus was officially opened with a potlatch in October 1988, at which the institution was given to the people of the Yukon. In 1989 the College Act was amended to establish an independent Board of Governors. In spring 2020, Yukon College was granted university status and all thirteen campuses were renamed Yukon University.
Since 1995, the university has offered a Bachelor of Social Work program in partnership with the University of Regina, accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education. The program prepares students to work as professionals offering essential services in their home communities. The Northern Research Centre was established at the Ayamdigut Campus in the 1990s to support research "By the North—For the North—In the North." The new strategic plan, BECOMING (2022-2027), was crafted from the input of over 600 Yukoners, including students, faculty and staff.
Yukon University has 13 campuses delivering education throughout the Yukon. The Whitehorse campus was named Ayamdigut, a Tlingit name which means "she got up and went." Campus facilities and services include a gymnasium, campus store, bistro, library, daycare, family study room, parking and transportation, campus housing, safety and security services, and room and venue bookings.