Standing together against racism
June 2, 2020
I know many of you are experiencing feelings of anger, fear and an overall sense of heaviness over the recent rise in anti-Black racism that led to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am feeling all of these things too and wanted to take a moment to recognize and acknowledge how deeply troubling and upsetting recent world events have... Read more
UPDATE: COVID-19, MAY 13
May 13, 2020
As you know, VIU, along with many other universities, announced on Monday that our fall semester will be a hybrid program model of education delivery, with most courses being offered in an online format. This decision was not made lightly and was taken in order to support the safety and well-being of our community and ensure VIU is following the guidelines of the BC Public Health Office... Read more
Student update on our fall semester
May 11, 2020
Dear VIU Students,I know the past month and a half has been filled with lots of change and uncertainty and I wanted to thank you for your patience, flexibility and resilience as we worked to respond to the many impacts of COVID-19. As the pandemic continues to affect countries around the world, I know many of you have questions about what will be happening at VIU as we move forward,... Read more
UPDATE: COVID-19, MAY 6
May 6, 2020
We thought we’d start by sharing a video message of encouragement and support for our students from, appropriately, our Associate Vice-President of Student Affairs, Irlanda Price. As she says in this video, we wanted to let our students know how proud we are of your resilience, patience and strength and to remind you that we are still here for you - student services like advising and... Read more
UPDATE: COVID-19, April 29
April 29, 2020
We wanted to take a moment to thank all frontline VIU employees who are working hard to keep our students and each other safe and supported. In recognition of health-care and essential service workers across Canada, VIU’s Office of Co-Curricular Engagement and Learning is organizing a Moment of Gratitude on Thursday, April 30 to express our support. Sign on to the Zoom chat at 6:45 pm... Read more
Federal Government support for students and new grads affected by COVID-19
April 22, 2020
To address the shortage of summer jobs that students and recent graduates are encountering across the country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a range of new supports on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, including the Canada Emergency Student Benefit; additional summer job opportunities; incentives for those who wish to volunteer; extended scholarships, fellowships and grants; and targeted... Read more
UPDATE: COVID-19, APRIL 21
April 21, 2020
As many of our students and faculty enter the last week of exams and assessments, we just want to send words of encouragement and let you know we are thinking of you as we know how stressful this time can be. In light of that, please see our NEW ITEMS section today - there are lots of supports listed, from new counselling services to fun online activities you can engage in to... Read more
Free counselling service launches for post-secondary students
April 17, 2020
The government of British Columbia has launched Here2Talk, a new mental health counselling and referring service for post-secondary students.The service offers confidential, free single-session services by app, phone or online chat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.“Until now, post-secondary students have never had access to 24/7 provincewide mental health support services,” said Melanie... Read more
President's Awards for Service Excellence Open for Nominations
April 16, 2020
The announcement below went out on Wednesday, April 15, announcing the new set of awards for VIU employees. Please consider nominating a worthy colleague or team of colleagues. Dear VIU employees,I am happy to share with you some great news, and to confirm commitment to our People Plan, by announcing new Presidential awards - the President’s Awards for Service Excellence. These awards... Read more
The President's Awards for Community Engagement and the Provost's Awards for Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity Open for Nominations
April 16, 2020
In 2018, Vancouver Island University established awards to celebrate excellence in community engagement and scholarship, research and creative activity to complement the existing awards for excellence in teaching design and practice. These awards align with the institution's core values of discovery, engagement, achievement and celebration as identified in the Academic Plan: Promoting... Read more