VIU summer services and fun
Whether you’re looking for extra supports or summer fun, this edition of MyVIU student newsletter has got both! This will be the last edition of the newsletter until just before school startup this fall.
Need to know
National Indigenous Peoples Day at VIU
In honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, join the Office of Indigenous Education and Engagement on Monday, June 23 to learn how to make bannock and participate in conversations on topics such as Indigenous Knowledges and History. RSVP is appreciated.
Location: Shq’apthut (Building 170)
Time: Bannock making at 11 am, or join anytime from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm for yummy food and good conversation.
Money available for work experiences 💰
Are you in a trades or undergraduate program that requires you to complete a work experience course? Is that work experience unpaid? If you answered yes to both questions, you may be able to receive a CEWIL iHub Project grant of up to $1,825. Log in to the Experience Hub today, navigate to the Experiential Learning module and apply to one of the open CEWIL iHub Projects to find out if a cheque is waiting for you. There are a limited number of bursaries available so don’t delay!
VIU Shuttle Showdown
Join us for a fun and friendly half-day, all-levels badminton tournament on Friday, June 27 in the VIU gym! This event will offer employees and students a chance to get active and connected in a spirited and light-hearted atmosphere. The rules are simple: create a team of 2 to 4 players, come up with a fun team name, and bring your game faces! Don't worry if you are new to badminton. We would love folks at all levels to join in on the fun. Fill out the tourney sign up form by June 25, tournament starts at 1 pm and will run until 4:30 pm. All equipment provided.
Student shoutout
In this edition, we celebrate a strong Indigenous woman in leadership - Leah Vaisanen!
Many across campus know her from to the leadership roles she took on over the years, including as Indigenous Students' Representative with the VIU Students' Union and founder of the No Hunger at VIU initiative. In November she started Policy Lead-MMIWG2+ with the Native Women’s Association of Canada - before she even graduated from her program! Read more about Leah.
Connect
Come work out with us 💪
The weight room and exercise facilities at the VIU gym (Building 190) are open from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 7:30 pm, throughout the summer. First-time visitors to the gym can register for weight room access at the gym’s front desk. For information on open gym floor hours, check the VIU gym’s Instagram account.
Be the face of your faculty for RockVIU’s Block Party 2025! 🥳
RockVIU 2025 is just around the corner and we’re looking for students (second year or above) to plan and host your faculty’s Block Party Social, an exciting, interactive event where new students meet their profs, connect with peers and discover what their faculty has to offer. It’s a fun way to build leadership skills, show off your creativity, make new connections and help new students feel welcomed. The position is CCR-approved, and training and support will be provided. So, all you need to bring is your enthusiasm and fresh ideas. You’ll also get a chance to compete for awards and faculty bragging rights.
- Date and time: Thursday, August 28, 2025 | 10 am to 12 pm | Nanaimo campus
- Apply by Thursday, July 10
Rockies summer trip
June 27 through to June 30: journey from Vancouver to Valemount, Golden and Banff to take in incredible sightseeing, road trip through the mountains, explore local eats, visit world-renowned turquoise lakes and enjoy some free time to go shopping and immerse yourself in the iconic Rockies towns. Cost is $648.59 (incl. taxes). See the full itinerary here. To book with the correct pricing, call the Discover team at 604-689-8128 and mention you are a VIU employee or student.
Applications open: Unique research course 📖
Calling all VIU students! Want to gain real-world research experiences to add to your resume and get class credits at the same time? Applications are now open for the Community-Based Applied Interdisciplinary Research course. This course pairs students from different faculties to work on a project with community partners. Learn more about CBAIR.
Call for RockVIU volunteers 🙌
Want to make a lasting impact at VIU? Sign up to volunteer as a RockVIU leader and help welcome new students to campus! RockVIU 2025 is looking for a fun, diverse and dedicated team of volunteers to bring a variety of abilities, personalities, backgrounds and expertise between August 25 to August 29. Don't miss this great opportunity to get involved! Sign up to volunteer. For more questions, email tejas.sawant@viu.ca.
Indigenous History Month resources
June marks National Indigenous History Month across Canada, a time to reflect, learn and honour the diverse cultures, histories and knowledge of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. At Vancouver Island University, we acknowledge the responsibility that comes with being situated on the traditional lands of the Snuneymuxw, Quw’utsun, Tla’amin, Snaw-naw-as, and Qualicum First Nations. This week's reading list to get you thinking about Indigenous History and Peoples, brought to you by the Office of Indigenous Education and Engagement, includes books authored by VIU Elders-in-Residence (current and former) as well as a book by Lee Maracle that challenges our thinking and is also accessible:
- Legends and Teachings of Xeel's, The Creator – Ellen White
- Conversations with Canadians – Lee Maracle
- Snuneymuxw History Written in Places and Spaces: Ancestors' Voices—An Echo in Time – Geraldine Manson
- Written as I Remember It – Elsie Paul, with Paige Raibmon and Harmony Jones
Gender and sexuality sections on the VIU Editorial Style Guide
VIU’s Strategic Communications team recently added a new section to the VIU Editorial Style Guide on gender and sexuality. Thank you to Communications Officer Rachel Stern and the Positive Space Alliance, especially the sub-committee members who worked on this important project: Natalie Stewart, Elizabeth Brimacombe and Anisha Das (now a VIU alum). This section includes a lot of helpful guidance on terminology. Language matters! Read the style guide.
Supports and services
Summer research help at the library
If you’re lucky enough to do summer courses or are working on research projects, the library has research help available! If you’re looking for some fun, check out our displays for Summer Fun and Pride Month at the Nanaimo campus or online. Did you know we have board games, comics, graphic novels, movie databases and projectors for movie streaming? We have a lot to keep you busy and having fun this summer!
Advising Centre is open all summer
Advisors encourage you to connect early and often. Advisors are available on campus, online or over the phone all summer. If you have not had a chance to meet to discuss your upcoming course selection or anything related to starting the semester off right, then read all the ways to meet with an advisor.
Email safety tips
Email is one of the common methods online scammers use to target you – don't fall for it! VIU’s Information Security team shares some tips:
- Look for the “external email” banner when using your VIU email. It means you should exercise extra caution before clicking on any links.
- Don’t buy in to the urgency. If the sender is in a desperate rush for whatever they are asking you to do, that’s a good sign they don’t want you to have time to think.
- Double check the email address. Scammers often try to make it look like it’s from VIU, or a reputable organization, even when it isn’t. For example, person-viu@gmail.com.
- Confirm the sender and the request through other methods of communication. Scammers will say no to phone calls, Teams calls, video call or in-person conversations.
- Don’t buy gift cards. VIU employees will NOT ask you to purchase gift cards over email.
- When in doubt, play it safe. Think twice before sharing personal information or credit card details, giving financial information, changing your password, etc.
2025-26 student loan applications
Student loan applications are now open for the 2025-26 academic year for both full-time and part-time students. Questions? Email FinancialAidInfo@viu.ca or go visit the team in Building 255! Important note from Financial Aid: please submit your Program Information Form (PIF) only once and only to Financial Aid. If we have multiple requests from the same student, it slows our process down considerably.
Wavemakers
Wherever you are this summer – at home, at the cottage or on the move – Wavemakers fits right in. This isn’t another boring course. It’s a free, online experience built for students who are looking to gain real-world skills, connect with industry mentors and grow career potential.
Applications are now open for June and July cohorts!
Learn more about food systems
Interested in volunteering with food systems in your community? Join Rise Up! Strengthening Food Systems and Environmental Stewardship, a BC-wide program connecting youth with hands-on volunteer opportunities in food systems and environmental initiatives. Apply by June 20. Questions? Email Ben Ziakin at island.riseup@phabc.org. More info.
Check out the library’s summer fun guide 📚
If you’re taking summer courses, remember library research help is available. Looking to relax a bit? Check out our summer fun online guide for movies, games, books and other fun things in our collection. Have little ones that you want to keep busy while you study? Check out our family room at the Nanaimo campus library! If there’s anything else you need, just ask!
IT Helpdesk news: Windows 11 is here! 🖥️
We have started to move our student labs and workstations over to Windows 11. It changes how you log in and a few other things. Check out our Knowledge Base article for more details.
Food Services and Campus Store hours 🥪
- Main cafeteria (Building 300) is open 8 am to 2 pm until August 22. The cafeteria will be closed June 9 and 10 for convocation.
- Campus Store Nanaimo: open 10 am to 3 pm until August 15.