News Stories
Giving Tuesday at VIU Raises Funds for Students in Need
November 4, 2021
VIU’s eighth annual Giving Tuesday campaign runs from November 15 to November 30, 2021. Vancouver Island University (VIU) welcomes learners of all different ages and backgrounds. Sometimes learners need a little extra help to make their educational goals a reality, which is why the University has run a Giving Tuesday campaign for the past eight years. Giving Tuesday is a global movement to give... Read more
VIU and Island School Districts Partner to Promote Education Savings Grants
June 14, 2021
Families are being encouraged to open a no-fee, no contribution required Registered Education Savings Plan to access federal and provincial grants. Vancouver Island, BC: Every year, Vancouver Island students miss out on millions of dollars in education savings grants from the provincial government because families don’t sign up to receive them. That’s why Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s)... Read more
VIU’s Milner Gardens Marks 20 Years as a Public Garden
May 13, 2021
Donated to VIU 25 years ago, the property is home to a range of educational activities, community events and research projects. From programs that connect children to nature, to the magic of Christmas in the garden, to studying the effects of climate change on local plants, Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Milner Gardens & Woodland has been inspiring, delighting and educating students... Read more
VIU Alum Makes an Impact Through Endowment Awards
March 8, 2021
Thanks to generous support from community, three annual awards will be given out to VIU students in the name of Micah Messent, who passed away in a plane crash in March 2019. Every year, three Indigenous students will have their financial burdens eased a little in the name of Micah Messent, a Vancouver Island University (VIU) graduate who lost his life in a tragic crash two years ago. Messent,... Read more
VIU Focuses Fundraising Campaign on Helping Students Impacted by Pandemic
November 13, 2020
The University’s seventh annual Giving Tuesday campaign, which runs from November 16 to December 1, will target supports for students impacted financially and mentally by COVID-19. Vancouver Island University (VIU) students, employees and community friends are teaming up to support our most vulnerable students on Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday is a global movement for giving that falls on the... Read more
VIU Exceeds Fundraising Goal for Imagine VIU Campaign
September 23, 2020
The campaign raised $7.3 million to complete three new buildings on campus, create new scholarships, awards and bursaries, and acquire cutting-edge equipment. From new equipment to learn on, to increased research opportunities, to dozens of new student scholarships, awards and bursaries – the impact of the Imagine VIU campaign has expanded beyond its initial goal of equipping and completing three... Read more
VIU Alumni Adapt to New Realities of COVID-19 Pandemic
May 1, 2020
During #GivingTuesdayNow on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, VIU is highlighting stories of alumni who are making a difference and supporting communities in a time of crisis. March 2020 will go down in history as the month many of us had our lives drastically altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from the swift shuttering of many businesses, to a mass transition to working and learning from home, to... Read more
New Student Awards Honour Legacy of VIU Alum Micah Messent
December 5, 2019
Two awards in memory of a VIU graduate who passed away in a plane crash in March 2019 will be given out to Indigenous students in need in 2020. Friends and family of Micah Messent remember the Vancouver Island University (VIU) graduate as a caring, community-oriented individual who focused on helping those around him. To honour this legacy of supporting and encouraging others, Messent’s family... Read more
Windsor Plywood Foundation Gift Transforms VIU's Nanaimo Campus
September 18, 2019
In recognition of a leadership gift in support of students, the Trades Discovery Centre now bears the Windsor Plywood name. The foundation for successful careers in the trades is being built at Vancouver Island University (VIU), and a leadership gift by the Windsor Plywood Foundation is supporting students to get the high-quality educational experiences needed to succeed. The Trades Discovery... Read more
VIU Launches Campaign to Help Complete New Buildings and Support Students
February 14, 2019
Imagine VIU is a campaign to equip and complete the three new facilities at the Nanaimo Campus – the Centre for Health and Science; the Marine, Automotive and Trades Complex; and District Geo-Exchange Energy System – and support the students who will be learning in these new facilities. Three exciting new projects are expanding opportunities available to students at Vancouver Island University... Read more