Giving Tuesday at VIU
November 1, 2022
By Richard Horbachewski, Associate Vice-President, External Relations VIU is launching our Giving Tuesday campaign on November 15,culminating on November 29 – Giving Tuesday. Launched in 2012, Giving Tuesday is devoted to one simple principle – a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has become a global movement to inspire people to give and celebrate generosity. The generosity... Read more
Why I give: The impact of giving for one employee
November 1, 2022
By Jenn McGarrigle, External Communications Manager My history of giving to the VIU Foundation started in 2016 after my loving mother Sheila Marshall lost her battle with cancer. Sheila was a high school science teacher and when I was searching for a way to honour her memory, the idea of a scholarship in her name was top of mind. She was the type of teacher students kept in touch with years after... Read more
Congratulations: President's and Provost's Awards 2022
November 1, 2022
Ahead of the 2022 President's and Provost's Awards celebration, which is taking place on Monday, November 7, we wanted to share all the names together in one place and thank each recipient for their hard work and dedication to VIU, our students, and colleagues. A debt of gratitude as well to all the nominators - without you, we wouldn't know who to celebrate. This year's recipients by category... Read more
The meaning of a name: gifting and receiving in the Tla’amin way
November 1, 2022
By Liam Haggarty, Campus Administrator, tiwšɛmawtxʷ It’s been about a month since the Tla’amin Nation gifted VIU the name tiwšɛmawtxʷ (tyew-shem-out) to replace the old colonial name Powell River for our campus in the qathet (ka-thet) region, which extends from Saltry Bay to Lund on the Sunshine Coast. In the Tla’amin tradition, the gifting of a name is a significant act, which represents the... Read more
Setting us apart: VIU's brand refresh
October 31, 2022
By Meghan Clark, Director, Brand and Marketing In 2021, Vancouver Island University launched its first Strategic Plan, People, Place, Potential. The plan outlines six commitments for the next five years including welcoming a larger population of learners and becoming the region’s first point of call for research and expertise. The higher education environment is increasingly more competitive.... Read more
VIU Culinary Arts program in qathet region finds recipe for success
October 13, 2022
The Birch Tree Café and Bistro gives culinary students hands-on training in a real restaurant. After years of serving culinary creations at Brooks Secondary School, a move into a new space is proving to be a successful transition for Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) tiwšɛmawtxʷ (Powell River) campus Culinary Arts program. The program moved to a new training facility and permanent restaurant... Read more
Spring Semester photo album 2022
June 16, 2022
VIU students and employees had lots of great moments throughout the Spring Semester 2022. Here are some we thought we would share in our album look-back. We know not all the moments are here, but it shows that it was a busy and rewarding semester. Credit to the VIU Communications and External Affairs Team for their beautiful work. Read more
Dr. Carol Stuart reflects on a career well-worked, and some colleagues share well-wishes
June 16, 2022
“Welcome home” read the sign on the door to the office in Building 180. It greeted Dr. Carol Stuart on her first day at Vancouver Island University (VIU). “That morning, I had a meeting with Human Resources and had done a few other things. It was a bit later before I made my way to my office and there was a sign that said ‘welcome home’,” Dr. Stuart explains. “It reinforced everything I already... Read more
Combining passions and learning new skills
June 15, 2022
By Alyson Winks If you are interested in food, trying new foods, want to expand your culinary repertoire, or enjoy some good personal storytelling, look no further than Lily’s Vegan Adventures, which is authored, photographed, developed, and shared by VIU’s Lillian Morpak, Career and Cooperative Education and Peer-Supported Learning Assistant (which may well be the longest job title of anyone at... Read more
Gained in translation: the magic of translating texts into English
June 15, 2022
Dr. Katharina Rout taught in the English Department in VIU’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities from 1988 – 2017. She had a seat at the table as VIU evolved from a college to a university-college, into a university, and began to mature into its current state. She is the founding Chair of the Education Council, which was the precursor to the Senate, was awarded a Provost’s Teaching Award for... Read more