In the Community

FESTIVAL OF TREES ONLINE AUCTION TAKING BIDS UNTIL DEC. 1

November 25, 2013

Make a bid in the Festival of Trees online auction and you might just find the ultimate Christmas gift, or maybe a nice treat for yourself. Bidding is open until 4 pm Dec. 1 on many items, including tickets to BC Lions and Seattle Seahawks games, yoga passes, signed collector items, fine dining, golf, art, wine, and gift certificates for a wide variety of goods and services, plus much more at... Read more


VIU JAZZ STUDENTS AND SPECIAL GUESTS PLAYING END-OF-TERM CONCERTS

November 21, 2013

You might think it would be difficult to muster enthusiasm for a job you’ve been doing for 53 years. Not so for Bryan Stovell, who is looking forward to Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) end-of-term jazz concerts just as much as he did in the first years he taught music in Nanaimo’s secondary schools more than half a century ago. As head of VIU’s Jazz Music program, Stovell is hoping to see... Read more


IMPORTANCE OF INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES FOCUS OF RESEARCH TALK NOV. 28

November 20, 2013

Today’s teachers need to know more about Aboriginal students, including their languages, in order to help improve student success rates in BC schools. That’s a message Lorna Williams, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledge and Learning at the University of Victoria (UVic), will deliver during an informal presentation at Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Nanaimo campus Nov. 28. Williams... Read more


EDUCATION DEGREE PROGRAM COMING SOON TO VIU’S COWICHAN CAMPUS

November 20, 2013

Students in the Cowichan Valley region thinking about becoming elementary school teachers will soon have access to a full university degree program close to home. Vancouver Island University’s Cowichan Campus in Duncan will offer a five-year Bachelor of Education degree program starting Sept. 2014. Prospective students can find out more at an information session at VIU’s Cowichan campus Nov. 27... Read more


MUSIC, MAGIC, SANTA AND MORE AT FESTIVAL OF TREES FAMILY DAYS

November 19, 2013

Share the magic of Christmas with your family and view beautifully decorated trees during Family Days at the 19th annual Festival of Trees Nov. 23 and 24 at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. “Children will have tons of fun activities to enjoy during Family Days,” says Jason Nelson, chair of the Festival of Trees. “The highlight is a visit with Santa, and story time with Mrs. Claus.”... Read more


REPEATS CONSIGNMENT HOSTING FASHION SHOW FUNDRAISER FOR YOUTH IN CARE TUITION WAIVER PROGRAM

November 16, 2013

Two festive fashion shows on Friday, Nov. 29 will feature the ‘upcycled’, carefully curated and gently used women’s wear found at Nanaimo’s Repeats Consignment shop, and will raise funds for Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Tuition Waiver for Youth in Care program. Margaret Spencer says she rejoiced at VIU’s late August announcement that established it as the first university in BC to waive... Read more


VIU LIBRARY MEASURES SUCCESS OF REMOVING FINES ON OVERDUE ITEMS

November 14, 2013

A move to make the library user experience at Vancouver Island University (VIU) more friendly and less punitive has been hailed a success a year after library fines were eliminated. A team of staff and faculty at VIU began working in spring 2012 on an initiative to eliminate most late fines and extend more generous borrowing and renewal limits for books, journals, articles, CDs and videos. The... Read more


UNIQUE COMPUTER MAPPING PROJECT CONNECTS CANADIAN AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

November 8, 2013

What happens when you mix a Vancouver Island University Geography class with international students studying English as a second language? “Absolute magic,” according to VIU Geography professor Dr. Pam Shaw. Students in Shaw’s Geographic Communications class are unveiling a collaborative mapping project next week (Tuesday and Thursday) and they are excited to show the public what they have... Read more


VIU BAKING STUDENT WINS CHOCOLATE CHALLENGE

November 7, 2013

A decadent chocolate mousse dessert created by a Vancouver Island University Baking and Pastry Arts student won top prize in a competition focused solely on an ingredient that is near and dear to millions: chocolate. Miriam Popma almost didn’t enter the Gourmet Warehouse Cacao Barry Callebaut Chocolate Challenge because she thought she wouldn’t have enough time to create a recipe and test... Read more


LAST CHANCE TO ENTER FESTIVAL OF TREES DECORATING CHALLENGE

November 6, 2013

There’s still time to enter your group in the TD Community Tree Decorating Challenge, but you’d better get on it quickly. “Tree set up day for VIU’s Festival of Trees is Saturday, Nov. 16, so if your group is entering, you’ll need enough time to get organized, find a great theme and get all your decorations together,” says Jason Nelson, chair of the Festival of Trees. “We have more than 35... Read more