VIU's Working Remotely Chronicles
April 16, 2020
On Monday March 17, we were asked to work remotely as much as possible and by the end of the following week, everyone who could was working off campus. This was the beginning of our new reality and VIU employees set about creating their new temporary work spaces away from the office. We have found ourselves in close proximity to loved ones, exposed to a Spring Break that never ended (for parents... Read more
Supporting our People
April 16, 2020
A Column by Dan VanderSluis, Associate Vice-President, Human Resources We are a month into the COVID-19 health crisis and its profound impact on our VIU Community. We use the phrase VIU Community a lot, and I hope that you feel you are a meaningful part of this community. The kindness, compassion, patience and caring with which you have treated our students and each other is a testament to the... Read more
Q & A with Lidia Surman, Chief of Staff, President's Office
April 16, 2020
When Lidia Surman decided to accept the position of Chief of Staff to the President, she couldn’t possibly have imagined she would be relocating and beginning a vital role at VIU in the midst of a pandemic. Her first weeks on the job were filled with emergency meetings and her orientation was, in a word, brief. Before she knew it, she was working from her home office rather than in the President’... Read more
How the Emergency Operations Centre Works
April 16, 2020
When emergencies come knocking at Vancouver Island University’s door, the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is activated to respond and make sure that all aspects of the institution are considered as the situation evolves. Its structure and operations follow best practices outlined by Emergency Management BC. It remains operational until members of the EOC deem that the emergency has been... Read more
Keeping Up Team Morale While Working Remotely
April 16, 2020
As we settle into working remotely, teams across the university are coming up with creative and funny ways to maintain and build important ties and relationships with colleagues. We checked in with a few areas across VIU to find out what they are doing (if you have any other ideas you’d like to share, please let us know at Alyson.Winks@viu.ca). 1. Regular meetings: This might not sound exciting,... Read more
Stronger Minds by BEACON Supports Mental Health Available to All Canadians
April 16, 2020
Stronger Minds by BEACON is a free digital program available to support all Canadians through the COVID-19 pandemic. Stronger Minds participants have access to day-to-day guidance from the extensive BEACON team of clinical psychologists. You are provided with resources that will help you learn how to protect your mental well-being during these turbulent times using videos, quick reads and... Read more
Have Coffee with the President or Share Your Favourite Video on Social
April 16, 2020
The VIU Communications and Public Engagement team has worked with the President's Office to create two new ways for you to connect with colleagues and possibly even get to know people you have never met face-to-face. They were announced in the COVID-19 updates and are listed below. Please consider participating! 1: Coffee with the President: VIU President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Deb Saucier is... Read more
Webinar: How the Pandemic Has Affected Rental Housing Laws
April 16, 2020
The office of Homestay and Off-Campus Housing is offering a free webinar for all VIU students and employees on April 16, Thursday, 3 - 4:30 pm. The webinar will be facilitated by the Public Legal Education Coordinator at Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre (TRAC), focusing on the recent developments in Housing and Tenancies in British Columbia, as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. TRAC is a... Read more
VIU Student Art Exhibit Explores Questions about Diversity and Common Experiences
March 3, 2020
The View Gallery hosts student drawing exhibition, which runs March 5 to April 9. The View Gallery’s latest exhibit, Puzzle: An Exhibition of Student Drawings, asks questions about who we are, how we got here and how we express ourselves. The exhibit focuses on routes ̶ how we get to our destination or travel through life; and roots ̶ where we come from and some of the social, cultural and... Read more
Zombies and Shakespeare Collide in VIU Theatre Department's Spring Play
March 3, 2020
Theatre Department presents William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead as its spring production, which opens March 5. To be, or not to be … a zombie? Zombies shuffle through the streets of medieval London as historical characters deal with their own human schemes and woes while trying to avoid becoming one of the undead during the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Theatre Department’s production of ... Read more