Teaching and Learning

Q & A with VIU Creative Writing Professor Dr. Sonnet L'Abbe

September 12, 2019

Vancouver Island University is a hive of incredible, creative activity. We like to share as much of it as we can. Check out our Q and A with Creative Writing Professor Dr. Sonnet L'Abbe about her latest book of poetry, Sonnet's Shakespeare.  1.       Tell us about you and your background. My name is a combination of parts of my parents' names, Jason and Janet. I was born in Toronto, but we moved... Read more


VIU Engineering Filed School in Trà Vinh, Vietnam.

VIU Engineering Students Tackle New Challenges in Overseas Study Program

September 6, 2019

Engineering solutions and relationships more than 10,000 kilometres from Nanaimo ­­ Nine first-year Vancouver Island University (VIU) engineering students put their knowledge to work in another country and came back with new skills, friends, and insight about living and working with people in a different part of the world.  At the end of the instructional year, students from the Engineering... Read more


Graduate Business Studies Office Renamed Graduate Programs Office, Faculty of Management

September 4, 2019

The Graduate Business Studies Office has been renamed. It is now the Graduate Programs Office, Faculty of Management in Building 250 Room 302. The reason for the change was to more accurately reflect what the Office does. Soon, signage and other important communications will begin to change to Graduate Programs, Faculty of Management, so please be sure to use this term when talking about it or... Read more


Dr. Cynthia-Lou Coleman leans against a railing near VIU's koi pond with sun hitting her hair.

Scholar Focuses on How Indigenous Issues are Covered in Media

September 3, 2019

Dr. Cynthia-Lou Coleman is curious about the similarities and differences between how Indigenous scientific and cultural issues are covered by the media in Canada and the United States. Coleman, Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) 2019 Fulbright Canada Jarislowsky Foundation Visiting Research Chair in Aboriginal Studies, will explore the issue over the next four months. Coleman is a professor... Read more


Vancouver Island University carpentry students at the Cowichan campus learn skills on-site while building homes for the Malahat Nation.

Building Homes for a Nation

August 29, 2019

Malahat Nation is putting into action the “if you build it, they will come” concept through a partnership with Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) carpentry program. Since 2014, when George Harry Jr., Malahat Nation Chief, was a Foundations Carpentry student at VIU’s Cowichan campus, the university has partnered with Malahat Nation to build affordable housing on their land while offering... Read more


The VIU MBA program is evolving to suit the demands of industry and prepare students for the ever-changing business landscape.

Learning Business in the Digital Landscape

August 28, 2019

Disrupting the traditional educational model, Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) redesign of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program prepares business leaders of tomorrow with the knowledge and tools to manage the complex and diverse work environments in this digital age. “For the redesign, our team identified the knowledge, values and skills our graduates need to be successful in... Read more


Snuneymuxw Chief Michael Wyse and Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

Letter of Understanding between Snuneymuxw First Nation and Canada

August 27, 2019

Vancouver Island University extends heartfelt congratulations to Snuneymuxw First Nation on the signing of an historic Letter of Understanding (LOU) with the Government of Canada. The LOU commits both parties “to move forward together to renew and strengthen the historic treaty relationship and take the next step on meaningful reconciliation of governance and rights of the Snuneymuxw peoples.”... Read more


VIU Earth Science Rock Sample Collecting

Sharing the Secrets of the Rocks Around Us

August 19, 2019

As people walk upon the Earth, not many take the time to really notice what’s under their feet or realize just how vital sand, gravel and rocks are in today’s society.  “Rocks and sediments underlie everything we build on, walk on, or grow food on. Yet, few people realize how vital those types of materials are and how much of our daily activities interact with geology. The stability of building... Read more


Vancouver Island University’s Masters of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management student Sara Fulla

Leisure in a Cultural Context

August 8, 2019

As an Indigenous woman and leisure scholar, VIU Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management student Sara Fulla is merging her two worlds with her research project, which explores leisure in a cultural context. A recipient of the $17,500 Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s award, Fulla has the financial support to continue exploring the Kwakwaka’wakw Potlatch as a form of Indigenous leisure... Read more


The Deep Bay Marine Field Station could play an important role in supporting marine agri-food businesses in the province.

Deep Bay Marine Field Station Identified as Potential Regional Food Hub

August 6, 2019

Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Deep Bay Marine Field Station has been identified as a potential location for the establishment of a regional food innovation centre. Deep Bay is one of six sites in the province to receive funding from the provincial government to develop a feasibility study or business plan to determine the potential and capacity to offer a food processing centre in their... Read more