Teaching and Learning

New Course at VIU Cowichan Explores the Science of Plants and the Environment from Indigenous and Western Viewpoints

December 21, 2016

INTR 211: Indigenous and Western Sciences of Plants and the Environment is the first of its kind at VIU and the first of two courses in which a Biology Professor and a Traditional Knowledge Keeper will teach these two different ways of learning and knowing science There are many ways of looking at the world, and a new science course at Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Cowichan campus will... Read more


VIU Only Canadian Institution to Receive Funding through President Obama's 100,000 Strong Innovation Fund

November 29, 2016

100,000 Strong in the Americas will fund exchange opportunity for Indigenous high school students at California’s Pitzer College and VIU  Vancouver Island University (VIU) is the only Canadian university to receive funding through the US State Department’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund after a proposal submitted to the organization with California’s Pitzer College was successful... Read more


New English Courses at VIU Explore Diverse Ethnic and Cultural Perspectives

November 9, 2016

Courses are open to the community through the University’s Love of Learning program VIU’s English Department is pleased to present three new courses next semester that examine literature from a variety of non-traditional perspectives and mediums. From reconciliation, to post-colonial Caribbean lifestyles and cultures, to the quest for unforgettable journeys, these new courses incorporate a... Read more


New Course at VIU Helps People Deliver Effective Presentations

October 28, 2016

Interdisciplinary Public Speaking and Slide Design course offers key career skills to people looking for an edge in the workforce Do you want to become a pro at delivering presentations? A new, interdisciplinary course developed by Vancouver Island University (VIU) Public Speaking Professor Sandra Hagan and Graphic Design Professor Patrick Foster provides practical training in two highly ranked... Read more


VIU Master's Student Awarded Research Grant to Study Safe Leisure Spaces for LBGTQ2S+ Youth

September 30, 2016

VIU research student leading the way in defining what safe spaces mean for LBGTQ2+ youth Vancouver Island University (VIU) student Julia Froese is hoping her research project will help raise awareness about the importance of safe leisure spaces for the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, Queer, two-spirit and other (LBGTQ2S+) youth of Vancouver Island and, when completed, offer helpful... Read more


VIU Professors Explore Ways to Go Green in the Chemistry Lab

September 23, 2016

Glenda Hunter will show off her research at the VIU Sustainability Fair on September 28 When you think of chemistry, the word “green” does not immediately come to mind. By its very name, chemistry implies the use of chemicals, which suggests toxic substances that are harmful to humans and the environment. Indeed, many of the chemicals traditionally used in school chemistry labs are hazardous,... Read more


VIU Key Organizer of Festival of Learning - A First in BC

September 12, 2016

Festival of Learning brings together 400 post-secondary educators in Burnaby, BC to share resources and teaching and learning best practices  A one-of-a-kind collaboration between a number of teaching and learning organizations in BC has resulted in a relationship that will support more information, technology and pedagogy sharing at the post-secondary education level. The first ever Festival of... Read more


VIU's ElderCollege Course Explores UNESCO Biosphere Region

August 31, 2016

New four-week course aims to inspire community experts and ‘biosphere champions’  With class titles like ‘Biosphere Basics’ and ‘A Collective Vision of the Region’, a new course at Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) ElderCollege takes an in-depth look at the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region (MABR), what it means to be a UNESCO biosphere reserve and what makes the region so unique.  The course... Read more


VIU Explores Refugee Crisis in Literature Course

July 27, 2016

University invites public to enroll in third-level English course that tackles this timely issue Today, more than 65-million people, or one out of every 113 people in the world, have been forced to flee their homes as a result of war, persecution or the effects of climate change – a population greater than all of France. More than two dozen of these refugee families have found a new home in the... Read more


VIU Trades Exploration Program Builds Interest and Awareness for Careers in the Trades

July 25, 2016

Students from Dehcho First Nations in the Northwest Territories get a taste of university life during two-week camp For Rick Lesage, a trip to Vancouver Island University (VIU) this summer has changed his direction in life. The 19-year-old from Fort Providence, Northwest Territories, is one of nearly 20 students visiting from Dehcho First Nations, which includes a dozen communities in the south... Read more