News Stories
BC Government Supporting Indigenous Students with Emergency Assistance
April 3, 2020
Vancouver Island University (VIU) is pleased to share the news the provincial government has announced an additional $1.5 million in emergency supports for Indigenous students. “We are pleased the province is providing additional support to our Indigenous students,” says Jennifer Christoffersen, VIU Services for Aboriginal Students Coordinator/Education Advisor. “For several years, the... Read more
VIU and Camosun Initiative Supports Indigenous Trades Training
January 28, 2020
VIU and Camosun College partnership will create new career pathways in the trades for Indigenous Peoples. A new program sponsored by the Province of BC and the Industry Training Authority BC (ITA) will provide an opportunity for Indigenous students to explore career options in trades at Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Cowichan Campus and Camosun College. Camosun and VIU will receive almost... Read more
The Power of Persistence: A Story of Success and Resilience
January 13, 2020
Janelle Minoza has overcome a number of obstacles standing in the way of her post-secondary education since becoming a student at Vancouver Island University last year. Janelle Minoza is living proof that hard work and determination can help you achieve your dreams. The third-year Bachelor of Social Work student at Vancouver Island University (VIU), from the Deh Gah Gotie Dene First Nations in... Read more
Hope, Inclusion and Access to Education: VIU President Shares Vision at Installation Event
November 26, 2019
Dr. Deb Saucier, VIU President and Vice-Chancellor since July 2019, was formally endowed with the powers and responsibilities of office in a ceremony at the Snuneymuxw First Nation Longhouse in Cedar on November 15. A regional institution such as Vancouver Island University (VIU) can change what it means to be a university, challenge longstanding perceptions on who goes and what can be taught... Read more
In Search of the Promised Land: Freedom, Prosperity and #Landback for Indigenous Peoples
November 6, 2019
Max FineDay, Executive Director of the Canadian Roots Exchange, will share his perspective on what reconciliation looks like during VIU’s fifth annual Indigenous Speakers Series on Monday, November 25. When Max FineDay graduated from university in 2015, his grandmother sat him down and told him he had a duty to explain Indigenous peoples to the rest of Canada by telling the kinds of stories... Read more
EleV Learning Partnership Continues to Grow
September 18, 2019
An innovative learning partnership headquartered at VIU is starting to take root. It’s been two years since EleV, a collaboration between VIU and Indigenous communities that is supported by the Mastercard Foundation, launched. The program, which aims to boost the number of Indigenous youth accessing post-secondary education, provides scholarships; wraparound supports such as Indigenous Education... Read more
VIU Spotlight News in Brief
September 17, 2019
News happenings from the 2018-19 academic year at Vancouver Island University. EleV Learning Partnership Continues to Grow An innovative learning partnership headquartered at VIU is starting to take root. It’s been two years since EleV, a collaboration between VIU and Indigenous communities that is supported by the Mastercard Foundation, launched. The program, which aims to boost the number of... Read more
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
Summer Camp Inspires Youth to Explore Post-Secondary
August 1, 2019
The ḥaahuupa Summer Camp took place on Newcastle Island from July 2-5 with youth from Gold River, Zeballos, Nanaimo and Kyuquot. Shannon Frank can’t remember a time in recent history when she’s laughed as long and as loud. The Gold River Secondary School graduate was attending the haahuupa Summer Camp on Saysutshun (Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park) from July 2-5 with nine other youth... Read more
VIU Research Will Study Rising Stresses on Fragile Mountain Ecosystems
July 22, 2019
VIU researchers launch far-reaching study on Mount Arrowsmith in collaboration with The Canadian Mountain Network. A team of Vancouver Island University (VIU) researchers is ascending to new heights for an in-depth analysis that will project 100 years into the future to get a better understanding of what is happening in our mountain environments. One-quarter of Canada’s land mass is made up of... Read more