The Long Night Against Procrastination 🍕

In this issue of the Student Pulse newsletter: 

• Participate in CREATE
• Long Night Against Procrastination
• Transgender Day of Visibility: call for submissions

Need to know

CREATE conference 🔬

The largest on-campus showcase of student research and creative activity starts April 3! How to participate: 

• Photography: The VIU Student Lens is a photography exhibition for all students. Share your favourite shot of your VIU experience in 2022-23 with a 50-word caption. At least $300 in prizes!
• Audience: CREATE runs all day from April 3 to 5. Come check out your fellow students’ cool projects. You can even vote for your favourite poster in the caf! 
• Volunteer: Want to help out a bit? So many reasons why, but the quick deal is two volunteer shifts = lunch. Contact Nova.Heartland@viu.ca to get on the volunteer list or if you have any questions.

Long Night Against Procrastination 🍕

It’s that time again. The Long Night Against Procrastination is happening on Tuesday, March 28 from 5 to 10 pm. Join us for free pizza, hot drinks and treats in the Nanaimo campus library. The Writing Centre, library research support staff and the Wellness Lounge will all be open late to help you get a head start on final assignments.

Nanaimo Parkway evening closure: March 26 to 30 🚧

The Parkway will be closed between the Jingle Pot/Third Street intersection and the College Drive/Fifth Street intersection to install a water pipeline crossing. The closures will be in effect from 7 pm until 7 am and detour routes will be in place. Please note there will be construction noise during the hours that crews are active. This is part of the City of Nanaimo’s Midtown Water Supply Project.

Connect

Nutrition Month 🍌

Celebrate Nutrition Month with VIU Thrive by joining these two events:

• Share your favourite nutrition recipe or secret to the @viuthrive Instagram account by March 26. Participate and you can win great prizes.
• Join the Thrive team in the upper quad on March 30 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm for free healthy snacks, fruit, recipes, information and lots more!

Thrive pop-up event in Trades Discovery Centre 🍎

Join us this Tuesday, March 28 from 11:30 am to 1 pm in Building 108 to learn more about Thrive. We will have resources, prizes and healthy snacks. Follow us on Instagram @viuthrive and check the website for the latest info on our upcoming events.

Transgender Day of Visibility 🏳️‍⚧️

March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility. The Positive Space Alliance and VIUFA Women’s and Gender Equity committee are organizing an event to mark this important day at VIU’s Nanaimo campus. Join us in the Malaspina Theatre lobby (Building 310) from 12 to 1:30 pm. We want to celebrate voices from the transgender and non-binary communities through the sharing of creative works about gender expression and identity that have resonated or been impactful for you! What’s involved?

• Sharing works that you have created (poetry, stories, visual art, etc), as well as works of others that have been influential to you.
• A short description of the significance this work has had for you. Sign up to share a work by emailing PositiveSpace@viu.ca.
• Please let us know if you would like to present your submission yourself or if you would like a member of the PSA to share on your behalf. We recognize that sharing works of this nature can be vulnerable and want to provide a safe way for all members of the community to participate. 

Road trips & hikes 🛣️⛰️ 

• Want to check out Tofino, Malahat Skywalk or Butchart Gardens in Victoria? Learn more.
• Nanaimo is home to some beautiful parks and beaches. Want to check some of them out? The Cultural Connections team is organizing hiking trips and the best part – it’s only $2 per hike. Learn more.

Culture Couch: Tuesday evenings 🛋️

The Culture Couch Series is a place to engage in cross-cultural understanding. The symbol of a couch reflects the casual and comfortable nature that we come together with in this student-led weekly series. Tuesdays, 5 to 6 pm, in Building 255, Room 170.

• March 28: International Games Night: global games, snacks and music.

2SLGBTQIA+ student bi-weekly gatherings 🏳️‍🌈

Connect with peers in a safe space to chat, share food, do fun crafts and celebrate diversity. There will be an additional circle offered for 2S students. Brought to you by VIU’s Positive Space Alliance and the Office of Indigenous Education and Engagement. Come out on Thursdays from 3 to 4 pm. Upcoming dates: March 30 and April 6. Email positivespace@viu.ca or Sheena.Robinson@viu.ca for location details.

VIU Residence Hotel 🏨

Looking for a place to stay for your convocation? The VIU Residence Hotel offers affordable short-term accommodation for visitors to Nanaimo! Our hotel features a variety of options to suit the needs of single travellers to larger groups. Enjoy spectacular views, free guest parking and campus amenities. We look forward to welcoming you. Book your stay now.

Read the Nav 🗞️

Do you want to learn more about VIU and the community from a student perspective? Visit The Navigator Student Press, VIU’s fully student-run online news magazine. Read, watch and listen to the stories that matter to you as students!

ImpAct-Cimate Challenge 🌎

Colleges and Institutes Canada is asking everyone on every campus across Canada to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They are looking for creative solutions and offering big incentives. Share your ideas until May 31 and you could receive money to turn ideas into reality. Students and employees are welcome to participate.  

Supports and services

Fill out your scholarship profile by March 30 💰

Did you know there are hundreds of financial awards available at VIU for almost every program, as well as many general ones? To apply for all of them, all you have to do is fill out your Scholarship, Award and Bursary Profile by March 30. Find this profile through the student record system. Learn more.

Meditation, prayer and reflection rooms 🧘‍♀️

Did you know there are meditation, prayer and reflection rooms at the Nanaimo campus? There are two rooms which on the first floor of Building 200. These rooms are available to all students and are shared by people of a variety of religious, spiritual and other reflective beliefs and practices. Do you need after-hours access? Email MedAndPrayer@viu.ca with your full name and student ID number.

Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship program 💰

More than 100 scholarships of $5,000 each are available to students transferring between BC post-secondary institutions to complete their degrees. The deadline for students to submit their applications is Monday, April 6. Learn more.

VIU Reads 📚

Come by the Nanaimo campus library and check out our new VIU Reads collection in partnership with the Creative Writing department. Located on the main floor beside the stairs, you’ll find more than 100 fiction and non-fiction books arranged into topics like “What’s Going on with Democracy?” or “How to Write a Show for Netflix.” Take a break from your studies and pick up a fun, interesting read! If you’re located at another campus, you can place holds in our catalogue via the location “VIU-READS.”

Campus Store closures ⚠️

The Cowichan Campus Store will be closed on March 28. The Nanaimo Campus Store will be closed on March 30 and 31. This closure is due to the year end inventory process. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we appreciate your understanding. We look forward to serving you again when we reopen on the following business day.

Career Advice from Taryn Walker 🗣

Bachelor of Hospitality Management grad Taryn Walker is harnessing her people skills to engage alumni as VIU’s Alumni Relations Coordinator. Read more about the skills she thinks are most vital to success in almost any position on the VIU Blog.

March is Fraud Prevention Month 💻

Fraud losses in Canada have reached another historic level! Know the Tricks of the trade. What’s in a fraudster’s toolbox? What’s in yours? March 31 is World Backup Day, a day to make an actual backup of your important files. Be prepared against data loss and data theft.

Are you leaving your rental accommodation soon? 🏡

• know when and how to give notice 
• leave your accommodation correctly cleaned 
• book a move-out inspection 
• know about move-out times and forwarding addresses 
• ask for a reference 

Make sure you follow a few simple steps to end your tenancy well and help ensure the return of your full deposit. Read this blog post for more details. Visit Off-Campus Housing, email housing@viu.ca or book a meeting. 

Foundations for Success 📚

Are you planning to start a program in health care, early childhood education, computer science, information technology or engineering this year? Foundations for Success 107 is a tuition-free, three-credit course offered this summer. In this stepping-stone class, you will develop study skills and resilience strategies while working on a field-specific project alongside a mentor from the program you hope to enter. Email Roberta.Jenkins@viu.ca for more info.

Mark your calendars

Academic penalty-free withdrawal 📆

A friendly reminder from the Advising Centre that March 29 is the last day for academic penalty-free withdrawal from Spring Semester (or an eight-month course that started in September), or to change from credit to audit (or vice versa). Switching to auditing a course is a smart consideration if the course you are considering dropping is a required course in your program that you will have to re-take in the future. It is always prudent to check in with an Advisor before making any changes to your timetable. We offer appointments by Zoom, in-person, phone or email. Contact an Educational Advisor for assistance.

Deals

Did you know that as a VIU student you have access to exclusive discounts in your community and across the province? Download the Deals App, administered by the VIUSU and the BC Federation of Students, to learn more. Featured deal:

• Harbour City Dental Hygiene: $25 off dental hygiene cleaning.

Campus events

Stay on top of what's happening at VIU. Find ways to get involved: 

• Campus Events website
• VIU Students' Union app