Welcome to the Spring Semester! 📚
Welcome to the Spring Semester! Did you make any New Year's resolutions for 2025? If they had anything to do with staying active or revisiting your academic plan, we have you covered in this newsletter.
Also, shoutout to fourth-year Nursing students on their recent Crimestoppers grant for their Before P.A.R.T.Y program. This is a health-based education program delivered by third and fourth-year nursing students to youth between the ages of 12 and 14 from Ladysmith to Ucluelet.
Need to know
Intramurals 🏐
Our Monday volleyball, Tuesday indoor soccer and Wednesday basketball leagues are filling up quickly! Put a team together with your friends and register right away on the VIU Athletics and Recreation website. If you are interested in registering as an individual, speak with the VIU gym’s front desk staff in Building 190 to see if there is a team you can join.
Spring Semester bus passes are available! 🚌🚌
Students can come to the VIUSU office to load their passes.
Free mental health check-up 🧠
Take a quick 20 to 35 minutes on January 30, between 11 am and 2 pm, to visit the Royal Arbutus Room in the main cafeteria for a free, anonymous and confidential mental health screening. Discover fun, interactive activities focused on stress, mood, anxiety, support and self-care. Prioritize your well-being, stop by and learn something new! For more details, visit VIU Thrive.
New tuition payment methods now available
Spring Semester tuition fees are due on Monday, January 20 and are calculated based on course enrolment as of this date. This year, the partnership between VIU and PayMyTuition has expanded to service domestic as well as international payments. Payment options include:
- Credit card
- Online banking
- Debit card
- Interac e-Transfer (available early spring 2025)
International students can pay from any bank in any country in any currency at better than bank exchange rates. Visit the How do I pay? homepage to learn more.
Student shoutout
Brayden Klassen, a fourth-year Geoscience student, is researching how shorelines from an ancient lake in Montana can help us understand the origin of some of Earth’s largest floods. Brayden says looking at what has happened in the past can be helpful to predict and prepare for potential future events. Brayden created a wave generation system to simulate shoreline erosion in a water tank at VIU. Read Brayden’s story.
Connect
Student Leadership Circle ⭕
Get ready for an exciting new year with the Student Leadership Circle! We're all about empowering VIU students to unlock their full leadership potential, focusing on building important skills and strengthening key VIU graduate attributes. We use evidence-based methods to help develop your most underused skills to help you grow both personally and professionally. Stay tuned for an unforgettable journey of development, connection and success in 2025!
Wellness Peers Program and dog cuddles 🐶
Come join the Wellness Peers on January 22 to celebrate the reopening of the Wellness Lounge for the Spring Semester! Visit us at the Nanaimo campus library for a cozy experience featuring free hot beverages, stress-relieving fidgets, adult colouring, warm conversations and adorable therapy dogs. The Wellness Lounge is open Tuesdays through Thursdays. For more details on spring hours and our canine cuddles program, check out the VIU Thrive website.
Mental Health Awareness day 📲 🗣️
The Thrive crew is ready to hang out with you at the upper cafeteria on January 22 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm! Join this fun national campaign from Bell as we keep the conversations about breaking down mental health stigma and boosting wellness going. We’ve got Bell swag, awesome resources, uplifting messages, toques and so much more waiting for you!
Culture Couch 🛋️
The Culture Couch is a place to engage in cross-cultural understanding and learning. The couch symbolizes the casual, comfortable nature of this student-led initiative. Each session is uniquely crafted by student volunteers who take on the role of hosts and share aspects of their culture with their peers. Culture Couch happens Tuesdays from 5 to 6 pm in Building 255, first floor learning commons.
Cheer on the VIU Mariners
VIU students receive free admission to cheer on our varsity basketball and volleyball teams at the VIU gym! The semester kicks off with Island Rivalry games against Camosun College: women’s and men’s volleyball on January 10 and 11 and women’s and men’s basketball on January 17 and 18. Visit GoMariners.ca for team schedules and information on attending games.
Supports and services
Conference Funding 💰
Are you planning to share your research at a conference this academic year? You may be eligible for the SRCA conference funding. Visit the website and connect with Vanessa.Moraes@viu.ca if you have any questions. Deadline is January 17 for conferences between now and April 30.
Campus Store welcome back sale
The VIU Campus Store is having a Welcome Back Sale, 50% off select merchandise all week!
Undergraduate Student Research Awards
Gain research experience by working full-time on a faculty project over the summer through the Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) program (for domestic students only). Applications for the USRAs are now open! VIU internal application deadline: January 27. Questions? Please connect with Vanessa.Moraes@viu.ca. A workshop is being held on January 13 in Building 305, Room 305, at 11:30 am to help you fill out the application.
SafeTALK Workshop
If you're passionate about learning how to help prevent suicide, this is the workshop for you! Join us for the SafeTALK session on January 31 from 9 am to 1 pm. Learn how to recognize warning signs, engage someone in need, and connect them to the proper support. This essential workshop is open to all VIU staff and students. Best part? It's free! Register easily through your CCR app today.
Connect with Academic Advising
The start of a new year and new semester is a great time to connect with the Advising Centre. Keep moving forward, academic advisors can help! Drop in to Building 200 or prebook your advising appointment today. Learn more about supports at VIU in this video.
Career Studio 👩🏽💻
Starting January 6, the Career Studio will resume its regular hours for appointments. Monday to Thursday, 10 am to 3 pm and Friday, 10 am to 1 pm. Remember, Career Studio is here to support you online or in-person – even up to a year after you graduate! Stop by Building 255, Room 204, book an appointment with us on Experience Hub, or email us at CareerStudio@viu.ca to get started on your career goals today.
VIU fitness classes 🧘🏽
Get fit and feel great with one-hour fitness classes at the VIU gym (Building 190). Options include yoga, strength training, cardio, Zumba and more! VIU students get a discounted price of $50 for a semester’s worth of classes. Browse the class options and register online.
Work out at the VIU gym 🏋🏽
All VIU students receive a free membership to the VIU gym (Building 190). Getting your membership is easy: visit the VIU gym’s front desk, show your valid student card and sign a waiver. For the rest of the semester, scan your student card at the front desk to access a weight room, multi-purpose fitness and exercise room, locker rooms and the multi-court gym floor! Follow @viugym on Instagram to learn more.
Get your VIU card at the library 🪪
Welcome all new and returning students! Check out our library guide to help get settled in. Need to get your VIU card? Use it to access various campus services and spaces. Upload your photo to your student record, then pick up your card in the library when it’s ready. Have questions? Connect with us in-person, by phone, email or chat.
Undergraduate research grants 💰
The Social Sciences Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research offers undergraduate research grants of up to $400 for students presenting their research at a national or international, discipline-specific meeting (in person or virtually) during the 2024-25 academic year. Deadline: April 20, 2025. Learn more.
VIU Off-Campus Housing
Have you just moved into rental accommodation? Is your contract correct? Did you pay any additional fees? Did you do a condition inspection report? Avoid possible issues at the end of your tenancy by understanding these essentials. Find out more in this OCH blog post. Visit the Off-Campus Housing homepage, contact Off-Campus Housing or book a meeting for information and support.
Policy Renewal Process: Consultation Open
VIU has begun a policy renewal process to bring VIU’s Board of Governors-approved institutional policies in line with the new Policy Framework. The VIU community is invited to provide feedback on all new policies under development. Please visit open consultations to find out more and to provide your feedback. Consultation is open until January 24.
VIU travel survey
We want to hear from you! VIU is conducting a Transportation Demand Management Study to evaluate the evolving transportation needs and infrastructure on campus. It also aims to reduce VIU’s carbon footprint by encouraging sustainable modes of transportation. Share your thoughts through an online surveyto help us understand travel patterns. The survey is open until January 29. Enter yourself into a draw for a $50 gift card to the VIU Campus Store!
Work-Integrated learning call for nominations
Nominations are open for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Student of the Year and Industry Partner of the Year 2024 awards. Student of the Year is open to VIU students who’ve excelled in their WIL experience and the top five nominations will receive a $200 stipend. VIU’s Centre for Experiential Learning will help the top five submit nomination packages for the provincial awards, with an additional $500 cash award. The deadline for Student of the Year is January 20 and Industry Partner of the Year is February 1. Submit your nomination for Student of the Year. Submit your nomination for Industry Partner of the Year.
Mark your calendar
VIU’s Got Talent
VIU’s Got Talent is back! This annual event held at VIU gives students and faculty an opportunity to display their talents. Send your video audition by January 10 to be invited to compete in the finals. During the finals, contestants will have 8 to 10 minutes to perform their talent in front of a panel of judges and a live audience. The judges will then select the top three performances as winners of the top prizes. Apply and upload your talent video here.
Important semester dates and deadlines
Welcome back current students to Spring Semester 2025 and welcome to new students at VIU. Check out Dates and Deadlines before you miss an important deadline like:
- Last day for partial withdrawal from Spring Semester with 100% refund for individual courses is January 17
- Spring fees are due January 20
- Last day for 50% refund of fees for course withdrawal is January 31
- Spring Semester Study Days (February 18 to 21)
- Last day for academic penalty-free withdrawal from a Spring Semester course or to change from credit to audit in academic programs is March 28
- Deadline to submit online Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries Profile is March 30
CREATE registration open
Don’t miss the chance to showcase your research and creative activity during CREATE 2025. Compete for the many CREATE awards distributed annually. Registration starts January 15 and the conference will be held April 7 to 11. Learn more.
Apply to the Parliamentary Internship Programme
The Parliamentary Internship Programme (PIP) gives recent graduates a life-changing opportunity to spend 10 months working and studying on Parliament Hill. Beginning in 2025-26, interns will enrol as full-time University of Ottawa students and earn a graduate certificate in Public Administration after finishing the program. Interns will also receive a $35,000 scholarship and support for expenses for legislative study tours. Learn more and apply. Application deadline January 31.
Canada Border Services Agency info session
Are you interested in a career at the Canada Border Services Agency? Join us on January 21 at 3 pm to connect with border officers about career opportunities and learn the steps to become a border services officer! Limited seats are available, register today!
Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon info session
For more than 50 years, Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon has been at the forefront of the Yukon's tourism industry. Learn about the endless possibilities that Yukon offers as your ideal destination to live, work and play at this January 22 virtual session. Register for the session.
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