A message from the President: October 29, 2024

Dear colleagues, 

Recent changes to international student study permits and post graduate work permits has made this a particularly difficult month filled with uncertainty and challenges. These changes have forced institutions across Canada to take a critical look at budgets and evaluate how these updates will impact operations. I’m reaching out to reassure you that while things may appear to be dire for our sector right now, VIU is poised to be nimble and creative. As always, our students remain at the centre of our decisions.  

It is not realistic or feasible to think that VIU can balance our budget with so many variables and potential impacts – and we are not alone in this. I am in active discussions with my post-secondary colleagues and with the government of British Columbia as we find a pragmatic path forward. We will control what we can control: our own spending. We will influence what we cannot control: how the sector and the government work together to move past this unprecedented challenge. 

I want to reassure our campus community that I am fully engaged in this discussion as your President, as part of the British Columbia Association of Institutes and Universities and in regular meetings with our partners at both Universities Canada and the BC Government. These conversations are taking me away from campus – I am on the road making the case for VIU and the solutions that will meet the needs of our students and the communities we serve.  

Despite these extraordinary pressures, I want to reassure you that VIU is ready to tackle these challenges head-on. We have proven time and again that we can move mountains. Looking back on the past few months, we have achieved incredible things together. We launched our first-ever Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) Plan, setting the foundation for future growth and student success. We honoured the reopening and expansion of Shq'apthut, an important space that embodies our commitment to reconciliation, Indigenous engagement and community. We launched the People Plan. We unveiled our new website and brand, aligning ourselves with our values of understanding, connection, and commitment, and reinforcing our vision of welcoming people, honouring place, and building potential. 

Our efforts are being noticed beyond our campus. At a recent forum hosted at VIU with Island CEOs, and conversations I had at the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance Summit, we heard from Island business owners who praised the quality of VIU graduates. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students.  

I would like to recognize the accomplishment we achieved last year through everyone’s commitment to the Deficit Mitigation Plan (DMP). We are pressing forward with the DMP as we committed to in 2023. Although we have already made some difficult but necessary decisions—including closing The High School, ending our partnership with Elder College, canceling four academic programs, and improving efficiency in academic program delivery—we still face critical challenges. I look forward to the day when we are operating in a new climate and the DMP is behind us. 

Until then, steps are also being taken to consolidate expenditures, including all legal expenditures under the Office of the General Counsel for the 2025-26 budget. Similarly, all advertising and promotions will be consolidated under the Brand and Marketing team. This move will further support the launch of the new brand and align marketing strategies with SEM. I also want to remind you about the current measures already implemented: labour-related costs cannot be reallocated within budgets; any savings resulting from vacant or eliminated positions will be seen as overall savings; and all contracts over $10,000, as well as overtime requests, require the relevant area Vice-President approvals.  

Dr. Michael Quinn, Provost and Vice-President Academic, has been holding regular meetings with Deans to review and discuss our program offerings and academic delivery. Although no program cancellations are expected this year, we are exploring ways to help students meet their learning objectives more efficiently. We anticipate an additional reduction of instructional employees and plan to leave the 20 positions vacated by faculty who took the retirement incentive package unfilled. To receive approval for replacing retirees, Deans must find savings elsewhere in their budget.  

I know that facing such pressures and challenges is difficult and causes angst.  I am fully committed to transparency and sharing information when it becomes available.  

The work of our Budget Advisory Council (BAC) and the decisions senior leadership are making through the 2025-26 budget process are aligned with our shared values of understanding, commitment, and connection. BAC’s first report and recommendations will accompany the draft 2025-26 budget that our Finance, Audit & Facilities committee of the Board will review in late November, and the full Board in early December. The Budget Advisory Council is meeting soon to finalize their draft 2025-26 budget recommendations that will be based on regular budget practices (such as the annual 2% increase in tuition and fees for domestic students), feedback received from students and employees in the October 2024 budget survey, as well as the budget consultation sessions, DMP efforts to date and achievements, and the realities of our current student enrolment and financial situation. 

In the meantime, I encourage you to attend the upcoming Fall Information Session for Employees. This is an opportunity for us to come together to ask questions, share feedback, and learn about the progress of key initiatives that will shape our path forward. 

Details: 

We are in this together. The progress we’ve made is a direct result of your hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Each one of you has played a vital role in helping us overcome obstacles and push forward. We are grateful for your continued commitment to VIU, and we look forward to coming together as a community in a meaningful way.  

Sincerely,