Academic Year-End Message from Mike
Congratulations on reaching the end of another highly successful semester. I feel buoyed by the sunshine, warmer days, and spike in activity as a newly fledged crop of Anna’s Hummingbirds frequent the feeders outside my office window.
The energy and enthusiasm across our campuses is palpable as we celebrate the successes of our students. Thank you for your dedication in convening the many year-end events to showcase the accomplishments of our learners. I’ve enjoyed attending as many of these events as I can. Along with the slate of activities in Nanaimo, I had the privilege of attending the year-end celebration at our tiwšɛmawtxw campus and a completion ceremony for the students in our Stewardship Technician Training and Marine Technician Programs in partnership with the Nanwakolas Council held at the Wei Wai Kum Kwanwatsi Big House in Campbell River.
Speaking of celebrations, I look forward to seeing many of you at the June 2024 Convocation. This is a highlight of the academic year and we have adjusted the timing and format to support greater participation in the event.
The most important message for me to convey in this newsletter is my deep and heartfelt gratitude for all that you do for VIU. We are in a period of significant change and transition at the institution. I recognize that this engenders concern, uncertainty, and stress in the community. There is considerable work required to meet our deficit mitigation commitments, but the progress made in completing the 2024-25 budget shows that we have the capacity to make the required adjustments. I remain highly optimistic about our ability to emerge as a stronger institution that meets the needs of our learning community and continues to provide a vibrant, supportive work environment. Thank you to everyone for contributing to our ongoing evolution.
We have recently completed the governance processes required to cancel several academic programs. These are very difficult decisions with significant consequences to students, faculty, and other members of our community. The sense of loss associated with these changes cannot be overstated. We are now in the process of addressing the options available to students to complete their studies. We will do our best to meet the needs of students, recognizing that this is not the outcome that any of us had anticipated. The growth of programs over the past decade has not been matched by student demand and it is essential that we prune our academic offerings to remain viable into the future. This in no way diminishes the passionate contributions of everyone to deliver these programs. The response of the community and past students is testament to their positive impact.
Over the next several months, senior management will be working with the VIU community to advance a refined vision for the institution. This is a critical exercise to guide our program mix, administrative structure, and the roll out of a new Strategic Enrolment Plan. The vision will align with our mandate under the Universities Act and the direction established by our Institutional Strategic Plan and the Academic Plan. Please stay tuned for more details as we move into the fall semester.
Related to advancing a vision, I have greatly enjoyed the discussions at the Provost Circle events over the past several months. The sessions have been well-attended, and participants have engaged with enthusiasm and candor. A special ‘thank you’ to David Paterson for his support and for facilitating sessions when I was not available. It is clear to me that we need to find more ways to convene similar discussions as a community. Some of the primary themes emerging from the sessions include: 1) It’s all about people and relationships – VIU is a vibrant community with shared values in supporting our learners, 2) The education here is transformative – our role as an access institution is essential and highly effective in providing learning pathways to our students, 3) There is strong interest in innovative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary approaches to the student experience – we need to encourage and support creative endeavours, 4) The unique and valued opportunities that come from having trades, diplomas, degrees and other credentials available on our campus, and 5) The concern that we maintain our institutional reputation as we address the challenges of the current deficit. A more detailed summary will be posted on the Provost’s Office website when the current round of sessions is complete. Our final session will take place on April 23.
At the end of this newsletter, you will find a long list of accomplishments and notable events from our community. I would like to draw particular attention to the advances made in supporting research and scholarly activities through the success in external funding. The resources and opportunities this brings to our learning community is outstanding. Recent highlights include the renewal of a provincial BC Regional Innovation Chair (Danielle Alphonse) and new chair (Farhad Moghimehfar), as well as two new NSERC Discovery Grants (Spencer Russell and Jamie Gorrell). To learn more, please consider attending the Research and Creative Activity Symposium on April 26 and click on the links below to learn more about our colleagues. I also know this is only a small sample of the great work happening across our campuses.
I encourage all of you to find some quality time with family and friends over the upcoming summer vacation period. I will be out exploring and enjoying this beautiful island where we live and work. Perhaps I will see you on the water or on a trail. As always, please reach out to my office if you have any concerns or comments.
Personnel Updates
Dr. Ross MacKay retired on March 28, 2024, after a 30-year career at VIU. Dr. MacKay’s career began in the English department, where he served for a time as Department Chair. In 2012 he was appointed Dean of Arts and Humanities, and in 2018 he became Associate Vice-President, Academic. Dr. MacKay has also chaired multiple committees across campus. A retirement celebration was held for Dr. MacKay on March 5, 2024.
Faculty Activity Reporting Software
It has almost been a year since the launch of the new faculty activity reporting software, Faculty Success. Faculty are reminded to use the software to track their professional development, teaching, scholarship, research, service, and creative activities. Please see the VIUFA-VIU collective agreement, LOA #12 for further background.
Fulbright Research Chair
This year’s Fulbright Research Chair is Dr. Sara Vogel, a researcher from the Hawaii Community College. Dr. Vogel’s research project will be ‘Indigenizing Sexual Education Through Storytelling Curriculum.’ She is on campus with the Faculty of Arts and Humanities from April 1 to July 10, 2024.
Dr. Vogel recently presented at a Soup & Bannock Lunch and Learn on April 9 in the Windsor Plywood Trades Discovery Centre. Her topic was Ancestral Orgasms: Finding Our Way Back to Power and Pleasure. During her talk, Dr. Vogel gave insight on the power and perils of talking about orgasms on college campuses and explored how we can look to our ancestors to find empowered narratives on our bodies and sexuality.
2024 Provost’s Teaching Awards
The nomination period for the 2024 Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching Design and Practice is now closed. Stay tuned for the announcement of the successful candidates.
Provost and Deans
The Provost and Deans are continuing to meet regularly into the 2023-24 academic year to work on the current model of academic operations and program mix. The Provost and Deans webpage provides updates on the meetings and is available to all employees.
Faculty Resources
CIEL posted an in-depth blog post on Generative AI best practices in the classroom. A link to Academic Integrity and Generative Artificial Intelligence: Context, Considerations, Emerging Best Practices can be found under the Additional Resources section.
The CIEL blog has an MS Teams guide to assist with the transition from Zoom to MS Teams.
Good News Stories and Accomplishments
- Nicole Vaugeois was called as a witness to the Standing Committee on Science and Research on the distribution of federal government funding to post-secondary institutions across Canada. Her work in representing VIU and as Chair of the Alliance of Canadian Comprehensive Research Universities is helping to increase the resources available to small and medium-size institutions across the country. The recent federal budget is a strong indicator of success.
- Jean Blackburn has been appointed as the Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL) Executive Director effective April 15, 2024. Jean joins COPPUL from Nanaimo, BC, where she is a grateful guest on the traditional and unceded lands of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. In her 25-year career as a faculty librarian at Vancouver Island University, Jean has worked in a range of leadership roles in collections management and e-resource licensing, interlibrary loans and data services. She has worked closely with colleagues to lead and coordinate digital preservation, scholarly communications and Indigenization and decolonization initiatives. Jean has contributed to many significant strategic and operational changes at VIU Library, promoted open access publishing, respectful representation of Indigenous peoples and knowledges, and equitable access to resources for library users. Jean has significant experience within consortia, having been an active participant in a range of COPPUL committees, CRKN committees, and BC ELN committees.
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing Professor Caroline Variath was featured in the Nanaimo Bulletin for receiving the Michael Smith Health Research BC award for research in medical assistance in dying.
- Honorary Research Associate Liz Hammond-Haarremaa was part of a study that sheds new light on the ancestry and genetics of woolly dogs, a now-extinct breed that lived with Indigenous Coast Salish communities. This study was published in the journal, Science.
- English Professor Dr. Mike Roberson presented three perspectives on the value of failure during his lecture at the 2023 VIU Arts and Humanities Colloquium.
- Craig Evans, a former Workplace Essential Skills Training program worksite trainer, was featured in Nanaimo News Now for being posthumously awarded the provincial Medal of Good Citizenship (MGC).
- Anthropology Professor Dr. Marie Hopwood and former student Melissa Ayling cowrote the article ‘Pouring the Past: Questions of Authenticity in Ancient Beer Recreations.’
- Honorary Research Associate Dr. Laura Ann Cranmer wrote ‘Scenes from the Nanaimo Indian Hospital,’ which was performed at the Sid Williams Theatre in Courtenay, the Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River the Port Theatre and the Malaspina Theatre. Read the Discourse article on how Dr. Laura Ann Cranmer’s push to reclaim her story through theatre.
- Access Specialist Mary Stasiuk was featured in Nanaimo News Now for sharing her expertise in assistive hearing technology used in VIU’s classrooms and the assistive hearing technology pilot project in Nanaimo facilities.
- Instructor Tom Leavitt shared his expertise on the physics of sound and music in an episode of a local film series, Found in Sound. Read the Nanaimo Bulletin article about the Found in Sound series.
- Geography Professor Alan Gilchrist shared his expertise on how the island's snowpack being low could lead to a bad fire season in the Times Colonist.
- VIU Cowichan campus now offers in-person lab classes for the pharmacy technician program at Selkirk College. Read the Times Colonist article about the pharmacy technicians who are set to graduate.
- Dr. Melissa Huggan received $147,500 in NSERC grants to pursue her research in adversarial situations on networks.
- Sociology Professor Jerry Hinbest was featured in the Nanaimo Bulletin for sharing his expertise on modern matchmaking in reference to the Hullo ferry speed dating event.
- Creative Writing Professor and Nanaimo author Susan Juby was featured in the Nanaimo Bulletin for releasing her murder mystery novel titled A Meditation on Murder.
- Environmental Science Professor Dr. Erik Krogh was featured in CHLY for sharing his expertise on climate change in response to a recent Regional District of Nanaimo meeting.
- Faculty of Management Instructor Dr. Farhad Moghimehfar was named the new BC Regional Innovation Chair for Tourism and Sustainable Rural Development.
- VIU was featured in The Globe and Mail for being awarded $2.4 million from the Terry Fox Research Institute to go towards the VIU Metabolomics Group, a research team that will use advanced imaging technology to disrupt cancer growth and progression.
- VIU’s dental clinic was featured in Nanaimo News Now for 'breaking down care barriers' and offering free services on Saturday, March 2, for children aged 5 to 12.
- The Dental Hygiene program was featured in CBC News for providing low-cost services to adults and children.
- Dr. Sean Carleton, settler historian and Assistant Professor in the Departments of History and Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba, hosted a talk at the tiwšɛmawtxʷ campus that examined the origins of the settler colonial rule and the legacy of Israel Wood Powell.
- Modern Languages Studies Professor Dr. Yoichi Mukai is using eye-tracking technology to explore second-language acquisition.
- Finance Professor Dr. Charles Schell provided his insight in Victoria Now's article on the BC NDP’s provincial budget for 2024.
- VIU Psychology Professor Dr. Marla Morden is using innovative eye-tracking technology to conduct her research on the phenomenon called “mommy brain.”
- Former Dean of Arts and Humanities Dean Dr. Marni Stanley was featured in the Times Colonist for donating almost 1,000 rare comic and graphic novels to VIU’s library.
- Media Studies and Creative Writing Instructor Joy Gugeler presented at the Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series. Her presentation was titled ‘Time Travelling through the Portal: The Evolution and Issues of a National Literary Magazine.’
- Computer Science Professor Dr. Ajay Shrestha recently shared his expertise on the Computer Science program in the VIU Blog article '5 Questions with Ajay Shrestha.'
- Astronomy Professor Dr. Greg Arkos was featured in Nanaimo News Now for sharing his expertise on the lunar eclipse that occurred on March 24, 2024.
- Erik Krogh, VIU’s Applied Environmental Research Laboratories Co-Director, was featured in Chek News to share his studies on how toxins released from vehicle tires end up in nearby rivers and streams when it rains, affecting the salmon even at low levels.
- Carpentry Instructor Andrew Macleod and student Emily Behm were featured on CBC Radio to share their expertise on how building tiny homes can help with housing shortages. Cowichan Carpentry students are building a tiny home to be delivered to a property in Saanich.
- VIU’s Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership Dr. Michael MacKenzie spoke on April 15 at the Engaged Citizens Speaker Series where he discussed the topic ‘Bad Leaders, Bad Followers: Threats to democracy that we don’t talk about enough.’
- The Office of Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity hosted CREATE; a week-long student conference that showcases research projects across campus.
- The Faculty of Trades and Applied Technology were featured in the Nanaimo Bulletin for hosting the VIU Trades & Tech Showcase; an event that showcases VIU’s trades programs and career opportunities.
- The VIU Engineering Annual Design Challenge took place on April 12, where first-year engineering design students took on the challenge of building a moveable bridge structure to facilitate a tram route over a canal.
- VIU’s Canada Research Chair Dr. Sean Sloan co-wrote the article 'Ghost roads and the destruction of Asia-Pacific tropical forests.'
- VIU was featured in Chek News for celebrating its first group of graduates of the Stewardship Technician Training Program and Indigenous Marine Technician Program on April 12.
- Student and Employer Engagement Coordinator Jonah Ferguson was featured in Global BC and CKNW’s Future of Work series where he shared his expertise on finding and applying for work.
- VIU's Canada Research Chair in Shellfish Health and Genomics, Dr. Tim Green, was also featured in Global BC and CKNW's Future of Work series, sharing his work on breeding the world's most resilient oyster.
- Information Technology and Applied Systems students were featured in the Nanaimo Bulletin for sharing their projects they have been working on throughout the term at the ITAS Project Fair.