VIU Students' Union
900 Fifth street V9R 5S5 Nanaimo, BC, Canada

To all the students studying near Nanaimo or around the world, the VIU Students’ Union wishes you a happy holidays. We hope you have a safe and fun winter break, and we look forward to seeing you in person or online when school restarts in the New Year!

This holiday season will be challenging for a lot of us. Remember: students have a free, 24/7 counselling and referral service to turn to when you're feeling lo...w and need to talk. It's okay to not feel okay. Stress, loneliness, and anxiety don't take a holiday. Your mental health matters. See more

As the semester draws to a close, and final grades are received etc., if you find yourself needing advocacy please reach out to our Students' Advocate. You can request a meeting for January through the link in the comments. Sarah Segal is the Students' Union's Student Advocate. She assists members (students at VIU) with addressing fairness issues, resolving disputes and filing appeals within the structure of Vancouver Island University, and works to ensure that in dealing with student appeals and complaints, VIU is applying the principles of procedural fairness to its processes and structures.

VIUSU Extended Health and Dental Plan - January Enrollment !!Check your student record!! to see if you have been assessed the Health and Dental Fee for the January 2021 semester. Need to opt out? You must have another extended health and dental plan in place.... IMPORTANT DATES Fee Deadline: January 21, 2021 Opt-out Deadline: January 21, 2021 Deadline to add dependents: February 28, 2021 More information about the Plan: viusu.ca/health-and-dental/ Contact Plan Administrator: [email protected] #viusu #viuniversity

1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence within their lifetimes, often perpetrated by an intimate partner. LGBTQ2+ women, indigenous women, and women of colour are all more likely to be targeted in acts of gender based violence. These statistics have been shared for years, and serious action is long overdue. This year the theme for the 16 Days of Activism is #OurActionsMatter, we know that incidents of domestic violence have increased with COVID-19. Let's all ref...lect on how our actions impact others. Listen: be open to learning from the experience of others Believe: support survivors and those affected by violence Speak Out: add your voice to call out violence Intervene: find a safe way to help when you see acts of gender-based violence Act: give your time to organizations working to end violence See more

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence starts with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25th and ends on December 10th, with World Human Rights Day. For more information visit: https://16dayscampaign.org/

November 30th is the last day for academic penaltyfree withdrawal from a Fall Semester course or program, or to change from credit to audit in academic programs. If you are in need of assistance with figuring out your classes or planning for next year, book to meet with an Educational Advisor at https://services.viu.ca/advising

VIU Students' Union is calling for public donations of red dresses to contribute to an on campus display of the Red Dress Project (more info here: http://www.theredressproject.org/). If you have a dress to donate, you can drop off at building 193 on the Nanaimo campus during office hours (Tues - Thurs 10 - 4), or email [email protected] to arrange for local pick up