VIU Welcomes New Students with Two Weeks of Events and Activities

RockVIU: New Student Orientation takes place August 23 to September 3 and includes a mix of virtual and in-person events and activities.

After a year and a half of online learning for many, Vancouver Island University (VIU) is gearing up to welcome more students back to campus this fall.

With two cohorts of students who have never set foot on VIU campuses before – both first-year and many second-year students – the RockVIU: New Student Orientation committee has been hard at work organizing two weeks of welcome back events to get students connected to services, supports, their professors and each other.

“This year our focus is on easing the transition back to in-person classes after a year of learning online,” says student Maria Clemotte, RockVIU Co-Event Lead. “We are starting off the first week with a chance for new and second-year students to make connections with third- and fourth-year students, who can answer any questions they have about what it’s like to be a VIU student, as well as chances to meet staff and learn more about what supports are available to them.”

The events, organized by the Office of Co-Curricular Engagement and Learning, began on August 23, when students have the chance to connect with peer mentors and have their questions answered in online Beach Fire Chat sessions. There will also be small-group excursions on the Nanaimo campus that include chances to interact with services all over the campus and participate in activities together.

Week two is an action-packed week filled with events to help students meet other students, their faculty and get familiar with student services. In-person events include VIU’s Got Talent, an outdoor movie and pizza night, and a Connect Fair Festival and barbecue. Students are also organizing an interactive art exhibition, during which peers can view visual art and dance performances that reflect what the past year of online learning has been like and contribute their hopes and dreams to the first-ever RockVIU Time Capsule.

Online sessions include the opening ceremony, question and answer panels, student experience talks, virtual campus adventure and even a session for parents who want to know a bit more about VIU and how to better support their learner.

The online events will be recorded and accessible for students to watch on their own schedules through the VIU Co-Curricular Involvement App, which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play store or accessed on a desktop via viu.ca/ccr.

“This past year has been a transitional year for many students and RockVIU 2021 is designed to welcome students back in a meaningful and respectful way,” says Omar Karim, Coordinator and Manager of the Office of Co-curricular Engagement and Learning. “This is your chance to build relationships with your campus community, make new friends and start feeling a bit more comfortable with returning to campus and how to access services to navigate university life.”

The presenting partner for RockVIU 2021 is Panago Pizza. For more information, visit the Rock VIU website.

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Media Contact:

Jenn McGarrigle, External Communications Advisor, Vancouver Island University

C: 250.619.6860 |E: Jenn.McGarrigle@viu.ca T: @VIUNews