Vancouver Island University has been in an operational deficit since 2019. In other words, VIU has spent more money than they have been able to bring in. To put it bluntly, VIU is $185 million in debt.

Who does this affect? The simple answer is everybody. The complicated answer dives into individual programs, services offered to students, and course capacity.

At the beginning of March, the VIU Students’ Union released an email to all students with a call to action regarding leadership and library access. The email outlined how the university’s financial reserves have almost been depleted with VIU now relying on provincial funding for payroll, that approximately $900k has been spent on PR consultants/security, and how students have been shut out from communication and decisions.

Most significantly, the March 6 email criticized the leadership of VIU’s President, notifying students of VIUSU’s motion for the removal of President Deborah Saucier submitted to the VIU Board of Governors.

On March 18, The Nav met with VIUSU to discuss how the union is actively advocating for students through this financial crisis. VIUSU’s oncoming Director of External Relations, Brandi Klee, and Organizer of Strategic Priorities and Governance, Janelle Wilson, explained in further depth the crisis VIU is and has been facing for some time.

“The financial downfall VIU has been facing has been occurring over the last six years but really has come into play in the last year through cutting of the library hours, through the childcare centre, and [through] the mismanagement of funds. [This] leaves us out of eight million dollars invested into our community,” Klee explained.

The childcare centre development started last year, but construction halted in March without consultation or approval from the Board of Governors. According to VIUSU, the board wasn’t informed until this past December, eight months after the construction stop date.

VIU’s 2023-24 Annual Financial Report reveals a negative variance of $6.1 million under Capital Expenses. An overwhelming majority of that expense is due to “the university’s decision to write off $5.5 million of capital work in progress for development and construction of specific projects that would not realize future economic benefits.” The report does not explicitly state which project ceased construction, but it crosses paths timewise with the childcare centre.

Furthermore, representatives of VIUSU report the student housing project is two years behind schedule and more than $20 million over budget. This is now an added stressor to the overflowing debt VIU is facing.

Klee maintained that President Saucier has been ignoring students’ input and voices throughout these decisions.

VIUSU has had unproductive conversations when it comes to mitigation. There has been a lack of open dialogue, student-centred conversations, and overall collaboration between the two parties.

As a representative from VIU administration, Communications Manager Jenn McGarrigle disclosed information to The Nav regarding the institution’s financial statements and communication procedures. On behalf of VIU, McGarrigle stated that the university “had been meeting regularly with VIUSU,” but that “VIUSU has recently declined invitations to continue these discussions.”

VIU claims that despite financial challenges, their focus remains steadfast on the students, improving student experience, and fostering meaningful relationships for student engagement.

However, after VIU’s drastic cutback of library hours from 24/7 to 7 am–midnight last May, VIU once again covertly reduced its hours of operation, closing the library at 11 pm.

VIUSU fought back by organizing a petition demanding the reinstatement of the VIU Library’s original 24/7 hours “to ensure students have the resources they need to succeed.”

According to Klee, the petition garnered 821 signatures in just two weeks. “We were received very well in the library, outside in the quad, outside the library when we were petitioning. Almost every single student that we went up to wanted to take at least a flyer,” she said.

In response to the petition, VIU announced March 13 via email that it would temporarily extend library hours from March 31 until the end of the exam period on April 25. The library will stay open until 1 am during this time.

The following day, VIUSU responded via an Instagram post captioned, “While this may seem like progress, it’s not enough and was once again decided without student consultation,” tagging @viuniversity, “This still isn’t good enough.”

Not all the demands were met, and so the petition is still open for students, faculty, and the community to sign. As of today, April 3, the petition has 1237 supporters—just over halfway to reaching its 2000 signature goal. However, it’s clear that the parties won’t reach an agreement without productive communication.

According to VIUSU, the university stated that its library hours were reduced due to security concerns. As evidence to the contrary, VIUSU cited a 2023 survey wherein 91 percent of respondents reported feeling safe in the library. As stated in VIUSU’s student-wide email dated March 6, “Less than a year ago, [President Saucier] moved her and her executive team’s offices at an undisclosed but significant cost…now, she’s moving again. This time into the library she claimed was ‘unsafe’ for students.”

This highlights the frustration that students and the union are facing regarding Saucier and her leadership. It begs the question: what’s next?

As Wilson explained, VIU risks program cuts, course reductions, layoffs, and significant faculty burnout due to the strenuous amount of responsibility placed on the few faculty members left.

Every student The Nav reached out to for comment requested to remain anonymous, some in fear of consequences from VIU without warning.

A former student in the Marine Biology (MB) program was personally affected by budget cuts. He entered the MB program back in 2018 and started to notice in his second year that his program was adjusting. “[During] COVID I noticed things were starting to change … a lot of other students were jumping ship and going to UVIC [University of Victoria] and their Marine Biology program,” he stated.

When he returned to in-person classes, the familiar professors he learned to love and respect had suddenly been replaced. “There was a professor who put on [a] physics show to get funding for the department and [he] got canned. I believe he was the head of the department at the time and he was just gone.”

He was never officially informed that his program had been completely changed and only noticed when he logged onto his Student Record and saw that his degree had changed from Bachelor of Science to Bachelor of Arts.

He later found out from an advisor that VIU stopped offering the MB program. Even with all the courses he had completed, he was only able to graduate with a General Sciences degree at best and required an additional two years of courses. “I would have needed to reapply to the Sciences degree and repay their application fees. I didn’t like hearing that,” he said.

“I was mid-term when I was told this. I didn’t bother finishing out the term,” he said. “I should have. I failed the five courses I was taking because I stopped showing up.” After being thoroughly let down by VIU, he decided to pursue his love for the ocean in a different way and earn his commercial diving certificate.

When asked if he would’ve done anything differently if given the chance, he said he would have gone to UVIC earlier, and if he knew what the outcome would’ve been for him, he never would have applied to VIU in the first place.

“I do still plan on getting a degree in Marine Biology from somewhere. I’m going to start fresh eventually,” he said. Unfortunately, VIU took opportunities, time, and money away from him.

VIUSU explained what students can expect from their educational institution in the future. This includes less 400-level course offerings, such as in the Sociology and Political Studies department where this has already come into effect. As Klee pointed out, not a single 400-level course was offered in the Political Studies department this year besides directed studies requiring instructor permission.

The lack of communication has been the greatest struggle. “The fact that this union is left out of so many conversations when these decisions are being made, that’s the problem in and of itself,” Wilson said.

The disconnection between leadership and students is impertinent.

Peer Supported Learning (PSL) has faced this head on with a decrease of leaders over the past few years. PSL is a supplemental instruction program run by students who specialize in a specific course. This can be psychology, biology, math, hospitality, and others.

A student involved with PSL explained that “leaders help [students] with historically difficult courses to get through course content.” This includes facilitating study sessions so that leaders can help students with their course content, study habits, and learning techniques, they said.

High school doesn’t typically teach students how to take tests, study effectively, deal with exam anxiety, or how to efficiently read and take notes from textbooks. PSL offers this much needed help as a peer-to-peer liaison. Whether it’s sitting in on the students’ lectures, offering study tips, or being that safe space for students to ask questions, PSL is a crucial aspect of VIU.

PSL has been greatly affected by budgetary cuts. Within the last couple years, leaders working across 10 different programs have been cut down from 40 to 12. “With budgetary cuts, there hasn’t been the availability for the kind of visibility and extra time that is needed,” the source said. Leaders used to be able to hold individual office hours that were frequently used by students, especially in the fall term. “Now the library hours are only being held three hours a week by the team lead.”

PSL leaders also used to receive training on the available campus resources as well as safe talk, which allowed them to recognize and offer help if someone was at risk of suicidal ideation. “I personally believe that there’s going to be a drop in the quality of work and grades that are going to come out of losing a resource like this and that safe space for the students,” they said.

When will PSL be shut down? That is one of the many unknowns that stems from the lack of communication. Many students come to the union out of frustration as rumours are constantly circulating but administration offers little factual information. From Wilson’s perspective, this all comes back to the lack of transparency from our administration.

“It was so easy for them to shut down library hours and it didn’t seem like they thought twice about the impact on students,” Klee said.

“We can only imagine what other services will be cut if they think that pattern of decision-making is acceptable.”

On March 26, The Nav reached out to VIU’s administration and they were able to provide explanations to many of the community’s questions. When asked about VIU’s financial situation, administration stated that they have a multi-year deficit mitigation plan.

“Like almost all post-secondary institutions, VIU faces challenges such as shifting enrolment trends, regulatory changes, and rising costs. The multi-year plans include strategic adjustments across academic and service units, operational efficiencies, and revenue growth opportunities,” the representative explained, adding that VIU has the provincial government of BC’s full support with this plan.

Another factor in consideration is that VIU cannot file for bankruptcy. Post-secondary institutions are public sector entities, deeming this impossible. “Our deficits become their deficits,” VIU stated.

There is no doubt that the pandemic and inflation has played a huge role in VIU’s debt. There has been a reported decrease in student enrolment, an increased cost to student services, and a globally experienced record inflation. But with all these ongoing factors, why is it that our institution has taken such a big hit?

With an $18 million reduction in expenditures put in place for the 2025–26 year, how will VIU recover when this will only put a small dent in the overall debt of $185 million?

Last spring, VIU formed a Budget Advisory Council to make recommendations on budget allocations for upcoming fiscal periods and to recommend multi-year funding directions. This involves sending out surveys regarding student feedback on budget allocations, which is greatly taken into account. VIU has also set up an email specifically for this feedback, heavily encouraging students to send questions, comments, and concerns to budgetfeedback@viu.ca.

We have put our trust into VIU’s hands to deliver our education to the best of their abilities. Along with multiple other programs, the Creative Writing and Journalism department has seen a decreasing number of students permitted to enroll in classes. Many of these crucial classes—classes we need to graduate and complete our degree—are no longer offered yearly.

These are questions students should not be having after pouring their blood, sweat, tears, and dollars into this institution.

On March 27, a message from VIU Board Chair Jamie Cassels announced Dr. Deborah Saucier’s decision to step down from her roles as President and Vice-Chancellor effective April 4. The Board of Governors has appointed Chief Financial Officer and Vice-President Emily Huner to take her place.

VIUSU has since issued a press release statement assuring students that they are “committed to working with university leadership, faculty, staff, and the wider community to rebuild VIU on a stronger foundation.”

Later that afternoon, VIUSU took to social media to emphasize that while Saucier’s departure constitutes progress—labelling the transition a “turning point” for VIU administration—there is still much work to be done. “We’re not backing down,” VIUSU stated, stressing the importance of maintaining momentum and empowering students to continue speaking out. “We’re focused on what’s next.”

Students and faculty should be proud to show their support for VIU and feel confident in its abilities as an institution designed to foster growth and development on both individual and collective scales. Students shouldn’t have to push for a redesign, but with so many design flaws left in the blueprint, it’s better we work together—and about time VIU let us in on its construction.

Although this change in leadership is a small step forward in solving the university’s financial and other crises, students are hopeful it has put VIU on the right path—one leading toward a brighter future.