Budget Information Session Q&A

It is not sustainable. To meet our financial obligations, we are currently using our savings and investment funds. It is not fiscally responsible to continue to do so, and at a certain point we will no longer have savings/investments to draw from. Additionally, the province only allowed postsecondary institutions to run deficit budgets until 2022 as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Permission from the province is required for institutions to run deficit budgets going forward.

We do not anticipate widespread institutional layoffs under our current budget scenario. All department budget holders have been asked to reduce their proposed 2023-24 budgets. In some cases, strategic investment will still need to be made within departments to increase revenue or complete necessary projects. In these cases, some departments may be required to reduce the number of positions in order to achieve reduced overall budget spending.

Packages like early retirement can be an option in certain circumstances. One circumstance would be if it would eliminate a layoff. However, to help realize an overall reduction in spending, any position vacated by early retirement would require to not to be filled, filled by a lower paid position, or filled at a reduced FTE.

We are not aware of any new funding coming from the province to address our deficit. However, we are in constant contact with our government partners to explore opportunities to address the reality of a structure deficit.

The province recognizes that the current funding model for postsecondary institutions has created constraints and inequities for some postsecondary institutions and last fall announced they will be undertaking a review of postsecondary funding. This process is ongoing and we do not know if it will mean a change in situation for VIU.

To mitigate VIU’s deficit and recover financially, a Financial Recovery Task Force was created to receive and investigate ideas and solutions for improving the university’s financial situation.

The Task Force received 60 submissions. To focus on ideas with the most viable fiscal impact, an initial review was performed, assessing the clarity of the idea and whether it could be implemented within a time range that would mitigate the deficit.

Some of the ideas submitted have immediate financial impact however, the majority of those being implemented are recruitment focussed and will take longer to realize and are not expected to significantly impact the 2023-24 budget.

An internal website was created to allow for transparency in the process. Learn more on the Financial Recovery website about the suggestions made and how you can play a role in the recovery.

International students are valued members of our Vancouver Island University community. We strive to fully support international students at VIU to make sure they have a positive, fulfilling experience studying at VIU that meets their expectations.

While VIU was able to hold the increase to international student tuition at 2 percent last year, it is not possible to do this in 2023-24. Focusing on ensuring our students receive the service and support that leads to the quality of education that results in VIU consistently receiving high student satisfaction rates for the quality of its teaching and learning environment as well as for the overall international student experience is an important tool to increase international student enrolment.

We appreciate the Students’ Union’s call for fairness and equity for all students. However, unlike domestic students, post-secondary institutions in British Columbia do not receive provincial funding for international students. The Province of BC expects institutions to set tuition fees for international students at a level that covers the direct costs and overhead. 

For many students who have applied to VIU, receiving their study visas through Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) continues to be a challenge. The pandemic created a backlog and we have been told IRCC is working diligently to resolve that backlog. We continue to work with our government contacts in Ottawa to address this delay so that students who have applied to VIU can receive their study visas in a timely manner.

As part of our enrolment management discussions, we are working with Deans to review international student enrolments by program, paying particular attention to high demand programs.  In some cases, there are government imposed restrictions on international student access to programs (i.e. Nursing).  However, new programs like the Medical Health Care Assistant Diploma will facilitate enrolments for international students at VIU.  We also work closely with the Faculty of Academic and Career Preparation to support all international applicants who may be deficient in an admission requirement, in accessing pathways to Diploma and Degree Programs at VIU. 

Another area we are exploring is the potential to meet the international demand for Trades programs, but there are currently provincial barriers to that expansion.