VIU Cuts Programs and Services Amid Budget Challenges

August 16, 2025

Vancouver Island University (VIU) has announced major restructuring plans as it works to address a significant financial shortfall. Following a Board of Governors meeting on June 3, the university confirmed the upcoming cancellation of multiple academic programs, reductions in staffing, and other cost-cutting changes.

According to reporting from Nanaimo News Now, ten programs will be phased out starting in fall 2025, with four more ending in 2026. Among the affected offerings are the Master of Community Planning, the Digital Media Studies minor, and several Graduate Diploma programs in fields like Hospitality and International Trade. The Dental Assistant program is also set to wind down by September 2026.

In addition to academic cuts, VIU is discontinuing its internal bus fleet, closing The High School on campus, and ending its partnership with Elder College.

Outgoing acting president Emily Huner told Nanaimo News Now that students currently enrolled in affected programs will be supported through to graduation. She emphasized that these changes are part of VIU’s broader Deficit Mitigation Plan, aimed at achieving a balanced budget by March 2026.

While the school recorded an $8.3 million surplus this year, Huner explained that most of that came from one-time provincial grants and a property sale in Parksville. Operational expenses have continued to rise, and the university still faces a multi-million dollar gap to close.

So far, VIU has secured $6.35 million toward its $18 million deficit reduction goal.

Read the full list of affected programs.