Severe Weather - Nanaimo Campus

The following procedures are used in the event that VIU must close campuses and facilities due to severe weather conditions.

  • VIU’s Facilities Services department monitors local weather stations, RCMP advisories, and other weather and road information sources for reports. They also speak with partners in the region including School Districts and transit before making a decision to close campuses and facilities due to severe weather conditions.

Work and Study Remotely

With the ability to work and study remotely, some of us may be able to continue to work and study when our campuses and facilities close due to severe weather. As an employee, if you need input or direction, please contact your manager. If you are a student and are unsure, please check with your instructor.

Please do not attempt to travel to a closed location until you have received confirmation that it has been reopened.

Severe Weather Procedure

  • A decision will be made by 6:30 am on whether or not the campus(es) and facilities experiencing severe weather will be closed with any morning classes or exams that are on campus cancelled.
  • If the decision to close is made, the first message announcing a closure will be sent out by 6:30 am through VIU’s Safety App, followed by a notice on the VIU website, direct email messages and through VIU social media platforms (see below for full details).
      • If campuses/facilities are closed, morning classes and exams taking place on campus will be cancelled.
  • An update will be announced by 11:30 am on whether or not campuses and facilities will remain closed or will reopen for classes starting at 1 pm or later. This announcement could also include a decision to close any affected campuses or facilities that have not already been closed if weather is deteriorating.
      • If campuses/facilities remain closed or are closed at 11:30 am, afternoon and evening classes and exams taking place on campus will be cancelled.
      • Campuses and facilities that are closed or remain closed as of 11:30 am on a particular day are considered to be closed until an announcement is made that they are reopened. Employees scheduled to work on campus the following day should not report to work until an announcement is made that the campus/facility has been reopened.

Please note: Classes or exams that are not scheduled on campus or at one of our facilities during a campus closure will not be cancelled.

How to find out about campus/facility closures

The VIU Safety App will have the most up-to-date information. To receive push/screen notifications from the VIU Safety App, go to your phone’s settings, scroll down, click on “VIU Safety,” and then enable “Allow Notifications.” You can also verify your device is subscribed to push notifications within the app by launching the app on your phone, selecting “About/Preferences” and selecting “Push Notifications.” If your push notifications are still not working, please see this document on troubleshooting problems with notifications. 

Updates will also be posted on: 

  1. VIU’s website banner: viu.ca

  2. VIU’s Facebook page: facebook.com/viuniversity

  3. VIU’s X account: @VIUniversity

  4. Email: employee emails; student emails (note: there can be a delay of up to one hour due to VIU's bulk emailing system; please check the Safety App and website banner for immediate, up-to-date information)

  5. Signs posted on campus:

Closures can occur outside of 6:30 and 11:30 am

Remember that although every effort will be made to communicate these messages by 6:30 am on the day of the closure, there may be times when weather conditions change quickly and a decision to close the campus will need to be made after 6:30 am.

Be aware of microclimates

There are many micro-climates in and around our various campuses. This means the campus might be safe but other areas are not. Because of this, VIU's employees and students are expected to use their best judgement based on the conditions in their area when deciding if they are able to come in if the campus is open.

How does VIU make the decision to close a campus or facility?

  • A decision to close or not to close is made based on the safety of the grounds of VIU’s campuses and facilities, taking into consideration a number of different factors. The Facilities team also takes into consideration what other public organizations are doing in our regions as well as BC Transit. 

Thank you all for your understanding and cooperation as we work to manage the complex process of campus and facility closures due to severe weather. 

Please email Facility@viu.ca with any questions.

Preparing for extreme weather