Vancouver Island University continues to dig itself out of a significant deficit, estimated to be around $12 million as of the start of classes this September. (VIU)

By Alex Rawnsley

deficit reduction

‘Make it financially sustainable:’ interim VIU president navigating budgetary challenges

Sep 5, 2025 | 2:17 PM

NANAIMO — With a clear mandate to “turn VIU around”, the university’s new interim president is making his first moves.

Hired in June to replace Deborah Saucier, who left in early April amid calls for her resignation, Dr. Dennis Johnson will be at the helm of Vancouver Island University for a term of up to two years, bringing decades of post-secondary experience to the school.

In his opening months on the job, Johnson said he has begun comprehensive reviews into different areas of the university’s budget and processes.

“It’s no secret that VIU and many other institutions in the sector are really dealing with financial challenges first and foremost, so my mandate is to try to turn VIU around and make it financially sustainable. That means we need a disciplined approach to reviewing what we do and really focusing on our core priorities.”

Top of the list for Johnson is balancing VIU’s budget, with the school running a significant deficit.

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The previous administration, under Saucier and continued under then-acting president Emily Huner, took the first steps towards a healthier financial outlook via a Deficit Management Plan.

It included the cutting of several programs beginning in September 2025, including the Master of Community Planning program, as well as certifications in digital media studies, project management and hospitality management.

Further cuts are planned next September in the dental assistant program and three other graduate diploma programs.

Interim VIU president Dr. Dennis Johnson is tasked with righting the ship for VIU over the next two years. (VIU)

It’s all in a bid to cut around $18 million in costs, of which VIU has achieved around a third as of June. Johnson told NanaimoNewsNOW they’re looking at every possible way to increase revenue and drop costs.

“This is not a one-size-fits-all, big bang approach; it’s going to be a lot of just roll up our sleeves, why do we do it this way? What’s it costing us? Can we be more effective, more efficient?”

One example Johnson provided was likely trimming VIU’s vehicle fleet, saving in insurance, gas, and other related costs.

More impactful spending adjustments will come after further discussions with different groups on campus, many of whom have only returned in the last two weeks.

“We’ve taken care of some of the immediate opportunities, but a lot of the future decisions need a more evidence-informed, disciplined approach, and that’s really where we’re going in the next few months.”

Johnson cited the need to respect the university’s governance process and existing collective agreements as essential steps in any changes.

Many of the challenges for Johnson, VIU and other post-secondary institutions across the country are changes in the student landscape.

He said there is a nationwide trend of fewer grade 12 graduates every year, reducing the potential pool of domestic students looking to advance their education.

A dramatic drop in the number of international students allowed into the country was a “shock to the system”, according to Johnson.

He added the university would focus a lot on student retention as a first step.

“We start a lot of students that don’t actually graduate with our parchment. They move on somewhere else, or they maybe stop out, so one of the many projects we need to do is to really look at how do we try to make sure students start and finish here, and they have the right credentials to go on to a really successful career.”

Johnson also addressed an apparent disconnect between university administration and key groups at the school, including both students and faculty.

Several protests and other demonstrations have occurred in recent years, as well as different faculty groups speaking out about the direction the university was headed.

Johnson said he wants to host town halls and focus groups with many of those groups in an attempt to chart a clear, united path forward.

“It’s tough times, and not everybody’s going to be happy with the decisions that we need to make. Everybody always asks for transparency; we’ll certainly try our best.”

Prior to his position at VIU, Johnson was president at College of New Caledonia, in Prince George, in addition to previous senior roles at Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

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