VIU expecting balanced budgets amid years of financial turmoil

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A Deficit Mitigation Plan was enacted in 2025, prior to Johnson’s hiring, which aimed to cut costs by around $18 million.

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VIU expecting balanced budgets amid years of financial turmoil

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Early steps saw a reduction of around $6.35 million through some course cancellations, staffing moves, and other measures, however reaching the full goal was expected to take multiple years.

An $8.3 million surplus in 2024/25 was largely due to one-time government grants, the University said at the time, along with the sale of property in Parksville.

The provincial government prohibits public universities, such as VIU, from running deficit budgets.

Johnson told NanaimoNewsNOW during a September 2025 interview every option was on the table to reduce operating expenses, including reducing the school’s vehicle fleet, which also saves insurance, gas, and maintenance costs.

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

In addition to a more secure financial future in the short term, the University is seeing increased student interest for the years ahead.

“Domestic applications are on the rise and there is stable international demand, along with gains in admissions for Fall 2026,” the release noted. “A new student housing building, expected to open in fall 2027, will further support enrolment growth and the student experience.”

Student retention was a goal outlined by Johnson in September, saying he wanted to ensure those who started with VIU stick with the school wherever possible.

“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.”

Additional financial support for students, through a new financial aid campaign, is expected to help bolster recruitment and retention of students in the years ahead.

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