Draft AD03 Naming of University Assets, Academic Entities and Honorific Recognition replaces 21.09 Naming VIU Faculties, Departments, Physical Assets, Groups and Teams.
The purpose of this policy is to establish the principles, governance framework, and approval authorities for naming, renaming, and honourific recognition of Vancouver Island University academic entities, assets, and places of institutional significance.
About the policy consultation
Consultation on the draft policy is now open and members of the VIU community are invited to share their feedback. The consultation runs from August 19 until 4:00 p.m. on September 2, 2026. Input received during the community consultation will help inform changes to the proposed policy. Any feedback or submissions received after the consultation period concludes may not be reflected in the revised policy or in the consultation summary report.
Policy information
The new draft policy moves away from policies that simply describe donor recognition and towards a policy that governs all university naming decisions, whether or not philanthropy is involved. VIU has a Donations and Gifts policy which governs gifts; the Naming Policy governs only naming. The new policy focuses on principles and recognizes five types of naming including functional naming, honorary naming, philanthropic naming, Indigenous naming, temporary or sponsored naming, and renaming and revocation. It provides principles for these categories and leaves operational considerations to a procedure.
Documents for review
Share your input
Once you have reviewed the draft policy, please share your feedback in one of the following ways:
- By taking this short survey
- By sending an email to: policy@viu.ca
- By writing to:
Policy Office
Office of the General Counsel and University Secretary
Nanaimo Campus
Building: 305, Room: 432
Mail drop: 305-4A
All feedback will be reported in public consultation reports and to the Board of Governors in accordance with FIOPPA. Feedback will be anonymized in all reporting.
Formal submissions
Formal submissions from groups or organizations can be submitted by email to policy@viu.ca or in writing (see above). Please state the name of your group and the position of the person submitting the feedback. These submissions will be provided in consultation reports and to the Board of Governors. They will not be anonymized and feedback will be attributed in reporting. Any personal information (with the exception of who provided the submission) will be redacted in accordance with FIOPPA.
Thank you for participating!
Once consultation is complete, this policy will go through the Board of Governors approval process. The policy may be updated based on the feedback received. The Policy Office may also make minor changes to formatting/wording for consistency. Consultation feedback and policy changes will be outlined in the consultation report. The consultation report will be provided to the Board of Governors and posted on this policy page.
We anticipate this draft policy will be provided to the November 26, 2026 Board of Governors meeting for approval. Check back on the AD03 naming policy page for updates as this policy moves through the policy approval process.