Resources for Faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences Online Fillable Forms

Please download and save to your device before filling in, emailing or printing

Before Semester

Semester Start-up

During Semester

Semester Wrap-up

After Semester

Degree and Curriculum Development

Further information is available on VIU's University Planning and Analysis Web site. 
Click here for the status of curriculum changes and proposals.
Click here for the Course Master File. Templates are on the Web site for the Curriculum Committee.

Directed Studies

Registration processing time is 3 to 5 business days.

Please read and follow all the steps provided here. If you have questions, please contact the Faculty Secretary who will be able to guide you along.

There are two Directed Studies (DS) forms to choose from, depending on what the student needs.

See below to download DS form or obtain a paper copy from bulletin board above Assignment Drop Box outside Dean's Office (B356, R310).

  1. Directed Studies or Senior Project Registration form
    • Class maximum of 5 students with the same start and end date.
    • As per the VIUFA contract, instructors can have up to 10 students for Directed Studies. Over 10 students requires Dean's approval.
  2. Honours in Psychology (Psyc 490/491) Registration form
    • Class maximum of 1 student per section, normally (more than one may be registered if start/end dates, instructor and curriculum plan are identical).

Important - To Help You

  1. Default semester dates are found on your class list(s).
  2. Sometimes a student will need the process expedited in order to meet student loan or International Education requirements; please attach a note to the form when that is the case.
  3. Each Directed Studies form requires your Curriculum Plan for evaluating students' work.

Steps of the Directed Studies (DS) process

  • Complete the appropriate Directed Studies (DS) form and provide curriculum plan. Instructor and student must sign form.
  • Deliver to Department Chair/Coordinator for approval.
  • After Chair/Coordinator approval, deliver DS form to Faculty Secretary in Dean's office (B356, R310).
  • If DS form is complete and curriculum plan acceptable, Dean approves and signs. If form is incomplete or plan not acceptable, it is returned to instructor or Chair/Coordinator.

Next steps (approved DS forms)

  • Once Directed Studies form and curriculum plan are approved by Dean, the Faculty Secretary will request the Records Office (Records@viu.ca) to create the course and section number from the information on the Directed Studies form. This can take 3-5 business days.
  • When Records notifies the Faculty Secretary that the course has been created, the Faculty Secretary will email both the student and the instructor a PDF copy of the completed DS form. The email instructs the student to pick up the original DS form from the Dean's Office.
  • The student takes the original DS form to the Registration Centre in Building 200 to register and pay tuition.
  • Tuition fees for Directed Studies courses are due at the same time as all other tuition fees are payable. In general, Fall semester fees are due October 1; Spring semester fees are due February 2.

Instructors are paid, based on confirmed registrations, on the paydays subsequent to the fifth and tenth weeks of the semester.

The two Directed Studies Forms:

Prior Learning Assessment

PLA Student Registration form. Bring or send the form to Faculty Secretary, who will seek approval for you and open the section. Once there's a section the student will be notified to pick up the form and register. You will be paid after the student has registered. The student is to sign when he/she enrolls at the Registration desk. 

Grades are to be submitted to Records on the summary of results form.

More information: Set-up, Registration, and Summary Guide

Student Card Access/Keys

Your coordinator will email the Faculty Secretary with access hours and start/end dates for the card-accessible areas.

Tell the students that they each must buy an access card from the VIU Campus Store. Cards are not programmed when purchased from the campus store. (We provide cards for work/study students if they do not already have one, and employees do not need to buy a separate card—their employee ID cards will be programmed.)

Record the students’ names and access card numbers in an email to the Faculty Administrative Assistant with the Access Group name as the subject line. Examples: "GIS Students," "MCP Students with Room XXX," "Social Sciences Work-op Students," "Geography."

The students will be given access during the designated hours until the designated end date.

If a student withdraws from the class, please advise the Faculty Secretary as soon as possible to cancel his or her access.

To maintain comprehensive security, all student access is deleted at the end of each semester. Access does not carry over.

Class Cancellations/Sick Leave Reporting

Process has changed due to the new sick leave reporting system and COVID-19.

  1. Email students if you are cancelling a class.  If you require assistance, please send an email to socsci_admin@viu.ca.
  2. If you are unable to work due to illness, please send a message to socsci_admin@viu.ca.  A staff member will enter your absence into the new sick leave reporting system.

Note:  Reporting illness in the new sick leave reporting system requires that you notify your supervisor and send a message to socsci_admin@viu.ca each day you are sick.  Please remember to send a message again when you are back teaching, as any sick leave/disability benefits depend on Human Resources receiving this information.

If you are away unexpectedly for other reasons, complete a Leave Request form.  For planned absences, complete a Request for Vacation Exchange or Absence form.

Purchasing

To set up a purchase-order contract to pay a business (including individuals who operate as a business) for goods or services, obtain quotations or enter into a service agreement and immediately forward (to the Dean's Administrative Assistant) your selected quotation or your service agreement.

There is no WCB coverage or insurance for individuals performing services on campus unless a stipend has been initiated or a PO issued before the date of the service.

In addition to the formal approvals required after the documentation has been prepared, the Dean's preapproval is required for any purchase greater than $500.

You can also complete the online requisition form, attach the selected quotation, and submit that to Dean's Office for finalization. The requisition must come first, then the PO (which is the contract for payment in exchange for goods or services), and finally the invoice. There is never a case where any VIU employee is authorized to tell a vendor to go ahead with provision of goods and/or services. Please refer to the following VIU policy. The only option is to use your authorized VIU Purchasing Card.

Employees may make contacts with prospective vendors to secure technical information, but except with the approved use of an institutional purchasing card, shall not commit the University to an order, either directly or by inference. An employee who commits to a purchase outside University purchasing procedures may be held personally liable for the invoice, and the supplier will be advised the order was not official.

VIU Purchasing Department tips.

VIU Campus Store Purchases

You are on a list that we provide to the VIU Campus Store to enable you to make very modest purchases, on short notice, of texts or small-ticket items you need for teaching. Most often, this is to enable purchase of a textbook desk copy that is late arriving from the publisher. In this case, when (if) the desk copy does arrive from the publisher, you are expected to "return" the newer copy to the bookstore for a credit. Immediately give your receipt to your Department Chair or to the Dean's Administrative Assistant for reconciliation at the end of the current month.

PD Funds

Collect your receipts. Do not write on the receipts or highlight anything on the receipts. Make photocopies for your records. Arrange original receipts in chronological order, oldest on top to newest on bottom. Submit to the Social Sciences Finance Assistant for processing. Feel free to ask if you have a question about the appropriateness of a claim; certain items may require the Dean's prior approval.

Track your balance remaining via the new payroll system.  From the Home Screen go to the Reports heading, click on Shared to open your Reports.  Choose My Balance Report.

Further HR & Payroll Information

Unexpended contractual professional development funds for a fiscal year can be claimed without receipts. The payment will be processed through payroll and is considered taxable income. (Refer to the VIUFA Collective Agreement.)

Software and Furniture

Computer items are to be requested through IT; if a purchase is required, the IT rep will advise you to initiate a purchase (see "Purchasing" above). Ergonomic items are to be requested through Health and Safety. You should not purchase computer or furniture items yourself unless you are doing so by way of your PD allowance.

Telephones

When you have problems with your office telephone, please call the IT Helpdesk at Local 6300 or email ithelp@viu.ca.

To change any of your options; for example, your greeting, log in to your voicemailbox then press 8* to access the options menu.

Facility Access (cards and keys)

You will be provided with whatever keys are necessary for the performance of your job, and you must pick them up at Building 120. You will need to show photo ID before keys will be released to you. For electronic access, please give faculty secretary the number on the back of your VIU identification card.

Shredding

Anything that shows a student's name or number is confidential and must be shredded; for example, class lists, exam booklets, and student papers. See FIPPA for additional information. Shred only the page(s) with the student's name and/or number; recycle the rest.

Web Mail

To log in to your email, you will need your user name supplied when you were hired, your password, and the domain name (captain). Here is the link for accessing your email at home or while travelling: mail.viu.ca.

Fund-raising

Business Cards

Your Faculty Assistant will provide the form and instructions.