Office of Co-Curricular Engagement and Learning

RockVIU Peer Mentor Program

Position Overview

The Office of Co-Curricular Engagement and Learning (OCCEL) is committed to student success and learning through experiences outside of the classroom. The office strives to create opportunities for student engagement on and off campus while providing leadership development opportunities for students to strengthen relationships and build upon relevant skills. OCCEL engages and supports the student experience by fostering meaningful connections, wellness, leadership development, and personal growth through creating, promoting and recognizing Co-Curricular activities exercised on campus and within the community. OCCEL facilitates student engagement activities that relate directly to the VIU Graduate Attributes while organizing programming which helps students to become reflective learners. OCCEL programs include: facilitating RockVIU: Welcome to Campus (new student orientation), Co-Curricular Record (CCR), VIU's Co-Curricular Involvement App, Fun@VIU Committee, Student Leadership Circle (SLC), The Hub, and The Vancouver Island Leadership Conference (VILC).

The RockVIU Peer Mentor Program Leader is an integral part of welcoming new students to Vancouver Island University as they will be leading the Peer Mentors throughout the semester. The RockVIU Peer Mentor Program Leader will be working with upper-level students (Peer Mentors) to help engage and facilitate any questions that new students may have in their first year at VIU. The RockVIU Peer Mentor Program Leader will assist the Peer Mentors in recruitment and engagement for online events and in-person events. The RockVIU Peer Mentor Program Leader will support and assist in the ongoing development of the peer mentor program for new students in the fall and spring semesters.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Recruitment of leaders to host Peer to Peer workshops
  • Match and pair Peer Mentors to students for the semester
  • Regularly meet with the Peer Mentors to discuss goals/events for the new students via Zoom or in-person
  • Work collaboratively with the Office of Co-Curricular Engagement and Learning
  • Attend weekly OCCEL team meetings to stay up to date on all events and programming
  • Collaborate and coordinate with on-campus student engagement groups, including VIU Residences, Mariners Athletics and Recreation, International Education, VIUSU, and OCCEL groups.
  • Create opportunities for students to become more aware of CCR and VIU's Graduate Attributes during the course of RockVIU and during the year.
  • The ideal candidate is a team player and should be willing to develop strong written and verbal communication, creative thinking, and critical thinking skills and take a strong interest and initiative in student engagement and development.

Position Requirements 

  • Ability to work independently
  • Interest in creating opportunities on campus for student leadership and development
  • Interest in developing a thorough understanding of student engagement and translating engagement into student retention
  • Event management experience, especially on online platforms such as Zoom
  • Strong time management and interpersonal skills
  • Creative outlook on improving VIU services
  • Proficient written communication skills
  • Interest in collaborating with individuals who represent staff, faculty, students, and the community
  • Ability to initiate and maintain ongoing conversations with team members
  • Preliminary understanding of VIU's Co-Curricular Record and VIU's Co-Curricular Involvement Application
  • Minimum GPA average of 3.0

Graduate Attributes Associated

  • Written Communication
  • Oral Communication
  • Capacity to Engage in Respectful Relationships 

Position Type

Work-Op

Sign Up Directions

Contact Omar Karim, Coordinator, Co-Curricular Engagement at Omar.Karim@viu.ca for more information.