WIL Photo Contest

1. You must be a current VIU student to enter the contest.
2. Photos for the 2025/26 contest must be from a work-integrated learning experience that took place between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026.
3. Photos must be of you on your work term, in your work term environment. This means:
   1. You must appear in the photo (no scenery-only shots)
   2. The photo must be related to something you did on your work term
   3. Do not add text to the photo
   4. No watermarks may appear on the photo
4. You may submit up to three (3) photos
5. Photos must include a written caption that describes what's happening in the photo.
6. By submitting your photos to the VIU WIL Photo Contest, you agree to let Vancouver Island University use your photos for educational or promotional purposes. This means that your photo may appear on a VIU website, in a publication or in other promotional material.
7. By entering the contest, you are confirming that you are the owner of the photo. If someone else took the photo, make sure you have permission to use it.
8. If your photos include the workplace, make sure you have your employer’s permission. By entering the contest, you are confirming that your employer has given permission for the workplace to be photographed.
9. If your photos include other people, make sure you have their permission. By entering the contest, you are confirming that you have all of the subjects’ permission.

1. The Contest

   1.1: The #WILPhotoContest (the “Contest”) shall be hosted by Vancouver Island University (“VIU”) pursuant to the following rules.

2. Contest Period

   2.1: The Contest shall commence at 12:01 am PST on January 5, 2026, and shall close at 11:59 pm PST on August 31, 2026. (the “Contest Period”).

3. Eligible Entrants

   3.1: All current VIU students aged 18+ can enter. The Winners are required to provide proof of their VIU student ID to claim their prizes.

   3.2: Entrants cannot be a current employee of Vancouver Island University.

4. How to Enter and Odds

   4.1:  No purchase is necessary to enter the Contest.

   4.2: During the Contest Period, eligible entrants must upload their photo to the google form on the contest page.

   4.3: There is a limit of three (3) submissions per entrant.

   4.4: Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries.

5. Contest Winners

   5.1: One photo entry will be selected from all received entries each semester by representatives from the VIU Career Studio and VIU’s Brand + Marketing and Strategic Communications departments. Judging of eligible entries will be based on the following criteria:

   1. Adherence to the contest rules;
   2. Technical quality of photo (photo is high-resolution, well-lit and in focus);
   3. Composition (subject is farmed well; strong placement and angle);
   4. Visual Interest (use of colour, originality, creativity, humour is welcome but not required);
   5. Representation of Work Term (photo directly relates to your work term); and
   6. Other criteria as the judging panel determines to be relevant.

   Decisions of the judging panel are final.

   5.2: Entrants will be notified via email if they have been selected as a winner. 

   5.3: The Winners are required to provide proof of their VIU student ID to claim their prizes.

   5.4: By entering the Contest, the Winner agrees that Vancouver Island University may post the winning photo on Vancouver Island University’s website or otherwise advertise the Winner’s name and likeness. 

6. Prize

   6.1: Two $100 cash awards will be given away in September 2026.

   6.2: All prizes are non-transferrable and must be accepted as awarded. VIU may in its sole discretion substitute prizes of the same or greater value.

   6.3: VIU reserves the right not to select a winner or winners, if, in its sole determination, it does not receive eligible or qualified entries.

   6.4: If a winner cannot be reached within 5 (five) days following the first attempt at the contact via the email address provide by the entrant, or if the winner declines the prize, VIU may award the prize to another entrant.

7. No Liability

   7.1:  VIU will not be responsible for late, lost, illegible, incomplete, inaccurate, or destroyed entries, and all such entries are void. VIU will not be liable for any failure of the Contest Website, will not assume any responsibility for incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry information, technical malfunctions, human or technical error, printing errors, lost, delayed, or garbled data or transmissions, omission, interruption, deletion, defect or failures of any telephone or computer lines or networks, computer equipment, software, or any combination thereof. Entries are subject to verification by VIU. VIU, its employees, directors, officers, affiliates, agents, and representatives are not liable for

   1. late, lost, delayed, not received, damaged, misdirected, incomplete, stolen, fraudulent or illegible entries (all of which entries shall be automatically void and ineligible);
   2. failure to receive entries due to transmission failures, busy signals, traffic congestion on the internet or at any website or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, servers, access providers, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or recipient, or
   3. any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in this contest and breaches of privacy due to interference by third party computer "hackers".

8. Amending Contest

   8.1: VIU reserves the right to terminate or suspend this Contest or to amend the Contest Rules at any time and in any way, without prior notice. Without limiting the foregoing, if, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as originally planned due to any reason, VIU reserves the right to terminate the Contest and conduct a random draw from all previously received eligible entries.

9. General Rules

   9.1: By participating in the Contest, each entrant agrees to:

   1. be bound by these Contest Rules and the decisions of VIU; and
   2. release and hold harmless VIU, and its Board of Governors, officers, employees, and agents from and against any and all liabilities, losses, claims, demands, costs and expenses (including lawyer’s fees and litigation expenses on a solicitor and own client basis) whatsoever to which any of them may become subject arising from any actions or omissions by the entrant.

   9.2: You grant VIU a non-exclusive, royalty-free, sub-licensable, worldwide, transferable, perpetual licence to:

   1. Use, copy, adapt, communicate, distribute, publicly display and create compilations and derivative works or merchandise from any photo you submit as an entry to this contest (including any caption you have posted with your photo); and
   2. Use your name, city or town of residence, and/or any statements made by you in connection with your entry

   and you irrevocably waive all moral rights to your photo in favour of VIU.

   9.3: You represent and warrant that you have the right to grant the license set out in section 9.2 above.

   9.4: The licence you grant in section 9.2 permits VIU to (a) cut, reformat, rearrange and/or combine your photo with other materials and/or to otherwise modify your photo; (b) use your photo or a modified version of your photo in UVic promotional materials; and /or (c) share your photo or any version of your photo as edited by UVic, on any social media website.

   9.5: Entrants may be required to provide a release to VIU.

   9.6: Entrants agree their name may be announced on VIU’s website and other associated media sites if he or she is selected as one of the winners of the contest.

   9.7: The decisions of VIU in relation to this Contest will be final and binding on all entrants.

   9.8: Each prize claim is subject to verification by VIU and/or its designated representatives. Entries made with multiple addresses, under multiple identities, or through the use of any device or artifice to enter multiple times or entries that are in excess of the permitted number of entries during the Contest period are automatically void. All Contest entries obtained through unauthorized sources, or which are incomplete, forged, irregular, or fraudulent in any way or otherwise not in compliance with these Contest Rules are automatically void.

   9.9: VIU reserves the right to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest, to be acting in violation of these Contest Rules, or to be acting in an unfair or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other person.

   9.10:  The personal information you provide to enter the Contest is collected pursuant to section 26 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, B.C. and will be used by VIU for the administration of the Contest and related purposes. Personal information will only be accessible by authorized VIU employees and representatives, or as otherwise permitted by law. VIU will not disclose personal information to an outside third party unless permitted by law.

   9.11: By entering, entrants who provide consent will receive future communications from VIU for recruitment, informational, and promotional purposes. If you have any questions about the collection of personal information and its use by VIU, please contact brand@viu.ca

   9.12: The Contest is governed by the laws of British Columbia and all applicable laws of Canada, as well as these Contest Rules.

    

If you have technical issues or have any questions about the contest or rules, please contact cel@viu.ca.