FAQ
Q. What does vipirg do?
A. VIPIRG does research in the public interest, financially supports UVIC students through our community grants program, organizes events and workshops, and operates an alternative resource library.
Our work is carried out by the volunteer board (Coordinating Collective), University of Victoria students and community volunteers, and staff. Our organization is made up of almost entirely students.
Q. why is vipirg important?
A. We are a UVic based organization that empowers students and the local community in multiple ways. Our research is community based, which means that we only research community identified needs. Our research is done with the hope of changing public policy around these community needs, in order to make life better for UVic students and residents of Victoria.
We also connect groups that don’t have research capacity with student researchers and VIPIRG staff who can help get the work done. VIPIRG also financially supports students by hiring 7 UVic students every year, providing various contests, and scholarships, operating a free textbook initiative and library, offering composting and garden supplies, and much more.
You can see a full timeline of our work for the past 20 years here.
Q. how are you funded?
A. VIPIRG is funded almost entirely through ancillary student fees; $3.00 per full-time undergraduate student and $1.50 per part-time undergraduate student and $2.00 per graduate student, per term. These fees cover all of VIPIRGs operating costs: office space, human resources, library resources, funding for working groups, campaigns, and publications.
Q. HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?
A. You could help out with research, outreach work, promoting and organizing events and campaigns, creating public education materials, organizing our library, and much more! Fill out the form here.
Q. I don't want to support vipirg. How do I get a refund?
Undergrads pay $3 per full time semester or $1.50 per part time semester. Grad students pay $2 per semester.
This fee is refundable by cheque to students during a refund period each semester. Students who receive a refund lose access to the VIPIRG library and programming, and are no longer eligible to vote in VIPIRG elections or stand for election to the VIPIRG Coordinating Collective. The refund application form can be found here.
Q. WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO?
A. A majority of our expenses goes to wages and community grants program. VIPIRG hires 7 student staff each year, only 1 staff works full-time. Our next major expense is community grants and donations, which goes towards supporting UVic student led events, projects, and conferences.
- 5,525.00: Professional fees (accountant, IT guy, website, etc)
- 32,636.02: Conference & Research
- 40,998.58: Community Grants & Donations
- 82,947.96: Wages & Benefits
- 8,635.14: Office expenses, equipment, honorariums, etc