Kinesiology at Vancouver Island University started as a small, two-year Physical Education Diploma program in 1972 at what was then called Malaspina College. During the early years of the program most students completed two years of study at Malaspina and transferred to the University of Victoria or the University of British Columbia to complete their degrees. At that time the program only had one full-time instructor and some limited part-time instructors.
The most significant development in the early years of the Physical Education program was the design, construction and opening of a unique air-support gymnasium building in 1976-77. Two new full-time faculty were hired to run the facility and teach part time in the Physical Education program. The addition of the gymnasium to the Malaspina campus was important because it provided a home for the Physical Education program. It was also home to Malaspina Mariners Athletics and the Intramural and Campus Recreation programs. The air-support gymnasium was replaced by a permanent structure in 1982 and still provides a space for many of our courses.
In 1989, Malaspina College became Malaspina University-College and departments on campus began to offer degrees. By 2000, a Bachelor of Arts Minor in Physical Education was approved and offered concurrently with a Bachelor of Education. This was another significant step in the evolution of the program as it provided an opportunity for the Physical Education department to offer a 4-year degree. Over the next few years the program evolved and moved away from its concurrent offering and stood alone as a Bachelor of Arts Minor and the name of the department changed from Physical Education to Sport, Health and Physical Education (SHAPE).
In 2007, the Bachelor of Arts Major in Physical Education was approved. The Major added more required upper-level courses and prepared graduates for a range of post-graduate opportunities. In 2008 Malaspina University-College became Vancouver Island University. Since 2008, the Sport, Health and Physical Education program at VIU has been vibrant and present on campus and in the community. The program now has 8 full-time faculty and a number of part-time and sessional instructors and the program currently takes in 80-100 students graduating approximately 30 students each year.
In 2019, the name change from Sport, Health and Physical Education to Kinesiology was approved and the entire Kinesiology department is excited about starting a new chapter in our history.