Terry Lavender
Election 2019: Why your voice matters
With the 2019 federal election happening on October 21, we want to take this opportunity to speak to you about why this is such a significant event, and why your voice matters. UBC embraces its responsibility to nurture civic engagement across our community and to strive to make a better world from the local to […]
Response to UBCC350 Climate Strike Open Letter
UBCC350 c/o ubcc350@gmail.com Thank you for your letter of October 4th, 2019. I appreciate the energy and dedication you have put into this cause. It is inspiring to see so many students and other members of the UBC community use the power of the collective voice to raise awareness of climate change and the need […]
A Commitment to Move Forward: Apology Plaque Presentation
Musqueam Cultural Centre Good evening. I am honoured to be here and to present this plaque which commemorates the Statement of Apology that I made on behalf of the university on April 9, 2018. In the Statement, I apologized on behalf of UBC to survivors of the residential schools, to their families and communities, and […]
Presidential Priorities for 2019-20
As the first month of the 2019-20 academic year comes to a close, I’d like to discuss my strategic priorities for the year. These priorities include research excellence & innovation, sustainability, leveraging our physical presence, the Indigenous Strategic Plan, and the Integrated Renewal Program. My first priority is driving research excellence and innovation. UBC is […]
Open Letter to federal party leaders
Dear Party Leaders: With the federal election campaign now officially underway, our country’s future prosperity is top of mind for me as it is for millions of Canadians. In a rapidly changing world and in the face of global and national crises, Canadians look to you for the leadership and policies that help deliver a […]
September 2019
Welcome Welcome to the September 2019 issue of Letter from Santa, a regular communication from myself to members of the UBC community. Highlights Imagine/Create Homecoming/Sports Hall of Fame Integrated Renewal Program Update Fulbright Board UBC: The Next Century APRU Senior International Leaders Meeting Times Higher Education Rankings Opening of Exchange Residence Truth and Reconciliation UBC Connects […]
September 2019
Welcome Welcome to the September 2019 issue of Letter to the Board, a regular communication to members of the UBC Board of Governors. (You can also view this newsletter at https://president-2023.sites.olt.ubc.ca/board-letter/2019/09/20/september-2019/) Imagine/Create I was thrilled to participate in the Imagine and Create orientation events at UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses on September 3. Seeing and talking to the thousands of […]
Building New Bridges
Vancouver/UBC Opera Summit, Old Auditorium, UBC Thank you, Nancy. What a privilege to welcome you all to our beautiful UBC campus… we are deeply honored to have you here and trust you have enjoyed your first day of this national summit. It’s an important conversation you’re having here, on topics that resonate deeply in our […]
UBC and the global climate strike
Some UBC students have informed us they will join global climate strike activities on Sept. 27. We expect some members of the UBC community will choose to participate in the climate strike to draw attention to the climate crisis. This strike is a student-led initiative and we acknowledge that many of our students and community […]
UBC: The Next Century – the book!
“Inspiring people, ideas and actions for a better world.” That’s the Vision that inspires the University of British Columbia. It’s entwined with the University’s Purpose: “Pursuing excellence in research, learning and engagement to foster global citizenship and advance a sustainable and just society across British Columbia, Canada and the world.” (You can read more about […]
Imagine Day 2019
UBC Vancouver Thank you very much. Thank you. It is really wonderful to see all of you here in this beautiful arena. We’ve been waiting for you to join us for several months. And we know that you represent the best and brightest of your generation. We know from looking at your applications and studying […]
Putting Students First with the Blue & Gold Campaign
I am always delighted to spend time with our students in Vancouver and the Okanagan and today I got to do both as I welcomed thousands of new students to our campuses in two boisterous rallies! In addition to welcoming the students, I also had the great pleasure of announcing that not only had the Blue […]
Faith in the Academy
Ismaili Centre, Toronto Good evening and thank you everyone! It’s an honour and a privilege to be here. It was my absolute pleasure to have our generous hosts take me on a tour of the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum, and the Aga Khan Park. The architecture of the Ismaili Centre must be a […]
Summer 2019
Welcome Welcome to the summer 2019 issue of Letter to the Board, a regular communication to members of the UBC Board of Governors. (You can also view this newsletter at https://president-2023.sites.olt.ubc.ca/homepage-feature/2019/07/30/summer-2019/) Welcoming new students September is rapidly approaching, and with it, the arrival of thousands of new students to our Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. We’ll be welcoming […]
Summer 2019
Welcome Welcome to the summer 2019 issue of Letter from Santa, a regular communication from myself to members of the UBC community. Highlights Welcoming new students University Climate Change Coalition Summit Federal support for UBC sustainability initiatives U7 Alliance President’s Medals of Excellence Joint projects with Amazon and Microsoft UBC Annual Report Shaping UBC’s Next […]
UBC calls for a TMT moratorium
UBC is deeply committed to engagement and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and supports the standards of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. To advance our commitment, UBC strives to ensure that research projects involving or affecting Indigenous peoples are built on mutually beneficial, reciprocal and accountable relationships. UBC is also immensely […]
U7 Alliance will Address the World’s Most Pressing Challenges
Earlier this month, I had the honour of participating in the inaugural meeting of the U7 Alliance – which consists of universities from around the world coming together to addressing the most pressing global challenges (such as sustainability, clean water, gender equality and chronic diseases) in a multilateral context. The U7 Alliance includes universities from […]
Building an inclusive campus: A cross-border perspective
Society for College and University Planning, Seattle Washington (Professor Ono presented the first annual President’s Session during the yearly meeting of the Society for College and University Planning, which was held in Seattle, Washington, July 2019. This is a transcript from his session. He was introduced by Michael D. Moss, President, Society for College and […]
UBC’s Next Century: An update on the strategic plan
177 projects identified 21,347 students enrolled in enhanced courses $84 million raised for student awards and support for enhanced educational experiences This is just some of what we’ve achieved in the past year towards implementing our strategic plan: Shaping UBC’s Next Century. These achievements – and others – can be viewed (and downloaded as a […]
Statement regarding UBC’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
Over the past few weeks, university community members have expressed views on freedom of expression and academic freedom on campus, and UBC’s commitment to supporting equity and inclusion. On June 23, a controversial event booked by an organization external to UBC took place on the Vancouver campus, which was critical of Sexual Orientation and Gender […]