Weekly Update, December 11, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to you from the traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. This will be my final update for the year 2020. And what a year it has been! It’s traditional at this time of year for many […]
Weekly Update, December 4, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to you from the traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. I’d like to share the news that for most programs the winter break has been extended until January 11. Students should keep an eye out for […]
Weekly Update, November 26, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to you from the traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. In a few short weeks, exams will begin for UBC students. Exam time is always stressful of course, but this year, you may find it more […]
Weekly Update, November 20, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to you from the traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. Lately we’ve heard hopeful news about COVID-19 vaccines, with two of the groups working on a vaccine announcing promising results. However, it will be months before […]
Weekly Update, November 13, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to you from the traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. Chers membres de la communauté de l’UBC. J’aimerais commencer par vous dire que je m’adresse à vous depuis le territoire traditionnel et non cédé du peuple Musqueam. […]
Weekly Update, November 6, 2020
Dear members of the UBC Community: I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to you from the traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. Je voudrais commencer par reconnaître que je vous parle depuis les territoires traditionnels et non cédés des peuples Musqueam. As you know, this week we switched […]
Weekly Update: October 30, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. Earlier this week, I provided an update on steps we are taking to address issues of equity, diversity and inclusion and to identify and address gaps in supporting racialized students, faculty and staff. Those steps include creating a new position, Senior Advisor to the President on Race and Inclusive […]
Weekly Update: October 23, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community: On November 2, the way we work together will change, with the launch of Workday for Finance and Human Resources. The road towards implementation of Workday has been a long one, with reviews of the university’s systems starting over a decade ago. When the Integrated Renewal Program kicked off […]
Weekly Update: October 16, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you had a chance to relax with your loved ones, whether in person or virtually. I’d like to thank you again for observing UBC’s COVID-19 protocols. Thanks to you, we are keeping healthy and safe and bending the curve. […]
Weekly Update: October 2, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community: As we begin the second month of the fall semester, I’m grateful to see that UBC students, faculty and staff are all doing their part to ensure that our university remains COVID free. To my knowledge, most students, faculty and staff have been wearing masks on campus, and people […]
Weekly Update: September 25, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. Just over half a year ago, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic and B.C.’s provincial health officer declared a public health emergency. In the past six months, COVID-19 has had a profound impact on all of us, on individuals, on cities, provinces and nations, […]
Weekly Update: September 21, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community: As you know, since September 16, masks have been required on UBC campuses. I’ve been impressed by how quickly the university community – students, faculty, staff and visitors – have adapted to the new requirements. Thank you everyone for doing your part to stop the spread of COVID-19. But […]
Weekly Update: September 14, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community: Recently, the number of COVID-19 cases in British Columbia has been increasing dramatically. This past Friday alone, there were 132 new cases. Hospitalization from COVID-19 are at their highest in four months. We all must do what we can to fight COVID19. Therefore, UBC is implementing a new measure […]
Weekly Update, August 28: Welcome New Students
Dear members of the UBC community. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost September. In just a few days we’ll be starting the Fall term. I look forward to this time of year. One of the reasons I like September is because I have the privilege of welcoming new first year and transfer students to […]
Weekly Update: August 21, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. I hope your summer is going well. It’s hard to believe, but the summer is almost over, and soon the Fall term will start. Of course, it will be a very different back to school than we’re used to. I’ll be providing more information on that in the next […]
Weekly Update: July 24, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community: I hope you’re all having a good summer. It’s hard to believe, but September is only six weeks away, so today I’d like to update you on our plans for the fall. As I mentioned before, this fall, UBC will primarily offer larger classes online with selected smaller […]
Weekly Update: July 10, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. In recent years, certain individuals have either been invited to speak or have requested to speak on campus. This has resulted in a robust conversation on controversial speakers whose views are deeply offensive and hurtful to members of our community. Such views, when expressed on campus, also threaten to […]
Weekly Update: June 26, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. I hope you’re all doing well. Like many of you, I was disturbed by the violence depicted in a video of a police wellness check in January involving a student in the community. I condemn the behaviour shown in the video and the use of excessive force in any […]
Weekly Update: June 19, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. Earlier this week, we held our first ever Virtual Graduation Ceremony. I was proud to participate in the event and to celebrate, along with their families and friends, the accomplishments of the members of the class of 2020. I hope you had the chance to watch one or both […]
Weekly Update: June 12, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. It’s just twelve short weeks before the beginning of the Fall term, and UBC faculty and staff are busy preparing to welcome back thousands of new and returning students. This year UBC will be welcoming students from across Canada and from over one hundred and fifty countries around the […]