Updates, news and stories

Change to academic scheduling this October

During the 2023 calendar year, statutory holidays have created an imbalance in the numbers of days available for classes on each weekday, with Mondays disproportionately affected. In light of this, the Vancouver Senate has approved a motion to designate Thursday October 12 as a ‘Make-up Monday’ to offset the impact of statutory holidays occurring on Mondays. All classes normally scheduled for Thursday October 12 will be cancelled and replaced by classes that are normally scheduled for a Monday.

UBC’s transition out of the COVID-19 pandemic

On May 5, the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency. This announcement came alongside UBC’s own discussions about fully transitioning to a communicable disease prevention framework.

BC still eviction capital of Canada and most are through no fault of the tenant

Apply for the Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund

Applications are now open for the 2023 Partnership Recognition and Exploration (PRE) Fund. The PRE Fund awards up to $1,500 in funding for projects that help empower community partners to build reciprocal relationships with UBC students, faculty, and staff. Faculty and staff are invited to apply for funding until December 31, 2023, or until available funds are exhausted.  Visit the Community Engagement website for more information on how to apply and useful FAQs.

Teaching in focus: Richard Price

Richard is a professor in the Department of Political Science at UBC Vancouver. Learn more about how he’s minimizing the gap between what students learn in the classroom and the applicable skills needed in a professional working environment.

New art connects the Reconciliation Pole to Musqueam territory

A new large-scale bronze artwork co-created by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) master carver Kayám̓ Richard Campbell and Haida master carver and hereditary chief James Hart, 7idansuu (Edenshaw) now anchors Hart’s The Reconciliation Pole (2015-17) to Musqueam territory. The new art, titled θəʔit, was commissioned with support from the Audain Foundation and the University of British Columbia.

Why humans respect hard work regardless of results

Letter from the President

Gaming the system

Much of Dr. Christopher Patterson’s work examines the intersection of race and video games—across both game development and play. We asked about what drew him to this topic, how he views the role of his own identity in his research, and about some of his key projects, including two podcasts that spotlight new works on Asian Studies topics. Read more

Getting active, while living with a partial spinal cord injury

Tell us how you’re advancing sustainability at UBC

Are you a UBC faculty or staff member taking actions or driving initiatives to advance sustainability at the university? If so, we want to learn more. Your story could be featured on UBC Today.  

Bats in Vancouver: UBC researchers to study secret city nightlife

They live among us and eat pesky insects, but unless you’re armed with an ultrasonic microphone you may never notice our nocturnal neighbours: bats. UBC researchers Dr. Matthew Mitchell (Faculty of Land and Food Systems) and Aaron Aguirre (Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability) want to bring these fascinating creatures out of the shadows, and will spend the summer collecting data on bats in Metro Vancouver. They’re in a race against time: In early April, evidence of a deadly fungal disease called white-nose syndrome was found in BC for the first time.