Updates, news and stories

Participate in the new Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey

You are invited to participate in the new Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey (CCWS) for employees. The CCWS is a comprehensive, voluntary and confidential survey that assesses the health and wellbeing status of staff and faculty in the post-secondary sector. The survey takes under 15 minutes to complete and responses will be anonymous and confidential. Results of the survey will be reported in statistically aggregated form only, and it is not possible for UBC or CCWS to identify individual employees. The deadline is May 31, 2021.

Submit claims for expiring 2016/17 Faculty Professional Development Reimbursement Funds by June 11

The expiry date for unused funds from the 2016/17 Faculty Professional Development (PD) Fund is Wednesday, June 30, 2021.  To ensure expiring 2016/17 funds are used, submit your claims in Workday by Friday, June 11, 2021. Any claims submitted after this deadline will be reimbursed through the next available balance (i.e., PD Fund years after 2016/17). If you are a Department Head or manager (or equivalent), please review and approve these claims by Tuesday, June 22, 2021.

Little Batteries, Big Potential

UBC Alert test notification this week

At UBC, we have systems in place to support your safety and security. One of them is UBC Alert, the university’s mass notification system to send alerts to the community in urgent situations that pose an immediate safety or security risk, so that you can make informed decisions that prioritize your personal safety. As part of our regular testing program, UBC Alert will be sending out a test notification to students, faculty and staff via a phone call and text message, as follows:

UBCO researcher uses geology to help astronomers find habitable planets

Where should our digital data go after we die? UBC study explores possibilities

Asian Heritage Month at UBC

Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity for all Canadians to learn more about the many achievements and contributions of Canadians of Asian descent, who have done so much to make Canada the amazing country we share today. This year Asian Heritage month is taking place against a background of anti-Asian racism and the continued tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a devastating humanitarian crisis in India. And yet communities are coming together, raising their voices and offering support to one another, within and across borders.

UBC researchers unveil first molecular images of B.1.1.7 COVID-19 mutation

The referenced media source is missing and needs to be re-embedded. UBC researchers are the first in the world to publish structural images of the N501Y mutation on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein—a change believed to be partly responsible for the highly infectious nature and rapid spread of variant B.1.1.7.

Scheduling time off for COVID-19 vaccination appointments

As BC continues to roll out its provincial vaccination program, the provincial government has announced that employees can have up to three hours of time off, without loss of pay, to get each dose of their COVID-19 vaccine. These amendments to the Employment Standards Act are retroactive to April 19, 2021. To read the announcement in full, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021LBR0019-000784.

Building a community in business analytics

While the business world is often associated with competition rather than collaboration, a faculty member at UBC’s Sauder School of Business is launching an open platform to connect interactive learning materials and re

Participate in Celebrate Learning Week, May 17 – 23

Celebrate Learning Week (CLW) is a week-long initiative celebrating teaching and learning opportunities at UBC. Now in its twelfth year, CLW will be hosted online from May 17 – 23, 2021. The theme of this year’s showcase is shaping our future. For the first time, the Provost and Vice-President Academic from UBCV and UBCO will collaboratively present this week-long initiative that showcases teaching and learning opportunities at UBC through open lectures, poster sessions, workshops and more.

Emmerich Kálmán, Rediscovered