Welcome from the Provost – August 2019 Newsletter
I am pleased to share the first edition of my newsletter, which I hope to publish every two months. This is a platform to share and celebrate the milestones and achievements of our campus community, and to inform you of opportunities, ongoing discussions for which we need your voice, and other related matters.
Student successes – August 2019 Newsletter
I was honoured to be part of the Annual Aboriginal Graduation celebration that took place on the evening of June 6th. There we two student speakers and special recognition of Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and Penticton Indian Band Counsellor Joan Phillip – it was a very powerful event.
Faculty and staff successes – August 2019 Newsletter
Three UBC Okanagan faculty were recognized at the 2019 teaching excellence awards ceremony for their passion for—and innovative approaches to— teaching and learning; Jonathan Holzman, Andis Klegeris, and Sally Willis-Stewart.
Welcoming new faculty – August 2019 Newsletter
Welcome to the new faculty members joining UBC Okanagan this summer (as of July 1, 2019).
Excellence Fund initiatives – August 2019 Newsletter
Four new collaborative projects received Aspire Learning and Teaching (ALT) funding in 2019—funding that strives to transform student learning through supporting program-level curriculum innovation.
New programs – August 2019 Newsletter
A new Indigenous Language Proficiency/Fluency Degree Framework for the Province was recently completed and the creation of a UBC Okanagan Bachelor of Indigenous Language degree is underway. This degree will be undertaken in partnership with several other institutions, including the En’owkin Centre, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, and UBC Vancouver.
International initiatives – August 2019 Newsletter
Following the launch of UBC’s new strategic plan: Shaping UBC’s Next Century, the Office of the Vice-Provost, International is developing UBC’s International Strategy. The strategy, expected to be released in late 2019, will help UBC articulate the role and impact of global engagement and will provide guiding values and principles to assist in decision-making related to our international activities, outline focused actions, and articulate resource and asset deployment.
Comings and goings – August 2019 Newsletter
I would like to thank some of our faculty for their recently completed service in leadership appointments. I am also delighted to welcome a few new faces to the campus leadership team. Finally, we are also seeing some staff changes in the Provost’s Office.
Your questions – August 2019 Newsletter
: I am often asked how we are addressing the question of student well-being, which I explore further in this section. I am also asked about my vision for the campus which I expand on.
Funding Opportunities – August 2019 Newsletter
Competitive seed funding will be available this year to encourage the development of innovative lifelong learning opportunities, as envisioned in Outlook 2040. Funding will be targeted at exploring new programs that will offer non-degree credentials, such as diplomas or certificates. Further details will be available in the summer of 2019.