New Academic Structure
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Updates | Campus Engagement: Key Themes | Phased Approach | Project Governance
UBC Okanagan stands at a pivotal moment. In an environment with global challenges ranging from climate crisis and social disruption to rapid changes in how we teach, learn and connect, our campus is uniquely positioned to respond with purpose.
In fall 2025, we shared plans to update UBC Okanagan’s academic structure to align with our newly defined core academic focus: resilient people, communities, economies and environments in support of a sustainable future.
As we consider the future academic structure, we aim to preserve what is working well within our current model and identify opportunities for improvement. This work is a foundational step toward strengthening academic collaboration, focusing resources, and enhancing support for teaching, learning and research.
Updates
February 9, 2026 —A Design Working Group, composed of faculty and staff from across campus, is meeting every two weeks from January to April to examine potential academic structures through multiple perspectives. Areas of focus include academic integrity, student experience, workload and wellbeing, governance, equity, and institutional sustainability.
In late 2025, UBC Okanagan faculty and staff were invited to share their perspectives through a campus-wide survey. The feedback will inform the Design Working Group’s review and recommendations, which will be provided to the Steering Committee in April.
Following Steering Committee review, a proposed future academic structure will be shared with the campus community for broader engagement.
Campus Engagement: Key Themes
In 2025, UBC Okanagan faculty and staff were invited to share their perspectives through a campus-wide survey. UBC Okanagan faculty members were also invited to participate in engagement sessions to support cross-faculty dialogue.
These engagements identified five overarching themes that reflect what the community values in the current academic structure, and the conditions identified as necessary for any future structure to be successful, credible and sustainable:
- Governance, systems and efficiency: People recognize that there is duplication in our current systems and are supportive of reviewing structures to make it more efficient.
- Student experience and learning design: People are highly supportive of the principles set out in the design guidelines, particularly prioritizing experience for students.
- Academic programs, departments and disciplinary integrity: People emphasized that strong disciplines lead to strong collaboration.
- People and capacity: People highlighted the importance of preserving relationships and maintaining strong supports within our academic structure.
- Identity, equity and external relationships: People want to maintain our identity, and commitments to equity and our relationships with community partners as we look at our academic structure.
Phased Approach
Stage 1: Planning, Discovery and Design
Community engagement, exploration of structural options and development of initial recommendations.
Stage 2: Governance and Approvals
Formal review and approval of proposed academic structure components.
Stage 3: Implementation Planning
Detailed planning to support academic, administrative and operational needs for transition.
Stage 4: Execution and Transition
Implementation of the approved academic structure and transition to the updated model.
Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor; Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Okanagan campus.
Provides executive leadership and overall direction for the academic restructure process.
Access the Steering Committee Terms of Reference
Okanagan Leadership Council.
Guides the academic restructure to ensure alignment with UBC Okanagan’s core academic focus and strategic priorities.
Access the Design Working Group Terms of Reference
Comprised of faculty and staff from across UBC Okanagan. Chaired by the Associate Provost, Teaching and Learning, and the Associate Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation.
Applies specialized expertise to evaluate potential academic structures and develop recommendations during Stage 1 of the process.
The Transition and Launch Working Group Terms of Reference will be created at a later date.
Initiated during implementation phase.
Access the Project Team Terms of Reference
Plans, oversees and executes the academic restructure process.
The most up-to-date information on the academic restructure process will continue to be shared on this site. Please check the regularly for updates. For questions, connect with your faculty or unit leadership on the Okanagan Leadership Council.