Message from the Provost and Vice-President, Academic
Dear colleagues,
I am pleased to share our June 2023 edition of Academic Update—the Provost Office’s quarterly newsletter. In this edition, we share some exciting new academic developments, including the new Bachelor of St’át’imc Language Fluency Degree; newly funded Micro-Credential courses; an update on the Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Innovation building; and more.
As convocation nears, we are excited to celebrate the success of this year’s graduates. I hope that you are able to join us in congratulating the 2023 UBC Okanagan graduating class on their outstanding achievements.
We are also very excited to celebrate the recent successes of many colleagues recognized for outstanding contributions to teaching and learning, including recipients of the 2023 Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation and Killam Teaching Prize and UBC Okanagan’s first West Coast Teaching Excellence Award recipient.
Wishing you all a wonderful summer session.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rehan Sadiq, PhD, PEng, FCAE, FEC, FEIC, FCSCE
Professor and Distinguished University Scholar
Provost and Vice President, Academic
Academic Initiatives
Highlights
- ICI building Expression of Interest moves to next stage
- Bachelor of St’át’imc Language Fluency Degree receives ministry approval
Our Community
Highlights
- Meet Electra Eleftheriadou: Building equity connections at UBC
- Relive the Teaching Awards Ceremony and learn more about this year’s recipients
Student Success
Highlights
- Congratulations to 2022/23 Provost’s Award for TAs & Tutors recipients
- Stephanie Awotwi-Pratt provides academic integrity peer support
Awards & Funding
Highlights
- Dr. Stephen McNeil receives provincial teaching excellence award
- APRU Asia Pacific Women in Leadership Mentoring Program
ICI building Expression of Interest moves to next stage
Over 20 interdisciplinary proposals were submitted, involving approximately 200 team members from across campus and the broader community, with almost 100 faculty expressing interest in moving into the new building. The review process is now underway. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted in fall 2023, with the final decision expected in late 2024.
Bachelor of St’át’imc Language Fluency Degree receives ministry approval
The Bachelor of St’át’imc Language Fluency degree has received ministry approval, making it the third Indigenous language fluency program developed in collaboration among a variety of Indigenous partners and post-secondary institutions . The program is anticipated to welcome students in the fall of 2023.
FIVE NEW MICRO-CREDENTIAL COURSES RECEIVE MINISTRY FUNDING
The Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills recently announced that five new UBC Okanagan non-credit micro-credential courses will receive funding through the B.C. Micro-Credential Initiative. The courses add to Continuing and Professional Education’s diverse course offerings across several disciplines and areas of interest.
New Wine Tasting course coming this summer
This unique, first-of-its-kind course develops foundational knowledge and skills in wine and wine tasting based in the sciences. It is the first level of a newly proposed 3-level program being developed through a unique UBC and University of Bordeaux collaboration.
Academic integrity digest releases may issue
This issue of the Academic Integrity Digest focuses on students’ perspectives on academic integrity and highlights partners in academic integrity, with an editorial from the Office of the Ombudsperson for Students, and a spotlight on resources to support student success.
Preparing for the transition to Workday Student
Curious to know more about what UBC is doing to prepare the community for the transition to Workday Student? Check out this blog post that includes several activities aimed to support UBC faculty, staff, and students for the changes ahead.
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2023 Teaching Award Ceremony
(L to R) Brad Wuetherick, Peyman Yousefi, Fiona McDonald, Peter Arthur, and Rehan Sadiq; Absent: Claire Yan
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2023 Teaching Award Ceremony
(L to R) Moustafa Mansour, Amanda Darbyshire, Dylan Goode, Mehrnaz Makuei, Zachary Sawchuk and Rehan Sadiq; Absent: Aneleise Peppard
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2023 Teaching Award Ceremony
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2023 Teaching Award Ceremony
Celebrating Teaching Excellence at the 2023 Teaching Awards
On May 16, the campus community joined together to celebrate the achievements of UBC Okanagan teachers and mentors at the 2023 Teaching Awards, recognizing the recipients of the Killam Teaching Prize, Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation, and Provost’s Award for Teaching Assistants & Tutors.
Read more about our 2023 Teaching Award recipients:
- Peter Arthur: Finding connection and purpose in transition
- Fiona P. McDonald: Pushing visual anthropology beyond mere images
- Peyman Yousefi: Reimagining education through innovative approaches
- Claire Yu Yan: Setting students up for success
PROFILE
Building equity connections at UBC Okanagan
Equity has been a driving force for Dr. Electra Eleftheriadou throughout her life. Equipped with firsthand experience of inequity, Eleftheriadou is building connections to support equity in classrooms at UBC Okanagan.
events
June is Indigenous History Month
UBC Okanagan’s campus community is encouraged to learn about, appreciate and acknowledge the rich history, heritage, resilience, contributions and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples across the country.
events
Watch this year’s teaching award recipient videos
Videos highlighting each of the 2023 teaching award recipients were developed by UBC Okanagan Studios and premiered at the Teaching Awards Ceremony.
UBC Okanagan recognizes Teaching assistants and tutors at 2023 teaching awards
Teaching Assistants and tutors play an integral role in creating rich learning environments at UBC Okanagan. Each year, we are proud to recognize six individuals who are making exemplary contributions to students in their teaching support roles with the UBC Okanagan Provost Award for Teaching Assistants and Tutors.
2022/23 Recipients
- Amanda Darbyshire – Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
- Dylan Goode – School of Engineering
- Mehrnaz Makuei – School of Engineering
- Moustafa Mansour – School of Engineering
- Aneleise Peppard – Student Learning Hub
- Zachary Sawchuk – Student Learning Hub
Providing peer support for academic integrity education
This profile first appeared in the May 2023 issue of the Academic Integrity Digest.
UBC Okanagan Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies student, Stephanie Awotwi-Pratt (Power, Conflict, and Ideas theme) joined the Student Learning Hub’s writing consultant team in 2021 and began her roles as Senior Writing Consultant and AIM Consultant in August 2022.
student success from ubc okanagan faculties:
Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies: UBCO students travel abroad to explore digital mediums
Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science: The 2023 recipients of the Biology Award for Teaching Excellence in TAs are Brontë Shelton and Jacqueline Barnett-Fraser
Okanagan School of Education: Building up biodiversity in our campus backyard
School of Engineering: Strong finish inspires Solar Decathlon team to take it to the next level
School of Engineering: School of Engineering’s inclusive design project wins praise with unique adaptative device
Southern Medical Program: UBC medical students organize cervical cancer screening event in the Okanagan
Faculty of Management: UBC Okanagan Management Student Association (MSA) Receives Canadian Association of Business Students Recognition
Faculty of Management: UBC Okanagan Management student receives Interdisciplinary Co-op Student of the Year Award
We’re building a community of teaching and learning excellence.
Learn how Faculties are driving academic excellence.
mentoring opportunity
APRU Asia Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) Mentoring Program
UBC Okanagan faculty are invited to apply for the 2023-24 Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Asia Pacific Women in Leadership (APWiL) Mentoring Program, beginning November 2023. This opportunity pairs mentees with experienced mentors from APRU member universities for a year-long program focusing on empowerment, professional growth, and development to support aspiring APRU women leaders.
All interested faculty are encouraged to apply. Up to two mentors and two mentees will be selected from our campus to represent UBC. This will be the first year our campus is participating in the program.
Teaching Awards & Funding Spotlight
Dr. Stephen McNeil receives provincial teaching excellence award
Previous Killam Teaching Prize recipient, Dr. Stephen McNeil is a recipient of the 2023 West Coast Teaching Excellence Award, an award recognizing excellence in post-secondary teaching over a number of years.
Congratulations to UBC Okanagan’s inaugural Teaching Fellows
The Centre for Teaching and Learning announces 10 faculty members as the inaugural cohort of Teaching Fellows, recognized for their continued contributions to the teaching and learning mission.
Dr. Bowen Hui recognized for teaching excellence in computer science
Dr. Bowen Hui was recently awarded a 2022 CS-Can|Info-Can annual Excellence in Teaching Award, an award recognizing computer science faculty at Canadian institutions for excellence in teaching.
Award Opportunities
ongoing: BCcampus Award for Excellence in Open Education
The BCcampus Award for Excellence in Open Education recognizes outstanding contributions to the open education movement in British Columbia. Contributions may include leadership, OER development, research, or advocacy by faculty, students, support staff, or administrators.
Teaching and Learning Funding Opportunities
June 12: Climate and Wellbeing Education Grant
Climate and Wellbeing Education Grants provide up to $6,000 to UBC faculty members to incorporate climate change and wellbeing content and approaches into existing undergraduate and graduate courses.
June 15: UBC Scholarly Publication Fund
Faculty members looking to publish scholarly works can apply for the Scholarly Publication Fund for support with publication costs, including the use of images, copyrighted materials, or special production elements.
Dec 31: 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.
Ongoing: UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Fund
UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Funds are granted to departments and units at UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses to support our commitment to becoming a health and wellbeing-promoting institution. Submissions for proposals will be accepted on an ongoing basis starting May 1st for Priority Area Committees and June 1 for Non-Committee members.