UBC during the summer months is an incredible place to be. Of course, we’re all hard at work getting ready for our incoming cohort of first year students, hosting conferences in our spectacular venues or catering weddings at Cecil Green Park House. Many of us are also trying to squeeze in some time in the sunshine – at lunch with colleagues or on the weekend with family and friends.
We’re also in the midst of change, some big, some small – but all with an impact on our work and our lives. UBC recently announced its new president Dr. Santa Ono, who will take up the presidency in August; we will be welcoming students to Orchard Commons in September; we will be offering a new experience in campus dining with Open Kitchen; and we are saying goodbye to Pacific Spirit Place in the old Student Union Building at the end of the summer when building renovations begin.
Here are a few definitions of change, pulled from the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
- To make (radically) different in some particular way
- To transform
- To give a different position, course, or direction to
- To replace with another
- To make a shift from one to another
- To exchange for an equivalent sum of money
- To undergo a modification of
- To put fresh clothes or covering on <change a bed>
Each of these definitions covers some aspect of the change we are constantly undergoing in SHHS and at UBC – and number 8 in particular is something our wonderful staff at West Coast Suites does every day!
In such a large organization, we are regularly welcoming new staff and saying goodbye to others. I would like to welcome all of our new SHHSians to the team and I would like to thank everyone who has recently departed for their exceptional service to SHHS, to our students and to UBC.
A poignant message accompanied the announcement of Dr. Santa Ono as UBC’s new president: “Change is a certainty. At UBC, we’re thrilled to embrace it.” When we embrace change in SHHS we are paving the way for the future, which is why we are here – to help students on their journeys, to enrich the campus experience for the UBC community and our guests and to fuel the minds that are making positive change in the world through teaching and research.
Our work affects everyone at UBC, and through our leadership, our efforts and our adaptability, we can continue to support the university and the campus community through their own changes and transformations.
As we think about the broader changes across the university and the positive impact of our work, let’s not forget how important it is to take some time out this summer with family and friends – whether that’s a lunchtime visit to the Rose Garden, a camping trip to the Sunshine Coast or a simple backyard BBQ. Enjoy your summer…and smile, it’s contagious!
– Andrew
Andrew Parr
Managing Director
Student Housing and Hospitality Services
