Construction update: Child Care Okanagan
Construction of the second Child Care Okanagan building is nearing completion, with an anticipated opening in late fall. This new building will add 37 new child care spaces, including 12 spots for infant toddlers and 25 spaces for our 3–5 program, and seven new educators to the team. Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the grand opening!
Orange Shirt Day shirts and books
The UBC Bookstore carries Orange Shirts produced by the UBC IRSHDC. The current design features the work of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist təlnaq̕ə, Alec Guerin and all sale proceeds will be donated to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS) and Orange Shirt Society. The bookstore also carries a selection of books by Phyllis Webstad, the creator of Orange Shirt Day movement, along with many other books by Indigenous authors.
Weekend of Welcome a success!
Our annual Weekend of Welcome for new residents at the Vancouver campus was a great success again this year, providing thousands of first-year residents with the opportunity to connect, build community and make lasting memories. While many activities return annually, this year we introduced exciting new traditions, including a roommate social, to help roommates bond and set the foundation for positive living experiences, a life skills fair, to share practical skills, and a chill out zone, for students to relax and recharge. These new events were well attended and received lots of positive feedback. Kudos to the first year residence life team!
Food Services supports UBC Learning Exchange
On August 27, Sage Catering and other Food Services staff supported the UBC Learning Exchange Summer Picnic by donating their time, expertise and food. During the event, which involved fun outdoor games, crafts and a photo booth, the Sage crew provided a delicious lunch for roughly 60 members of the Learning Exchange community. Many thanks to Jeremy Scott, Eric Meyer, Levi Semadeni, Peter Devries and Juliana Campbell for their contributions to this meaningful event.
Residence Move-in (Vancouver)
This year’s Vancouver Residence Move In was a huge success, with nearly 6,500 residents moving into their new homes. For the first time ever, Jump Start move in took place on a weekday, and while that posed some unique challenges, such as increased traffic to campus, the team made sure the process was smooth, efficient and welcoming for all our new residents. The success wouldn’t have been possible without the great collaboration of various SHCS departments. Congratulations to Andrew Quenneville, Gillian Wallis and the rest of the Student Residence Team.
Overnight Mobile Team: one year anniversary
Happy one year anniversary to the Overnight Mobile Team! Launched to enhance overnight support for residents, this team replaced the services previously provided by residence front desks between 11 pm and 7 am. The Overnight Mobile Team is composed of three individual groups that operate out of UBC vehicles, patrolling residences throughout the night and responding to resident calls on-site, including key lockouts, urgent facilities concerns and more. Check out this great Instagram Reel about the service, produced by the UBC Residence Hall Association. View a photo from the anniversary celebration.
Thank you and an early goodbye to Paula McCready
Please join us in saying thank you and goodbye to Paula McCready, Associate Director, Ancillary Procurement. At the end of 2024, Paula, her husband Chris and their daughter Sophie will be returning to live in Ontario to be closer to their families. “Paula has been a great asset for SHCS and a valued colleague these last years,” shares Brian Heathcote, Financial Director, VP Students and CFO, SHCS. Beginning her career at UBC in 2007 with UBC’s Central Procurement team, Paula has been a key member of SHCS Purchasing since 2014, taking on progressively more senior positions. We wish you well in your next chapter, Paula!
Congratulations to Yemi Oluyemi
Please join us in congratulating Opeyemi (Yemi) Oluyemi, Financial Specialist, Accounting, and his wife, Fola, on the birth of their daughter Fara. Fara was born on September 1, 2024, weighing 2.92 kg.
Residence Mindful Market recap
This year’s Residence Mindful Market took place on Sunday, September 1 in the B4 parking lot by Orchard Commons. Created in collaboration with UBC Sustainability, this year was the market’s second, and we partnered with Get Thrifty, a student-run, on-campus thrift and consignment store. With hundreds of students in attendance, we sold small kitchen appliances, mini-fridges, dishes, hangers, pillows, clothing, footwear and more—all donated by residents during last year’s move out, allowing us to raise $3,300 to support food security at UBC and support a circular economy on-campus.
Behind the scenes: summer hotel staff
Check out this great blog post from the Vancouver Conferences and Accommodation team, Behind the Scenes: Our Summer Hotel Staff Who Made It All Happen. Learn more about the role of their seasonal team members, many of whom are UBC students, and how they help ensure that every guest has a comfortable and memorable stay.
Eating Well with All Access Dining: A nutrition team resource
In August, the Nutrition and Wellbeing team launched a suite of new resources for guests visiting the dining halls, Eating Well with All Access Dining: Dining Room Hacks handout series. Covering everything from general nutritional info to plant-based diets, allergies, Halal foods and more, the documents are designed to help first year student residents, other guests and staff navigate the dining hall environment successfully and eat well. The resources are available online and are being handed out in-person at nutrition and wellbeing booths and events.
Food Services: Supporting the UBC Farm
Our support of the UBC Farm continued this past summer. In July, Food Services chefs spent a morning at the farm harvesting produce, an opportunity to contribute to and connect with the place where we buy over $50,000 worth of produce every year. In August, the Food Services team helped make the UBC Farm Long Table Dinner magical for another year, serving up a beautiful menu, with all net proceeds in support the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at the UBC Farm.
Enter this month’s Shoes for Crews raffle
Did you know you can enter to win a free pair of shoes from SHCS? Enter the monthly draw for your chance to win a free pair of Shoes for Crews shoes today, care of the SHCS Occupational Health and Safety team. The raffle is open to SHCS staff on both campuses.
Halloween Story Time at UBC Bookstore
On Saturday, October 26, from 1:15 pm to 1:45 pm, the UBC Bookstore is hosting a free family story time event featuring a selection of wonderfully spooky and fall-themed picture books. All stories are appropriate for little readers under ten—and Halloween costumes are encouraged and welcome! There will be free coffee at the Corner Store for parents and an activity table and treat bags for kids.
Registration is not required, just drop by the kids’ book section at the bookstore a few minutes before the event starts.
UBC Blueberry Fest 2024
Blueberry Fest was another big hit this summer, bringing out thousands of campus community members over three days to enjoy a range of blueberry baked goods, daily cooking demos, live music and more. This year, even blueberry-themed UBC hoodies were available! Many thanks to Juliana Campbell, Andy Chan, the Sage Catering team and everyone at the UBC Bookstore who helped make it happen.
UBC Bookstore discounts reminder
A reminder that all SHCS staff receive an additional 15% in-store discount off red-ticketed items at the UBC Bookstore. Plus, the bookstore’s Our Favourites books—a curated collection of hidden gems, notable releases and surprise favourites— are always 25% off!
Brock Commons South opens
Congratulations to everyone involved in the opening of Brock Commons South. In addition to nearly 300 beds, this building also houses Heron’s Landing, our newest Child Care setting, and Hero Coffee and Harvest Market Brock Commons—already a campus favourite!—along with several floors of administrative space for everyone from Arts Advising to the Vice-President, Students office. The official opening for Brock Commons North and South takes place on October 3, 2024.
Lower Mall Precinct project announcement
On August 20, SHCS, UBC and the Province of BC announced a major partnership to build a new student residence complex in the Lower Mall Precinct, on the current site of St. John’s College. Featuring over 1,500 student housing beds, this residence will become one of our largest (second only to Marine Drive by about 100 beds). It will also include a 400-seat dining hall and a 37-space child care setting. Construction is set to begin in fall 2026, and the project is expected to become operational in phases, starting in 2028 and completing in 2029.
Summer professional development sessions
In July 2024, SHCS HR was pleased to offer a second session of Exceptional Customer Service Training with Kwela Leadership and Talent Management, with numerous staff from Food Services, Student Housing and Parking in attendance. Thanks to the staff who attended and participated in the valuable workshop!
Indigenous History Month: həm̓ləsəm̓ and q̓ələχən houses
June is Indigenous History Month. həm̓ləsəm̓ and q̓ələχən houses at Totem Park student residence were the first of our residence buildings to receive hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-language names, generously gifted by the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation. To learn more about these names and their significance to xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, watch these informative videos about the naming of həm̓ləsəm̓ and q̓ələχən houses.
New staff resource! Key dates poster
As part of last year’s SHCS employee survey, staff expressed a desire to have more accessible information about what’s happening across our campuses throughout the year. To help support that request, we’ve created a key dates poster for staff—one version for each campus—which will be sent out to staff areas three times per year. Plus, it’s available for download anytime. Learn more.
You’re invited: Second annual UBC Child Care Salon
On Wednesday, June 26, 5 pm–7pm, UBC Child Care is hosting its second annual Salon at the UBC Child Care Administration Hub (2881 Acadia Road), and SHCS staff are invited to attend. View displays and speak with our Senior Educators to learn more about the past year’s pedagogical work at each of our 30 child care settings, with this year’s focus on our commitment to inclusion. Registration is not required; just come on by!
Food Services chefs volunteer with Growing Chefs program
This spring, chefs David Speight, Darren Clay, Johnny Bridge and Amanda Rehel volunteered with Growing Chefs, a local non-profit organization. Over four weeks, they visited a grade one class at Bayview Community Elementary School in Kitsilano and led activities, such as planting a windowsill garden, tasting new vegetables, making a salad and stir fry, and teaching about everything from knife skills to where food comes from. This year was the fourth that our chefs have volunteered since 2018, visiting a different school each year. View a photo.
Changes in Access Services
The Access Services team has been developing a plan with Campus Security to streamline roles and responsibilities between their two units. Coming out of those discussions, Access Services within SHCS will continue to run the access desk and issue all student and employee IDs. The Access Services Support team will integrate into Campus Security, who will now oversee all aspects of key issuance and building access. This change means that Beth Krisciunas, Parking and Access Systems Manager, Rachel Toop, Parking Access Coordinator, and Drew Jackson, Access Desk Attendant, will be joining Campus Security over the course of this summer. We thank them for their service in SHCS and look forward to continuing to work closely with them as they move to their new team.
You’re invited! Story Time for Kids at UBC Bookstore
Come on out to Story Time for Kids—a free family event at the UBC Bookstore (Vancouver)—on Saturday, June 22 from 1 pm to 2 pm in the kids book area. A perfect event for students, staff or faculty with young children, Bookstore staff will read from a unique selection of beautiful picture books. Free coffee and hot chocolate will be available for kids and their families, and there will be an activity table available during break time. All books featured during the event are perfect for readers under 10. No registration required.
Congratulations to Pauline Wong
Please join us in congratulating Pauline Wong, Food and Nutrition Coordinator, and her partner Sam on the birth of their daughter Zyla. Zyla was born on March 23, 2024, weighing in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces.
Occupancy permit approved for Brock Commons South
We are excited to report that on June 11, we received our occupancy permit for Brock Commons South, the third and final building in our Brock Commons residence area (Brock Commons North, South and Tallwood House). A multi-purpose building, Student Residence welcomes just over 280 student residents to Brock Commons South in mid-June, Food Services opens Hero Coffee and Harvest Market Brock Commons in July, and Child Care welcomes families to its newest setting, Heron’s Landing, in August. With administrative office space also in the building, colleagues from the Vice-President, Students portfolio will start moving in during the summer as well.
UBC Farm Long Table Dinner returns!
The ever-popular UBC Farm Long Table Dinner, in collaboration with Food Services, returns on July 18. Enjoy a warm summer evening under twinkling lights at long tables set between rows of trees in the poplar grove, while enjoying a full-service menu celebrating the seasonal bounty of UBC Farm and local food producers. Learn more.
Heron’s Landing: New Child Care setting to open in Brock Commons South
With this summer’s opening of Brock Commons South, the UBC Child Care team looks forward to opening and welcoming families to Heron’s Landing, our newest child care setting, starting in August. Child Care will enrol children in several waves between August and October, ultimately providing care for 37 UBC families. “The space is beautiful, especially with its floor to ceiling windows and expansive view,” says Karen Vaughan, Director, UBC Child Care, “and we are confident it will live up to its name, which was chosen by our educators.” View a photo.
Food Services Vancouver: summer 2024 launches
This summer, Food Services Vancouver is working toward several exciting launches. In Brock Commons South, which opens this summer, we’ll be opening Hero Coffee and Harvest Market Brock Commons—a brand-new, 100% self-checkout food market and cafe. Sage Catering is expanding to add a delivery catering business and better serve medium-sized community events on campus, with the former Point restaurant location being used as the production kitchen. Plus, Ike’s Café is getting an overhaul, with a new Asian comfort food concept (and possibly even a new name!). Watch @ubcfoodie for more!
Watch Unsung Heroes, a student documentary celebrating SHCS staff
This past year, a group of students led by Andrew Joji—a current resident, Vice-President, Administration and Finance for the Residence Hall Association, and a recent co-op student with SHCS IT—in collaboration with indieVision, a student filmmaking collective, produced Unsung Heroes, a documentary featuring SHCS Vancouver staff.
In early-April, the students involved held an in-person screening of the finished documentary for UBC student residents and friends, along with the staff featured in the documentary and their colleagues, at the Ponderosa Commons ballroom.
Unsung Heroes is now available to watch online, so please take some time to check it out. Please also join us in congratulating Andrew and team on the successful completion of this documentary, and many thanks to all the SHCS staff who participated. Watch Unsung Heroes.
Brock Commons North residence front desk now open
On Wednesday, June 12, Student Housing in Vancouver opened a new front desk at Brock Commons North, which will now serve residents of Brock Commons North, Brock Commons South, Tallwood House and Iona House. Stop by anytime to check out the new space!
New! SHCS staff discount at UBC Bookstore
The UBC Bookstore is pleased to offer a new discount for SHCS staff at both the Vancouver and Okanagan stores. The discount: SHCS staff receive an additional 15% in-store discount off red-ticketed items, which can include everything from books and stationery to giftware and apparel. To find the location of red-ticketed items, simply ask a staff member. To receive the additional 15% discount, at the time of purchase let the sales attendant know that you’re an SHCS staff member.
Front Desk team: professional development + recent promotions
The residence front desk team in Vancouver is busy with professional development this spring and summer, including a workshop on customer service, case study exploration and a Global Café, plus a session with the Counsellors in Residence to learn more about critical thinking in stressful situations. They’re also launching a book club, with Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead as their inaugural title. Additionally, the front desk management team would like to congratulate Adam Skiland, Bjorn Yearwood and Yvonne Martinez, who are each moving into the role of Residence Front Desk Coordinator.
Gage Suites receives Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice award
Congratulations to our Conferences and Accommodation Vancouver team on receiving a 2024 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice award for the Gage Suites, which is receiving this award for the second consecutive time. This award recognizes Gage Suites for being among the top 10% of Tripadvisor listings globally. Learn more.
Child Care educators take part in Big Day in xʷməθkʷəy̓əm
On Saturday, May 4, roughly 80 educators from UBC Child Care attended the Big Day in xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), organized by Ena Point, Indigenous Relations and Engagement Pedagogist. During the six-hour workshop, educators participated in knowledge sharing, good food and walks on the land with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Knowledge Keepers Morgan Guerin, Alec Guerin, and Crystal Stogan and Māori Knowledge Keeper Shaloh Mitchell. Many thanks to all those who attended and to the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm community members who hosted our educators. Learn more about Indigeneity and professional development at UBC Child Care.
Bookstore support at UBC graduation
During UBC graduation ceremonies, the UBC Bookstore manages regalia rentals for roughly 10,000 graduating students. The Bookstore management team would like to express a big thank you to everyone at the regalia tent, faculty and ceremonies space, the trailer and at the Bookstore who supported this monumental task. “The efficiency, patience and attention to detail of our staff and volunteers,” notes Shane Gopaulsingh, Bookstore Manager, “were instrumental, and ensured that the process was handled with grace and professionalism.”
UBC Child Care: Zen Den now open
The team at UBC Child Care is pleased to announce that the Zen Den, funded through the UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Fund, is now open. At this new space in the Child Care Administration Hub, Early Childhood Educators can decompress and re-energize away from their child care settings. Thank you to many people across SHCS who supported and contributed to the creation of this space, including Sahil Nandal and Matthew Lim (Residence Life); Jen Dowdeswell and Emily Liew (VPS and SHCS HR); Ricky Biring and David Kiloh (Facilities and Building Services); Karen Vaughan, Melanie Walters and Diana Sanchez Toscano (Child Care); and all the educators at Child Care who contributed their time and ideas. View a photo.
Not Myself Today wraps up for 2023/24
This year, Not Myself Today (NMT) took place between November 2023 and May 2024, wrapping up with two in-person workshops, the first on preventing burnout (April 10) and the second on self and community care (May 30), delivered by Erica Altomare, Workplace Wellbeing Learning Specialist, UBC Human Resources. Then, on June 5, this year’s ambassadors gathered for the Ambassador Appreciation Social to share their experiences and celebrate this year’s journey. Thanks to each of our ambassadors and to everyone in SHCS who read the emails, accessed resources and attended an in-person workshop. Watch for the return of Not Myself Today in the fall!
Mindful Move Out update 2024
During the month of April, we run Mindful Move Out campaigns on both campuses to help make the move out process smooth for students and staff, but also sustainable! Throughout the month, residents are asked to sort any belongings they’re not taking with them into donation bins to reduce how much ends up in the landfill. We’re happy to report that this year, in Vancouver, 42 truckloads of items were diverted from the landfill—with some of those items available for resale at our Mindful Market after move in. Learn more: Vancouver | Okanagan.
Spring professional development sessions
This spring, SHCS HR was pleased to present three engaging and informative professional development opportunities for select leaders across SHCS. In early-April, 17 staff attended Exceptional Customer Service Training with Kwela Leadership and Talent Management; in mid-April, 26 staff attended Conflict Resolution: Navigating Challenging Conversations with the Justice Institute of BC; in early-June, 38 staff attended De-escalating Hostility with the Justice Institute of BC. Thanks to the staff who attended and participated in these valuable sessions!
Emergency Preparedness Week 2024
Take part in Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week), May 5–11, to increase the UBC community’s resilience by learning about emergency preparedness. You can get prepared for an emergency by learning about the risks in your community, making a plan and building a kit. Plus, on Wednesday, May 8, the national emergency alert system will be tested, with the alert broadcast on radio, TV and compatible cell phones. Learn more.
Participate in the 2024 Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey
All UBC faculty and staff are invited to participate in the Canadian Campus Wellbeing Survey (CCWS) 2024 to help inform the Workplace Wellbeing team at UBC Vancouver and the Workplace Health and Wellbeing team at UBC Okanagan as they prepare to refresh our existing wellbeing strategies. Your insights will help shape how our community members live, work, learn and enjoy our campuses for years to come. Complete the survey by Friday, May 17.
Enter the Shoes for Crews monthly draw
As part of the new partnership with Shoes for Crews, SHCS Occupational Health and Safety is offering a monthly draw for a free pair of shoes—open to SHCS employees in Vancouver and the Okanagan. Enter this month’s draw for your chance to win! One entry per person, per month. Enter each month’s draw by the last day of the month at 11:59 pm. Learn more about the Shoes for Crews program.
Congratulations to our 2024 VPS Employee Award recipients
Please join us in congratulating two SHCS employees who received Vice-President, Students Portfolio Employee Awards in April 2024 (the inaugural year). Kulwinder Rai, Assistant Housekeeping Supervisor, Facilities and Building Services, received the Enhancing the UBC Experience award. Jessica Sterman, Compliance and Claims System Associate, Occupational Health and Safety, received the Workplace Wellbeing award. Read their profiles.
Try an E-bike for free
UBC has partnered with Zygg to allow UBC staff, faculty and students to try an e-bike for free for an entire week. The program runs from March 25 to October 31, 2024 for staff and faculty—and will be available to students in the Fall. Zygg is a subscription-based e-bike service that offers monthly e-bike rentals. To learn more and to sign up, visit the UBC Try an E-bike Program.
A heads up: Jump Start Move In Day 2024 on a weekday (Vancouver)
This year, Jump Start Move In (Vancouver) takes place on a weekday: Tuesday, August 27. With thousands of students and their families driving to and around campus that day, the Student Residence team wanted to provide advance notice and ask those who can, please work from home that day—to reduce traffic on campus and ensure a smooth move in experience for new students. More info to come!
Reusable mug program at UBC Okanagan
This past year, UBC Okanagan Food Services launched a new reusable mug program. Customers who bring their own mug and purchase a hand-crafted beverage, such as coffee or tea, at any of their locations, receive a $0.50 discount off their drink. Last fiscal (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024), an incredible 12,557 discounts were redeemed, which means they were able to keep the same number of single use cups out of the landfill.
Ubyssey feature story on UBC Child Care
Don’t miss this excellent and illuminating feature Ubyssey story, Child-sized, critical steps, about the unique work taking place at UBC Child Care, which features Barbara Undurraga, Senior Early Childhood Educator, Enalyne Point, Indigenous Relations Engagement Pedagogist, and Karen Vaughan, Director.
Pet pop-up at UBC Bookstore
On April 9, the bookstore hosted its first pet accessories pop-up event that featured a few beloved local vendors, as well as an ambassador and their rescue pup from Free Korean Dogs. Created and organized by Joanna Kwong, from the bookstore’s buying team, the event welcomed more than fifteen UBC community pets and their owners, including students from the Campus Canines club with their service dogs in training. Check out this Instagram Reel from the event!