UBC Clothing Drive
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the UBC Clothing Drive in December. The drive collected five full boxes of clothing for the Acadia Community Food Hub, which will help keep numerous UBC families warm throughout the winter. Go team!
Decolonizing mental health services on campus
Recently, UBC announced a number of Indigenous-focused projects that were collectively granted $4 million in funding through the Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Fund (ISI Fund). Please join us in thanking Freeman Woolnough—our Associate Director, Residence Life, Counsellors in Residence program—for his leadership in securing a $68,602 grant for UBC’s Counselling and Health Equity, Promotion and Education teams to perform critical work in “creating systemic change for Indigenous students through increasing awareness and knowledge of how colonization impacts campus counselling systems.”
Indigenous Book Market at the AMS Nest
From October 12 to 14, UBC Bookstore and the AMS hosted a three-day Indigenous Book Market at the Nest, as part of the Indigenous Culture Month (ICM)—a period of reflection, reconciliation and healing. The market aimed to help the UBC community find new books and stories by Indigenous authors. Many students, faculty and staff stopped by to chat and pick up their new reads. Learn more about ICM through posts on the AMS Instagram and explore featured books in this video.
Nechako tops Thompson Okanagan Commercial Building Awards
Nechako Housing Commons at UBC Okanagan, which opened in 2021, was named the Judges Choice Best Overall Winner at this year’s Thompson Okanagan Commercial Building Awards. Nechako also won the Award of Excellence in the Community Institutional and Renovation categories and three other awards. Learn more.
UBC Parking Donates over $3600 to UBC United Way campaign
This year, UBC Parking received $1845 in fine payments between September 24 and 28, which allowed the department to donate $3690 to the UBC United Way campaign. This donation was part of its annual fundraising program, which offers those with outstanding parking fines a 50% reduction. UBC Parking tops up the remainder for any fine payments received and, in turn, donates that amount to the United Way campaign, which supports vulnerable children and seniors in our community.
Not Myself Today program returns to SHCS
Not Myself Today (NMT), an evidence-informed mental health initiative, starts up at UBC and in SHCS this month. Watch for great resources, tips and easy-to-use guides from your department’s NMT ambassador over the coming months. Learn more about NMT in SHCS.
EV fast charging stations now operational
To provide an update on the UBC Renewable Energy Hub project on Thunderbird Boulevard, in which Parking has significant involvement, the EV fast charging stations located in the Thunderbird Parkade are now fully operational. Usage data is being monitored and analyzed by MéridaLabs, the UBC Engineering project leads. This winter, we also expect the hydrogen fuel station to be completed and operational and the solar panel canopy to be installed on the top level of the Thunderbird Parkade.
SHCS staff recognition wall now installed
In late-October, we installed our new staff recognition wall at the SHCS Main Office. This new wall installation celebrates our SHCS Outstanding Contribution Award and Hero Award recipients in a permanent way, and it helps us further the recognition commitments we made in the SHCS People Plan. We will be unveiling the wall for past recipients at a reception on November 30.
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Reminder: many of you have access to Professional Development funding, which supports your access to learning opportunities that enhance your knowledge, work performance and career growth at UBC.
New Food Services Okanagan recognition program
Food Services Okanagan recently launched a new employee recognition program, the Employee Acknowledgment Award. Employees are nominated/selected based on their aptitude for learning, demonstration of leadership, and support for the team environment. Congratulations to the first two recipients: Deb Guigue from Rocket and Cole Henry from Pritchard Dining Hall.
Staffing changes within VP Students finance team
After 16 years of dedicated service to UBC, supporting UBC Bookstore and Campus Mail as Senior Finance Manager, Jenny Fuentes has announced her retirement. Margaret Tough—Director of Finance for Student Engagement and Student Health and Wellbeing—has agreed to enter into a trial to expand her areas of responsibility to include the Bookstore and Campus Mail. Margaret will work with Jenny starting in November 2022 to ensure there is a smooth transition.
Congratulations to Lisa Kanavaros, C&A
Join us in congratulating Lisa Kanavaros, Sales Manager with Conferences and Accommodation. Lisa was recently awarded the Members Choice Award by the Canadian University and College Conference Organizers Association (CUCCOA). She was selected by her CCUOA peers for her exemplary record of consistently booking conference business and for her dedicated work with CUCCOA. Learn more and meet our previous UBC award recipients from Vancouver and Okanagan.
Welcome to Erica Toth, RLM at UBCO
Please join us in welcoming Erica Toth to the UBC Okanagan Residence Life team. Erica is our newest Residence Life Manager. Starting on October 24, she will support the student experience in Monashee Place and the Cascades—upper year and suite-style student communities. Erica, who was previously a Residence Life student staff member, returns to the team after teaching English in Bangkok, Thailand.
Diwali at UBC Okanagan
In addition to the many UBC community Diwali events over the weekend of October 23 and 24, Residence Life and Food Services Okanagan hosted a number of events to celebrate this annual “festival of lights”. Events included everything from Bollywood trivia to henna art. Learn more about Diwali.
Bookstore support for catch-up graduation ceremonies
It’s fall graduation time, and this year includes an extra week for UBC graduates who missed out on live ceremonies over the past two years. The Bookstore team will be busy ensuring all things go smoothly—from gown rentals to grad gifts. While the logistics involved in the additional ceremonies will add new challenges, our capable team is ready to ensure the best graduation experience possible, especially for those students who are returning to UBC for that live graduation experience they previously missed.
C&A and President Ono hosts UBC Ambassadors luncheon
On September 13, 2022, Conferences and Accommodation (C&A) and President Santa Ono hosted a luncheon for our UBC Ambassadors, the first event for this distinguished group of UBC faculty since 2018. This annual luncheon is one of several ways that the university—through the UBC Ambassadors program, developed by C&A—recognizes faculty who bring major academic conferences to UBC. Learn more about the UBC Ambassadors program.
Fall flu shots and COVID-19 boosters
Invitations for fall flu and COVID-19 booster vaccinations are currently being sent out by the BC provincial government. Getting these vaccinations is an important measure for maintaining our personal, community and workplace health over the coming months. Learn more about vaccination options and how to book your appointment.
Learning and development opportunities
Don’t miss two great learning and development opportunities currently offered by UBC: this summer, UBC’s Equity and Inclusion Office launched its new Positive Space: Foundations course online. Enroll in the 90-minute, self-paced course today to learn more about sex, sexuality, and gender diversity. On October 19, UBC is offering Emotional Intelligence: a guide to how it works. Enroll in this one-hour workshop for lots of great tools and techniques you can apply personally and professionally.
UBC x Lululemon collaboration
On August 26, UBC Bookstore, at both the Okanagan and Vancouver locations, had a highly successful launch of our much-anticipated UBC x Lululemon collaboration. Check out a TikTok video from launch day! UBC x Lululemon clothing is currently available for purchase in-store and will be available online in the near future as well.
Orange Shirt Day T-shirt sales at UBC Bookstore
Orange Shirt Day + National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (September 30) is a day of awareness of the individual, family, and community intergenerational impacts of Indian Residential Schools. Each year, UBC’s Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) works with an Indigenous artist to create a unique Orange Shirt Day T-shirt design. This year’s shirts feature the work of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist Darryl Blyth. Shirts are currently available for sale – online or in-person – at UBC Bookstore, with all proceeds donated to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS) and Orange Shirt Society.
Facilities and Building Services pilots inclusive recruitment partnership
We are happy to announce that, in collaboration with UBC HR, Facilities and Building Services is piloting an inclusive recruitment partnership with BC Partners in Workforce Innovation (BC WiN). BC WiN is an innovative recruitment approach that helps BC employers meet workforce needs and connects people with disabilities / people with diverse abilities to careers with respectful, inclusive employers.
UBCV Residence parking spaces now managed by UBC Parking
Until September 2022, Student Housing oversaw the management and monitoring of parking at our Vancouver student residences. We are pleased to announce that starting in September, UBC Parking now manages requests and compliance for these spaces, and students apply directly through the UBC Parking website. This change, developed over many months of hard work between the teams, will help improve the management and oversight of all parking on campus, while also freeing up valuable time for Student Housing staff who were previously involved. Our thanks to everyone involved in supporting this important operational change.
Transit Pass Subsidy, CUPE 116
As many of you know, CUPE and UBC reached an agreement on a pilot to allow some CUPE 116 staff to access a 50% subsidy on transit passes. There are currently 240 staff using this valuable benefit, which we hope to expand to other groups across UBC over time. As a reminder, CUPE 116 staff who are pay grade 11 and below are currently eligible for this subsidy. To apply, or if you have any questions, please contact the Access Desk inside the Bookstore.
Great review for school booking at Place Vanier
Kudos to the Conferences and Accommodation and the Building Services teams, who supported many great stays throughout the summer. One school group reported, “Our stay at Place Vanier was great! The kids loved staying on a university campus and getting a feel of what that might be like one day. We got to spend some time in the evenings walking around the campus and checking it all out. Some of the kids already want to go to UBC now. Thank you for all your help in making this happen for us and I’ll definitely be back with a new class next year!” – Teacher from Lake City Secondary School.
Congratulations to Shannon Dunn
Join us in congratulating Shannon Dunn, Director, SHCS at UBC Okanagan on receiving a 2022 President’s Service Award for Excellence. These awards are presented annually by the university to recognize staff members who demonstrate outstanding achievement and excellence within the UBC community. Read about Shannon’s outstanding leadership and array of contributions at UBC and beyond.
UBCO Food Services helps celebrate 10 years of B.A.R.K. program
This September, B.A.R.K. – a program that explores the role of therapy dogs in fostering well-being on campus and in the community – is celebrating 10-years of serving the UBC Okanagan community. To support this celebration, UBCO Food Services is donating homemade dog treats, baked by Chef Chelsea Ashcroft, for those in the campus community with four-legged friends. The recipe will also be shared for anyone who wants to bake their own treats, and later this fall, UBCO FS will also be selling baked goods (for humans, this time!), with proceeds going to B.A.R.K.
Skeena Residence official opening
On June 24, the Okanagan campus was delighted to host the official opening of Skeena Residence – the first Student Residence to be certified as a Passive House in Canada. Anne Kang, the Honorable Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training, was on hand to celebrate this accomplishment. Skeena now houses 220 first year students in single connected rooms. Watch a short video with highlights from the opening ceremony.
Congratulations to Steve and Claire Brodrick
Congratulations to Steve and Claire Brodrick who welcomed their new baby Raphael Oliver Brodrick, born at 2:48 pm on Tuesday Aug 9, weighing 7lbs, 9oz. Steve is the Associate Director, Residence Life at UBC Okanagan.
A reminder that staff are always welcome to share any baby announcements from their team for inclusion on the website. Submit announcements to shcs.communications@ubc.ca.
Welcome to Gloria Sun, Manager, Nutrition and Wellbeing
Food Services Vancouver open for business!
All of Food Services Vancouver’s 22 retail locations are open across campus, with Mercante and The Point launching a mobile order service for take-out food this fall. Plus, all three Residence Dining Halls – Feast, Gather and Open Kitchen – are now open and serving residents through the All Access Dining residence meal plan. Staff and faculty, along with students who are not on the All Access plan are welcome to dine in residence anytime as well. The door rates are breakfast for $12+tax, lunch for $15+tax, and dinner for $19+tax.
UBCO FS canning workshop for students and alumni
On September 17, UBC Okanagan Food Services will be conducting an educational fruit and vegetable canning workshop with a group of students and alumni, along with volunteers from the BC Tree Fruits cooperative. Food Services is providing the food and BC Tree Fruits is providing the canning jars. Participants donate at least one of their jars of canned food to the Pantry student food bank in support of campus food security.
Purchasing team update
The Purchasing team is pleased to announce two recent internal promotions: Vassili (Vasya) Molnar was the successful candidate for the vacant position of Senior Procurement Officer. Vasya has been with the team for three years and brings over eight years of strategic supply chain experience. Following from Vasya’s promotion, Maria Domingo was the successful candidate for the Procurement Officer position. Maria is a friendly face around the SHCS Main Office and brings over 15 years of procurement experience with SHCS. The SHCS Purchasing team also includes Paula McCready, Purchasing Manager, and Billie Sandhu, Purchasing Officer.
SHCS residence buildings in the news
Check out these recent magazine features showcasing two of our recent residence projects: 7 new building projects transforming UBC, in UBC’s Trek Magazine, which highlights tə šxʷhəleləm̓s tə k̓ʷaƛ̓kʷəʔaʔɬ (Vancouver) and Skeena and Nechacko (Okanagan); Award Magazine, June 2022, which highlights tə šxʷhəleləm̓s tə k̓ʷaƛ̓kʷəʔaʔɬ (pages 71–72).
Go by Bike Week: SHCS Road Warriors take third place
The SHCS Road Warriors, led by Joanne Thember, SHCS Occupational Health and Safety, once again took to the road as part of the spring 2022 Go by Bike Week. Congratulations to this intrepid group of riders who collectively took third place out of all UBC teams, maintaining our standing from last year. Thanks to their efforts, UBC also remains the top organization for this bi-annual event. Lead riders from SHCS include Afkar Fazir (Residence Life), Romula Garcia (Facilities and Building Services) and Melissa Chao (Residence Life). Go team!
Learning and development opportunities
With the increased pace of work and life, as we emerge from more challenging pandemic conditions, here is a great self-paced UBC short course that you might consider taking: Self and Community Care: Building Skills to Manage Stress. Start the course today!
Plus, check out two great LinkedIn Learning short courses, based on bestselling books. Cover the content of these great reads in 10–20 minutes! Check out the Atomic Habits course and the Leader’s Guide to Mindfulness course today.
Current job opportunities
We’re currently seeking applicants for a variety of positions in SHCS. If you know someone who would be a good fit at UBC, please let them know about these opportunities to join the SHCS team. Did you know that transit subsidies are now available for certain CUPE 116 positions? Food Services: contact levi.semadeni@ubc.ca about server and host positions. Conferences and Accommodation / Facilities and Building Services: Check out the Service Worker (permanent, full-time) and Hotel Service Worker (Apr–Aug) positions on Indeed.com. Plus, don’t miss all the postings for fall positions with SHCS departments on Workday that went up on June 20!
Move In volunteers needed
After a two year hiatus, Residence Life is seeking volunteers to help out with the 2022/23 Move In on the Vancouver campus. We move over 7,000 students into residence before school starts in September and we will need a ton of volunteers to welcome them to campus, help them find their way, and help them move their stuff. If you are interested in volunteering, there are two Move In Days that we need your help on: August 27 and September 3. Feel free to sign up for shifts on one or both days! For more information and to sign up for a shift, please contact Nicole Dalli at nicole.dalli@ubc.ca.
Food Services completes its five year roadmap
Food Services recently completed its five year roadmap, which includes its Strategic Plan and Vision, Mission and Values. With its vision to “enable and inspire a lifetime of healthy eating,” the revised values focus on our community and our planet. These values now include guidance for our employees and customers, improvements in sustainability, and the introduction of Indigeneity as a key value. Watch for more on the Food Services website soon!
C&A reopens Pacific Spirit Hostel
Pacific Spirit Hostel, our seasonal summer hostel at Place Vanier, re-opened to guests this spring for the first time since summer 2019! Operated by Conferences and Accommodation, the hostel also has an exciting, revamped visual identity, with a west coast inspired, retro beach vibe. We are glad to be welcoming guests from all over the world once again this summer. Learn more and check out the refreshed look and feel on the Pacific Spirit Hostel website.
Building Services hosts sensitivity training workshop
On Tuesday May 31, SHCS Building Services invited select leaders from SHCS and across UBC Vancouver to attend a sensitivity training workshop and learn more about the Deaf, DeafBlind and hard of hearing cultures – in order to promote and support stronger communication, accessibility and inclusion in the workplace. The interactive training covered many topics, including workplace barriers, technology and accommodations, the use of sign language interpreters, and communication tips and strategies. Thank you to the Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility for facilitating the training and to all of the participants who will help to pass this important knowledge back to their teams.
Skeena Residence (UBC Okanagan) receives Passive House certification
In early-May 2022, UBCO’s Skeena Residence officially received Passive House certification – a stringent set of efficient design and construction standards – making it the first student residence in Canada to receive that status. The six-storey building, which originally opened in August 2020, houses 220 students, adding much-needed student accommodation at our Okanagan campus.
tə šxʷhəleləm̓s tə k̓ʷaƛ̓kʷəʔaʔɬ now fully open
In April, we were pleased to open the final two houses at tə šxʷhəleləm̓s tə k̓ʷaƛ̓kʷəʔaʔɬ residence, təməs leləm̓ (Sea Otter House) and sqimək̓ʷ leləm̓ (Octopus House). The residence area now provides accommodation for a total of 743 students. Plus, all three walkway canopies featuring artwork by Musqueam artist Kelly Cannell are now installed, along with plant signage identifying plants with cultural significance to Musqueam. Stop by to check out the walkway canopies and plant signage.
Welcoming guests to Vancouver this spring or summer?
As COVID-19 restrictions ease more of us are making plans to travel, welcome guests, and host meetings again. UBC Conferences and Accommodation offers a wide range of rooms conveniently located on campus, including our beautiful new Gage Signature Studios – contemporary hotel-quality rooms available year-round. Visit suitesatubc.com to learn more or contact your C&A colleagues at 604-822-1060.
Andrew Parr speaks at St. John’s College
St. John’s College, a residential college for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars at UBC, hosts a monthly Hot Lunch speaker series for UBC staff. Andrew Parr, the AVP, SHCS, is the series’ next speaker, and he will be giving a talk titled Springing forward: COVID-19 Recovery, Indigenous Awareness & Education. Learn more and register to attend virtually or in-person. Learn more about the speaker series and join the Hot Lunch mailing list at St. John’s College.
SHCS media coverage: solving the student housing crisis
Our nano suites at Exchange residence remain a popular subject, and they recently received coverage in Solving the Student Housing Crisis, a University Affairs magazine article. Check it out to learn more about how our nano suites are helping address this country-wide crisis and how other Canadian universities are looking to emulate these suites in future projects, along with a range of other innovative solutions.
Black Excellence Evening in residence
In March 2022, Residence Life staff at UBC Okanagan organized the first Black Excellence Evening in residence. Students gathered to celebrate culture and excellence in the black community. With support from UBC Food Services, students cooked and served dishes from Nigeria, South Africa, and the Caribbean. The evening also featured performances from BIPOC members of the UBC community, and it received community support and donations from six black-owned businesses from the Okanagan.
Congratulations Katrina Stefopulos
Please join us in congratulating Katrina Stefopulos, a Residence Life Manager (RLM) at UBC Okanagan, who was recently honoured with the New Professional Award by the Northwest Association of College & University Housing Officers (NWACUHO). The New Professional Award is awarded to outstanding professionals in the field of Housing and Residence Life within their first three years of professional service. Past UBC recipients include RLMs Katie MacGregor (2019) and Samantha Larsen (2017).
New fiscal year, new professional development funding
Did you know that you can access staff professional development (PD) funding to support your career growth at UBC? For example, the annual amount for CUPE 116 members is $1,000! The new funding year started April 1, 2022, so it’s a great time to start thinking about how to access your funds, how much you have available, and what you could use your funding toward. Pro tip: it’s for more than just courses! Learn more about staff professional development funding today.
Summer Hiring: Hotel Service Workers and Housekeepers
We are currently seeking applicants for Hotel Service Workers (25 positions) and Housekeepers (50 positions). To learn more and apply, click the links below to view the job postings. If you know any friends, family, or community members you think would be interested, please consider letting them know about the opportunity. Learn more and apply for a Hotel Service Worker position or Housekeeper position.
Exciting changes at The Point
With some personnel changes to key positions in the Catering & Restaurants division in Food Services, don’t miss some exciting changes at The Point. The team are busy launching an exciting new menu, daily Happy Hour, and extended hours of operation.