A home away from home at UBC Okanagan
Don’t miss this excellent story from UBC Okanagan News, Finding a home away from home: How living in residence can enrich students’ university experience. Learn more about the unique value living in residence has for international students, the importance and role of Residence Advisors, the benefits of living on campus and more.
Owl at the Barn receives President’s Staff Award for Collaborative Excellence
Many congratulations to the team of educators at our Owl at the Barn child care setting: Annie Huang, Emma Kelly, Hiroko Shiono, Jessica Yu and Jie Teng. Announced on Monday, September 23, these exceptional educators are the recipients of the 2024 President’s Staff Award for Collaborative Excellence.
The nomination was submitted by parents of children in care at Owl, who write that this group of educators “demonstrated outstanding teamwork and collaborative efforts that have significantly contributed to the success and positive impact for all our children and [the] broader UBC community.” Learn more.
The return of Harvest Feastival
For the first time since 2019, Harvest Feastival returned on Thursday, September 19 for an evening of incredible food, friends, and arts and culture at UBC Vancouver. A collaboration between Campus + Community Planning, our very own Sage Catering team from Food Services, and the UBC Arts and Culture District, Feastival offered a family-style feast of six locally-sourced dishes, followed by an evening of curated programming for nearly 800 UBC community members. Learn more about Harvest Feastival and watch for it again next year!
Welcome Etovre Vese, Program Manager, UBC Child Care
Please join us in welcoming Etovre Vese back into the UBC Child Care community as a new Program Manager in Vancouver. Etovre previously worked as an educator at UBC Child Care, and she has since instructed in early childhood care and education programs at several BC post-secondary institutions, in addition to working as a program coordinator at Vancouver Community College. She started in her new role on September 3, 2024.
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.