Over the coming days, as we do each year at this time, we will begin celebrating UBC’s newest graduating class with their families and loved ones. At the same time, a new group of students and their families will arrive for our annual ‘Destination UBC’ orientation. These events are always special, but this year is even more significant because it marks the last graduating class of UBC’s first 100 years and the first incoming class of UBC’s next 100 years.
UBC’s Centennial will be about renewing connections to our communities: 300,000 alumni; 59,000 students; 15,000 staff and faculty; our South Campus community; neighbours in Metro Vancouver and the Okanagan; and our partners in British Columbia, Canada and around the globe.
The official launch of UBC’s Centennial, combined with the opening of the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre, will take place on September 30, 2015 – 100 years to the day since we welcomed our first class of 379 students. The official close of the Centennial will be Alumni Weekend on May 28, 2016.
To properly mark this historic occasion, we will incorporate ideas and suggestions we received from staff, faculty, students and alumni over the past year:
• collaboration with students
• alumni engagement
• recognition of Aboriginal history and future promise
• UBC Okanagan’s expanding role
• academic speaker series and workshops focused on research, teaching, learning and innovation
• completion of UBC’s landmark start an evolution fundraising and alumni engagement campaign
• rollout of proposals from the campus communities through the Centennial Initiatives Fund
• recognition of UBC’s federal, provincial and municipal partnerships
Over the coming days and weeks, you will see and hear more about “UBC 100”. Watch out for banners that are appearing on our campuses and bookmark ubc100.ca for regular updates.
As we mark the close of our first 100 years, we are entering a new and exciting century of transformation. Through our continuing collaboration with you and the extended campus community, we look forward to another 100 years of extraordinary accomplishment together.
Yours truly,
Arvind Gupta
President and Vice-Chancellor
Barbara Miles
Vice-President, Development and Alumni Engagement