Weekly Update, June 18, 2021: The Anti-Asian Racism Forum is Over, But Our Work is Just Beginning
Dear members of the UBC community. I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to you from the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. Last week, UBC hosted a National Forum on Anti-Asian Racism. Thousands of people from across Canada and around the world participated in the virtual forum. […]
Weekly Update, May 14, 2021: Join the Vaccine-Nation
Dear members of the UBC community. Today I’d like to talk about COVID-19 vaccinations. More than two million vaccine doses have already been administered in BC, and tens of thousands of people are getting their vaccines every day. Everyone over the age of 18 in British Columbia can now register for a vaccination appointment so, […]
Weekly Update, April 30, 2021: Let’s Bring SkyTrain to UBC
Dear members of the UBC community. I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to you from the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. Thanks to an unprecedented global effort, including leading work by UBC researchers to develop vaccines and strategies to combat COVID-19, the end of the pandemic […]
Weekly Update, April 23, 2021: UBC and Global Engagement
Dear members of the UBC community. I would like to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to you from the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. Earlier this month, UBC launched its new global engagement strategy, called In Service. We are unveiling this new strategy at a time of great change […]
Weekly Update: February 19, 2021
Dear members of the UBC community. I hope that everyone had a good Family Day break. And, if you are a student, I hope that you had a relaxing Reading Week. Reading Week is not only a chance to recharge your batteries; it’s also a time to start thinking ahead to the end of term […]
Weekly Update, February 5, 2021
Dear members of the UBC community. As you know, a little over a year ago, on December 5, 2019, UBC declared a climate emergency. As part of the declaration, I established a Climate Emergency Task Force with a mandate to consolidate input from both in-person and online consultations into a public report. I am pleased […]
Weekly Update, January 22, 2021
Dear members of the UBC community. We begin the new year with hope, and anticipation of a better year ahead. Already, many vulnerable seniors and frontline workers have been vaccinated in British Columbia, and we can look forward to more widescale vaccination against COVID in the coming months. But just because vaccination has begun, it […]
Weekly Update: June 12, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community. It’s just twelve short weeks before the beginning of the Fall term, and UBC faculty and staff are busy preparing to welcome back thousands of new and returning students. This year UBC will be welcoming students from across Canada and from over one hundred and fifty countries around the […]
Weekly Update: June 5, 2020
Dear members of the UBC community, I hope things continue to go well for you. As you know, the recent anti-black and anti-Asian violence in communities across North America has focused our attention on deeply rooted racism in Canada and globally. UBC itself is not immune to racism and injustice. Earlier this week, I […]