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.
On Monday of this week, courses at UBC returned to the format in which they were originally scheduled. I want to thank everyone who has safely returned to campus and has been complying with provincial and UBC health and safety guidelines; I appreciate your responsible and respectful approach to the return to campus. I would also like to thank all those who continued to work on campus over the past several weeks, keeping our university running. You are my unsung heroes for this week.
I would like to remind everyone that all members of our community are required to follow the COVID-19 Campus Rules.
All students, faculty, staff, and others must assess themselves daily for COVID-19 symptoms prior to engaging in in-person UBC activities on our campuses and must stay home if they are experiencing relevant symptoms.
In addition, all members of our community are required to wear masks in public indoor spaces on campus and it is strongly recommended that masks are of a medical grade. For those who need masks, they will be made available for members of the UBC community.
Rapid test kits are also being made available for students, faculty and staff who display symptoms of COVID-19. Test kits are available on both campuses with the presentation of a valid UBC identification card. More information can be found at srs.ubc.ca and ok.ubc.ca/covid19. We also urge you to be fully vaccinated, and that you register for your booster dose as soon as you are eligible. Register for your COVID-19 vaccine at immunizebc.ca.
Support services for students continue to be available to ease their transition back to largely on-campus learning. For any students, faculty and staff needing support for their mental health and wellbeing, resources are available:
For students, visit: students.ubc.ca or students.ok.ubc.ca
For faculty and staff, visit: hr.ubc.ca/working-ubc.
Please bookmark covid19.ubc.ca and ok.ubc.ca/covid19 to find the latest updates and announcements.
Again, thank you everyone for ensuring a smooth return to campus this week. Let’s continue to support each other in the weeks ahead.
I wanted to take a moment to recap the annual UBC United Way Campaign and the amazing results we saw from our community.
More than 170 faculty, staff and students volunteered their time to support United Way and ensure its vital work continues.
I am so proud of our UBC community who stepped up and raised over $590 thousand dollars for United Way of British Columbia. Nearly 1000 donors contributed and countless more participated in events and initiatives held during the fall campaign.
Once again, the results of our annual United Way campaign reflect the power in our community to come together to support each other.
Whether you are a first-time donor, shared and amplified the message in your networks or volunteered your time to participate or plan a campaign event or initiative, your contribution has made a lasting impact for individuals and families. Thank you!
Best wishes and stay safe.