If you are a manager of staff whose work is not computer-based, please print this email and display it in a common work area for them to review.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome everyone back to our beautiful campuses for the 2024/25 academic year. I hope you like September as much as I do; there is always something special in the air as we get back to class and welcome new students, faculty and staff into our community.
Its been incredible to discover UBC this past year. We are one the most dynamic universities in the world thanks to the talent and dedication of our students, faculty and staff, and we still have room to grow in impact and reputation. As members of the UBC community, we all play a role in the university’s pursuit of excellence in learning, teaching and research – thank you for everything you do!
New students will find that UBC offers so much to explore both inside and outside the classroom. From extraordinary courses and programs to work-integrated and community-engaged opportunities, along with an amazing range of societies and clubs on campus. I encourage you to make the most of your time at UBC and seek out these opportunities to grow and to shine, both professionally and personally.
We also know that the challenges and complexities facing students today are more pronounced than even a decade ago. This includes the housing and affordability crisis, the effects of climate change, unstable geopolitics and the accelerating pace of technological change. UBC takes these challenges very seriously, with a focus on offering students a safe and inclusive environment and providing a broad array of services to support success.
In the context of the housing crisis, UBC is the largest provider of student housing in Canada, with more than 15,000 below-market-rate student residence spaces. The recently announced $300 million investment from the BC Government, and $260 million contribution from the university, in a new student housing initiative on the Vancouver campus will result in over 1,500 new student beds. This comes on the heels of the recent opening of Brock Commons Phase 2 which offers 600 student beds, and planning also is underway for the next phase of student housing on the Okanagan campus.
Research is how we find solutions to the challenges we are facing. In 2023/24, UBC attracted a record level of $893 million in research funding from government, industry and non-profit partners. In addition, UBC recently received a transformative Federal Government investment of $140 million to support the UBC-led Canada Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub, towards pandemic preparedness. UBC’s world-class research and scholarship is defining our understanding of our world and our place within it, improving health outcomes, spurring innovation across a wide range of industries, and leading high-growth sectors, including artificial intelligence, quantum, the life sciences, as well as clean energy and technology.
UBC is also a leader in sustainability on our campuses. In 2023, our Vancouver campus emitted 35% less greenhouse gas emissions than it did in 2007 – despite a 28% growth in building floor space and a 43% increase in student population. We are aiming to reduce campus operations emissions by 85% by 2030, as part of the Climate Action Plan, and we will seize any opportunity to accelerate this work. UBC Okanagan is installing a next generation heat pump for its district energy system, which will allow the campus to meet Paris Accord targets ahead of schedule.
This year we will also be refreshing the university’s strategic plan. Since the launch of Shaping UBC’s Next Century in 2018, UBC has made great strides, but the world has changed significantly and there are new opportunities to explore. Over the coming months we will be engaging the community to refine our vision for the future and define a series of priorities and objectives for the next three to five years, largely focused on our core academic and research mission. At the same time, we will further advance the implementation of our Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP) and Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism (StEAR) Framework. More information about how we can all contribute to the strategic plan refresh will be shared shortly.
As we embark on the new academic year, it is important to acknowledge that geopolitical conflicts and humanitarian crises in Gaza, Ukraine, and other parts of the world are of grave concern for many in our community and around the world. If you are personally affected, I encourage you to seek out the supports available to students, faculty and staff. In discussing these issues, I urge everyone to remember that anger only begets more anger and that the only way forward is respectful dialogue and compassion for one another. Discrimination and intimidation of any kind have no place at UBC. At all times, ensuring everyone’s safety and wellbeing is our foremost priority.
I wish everyone a wonderful start to the term and invite you to attend the Create first-year student orientation event at UBC Okanagan and Imagine UBC day at UBC Vancouver, as well as the UBC Homecoming later this fall.
Benoit-Antoine Bacon
President and Vice-Chancellor
This message was sent to faculty, staff and students in Vancouver and the Okanagan.
UBC Broadcast is used to communicate time sensitive, organization-wide information to faculty, staff and students. Learn more