People

Believing in the importance of an educated citizenry that contributes positively to the well-being and improvement of all, UBC will reflect the values of a civil society in the selection and recognition of faculty and staff, in the recruitment and retention of outstanding students who understand the value of civic engagement, in its relations with the Aboriginal communities of our region, and in the facilities we provide that will make it possible for everyone to live, work, and study in the most supportive environment possible. This will entail equity in employment practices, a respect for social diversity, attention to the conservation of resources, and ethical practices in the conduct of our professional and business affairs.

GoalS and Strategies

Provide the best possible environment for all members of the campus community.

• Continually review and enhance the quality of UBC ’s physical environment —its buildings, academic facilities, and natural setting —to ensure that all members of the UBC community, whether in Vancouver or in the Okanagan, have the best possible surroundings in which to live, study, work, and play.

• Provide more inclusive and extensive social, recreational, and athletic opportunities for faculty, staff and students to meet and mingle.

• Continue to develop on-campus residential and social space for students.

• Extend and improve campus child-care facilities.

• Ensure that the principles of sustainability as expressed in UBC Policy #5 (“Sustainable Development”) are incorporated into all levels of strategic planning and university operations.

• Promote health, wellness, and safety in the UBC community throughout the year through a variety of programs, such as public lectures or annual symposia.

Ensure that UBC is accessible.

• Review our broad-based admission and student financial aid policies to ensure that qualified students with a variety of backgrounds and experiences have access to UBC.

• In support of increased access and diversity, develop new programs at UBC Okanagan, Robson Square and Great Northern Way, and seek new opportunities for educational programming in other parts of British Columbia.

• To honour UBC’s policy that no eligible domestic student shall be excluded for financial reasons alone, build up our scholarship endowment to $300 million by 2010.

Intensify efforts to recruit, retain, and develop the best people.

• Review student recruitment, admissions, and scholarship policies and processes to ensure that UBC attracts and retains the best undergraduate and graduate students from across BC, Canada and the world.

• Increase support for and recognition of outstanding graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

• Ensure that all necessary steps are taken to identify and recruit the best faculty members for any available position.

• Work towards a more diverse faculty and staff complement, to reflect the increasing diversity in our student population.

• Review staff hiring policies in all areas to ensure that UBC is attracting the best candidates.

Develop strategies for the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal students.

• Continue to collaborate with BC Aboriginal communities to develop programs that will assist increasing numbers of Aboriginal youth to enrol in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs at UBC.

Review rewards and incentives for faculty and staff.

• Strengthen retention strategies for staff through more incentives like access to UBC courses and facilities, personal and professional development opportunities, and flexible work arrangements.

• Review criteria for promotion and tenure to include greater recognition for outstanding teaching, co-operative education initiatives, the creative application of new learning technologies, civic and professional involvement, and community-based scholarship.

• Ensure that, through selection of outstanding faculty and appropriate recognition for high performance, UBC is able to create an intellectually stimulating environment that calls forth the best in teaching and research.