Breeonne Baxter
UBC Sustainability Scholar lays groundwork for City of Vancouver anti-Black racism strategy
Vancouver aspires to be a safe city in which residents feel secure. The City recently engaged UBC law student Oludolapo Makinde as a Sustainability Scholar to conduct research into anti-Black racism in Vancouver and suggest ways to address it. One of her recommendations – to develop and implement an anti-Black racism strategy – received funding […]
Faculty of Education tackles a teaching conundrum
How do you prepare new teachers without access a classroom? Delivering course materials in a virtual setting comes with plenty of challenges. For those who teach UBC’s Bachelor of Education (BEd) program, the situation is particularly complex. Not only are education faculty shaping the next generation of teachers, they’re preparing them to work in classroom […]
UBC 2030 competition attracts bold new student ideas
Despite the challenges of COVID-19, there is reason for continued hope. Among them the ideas and energy of young people who have been leading climate action movements. A competition organized by the UBC Sustainability Initiative drew more than 40 inspiring visions and solutions from students and student groups, centred on the theme: “What will sustainability at […]
Increasing cybersecurity to support working from home
As staff, faculty and researchers moved to remote teaching, learning and working in March 2020, UBC Cybersecurity and local IT support sprang into action to protect and secure thousands of devices. Zoe Armer, Program Manager, Cybersecurity, provides an update on the increased security measures currently in place: Increased IT security measures and user support is […]
Why Privacy Matters at UBC
Why do privacy and information security matter? Information sharing is so common today that it is easy to become complacent about the importance of maintaining strong privacy and information security. Yet, everyone has the right to expect their personal information to remain safe and secure. In 2015 it was determined that “the risk of a […]
New Allard summer program provides support for Indigenous students
Starting law school can be both an exciting and daunting time – now imagine starting classes in the middle of a global pandemic. To support this year’s new student cohort, Allard Law had to act fast to find innovative ways to connect with students. One successful initiative launched over the summer of 2020 was the […]
Leveraging the Okanagan Charter to reflect on the crises of our times
On Dec. 9, 2020, speakers from UBC, the University of Waterloo and McGill gathered virtually for a conversation on the challenges post-secondary institutions face with regards to complex issues around health and wellbeing, including the implications surrounding the global COVID-19 pandemic, the climate emergency, and the renewed urgency to advance Indigenous peoples’ human rights and […]
Preparing for digital recovery in advance of disaster
For years, British Columbians have been preparing for “the Big One” as the province sits on a seismic fault line. Regardless of the size or nature, disasters (natural or man-made) can have major implications to global research institutions like UBC. Today, when technology is fundamental in the learning and research ecosystems, a compromised IT infrastructure […]
Inclusive Teaching @ UBC: Maximizing success in diverse classrooms
At UBC, inclusion is a commitment to create a welcoming community where those who are historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized are treated equitably, feel respected, and belong. As recent events across North America and on campus have highlighted the pervasiveness of systemic racism, UBC President Santa Ono has reaffirmed UBC’s commitment to inclusion and called […]
Indigenous Repatriation Practices UN Expert Seminar held at UBC
In March 2020, the University of British Columbia hosted an expert seminar on the theme “Repatriation of ceremonial objects and human remains under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” in support of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). The two-day event on March 4-5 brought together […]