People and Places

At the heart of the university’s identity are the mutually-reinforcing groups of people and locations (physical and virtual) that endow UBC with its special qualities and define how our work is accomplished.

‘People’ naturally includes students, faculty, staff, alumni and residents, as well as our Indigenous partners. But also included are postdoctoral research fellows, medical trainees, lifelong learners, emeritus faculty members and retired staff — in addition to volunteers, philanthropic supporters, colleagues at other institutions, and those with whom we work in the local, provincial and federal governments. The ‘places’ of UBC are equally varied. They encompass our campuses at Point Grey and Kelowna; Robson Square; the hospitals at which our health students and faculty members conduct much of their work and the additional sites of our distributed medical program; the Learning Exchange in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside; and numerous sites of community-based research and learning throughout British Columbia, across Canada and beyond. Our virtual places are expanding rapidly to include online class discussions, internet-hosted open educational resources created by UBC faculty, and conference links that connect our various sites in collaborative research and learning.

UBC seeks to promote and protect the fundamental balance between people and places through our deep commitment to Indigenous peoples, sustainability and wellbeing. These three aspects of our work, all interdependent, help to differentiate UBC. Universities are increasingly competing for the very best faculty, staff and student talent, and UBC is no exception. We must address significant challenges related to housing and transportation, improve the ways in which we work, enhance the student experience and advance quality of life for all members of the university community.