undergraduate student, UBC Okanagan (UBCO)
Report: Key initiatives & activities for 2022-23
In 2022-23, the AVPS portfolio provided approximately 300 offerings in the form of programs, services, events, activities and outreach to the UBC community, successfully advancing goals in each of the three focus areas identified within our portfolio action plan.
This report is not intended to showcase every offering, but rather to provide an overview of AVPS achievements, priorities and signature activities for 2022-23.
Focus area:
Learning & Development
As part of our commitment to developing a deeper understanding of students’ experiences and to increase capacity to safely achieve our portfolio’s vision, all AVP Students directorates completed the following learning and development activities:
- Indigenous Strategic Plan Self-Assessment Tool
- Indigenous Strategic Plan Intent to Action Workshops
- Identified learning and development goals to support decolonization and Truth and Reconciliation at the directorate level
- Activate Wellbeing Toolkit (pilot)
- Identified actions to support workplace wellbeing at the directorate level
Focus area:
Operational Excellence
The portfolio took important steps this year to optimize our operations and build capacity required to support the successful implementation of Workday Student and other institutional and campus priorities.
The following activities were completed this year to help increase capacity for data-informed decision making and strategic alignment of human and financial resources:
- Directorate mandates were reviewed and updated to align with the AVP Students Mission, Vision and Values and the Student Strategic Plan.
- The portfolio completed preparation and foundational work, including developing a comprehensive inventory and costing of activities, to establish a zero-based budget for the portfolio in FY25.
- Dedicated staff resources have been established to conduct research and assessment work to support the portfolio in data-informed decision making.
- A UBCO AVPS IRP Student Transition Network was established to support the successful implementation of Workday Student.
Focus area:
Equitable Access
The portfolio made significant progress this year toward increasing equitable access for students at UBC Okanagan in each of our identified goal areas:
- Improve students’ ability to navigate the UBC system and make informed choices about their UBC experience.
- Expand career and experiential learning supports and programming for students.
- Expand targeted programming and supports for marginalized or underrepresented students.
Program Plans
Goal area: Improve students’ ability to navigate the UBC system and make informed choices about their UBC experience.
NEW: Program plans were developed as a new resource developed to help undergraduate students navigate their UBC experience and make informed choices at all stages of their educational journey. Each of UBCO’s 51 undergraduate programs has a unique Program Plan containing major-specific information, resources, program highlights, experiential education options, ways to engage locally and globally, and opportunities to build networks and social connections.
Unique program plan pageviews
from Jan-Apr, 2023
Program Plan PDF downloads
from Jan-Apr, 2023
Portfolio social media strategy
Goal area: Improve students’ ability to navigate the UBC system and make informed choices about their UBC experience.
NEW: An AVPS-wide social media strategy was launched this year as part of a coordinated overall student communications strategy to ensure all UBC communications for Okanagan students are shared in a timely, strategic, and professional way. The new strategy enables students to easily navigate between all AVPS unit social media channels and feel confident identifying information shared from an official UBC source.
19 uncoordinated social media accounts were consolidated into eight:
Each AVPS unit account now has a formal strategy informed by social media best practices and aligned with both the unit mandate and the AVPS mission, vision and values. Implementation is supported by designated unit staff trained in best practices, a unique but complementary visual identity and a suite of design templates for each unit, and a strategy for linking and sharing across channels to create a digital service hub for students.
followers on primary @ubcostudents Instagram account
views per month across AVPS social channels
UBCO Life Newsletter
Goal area: Improve students’ ability to navigate the UBC system and make informed choices about their UBC experience.
UBCO Life is a semimonthly email newsletter distributed between August and April to all undergraduate students. UBCO Life content is submitted by campus partners, providing a central point for UBCO units to share and for students to learn about campus events, resources, activities, and opportunities.
times issues were opened by recipients this year
recipients, depending on enrolment
submissions from partners across campus
Communications & Rhetoric Undergraduate Certificate Program
Goal area: Expand career and experiential learning supports and programming for students.
Academic & Career Development partnered with the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies to embed career supports directly into the Communications & Rhetoric Undergraduate Certificate Program.
Student participants
Employer partnerships
Indigenous Summer Work Experience Program
The Indigenous Summer Work Experience Program was launched to provide full-time summer employment opportunities (May-Aug) on campus for Indigenous students.
Athletic Therapy Strength and Conditioning Clinic
Increased the number of practicum placements within the Athletic Therapy Strength and Conditioning Clinic from 27 in 2021-22 to 45 placements in 2022-23.
Career Fair
An on-campus Career Fair was offered for the first time since 2015.
Enhanced 2SLGBTQIA+ Programming and Supports
Goal area: Expand targeted programming and supports for marginalized or underrepresented students
- NEW: Dedicated queer programming was embedded into Orientation programs and attended by 80 students .
- NEW: Queer consent workshops (Levels 1 and 2) were provided by the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office.
- NEW: Pride banners were displayed on the Okanagan Campus.
- NEW: Gender-affirming care practices were introduced into the Student Health Clinic in 2021-22, including hormone replacement therapy, mental health support, referrals for surgical assessment. Clinical and administrative processes, guided by TransCare BC, were also revised to create a welcoming environment for trans students.
- An expanded Pride Night event was hosted by Athletics & Recreation.
“Being part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, having the pride banners up was a big sign of support, allyship, representation, visibility and finally officially feeling like I belong to this campus.” — Student testimonial
Black Student Supports
Goal area: Expand targeted programming and supports for marginalized or underrepresented students
NEW: In response to the ARIE Task Force Report and recommendations, a Black Student Success Coordinator was hired In January 2023 to develop, enhance and amplify programming; provide education; and foster community for Black-identifying students.
Programming offered by this position this year included:
- Three open house meet and greet events
- Eight pop-up Black Resource Centre evenings providing an open house and safe space for Black-identifying students to connect during Black History Month
- A panel discussion celebrating Black women and their achievements, lived experiences, paths to success, and contributions to the UBCO community
- Support for African Caribbean Students’ Club initiatives including the ACSC Gala and Graduating Student send-off
Black Student Success events:
Number of events
Student participants
NEW: Black Student Orientation Black Student Orientation aims to create a safe, welcoming space and sense of community for new Black students to UBC’s Okanagan campus. In 2022, the BSO was integrated and formalized as part of Jump Start.
Black Student Orientation events:
number of events
student participants
Once again, Emerge Career Programming was offered to support Black-identifying and Students of Colour in exploring career paths and professional development.
Emerge Career Programming events:
number of events
student participants
Spiritual and Multi-faith Space for Students
Goal area: Expand targeted programming and supports for marginalized or underrepresented students
NEW: Multifaith Programming and a new Spiritual and Multi-Faith Space for Students in the University Centre were established to welcome the diverse spiritual and multi-faith practices of the UBC Okanagan campus community. The room can be used for a variety of spiritual and religious practices, including group or individual prayer, meditation and contemplation, group studies on spiritual or religious topics, and conversation with other students or a spiritual mentor.
Campus Partner Grocery Card Program
Goal area: Expand targeted programming and supports for marginalized or underrepresented students
NEW: Wellbeing and Accessibility Services partnered with units on campus that support students who are at higher risk of food insecurity to establish a new Campus Partner Grocery Card Program. $27,000 in grocery cards were distributed among the Disability Resource Centre, Global Engagement Office, Indigenous Programs and Services, Student Counselling and Health Clinic, the Office of the Ombudsperson, and SUO Student Advocacy.
Grocery cards are given to students at the discretion of the service provider and increase the unit’s ability to provide low-barrier support to students with access through seven different student service units.
distributed to students in grocery cards
Additional highlights from 2022/23
Informal Learning Spaces Renewal
NEW: A number of informal learning spaces were identified for renewal to better suit student needs including improvements such as adding electrical outlets for charging devices and new furniture to support studying. Spaces renewed this year include the UNC second floor, Arts building Atrium, and the Fipke building foyer.
Picnic Wellness Hub
NEW: The PICNIC space on the first floor of UNC has been repurposed as a wellness hub designed to encourage wellbeing, improve food skills, and build community on campus. The space hosts a variety of programs and services to help students make healthy decisions including high-demand food skills workshops, guidance for safe substance use from the Harm Reduction Team (HaRT) including Naloxone training and drug testing, free and low-cost food support such as the Breakfast Program, a Peer Nutrition Education Program, and nurse drop-in availability.
Food skills workshops: 300+ participants in 15 food skills workshops
Peer Nutrition Education Program: 2 farmers markets with up to 84 interactions; Smoothie bar: 70+ participants; Overnight oats bar: 35+ participants; Eating Disorder Awareness booth: 15+ interactions
Breakfast Program: 315+ students participated in 9 events
Weekly Harm Reduction Services: 22 drugs tested; 100+ Naloxone kits distributed; 25 participants attended an information session about Decriminalization of substances
Weekly Nurse Drop-in sessions (13 weeks): 50 student participants
“I am trying new recipes, finding ingredients I didn’t know about before (I haven’t been able to find tomato paste in Canada!), and meeting people. [Picnic] is so unique, my home university doesn’t have anything like this.” —Exchange student from the U.K.