It is hard to believe that another year is nearly behind us and we are back into exam season. To all of the students currently taking exams, best of luck to you all. Thank you to all of the faculty and staff whose hard work has brought the community back to campus for this term. I wish you all rest and joy for the upcoming holiday break.
I would like to acknowledge that UBC’s Vancouver campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Musqueam people, and that UBC Okanagan is situated on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation. I would also like to acknowledge that many Board members and UBC community members may be joining us remotely today from many places, near and far, and acknowledge the traditional owners and caretakers of those lands.
I wanted to thank everyone who participated in the Board’s retreat on December 1st and 2nd. We had some great discussions that reflect the Board’s commitment to continuous improvement. This was the first of several opportunities that the Board will have to reflect on its governance practice.
I would also like to acknowledge that this will be the final full Board meeting that will be attended by soon-to-be-retiring Governor Sandra Cawley, as she will have fulfilled her maximum six-year term this coming February. Sandra has been a steadfast leader throughout her service on the Board. In her role as Property Committee Chair, she has overseen the approval of $1.6 billion in capital projects, representing 31 major building and infrastructure projects. 26 major projects valued at $916 million have been completed during her term. Notable projects completed or approved include Brock Commons Tallwood House, the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, the UBC Bus Exchange, UBC Okanagan’s Teaching & Learning Centre (the Commons), Hebb Building Renewal, the Arts Student Centre, Bioenergy Facility Expansion, School of Biomedical Engineering Building, UBC Downtown Kelowna, and the MoA Great Hall seismic upgrade.
Sandra has been committed to advancing sustainable building design and reducing GHG emissions related to buildings and campus operations. Her support for projects like the Bioenergy Expansion and the net-zero-carbon Gateway Health Building will allow UBC to achieve 60%+ GHG reduction within the next year, and to continue on the path to 85% reduction by 2030 as targeted in the Climate Action Plan.
Sandra also served as Vice-Chair of the Board and interim Board Chair during a Chair transition.
Always raising provocative questions in a highly respectful manner, Sandra challenged the Administration to set a high bar for themselves when setting aspirational goals.
On behalf of the Board, the Executive and the UBC community, we are very grateful for Sandra’s dedicated and impactful service to her alma matter. I am sure we have not seen the end of Sandra’s continued engagement as a Board alumnus.
Before we move into the agenda, as we always do, I would like to acknowledge three faculty members of notable distinction:
- In the research category we have Michael Rusello, Professor in the Department of Biology in the Irving K. Barger Faculty of Science on the Okanagan Campus who won the Life Sciences BC Genome BC Award for Scientific Excellence. Professor Russello was selected for his work explaining how hybridization of population size changes affects diversity, understanding how invasive species establish and spread, and advancing strategies for captive breeding and repatriation.
- In the service category we recognize Valerie LeMay, Professor of Forest Resources Management in the Faculty of Forestry for being honoured with the 2021 Canadian Forestry Achievement Award. The award recognizes unique and outstanding forestry achievements by individuals in Canada. LeMay was hired as the first female professor in the Faculty of Forestry at UBC in 1989. Dr. LeMay has taught two generations of forest practitioners at UBC and has won two Killam Teaching Awards.
- In the teaching category we congratulate Robert VanWynsberghe, Associate Professor of Educational Studies in the Faculty of Education. VanWynsberghe has dedicated his career to resolving essential questions about the links among classroom instruction, human action and social change. In recognition of his work, he has been honoured with the Outstanding Post-Secondary Educator Award from the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication.
To these distinguished faculty members, and the others whose research, scholarship, teaching and other academic contributions have recently been recognized, we offer our recognition and appreciation.
