The major item on the Board’s agenda today is the 2024-2025 Budget for the University. The presentation and materials that we will receive and consider today are the results of months of careful work undertaken across the University. I want to thank everyone who contributed to the development of this budget.
December 2023
On behalf of the Board, we offer our heartfelt congratulations to all those who graduated from UBC this November. Achieving this milestone is something to be celebrated! We wish you all the best in carrying forward what you have learned here at UBC, and know that you will continue to inspire people, ideas and actions for a better world.
September 2023
This Saturday, September 30, is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also referred to as “Orange Shirt Day”. This day marks a commitment to acknowledging historic injustices to indigenous peoples, support healing and foster understanding. This is a time for reflection, education and awareness activities, and to remember and honour survivors, their families, and communities. One way to do that is to visit UBC’s Residential School History and Dialogue Centre to learn more.
June 2023
We are very grateful to be joining you today from UBC’s beautiful Okanagan Campus in Kelowna, where we meet in June of each year. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to all those who graduated from UBC this spring. Achieving this milestone is something to be celebrated! We wish you all the best in carrying forward what you have learned here at UBC, and know that you will continue to inspire people, ideas and actions for a better world.
April 2023
The main item on our agenda today is the consideration of the 2023-2024 Budget. We thank the Administration for all of their hard work in preparing the draft budget, as well as their responsiveness to the discussions held at the Finance Committee.
March 2023
Following its meeting of March 22, the Finance Committee recommended that UBC continue 2022-2023 base budget allocations and release $800,000 for food security initiatives. This decision is on our agenda today.
January 2023
The primary discussion item on our agenda today will be an update from Interim President Deborah Buszard, highlighting the current state and institutional priorities of UBC.
December 2022
I would like to thank our UBC community for your engagement in some important matters which the Board has been considering: tuition and Campus Vision 2050.
September 26, 2022
To our students, faculty and staff on both campuses and beyond, welcome back! On behalf of the Board, I hope the first Term of your Winter Session is off to a great start.
June 29, 2022
During the pandemic, UBC Okanagan has achieved many things. Enrolment has grown to nearly 12,000 students and annual research funding at UBCO is now more than $46 million. Exciting new academic programs have been launched with more on the way, and the Board was excited last night to hear more about UBCO’s ambitions for its future expansion in the downtown Kelowna core.
May 10, 2022
The May meeting of the Board of Governors is a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board, an opportunity for the Board to transact business between its March and June meetings .
March 31, 2022
It is good to be back on campus, especially in the springtime when it is so beautiful and vibrant, and it is so good to see so many of you in person once again.
January 25, 2022
Welcome returning students – I hope that the second term of your Winter Session is off to a strong start!
December 7, 2021
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.
September 21, 2021
Welcome back to our beautiful campuses! I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone who has made this return to campus possible.
June 24, 2021
With planning underway for a return to on campus activities, I look forward to seeing our students, faculty and staff on our campuses in September.
April 19, 2021
As we put the 2021 fiscal year behind us, I would like to extend the Board’s continued gratitude to the UBC community for their contributions and sacrifices over the past year. And to the students who will be completing their degrees and programs this term - congratulations! We look forward to seeing you at upcoming virtual convocation ceremonies to celebrate with you.
February 16, 2021
I would like to open by congratulating our new Minister of Advanced Education and proud UBC alumna, the Honourable Anne Kang, on her appointment. President Ono and I were fortunate to meet with Minister Kang a couple of weeks ago to share UBC’s vision and priorities, as they align with the Minister’s mandate. We also specifically spoke about the University’s response to COVID-19, emphasizing that health and safety has been at the forefront of all decisions, and that UBC students, faculty, staff and administration have all stepped up to challenges presented by the pandemic and are adapting as the situation changes day by day. The Minister specifically asked that we relay her deep thanks to the UBC community for coming together and for your hard work throughout the pandemic.
December 3, 2020
It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of 2020, a year which we will all remember as one full of challenges, heartache and unprecedented change, but also one which propelled the world forward on a number of fronts, including anti-racism, social justice and renewed calls to address the climate crisis. As we approach the end of Winter Term 1 and the close of 2020, I would like to take the opportunity to highlight a few accomplishments.
September 22, 2020
I would like to give a warm welcome back to all students, faculty and staff and a special welcome to those new to UBC this September. The circumstances under which you are welcomed to UBC are highly unique in 2020. I recognize the challenges that we all face in ensuring the outstanding teaching, learning and research for which UBC is known.
July 27, 2020
As the Chair of UBC’s Board of Governors, I am looking forward to working with colleagues, the President, and the administration in carrying out our responsibilities for the stewardship of this outstanding and globally recognized university. My focus will be to build on a number of key priorities that have already been articulated by the Board and administration. These include ongoing commitments to academic and research excellence, as well as commitments to Indigenous reconciliation and engagement, diversity and inclusion, sustainability and climate action, and student, staff and faculty health and wellness.
