Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Dear Applied Science faculty members,
As many of you know, scholars across Canada are being invited to participate in a Scholar Strike, in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement, to protest anti-Black, racist and colonial police brutality in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere. Scholar Strike is a labour action/teach-in/social justice advocacy happening on September 9th and 10th, which was scheduled to coincide with the beginning of the academic year and the proximity to Labour Day.
The Faculty of Applied Science recently released an anti-racism statement and participated in #ShutDownStem, and join UBC President Santa Ono in clearly stating that “racism and bias have no place in our community and that we have zero tolerance for it.”
We support colleagues in our Faculty, at UBC and globally that may choose to participate in the Scholar Strike in a way that is consistent with their academic principles, which could mean canceling classes, devoting class time to anti-racism topics, or participating in the planned digital teach-ins. We request that, if faculty members decide to cancel any scheduled classes, they inform their students in advance, including the reason for the cancellation. Additionally, students should be provided with a pathway towards making up for missed class time. I would encourage you to connect with your Department Head or School Director if you have any questions or concerns.
For Staff: If staff identify any relevant sessions they would like to attend they should speak with their Managers prior to attending. We would encourage staff to raise any questions about the strike directly with their managers, and discuss arrangements to make up time in lieu if attending workshops.
As Dean, I reaffirm our commitment to recognize racism’s impacts on our community and beyond, and to act individually and collectively to eliminate it. I, and others within the Applied Science leadership team, will be finding time within our own schedules to participate in the Scholar Strike teach-ins, to progress our Faculty’s anti-racism efforts, to discuss anti-racism initiatives within our units, and to continue evolving our leadership and support.
And while we all have a new academic year to contend with, as well as enormous challenges brought on by a global pandemic, it is imperative we continue to support and take action against all forms of racism and discrimination, and do the necessary work to reach our shared goal of creating a community where everyone feels welcome, supported and included.
Thank you for your support.
James
James Olson
Dean and Professor
Friday, September 4, 2020
Message regarding Winter Term 2 for undergraduate engineering students:
Dear students,
A warm welcome to you as we start a new school year. Whether you are starting or returning this September, I look forward to navigating the year ahead with you.
By now, you will have received President Santa Ono’s announcement regarding Winter Term 2 delivery. Given the restrictions within which our faculty has to operate for Winter Term 2 (January to April 2021), all engineering undergraduate programs will be online. We anticipate that most Faculties will also continue to offer their undergraduate programs online. This will allow you, both domestic and international undergraduate students, to continue your studies regardless of where you live.
This decision is necessary to align with the provincial health and safety guidelines and WorkSafeBC, as directed by the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training and BC Health Authorities. And while it may seem some parts of our city and society are ‘back to normal,’ the reality of the situation is that the university environment poses unique challenges when it comes to reducing transmission or risk faced by students, faculty and staff. Public transportation and mass intermingling of thousands of people on campus significantly increases the risk of transmission of this virus. We are tasked with protecting the safety of our faculty, staff and students - faculty and staff who are in the riskiest age bracket for the most serious effects of the virus, and students who risk transmitting to parents/grandparents or are themselves immunocompromised. The steps we are taking are intended to prevent the large outbreaks that we are seeing at other universities across the world.
I would like to acknowledge that this is not ideal for anyone. I understand that our decision will disappoint many of you - I too am disappointed that this continues to be the situation with which we all have to contend. I know that many students will be challenged by online learning, home environments that are less than optimal for studying, and other challenges to their learning.
Over the past several months, we have made significant investments of time and resources to shape the training and pedagogical development for online delivery, as well as investments in tools for professors and students to successfully work in an online environment. We are committed to delivering a high quality educational experience to all students, so that you can continue your studies uninterrupted.
What can you do?
I would encourage you to explore ways in which you can ensure your own success:
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Success in learning is often linked to learning how to learn, how to adapt to new environments, and adopting best practices for learning. Students often find success in developing strategies that work for them - which may be different from learning in high school, and to being in person. For tips and strategies for both incoming and current students, start with Keep Learning UBC.
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Seek out opportunities to engage - whether it is with your classmates, with design teams, other UBC clubs or teams, or your own communities external to UBC - staying connected will be critical to your success and happiness, so take time to look after your mental health and wellbeing. Read your UBC Engineering e-newsletter (‘the e-nEUS’) for opportunities and ideas to engage, get involved and try something new.
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Ask for help - it’s never too late to ask for help, but the sooner you do, the more effective the help will be. Don’t wait - seek out support - ask a friend, ask a professor, or start with Engineering Student Services (Vancouver) or SoE Academic Advising (Okanagan).
Please remember to be kind and patient with each other. We are all in this challenge together, and can make this unique experience an important growth and learning opportunity.
You are starting, or continuing, your journey to becoming members of professions who are tasked with the safety and well-being of the people you serve, designing the systems we use, and developing the world in which we live. You are taking on the mantle to be the leaders who will shape our future - I trust you will take on this challenge, and make the best of it. Tuum est.
I wish you all the best this academic year.
James
James Olson
Dean and Professor
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Dear staff, faculty and students,
As BC enters phase two of the Restart Plan, we too will be starting our Faculty’s Return to Research phase.
Understandably, I’m sure that many faculty, staff and students will have mixed feelings, ranging from being keen to get back to your research activities, but perhaps also concerned about your safety. I would like to reassure you and am myself also reassured, that we are taking all precautions possible, and in a measured and considered process, to ensure we do this right. We will be closely following guidelines set by the BC Ministry of Health, WorkSafeBC and UBC, and will be giving direction and expect compliance regarding your return, so that we may pave the way for an eventual return at a later date for staff and students to campus.
And while many of you may be seeing restaurants opening up and shops returning to service, the message may also be confusing to some of you in regards to UBC’s cautions. As a university which consists of a dense and vibrant population, we also rely heavily on public transportation, which would make a return en masse for all staff and students highly challenging. So I hope that this phased return to work makes sense, and that those of you who are still working from home but able to go to your hairdresser, understand why our approach, while challenging for some, is necessary.
I’m sure you will have more questions related to this and other issues. And as promised, we will be holding another town hall for staff and faculty on June 8th. We will be holding a town hall for students shortly after. These town halls are a good way for me and my team to let you know quickly and effectively what is happening within the Faculty, as well as for us to understand your thoughts and concerns regarding your current situations. We will be sending further details next week, and I hope you will join us.
It’s always a pleasure to recognize some of the work happening within our Faculty, that shows how critical our research and leadership in making a difference in our communities and society. Three such stories have been receiving a lot of attention, and will critically impact how we are able to address issues we face in the current situation:
- Johan Foster and Orlando Rojas, within the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and others in the BioProducts Institute have designed what could be the very first N95 mask that can be sourced and made entirely in Canada, while being possibly the world’s first fully compostable and biodegradable medical mask.
- Purang Abolmaesumi, within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Robert Rohling, cross appointed professor of electrical and computer engineering and mechanical engineering, are working with researchers in Medicine and Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital to establish a network of portable, handheld ultrasound scanners that can soon allowing health care practitioners to diagnose COVID-19 at the point of care – almost instantly – in B.C. and potentially beyond.
- Vicky Bungay, together with her primary research partner organization, the Inner City Women’s Initiatives Society, have been actively working to test an innovative, trauma and violence-informed outreach model to support women in the Downtown Eastside (DTES). Instead of reducing their activities, the outreach program is now serving four times as many women as pre-COVID.
Of the many weeks sending you these emails, I feel we are moving in a more positive direction than previously, albeit at a very slow pace. I do believe this measured approach will allow us to continue slowly forward, without needing to return to previous measures – instead of moving too quickly resulting in further restrictions.
I hope you’ve been having an enjoyable, if a bit rainy weekend.
Yours in resilience,
James
James Olson
Dean and Professor
Monday, May 18, 2020
Dear students, staff and faculty,
Last week, we made the difficult decision that our undergraduate engineering programs would be delivered 100% online for Winter Term 1, starting in September. I know this will be a challenge for us all, but I have the utmost confidence in Applied Science to provide our students with the high quality instruction they have come to expect in the fall term. I understand that this leaves the method of delivery for a number of other Applied Science programs to still be decided, but foresee those decisions will be made soon. We have every intention to provide certainty for all students as soon as we can.
Similarly, each week, our Faculty is faced with new and unexpected decisions. We recognize that those decisions affect all our faculty, staff and students. In past years, we’ve held town halls once or twice a year to discuss the larger plans of the Faculty for the year. However, recognizing that we all have a greater need to know what is happening at this time, we plan to continue to hold these town halls more frequently, in order to keep you informed. Last week, we held our second town hall for faculty and staff, six weeks after our March town hall, and will hold one for students in the coming weeks. With over 400 faculty and staff in attendance at our last session, the interest shown tells me that this is an effective way to let you know where we stand, but more importantly for me to hear your concerns about your work, your research and your studies.
Finally, we are very proud to announce this year’s recipients of the 2020 Dean’s Medal of Distinction – UBC Applied Science’s highest honour. Through their deeply valued contributions to advance the Faculty’s vision, mission, and mandate, or their exemplary work in one of our member disciplines – Engineering, Nursing, Architecture and Landscape Architecture, or Community and Regional Planning – the positive impacts these individuals are making are truly exceptional. As soon as it is safe to do so, we look forward to celebrating with the nine outstanding Dean’s Medal of Distinction recipients in person. We congratulate Bill Adams, Deborah Buszard, Allan Edgeworth, Richard Fraser, James Gowans, Wendy Hall, Lianna Mah, Donald Mavinic and Peter Nilsson. For more information, visit APSC Celebration.
I hope you all have had an enjoyable, restful long weekend.
Yours in resilience,
James
James Olson
Dean and Professor
Sunday, May 10, 2020
Dear staff, faculty and students,
Going into week nine, there’s lots to consider as summer term one gets underway.
On Tuesday, the BC Government announced a phased approach to easing the restrictions we’ve been living with. This is a welcome development for us, but I would like to stress to all in our faculty, that we will still need to put the health and safety of our community first. We will continue to work with UBC leadership
To that point, we will be holding a town hall for staff and faculty this Tuesday (at 10:30), where we hope to address some of the questions you might have as to what easing restrictions might mean for us. We will hold a town hall for students at a later date once we have more information to share.
Students should now have their grades posted on the SSC online, and should have submitted any requests for Cr/D/F or late withdrawals.
UBC has also announced that graduation this year will be held on June 17th, and will be a virtual graduation ceremony. This will allow students who have worked extremely hard over the past four or five years to celebrate their achievements.
At a time when the nursing profession’s value and importance could not be more apparent to the health and wellbeing of our communities, I’m happy to recognize this week as National Nursing Week. Therefore, I’m even more pleased to announce that Jennifer Baumbusch has been awarded the Chair in Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) in Sex & Gender Science.
The positive news continues with Rajeev Jaiman and Jasmin Jelovica, both in the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering program, have received Industrial Research Chairs from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to study next-generation intelligent and green marine vessels (IGMVs). And Stephanie Chang has been recognized for her contributions to the Council of Canadian Academies’ Disaster Resilience Expert Panel.
Our faculty’s research is one of our major contributions to society. As such, I understand that many of our faculty members and their graduate students are eager to return to campus and return to their experiments. To that end, we have established a Research Working Group to manage a safe and responsible return to campus when the time is appropriate.
And lastly, I would like to wish everyone a wonderful Mother’s Day.
Yours in resilience,
James
James Olson
Dean and Professor
Sunday, May 3, 2020
Dear students, staff and faculty,
There is a lot of positive news this week, going into week eight – the first which I’m sure you are all fully aware of – final exams are now over.
Congratulations to all students who have been able to complete their courses! This has been quite a time in which you’ve had not only the stress and challenge of your exams – which are never easy – but doing it under circumstances we’ve never experienced before. Many students are still waiting for grades – we appreciate your patience. Please know that your instructors are dealing with novel situations as well (parenting while still trying to mark, coordinating work with TAs, transitioning research labs). We know you are eager and nervous, and your instructors are doing their best to get your grades posted.
A big thank you to all the staff who have been involved on the technical side of this endeavour. Without your tireless work, and many, many hours dedicated to supporting faculty and students, this would not have been possible.
And to faculty – a big thank you to you as well. There’s no glory in pulling off successful exams, but the adjudication of our students abilities and ensuring as much fairness as possible in the process has helped us complete a successful exam period.
Our Co-op office has been working hard to get SWPP applications in and approved. Biotalent has approved 4 positions already, and this is a good sign – we have already seen a slight increase in postings, so this is a trend we hope to see continue. We want our students to have opportunities, to not miss out on job experience, and to do what we can to support that.
We’re thrilled to announce that Agnes d’Entremont, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Cheryl Segaric, School of Nursing, have been awarded UBC’s highest teaching award – the UBC Killam Teaching Prize. Congratulations too, to two of our graduates who have been awarded the Killam Graduate Teaching Assistants Award: Masoud Malakoutian, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Jeanie Malone, School of Biomedical Engineering. This is quite the accomplishment to receive these prestigious awards.
And lastly, while there is growing positivity regarding BC’s situation, I would like to remind all of you that we still need to adhere to the BC medical officer and government’s advice in maintaining appropriate physical distancing and other measures to ensure we minimize the risk of contagion. Please continue to adhere to UBC’s guidelines about research labs, office work and other restrictions that need to stay in place until graduated changes are introduced.
Stay safe and have a restful weekend.
Yours in resilience,
James
James Olson
Dean and Professor
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Dear faculty, staff and students,
I cannot believe it is week six of work, learn, teach, and research from home. I hope everyone is adjusting to their new normal as exams and the term are coming to an end.
With news from the British Columbia health authorities that the number of new cases and hospitalizations are decreasing, we are hopeful that we will see some kind of easing in current restrictions for the summer. What that will look like, we can’t be certain; however, it does mean that we will start planning for some form of return to research, though it will likely still involve restrictions and altered logistics to make it work.
We’re also expecting that many faculty will continue preparing for online offerings – there have been a record registrations for the CTLT Summer Institute and their 3 day workshops. Additionally, there are many other online workshops and resources at keepteaching.ubc.ca that I know you will find useful as you transform and develop your summer courses for a rich and interactive digital experience.
We are pleased to announce that due to work by our Co-op office along with the Co-op Council of Canada, that new funding opportunities have been made available to faculty members to hire more co-op students for research positions over the summer. Changes made to the Federal Student Work Placement Program (SWPP), will mean that remote working arrangements are now acceptable, and the minimum work term length has been reduced (previously 12-16 weeks full time can now be 8-16 weeks, with a start as late as July 6th). Additionally, the Dean’s office is providing a hiring subsidy of $2500 for co-op positions that can be stacked with the SWPP (a limited number will be available to faculty members on a first-come, first-served basis).
Further, we’re happy to see the Federal Government has provided support for students who are who are not eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, as well as the new Canada Student Service Grant, which will help students gain valuable work experience and skills while they help their communities during the COVID 19 pandemic.
And with only 3 days of exams left – those with exams still to be written, I wish you good luck and hope they go well for you. For those of you who are done – well done! I’m sure it has been quite challenging studying under the current circumstances. It will also mean that many students have now completed their coursework to graduate. Currently, graduation ceremonies have been postponed until at least June 4th and when they will be held is still uncertain, but I would like to assure you all that our schools and departments within the faculty will be planning something special for all of you.
I hope you are all having a good weekend and are staying safe.
Yours in resilience,
James
James Olson
Dean and Professor
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Dear students, faculty and staff,
As the first week of exams comes to a close, I hope you are all doing as well as can be expected. I’m sure there have been challenges – this is definitely not an ideal situation for students or for professors. But we must all do as best we can – so I wish you all good luck, students and professors alike, in continuing through the exam period and in wrapping up the end of term.
Yesterday, you should have received a UBC bulletin stating the second term of the summer will also be delivered online. Again, this is not ideal, but I also heard some optimism in the effectiveness of British Columbia’s emergency measures, and possible easing of some restrictions next month (although even this is very uncertain).
Which likely may lead many of you to wonder about what will happen in September. Like you, I would love to know the answer. However, in the absence of a clear answer, we are planning for both possibilities. We are still a long way from being able to hold lectures and class work in close proximity.
So, we will be planning for both, and will be as creative as possible in redesigning courses to ensure you can continue with your university degree – whether in person or online (through active learning classes, virtualized labs and other ways we can re-envision teaching class content). We are committed to delivering the highest quality online courses possible. And we will ensure that professors have the best supports available so that they can continue to deliver world-class instruction. We are committed to ensuring your studies will not be interrupted, regardless of where you are residing.
And for the working parents out there – my sympathies. I have been in many zoom meetings with staff and professors who are also dealing with the challenge parenting their children at the same time. I must admit, the sudden appearance of a child often adds some levity to our sometimes overly serious meetings – I hope you are finding ways to manage this and still maintain your sense of humour. If you are looking for quality distractions and more engaging and fun activities beyond streaming movies, UBC Geering Up offers online activities delivered by energetic UBC students who bring engineering and science activities to life.
And finally, good luck again to the students with remaining exams – this too will soon be over. And to staff and faculty – enjoy your weekend, thank you for your hard work, and all the best for the coming week.
Yours in resilience,
James
James Olson
Dean and Professor
Friday, April 3, 2020
Dear faculty, staff and students,
It seems unreal that we are at the end of week three. Next week is the last full week of classes – it still amazes me, the speed at which this Faculty has been able to dramatically shift its course so as to ensure that our students will be able to finish their term, and for some, graduate on time.
As per UBC communications, I would like to confirm that we will continue with our current status quo until the end of April. Considering this, we know that this will raise more questions regarding your work, your studies and your research.
To answer some of your questions, we held two Town Halls this week – one for staff and faculty, and one for students. It was a novel virtual experience for myself and the other panelists, and I really appreciate the attendance and thoughtful questions and concerns that were raised. We are fully committed to working through these and other questions that you all have, and together with the relevant stakeholder groups, we will endeavor to make the best possible decisions for those affected, and share those decisions with you as quickly as we can.
We also know that this will mean many of you will miss important competitions, conferences, one of our best showcases of undergraduate work – Design and Innovation Day – and other important activities. We share your disappointment. However, there is potentially the opportunity to shift focus and lead in developing solutions during this situation. One example of leading change is the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Faced with changes to their activities, they have channeled their efforts into developing the Awards for Innovations and Engineering Leadership. Their problem-solving pivot is inspiring, and I hope this can help others see how we can use our talent and creativity when most needed.
And finally, I would like to recognize and applaud the discipline within our Faculty which is truly on the front line, in dealing with the COVID-19 situation – the professors, staff and students within the School of Nursing who have been working tirelessly to care for our public health. I know that, despite the obvious risk to their own health, many graduate students (who are already nurses) have been called on to return to front line work, senior undergraduate students are being fast tracked into registration as graduate nurses and deployment in the workforce, and clinical instructors and professors are lending their expertise to the health system planning and operations. Every night at 7 pm, all around Vancouver and the world, people are saluting the health care workers and would encourage you to get loud for our colleagues in APSC.
Again, thank you for your patience and your perseverance.
Yours in resilience,
James
James Olson
Dean and Professor
Friday, March 20, 2020
Dear Students, Staff and Faculty,
As week two of this grand experiment draws to a close, I’d like to continue to thank you all for your patience, flexibility and willingness to make the best of this challenging situation.
To our students, I hope that those students who had to travel home have arrived safely, and that all students have the support and access to services to maintain both their physical and mental wellbeing. I also hope that you are transitioning to on-line, at-home learning successfully just as our faculty are transitioning to on-line at home instruction. It remains important that we all do our part and that we continue to social distance. This includes using our on-line e-collaborations tools where possible. I also encourage you to reach out to your classmates and check in to make sure they coping through these difficult times.
To our faculty and staff, I also hope that you are all successfully transitioning to work at home. I realize that for many this transition may be difficult. I know that I certainly miss the personal interaction with colleagues. I encourage everyone to find creative ways to build and maintain community, albeit on-line, throughout these times. I have heard of groups having on-line coffee, virtual socials, or social media exercise challenges to mix up the day and keep people interacting on a personal level.
This week we focused on continuing to work hard to get answers to questions that our students, staff and faculty are raising. We do not have all the answers yet, but we are working with our colleagues in other faculties, external governing bodies and listening to the concerns and issues raised as we find ways to keep moving forward.
I am extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish. We went from business as usual to all on-line in a few short days and I want to thank you again. I talked with my dean colleagues this week who are amazed at what we were able to do in such a short time. Given all you have done, and how tirelessly so many of you have worked over the last week, I do want to encourage everyone to ensure they have some time for themselves and their families this weekend.
I am very proud of the example being set by a number of faculty and students who have taken the initiative to use their talents to find solutions to issues arising in our current situation.
For example:
- engineering students who are collecting unused PPE supplies (masks, gloves, etc.) and donating them to where they’re needed
- nurses, architects, planners and engineers in our faculty who are offering their expertise where its needed most
- Geering Up who are offering online workshops and activities to keep children at home entertained while they educate them (and parents a much needed break)
These are just a few examples of how members of our Faculty are contributing where they can, I know there are many more.
I know a lot of you have questions on outstanding issues that still need to be addressed. I can tell you that I am meeting with your heads and directors daily to discuss and solve issues that are arising. In all our discussions, we are continuing to consider the impact our decisions have on students, staff and faculty alike.
Next week, I will be having a virtual town-hall on Tuesday to discuss our progress to date, where we are heading and to answer questions. I hope to see you all there.
Yours in resilience,
James
James Olson
Dean and Professor
Friday, March 20, 2020
Dear UBC APSC community,
As we reach the end of week #1, I would like to thank each and every one of you – students, staff and faculty members – who have contributed in your own ways to enabling a fundamental shift in how we function as a Faculty.
To our students, we are all on your side and are working to help you make the most of a difficult time. I greatly appreciate your patience and your resilience at this time of rapid change and uncertainty. I have been in daily contact with the Provost, the other Deans and all the Department/School Heads and Directors and can assure you that we are doing everything we can to ensure that you are safe and can continue your academic progression. More information will follow early next week. I also want to encourage you to study at home, use technology to meet and collaborate and look after each other. Here are you can find some resources to help you look after yourself students.ubc.ca/health.
To our faculty and staff, in as little as three days we have worked tirelessly to move nearly 100% of our community to a completely different format of studying, working and conducting research from the safety of their homes. I have asked our Heads and Directors to work with researchers to curtail all on-campus research activities until April 15, 2020. I have also asked them to have only staff with safety critical operations come to campus. 100% of the Deans office staff are now working from home. Given the complexity of our operations, this is an amazing accomplishment.
I want to emphasize that we did not take these steps and make these decisions lightly. We did them intentionally to safe guard not only our own community from COVID19 infection but to safe guard our broader society. We all have parents, grandparents, friends, colleagues who are vulnerable and at severe risk at this time. I appreciate how passionate we all are about the work and the research we do, but all of you should now be working, studying and conducting your research from home. Even if you practice social distancing the common surfaces we all potentially interact with are a vector for transmission. It is at this time that the entire university must show leadership; to do the right thing; to set an example ensuring that we limit our activities and reduce spread of this disease. I personally found it very difficult to leave the office at this time but have made the decision, for the benefit of all, to spend the remaining time of our 3-week work-at-home pilot for staff and faculty where I am obliged to be – working at home.
I also know that you will continue to bring forward your talents and your dedication to make this bold experiment over the coming weeks not only work, but thrive. I also want to ask you all to reach out to me, to your colleagues and friends, to your loved ones to ensure that no one is isolated, and if you need support yourself, that you let us know – in this, no one is alone.
I could not be more proud as dean of this amazing community and the knowledge of what we can do together. Stay safe, keep healthy (and wash your hands!).
Yours in resilience,
James
James Olson
Dean and Professor