Answering the question of what makes children happy UBC undergraduate student Tim Krupa travels to Zambia to Undergraduate student Tim Krupa wants to understand what makes children happy, so he trekked across the world to Zambia to seek answers. "I first went to Zambia in 2011 to develop school soccer clubs for youth, which was a project supported by the Irving K. Barber International Education Travel Subsidy," says Krupa, who lives in Kelowna. "The children I worked with were unbelievably playful and jubilant. "So much of what we hear about Africa is focused on the people's struggles: famine, disease, war, and poverty. Working in such an impoverished area, I expected to see a lot of sadness, but, at least superficially, all I observed was happiness and a positive outlook."
The Okanagan Office of Research Services (ORS) has launched a campus-wide campaign -- Got REB? -- to raise awareness among faculty, students and staff of the importance of research ethics in the conduct of academic research on campus. UBC's Policy #89 mandates that all research involving human participants conducted under the auspices of the University must be approved by and overseen by a sanctioned Research Ethics Board (REB). Along with the Behavioural Research Ethics Boards (two at Vancouver, one at Okanagan), UBC's compliance boards include the Clinical Research Ethics Board (CREB), also for human participants in research, the Animal Care Committee, and the Biosafety Review Committee. More information regarding research ethics and UBC-affiliated research ethics boards can be found at breb.ok.ubc.ca.
Open photo session organized for August 30 Your research has made national headlines. Don't let that slightly awkward Facebook photo be your only image option. You know the one. Need a better portrait for a UBC website, news story, research profile or brochure? Faculty and staff can look their professional best by taking advantage of University Relations' open portrait photo session on August 30. The photo session is organized in 15 minute blocks of time in the Aboriginal Centre in the UNC. Each portrait will take about 1 to 2 minutes. Space is limited. RSVP online and have a quick portrait taken:
New UBCcards available for faculty and staff A new design for the UBCcard is now in circulation on campus. The new design applies to all faculty, staff and student ID cards. Faculty and staff are eligible to exchange their current UBCcards for the new design at no cost, but these exchanges will not be accepted from August 27 to September 15 due to the high volume of activity experienced by front desk staff at the beginning of the academic year. All new student cards will be printed under the new design. Students wishing to replace their card with the new design will be subject to a $25 replacement fee. To obtain a new UBCcard, visit the Student Services front desk in the University Centre building before August 27 or after September 15. To find out more, email sis.ubco@ubc.ca or call 250-807-9100.
New Connect system replacing WebCT Vista Connect is the new learning management system replacing WebCT Vista. Running on the BlackBoard Learn 9 platform, all courses at UBC's Okanagan campus have been created through Connect and can be made available to students upon faculty member request. Faculty and students can log in at www.connect.ubc.ca using their CWL ID. To request course availability, change the start date or to move course content from WebCT Vista into this new environment, faculty members can fill out the Course Setup form. Connect Support from the Centre for Teaching and Learning The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is offering a variety of workshops and training sessions to help faculty members set up and use Connect going forward. For a complete listing of workshops, visit the CTL Faculty Events page. For online resources, documentation and video tutorials please visit CTL Instructor Resources page.
English undergrads able to get a taste of grad school this fall English majors and honours undergraduate students are being offered a unique opportunity to study a topic in depth. The kind of depth usually only experienced in Graduate Seminars. Several graduate English courses will accept a limited number of undergraduate students in September to participate in a graduate seminar. While expectations for non-graduate students will be in line with standard fourth-year undergraduate courses, the quality and level of the course will allow for an enhanced undergraduate experience. To find out more about the courses being offered, visit the Critical Studies website.
Itty bitty particles play a big role at UBC's Okanagan campus New engineering labs and equipment support research and industry collaborations When you need to create a device that's 1/100th the width of a human hair, you don't wander into the garage and grab your drill. You head to the new Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) Fabrication facilities at UBC's Okanagan campus, put on a clean room "bunny" suit, enter a class 100 clean room that provides a dust-free atmosphere, and use a combination of chemistry, light technology and lasers to fabricate devices -- or microsystems -- as small as one-millionth of a metre, also known as a micron (μm). What the design and application of that microsystem might be is as varied as the expertise of the UBC researchers who are creating it.
Foundations Certificate program for TAs The Centre for Teaching and Learning is offering a Teaching Scholars Credential Program to help provide new Teaching Assistants (TA) with the most effective teaching strategies. The program offers three certificates of completion -- Foundations, Practical Experience and Professional Readiness -- that help TAs refine their teaching practice and advance graduate students' pedagogical, academic, and professional progress. Foundations Certificate sessions, led by TA Program Coordinator John Parry, are being offered from August 29 to 31 as well as the first two weeks of September. These sessions will review writing leaning outcomes, common instructional techniques and resources, learning evaluations and lesson plans. To register or find out more about these sessions, visit the Teaching Scholars Credential Program website. Lunch and learn: accounts payable Join Financial Services for their next Lunch and Learn session which will review accounts payable processes. This session is directed at administrative support staff and will focus on changes to procedures and policies, timing of payments, and some common Accounts Payable questions or issues. Date: Thursday, Aug. 16 Registration is not required. To find out more, email financetraining.ubco@ubc.ca. Introduction to SISC A Student Information Service Centre (SISC) training session will be held on August 22 for those who are new to the system or anyone needing a refresher. SISC is an information system geared to faculty and staff who perform student-related administrative and advising roles on campus. This hands-on session will teach participants to use SISC to support registration and academic advising as well as provide an overview of registration screens, bulk section switching, sending emails and searching the system. Date: Wednesday, Aug. 22 To register, contact Enrolment Services Assistant Diane Dyrdal. Seating is limited. Participants will need to bring their Novell and CWL username and password. NSERC grant workshop The Office of Research Services will be hosting a workshop in September on writing a successful grant application for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). The workshop will feature presentations from Gordon Binsted, dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Development and NSERC reviewer. A representative from Support Programs to Advance Research Capacity (SPARC) will also be in attendance. The SPARC representative will also be offering one-on-one or small group consultations. Date: Tuesday, Sept. 11 To RSVP or find out more, contact Andrea Osachoff with the Office of Research Services. Workshops at a glance Here are some professional development workshops for faculty and staff at UBC's Okanagan campus over the next few weeks: For a full listing visit the Okanagan campus events calendar. |
OKANAGAN CAMPUS News • Answering the question of what makes children happy Research Spotlight • Itty bitty particles play a big role at UBC's Okanagan campus
Don't stay in your office for coffee this Friday Sponsored by the office of the AVP Admin and Finance, all faculty and staff are invited to the next Pitstop for coffee on Friday. Strategic roundtable for the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention All members of the campus community are invited to attend the upcoming roundtable discussion for the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention (IHLCDP). The session has three objectives:
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 29 Lunch will be provided at this session. To RSVP, visit instituteroundtable.eventbrite.ca. Sing-along for health and well-being Examining the benefits of singing groups for older adults Elisabetta Corvo, PhD candidate at Canterbury Christ Church University in the United Kingdom, will be in Kelowna on August 30 to share the first findings of her research project regarding the impact and benefits of the participatory singing and music-making Silver Song Clubs. Date: Thursday, Aug. 30 There is no charge for this visiting scholar presentation but online RSVPs are required.
Registration now open for on-campus Lake Country trade show Registration is now open for the September 25 on-campus Turn Left and Come Out to Lake Country Trade Show. This event has been organized by the Office of the AVP Administration and Finance to help members of the campus community find out more about Lake Country businesses and services. Those who are new to the Okanagan will find lots of community information at the Lake Country Visitor Centre and Welcome Wagon table, and a number of small-to-medium sized businesses will be showcased at the trade show. Date: Tuesday, Sept. 25 This event is open to faculty and staff only. There is no charge to attend but online RSVPs are required. What's Happening on campus The Okanagan campus events calendar is the central point for online information about university-related events, on and off campus. Events at a Glance:
For a full listing visit the Okanagan campus events calendar. Exchange your information The Exchange is your newsletter. Let everyone know what's going on in your corner of campus. Send submissions to University Relations c/o Chris Guenard.
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