Join VPFO in celebrating Pink Shirt Day on February 23
Join us tomorrow virtually or on campus in celebrating our diversity as we Lift Each Other Up to have greater acceptance, respect, and inclusion.
Wear a pink shirt, and join in on Zoom to hear an update on where the VPFO is going with Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).
Learn more about Pink Shirt Day
New Biomass Boiler going through commissioning at the BRDF
The new UBC biomass boiler is going through its commissioning tests at the Bioenergy Research Demonstration Facility (BRDF).
As the new boiler's combustion is fine-tuned, you may notice some grey smoke, accompanied by a campfire scent, from the BRDF on occasion. The new boiler will increase BRDF’s energy capacity, fueled by renewable biomass fuel, from 6 thermal Megawatts to 18 thermal Megawatts, leaping towards UBC’s GHG reduction goals.
Learn more about this project
Inside the new UBC Arts Student Centre
UBC Arts Student Centre officially opened its doors in November 2021.
The three-story, cylindrical building located on East Mall and Walter Gage Road will be a common meeting ground for Arts students to interact across disciplines, with spaces to relax and connect, collaborate on projects, and host events.
Visit the Facilities website for photos, videos, and features of this exciting project.
Heat recovery chiller and coils successfully commissioned
Last year, Energy & Water Services successfully installed and commissioned heat recovery chiller and coils in Chemistry D Block, Centre Wing, and heat recovery coils in Chemistry E Block North Wing.
Chemistry D Block, Centre Wing
The heat recovery chiller provides almost all of the space heating the building requires, saving the university almost 1200GJ of thermal energy by the end of 2021. This also indicates that the recovery chiller would be capable of providing its forecasted 5000GJ in annual thermal energy savings, saving the university almost $50,000 per year. Learn more.
Chemistry E Block, North Wing
The heat recovery coils would provide more efficient space heating in the building by connecting into the chiller’s condenser water loop, providing a first stage of heat into the supply airstreams in the building. This would provide the dual benefits of reducing the heat rejection required by the rooftop cooling tower, and make use of that energy for heating spaces in the building.
In the first four months of their operation, the coils have saved roughly 460GJ of thermal energy, on track for their predicted energy savings of roughly 1200 GJ and $14,000 in energy costs per year. Learn more
Establishing a New Billing System
The Utility Management Systems billing software, also known affectionately as UMS 2.0, has gone well beyond its expected life – in fact, it’s coming up on its 30th birthday!
The system has retired two years ago and support for this software has stopped many years ago. A business case is anticipated to complete within the next two months and a Request for Proposal (RFP) in the fall.
Learn more about our UMS billing software
Assigned parking at Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre (RHLAC)
Please note that all parking spots outside the RHLAC are now reserved parking only.
For teams working in the building, you are required to check-in at the front desk. Please register your vehicle's license plates and inform the front desk of your estimated work time.
Alumni staff may require you to park elsewhere during work on busy event days and limit time to loading and unloading. Enforcement in the area has been increased.
Construction Work near USB Rear Parking Lot
Project Services will be replacing the generator located in the Carpentry shop and relocating it to beside Stores Loading bay.
 Work will commence on Monday, February 28, 2022, and is anticipated to last until May 2022. During this time, there will be traffic delays and interruptions to parking in several locations behind USB, especially outside the warehouse.
Several vehicles will be required to park in the parking lot beside the greenhouse/Orchard Hall.
At no time are staff authorized to park in the yellow highlighted locations, which are strictly for warehouse operations.
Construction Barriers on Main mall and Agronomy
This is a reminder to replace the Macleod temporary construction barriers immediately in the event where UBC vehicles need to access Main Mall from Agronomy Road.
Vehicles have been spotted removing construction barriers and driving through on multiple occasions without repositioning the barriers, resulting in an unsafe area for traffic and pedestrians.
Submitting Training Time in Workday
Reminder to submit any training or professional development time into Workday no later than two business days after receipt of a training invitation.
This includes invitations for mandatory safety training. These invitations are sent to staff UBC email addresses. Please check your UBC email regularly moving forward.
This absence type is to be used for all core safety training, as well as any other training and professional development that has been approved by the manager as paid time.
Zone list updates
The Zone list (see attached) has been updated as of February 18, 2022. Please note that the following updates were made:
- Millwrights contact (all zones) – Shaun MacDonald
New Job Strategy Session (NJSS): February 8 & 15
Building Operations
Construction Office
Project Services
TBD
For more information, please contact your Facilities Manager
Welcome to the team... and fond farewell
- Polina Sefin joins as Service Centre Coordinator within Customer Services & Informatics, Facilities on February 22.
- Kyle Reese’s last day at Project Services, Infrastructure Development is February 25. Thank you for all you have done and the many years of contribution at UBC. We will all miss you very much.
- Karen Koyama has retired. She is currently on vacation and her projects have been transferred to other Project Managers within Project Services, Infrastructure Development. Karen’s official last day at UBC is March 31. Congratulations on your retirement, Karen!
Job Openings
All positions at UBC are available on the UBC HR Careers website, or through the career application in your Workday account. Please note that applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on the day prior to the posting end date. The following VPFO positions are currently open:
- Labourer 3 (Streets and Operations Support) (JR6376) – closing Feb 23
- Tool Crib/Store Operator (JR6344) – closing Feb 23
- Labourer 2 (JR6416) – closing Mar 3
Please remember to apply as an internal candidate. This Workday Knowledge Base article shows how: How do I apply for an internal job posting?
In case you've missed it
Here is a quick recap of key events and information that you may have missed. For more details, please click on the links below or refer to our weekly portfolio newsletter, VPFO Update.
If you do not currently receive the VPFO Update in your inbox, please contact Samantha Tsui, Communications Coordinator.
Health & Safety: Learn to identify hazards
The workplace is full of inherent hazards. Hazards come in many types, including chemical, biological, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial. Whether we work in a power plant, a laboratory, or an office, it is important to learn how to identify hazards in order to stay safe at work.
This process is called risk assessment and includes determining appropriate ways to eliminate the hazard or control the risk when the hazard cannot be eliminated.
To find out more about hazards in the workplace and hazard identification, visit the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.
EDI: Learn to feel comfortable with discomfort
For an organization to fully achieve Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), it means embracing something we’ve traditionally been taught to avoid at all costs: discomfort.
Learn more on the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers website.
Communicating about important topics, such as racism or privilege, requires practice, courage, and skill. Regardless of our intersectional identities, these conversations can be difficult, but they are necessary to create a more open and inclusive work environment at UBC. The more you practice difficult conversations, the more you’ll be able to manage the discomfort.
For more information, including a 4-step strategy to navigating difficult conversations, read this EDI article by the VPFO EDI Committee.
Weekly Emergency Tip: Keep cash on hand
Make sure you have some money in small bills in your emergency preparedness kit. If there is a prolonged power outage, you will not be able to use your debit or credit card.
For information about emergency preparedness kits, visit the Canadian Red Cross website.
Managing your mental health
Human Resources has collected mental health resources to help you manage your ups and downs. To view more workshops, webinars and events visit the HR event listing.
Our HR representatives are always available for a confidential conversation:
- Monica Haab (monica.haab@ubc.ca): Customer Services, Energy & Water Services, Customer Services & Informatics, Municipal Services, and Trades
- Alena Martin (almarti@mail.ubc.ca): Custodial Services and Infrastructure Development.
Understanding the Employee and Family Assistance Program
The UBC Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is a voluntary and confidential counselling support service that provides employees at all levels and their family members (dependents) with the help needed to resolve a wide range of personal, work, health, or life issues. This expert information and immediate support resources are available in-person and by phone, video, web or mobile app 24/7, 365 days per year.
Login to the new LifeWorks Wellbeing Platform and explore their resources and content.
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