Updates from the VPFO
Changes to Operational Excellence
The VPFO is leading an initiative to support key projects for UBC’s President and Executive, including a reimagining of the university’s budget process and preparations for operationalizing IRP Student in the coming year,
As part of this change, our Operational Excellence team is being renamed as the VPFO Project Management Office. This team will report directly to our VP Frank Laezza who will be taking an active role in project oversight.
Additionally, Finance & Operational Excellence is transitioning to become a new Financial Operations & Integrated Services division.
Read the full announcement
Strategic Plan updates
Forecasting for a solid future
The VPFO is made up of individuals from diverse cultural, social and professional backgrounds. We wear all sorts of hats in our lives, but what unites us is our unwavering dedication to building a solid foundation for the university's success.
Born and raised in Germany, Raffaela Mendel has a lot of identities — she’s a former competitive swimmer, a Manager of Financial Planning & Analysis with UBC’s Treasury team, and a dog mom to her 7-year-old mini-poodle, May.
Find out what it's like working in a team as diverse as Treasury and how Raffaela drives the university forward as an analyst, learner and connector.
Read Raffaela's story
Operations updates
Facilities
Building Operations, Custodial Services, Customer Services & Informatics, Energy & Water Services, Infrastructure Development, and Municipal Services
- Upcoming road closures: Find more information about upcoming road closures around the UBC Vancouver campus as of June 19, 2023 on the UBC Facilities website.
Finance
Comptroller, Financial Operations & Integrated Services, and Treasury
- Upcoming period-end dates: The period-end dates deadlines for June, July and August are now available on the UBC Finance website.
- Are you setting up your international supplier correctly: In order to ensure smooth processing of supplier invoices and purchase orders, please ensure international supplier setup and change requests are completed well in advance. Here are a few reminders from our Customer Support team in Financial Operations.
Operations & Advising
Communications & Engagement, Human Resources, VPFO Project Management Office, and Safety & Risk Services
- Diving into biodiversity and sustainability: UBC divers recently collaborated with Marine Life Sanctuaries Society, BC Parks and the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) as part of an effort to educate and engage students from St’a7mes School. Read more and see photos from the program at Porteau Cove.
- UBC’s Mass Care Open House & Preparedness Fair: Join Safety & Risk Services' Emergency Management on June 28 at the Tennis Centre to learn what UBC is doing to prepare for major regional emergencies and how you can be better prepared. Learn more
- VPFO Project Management Office's new website URL: As part of the realignment of Operational Excellence to support key initiatives for the VPFO and UBC, the department has been renamed to VPFO Project Management Office. Visit their website at pmo.vpfo.ubc.ca
- Using the correct e-mail signature: We’re all one team at UBC, so make sure you’re using your UBC email signature. Visit the UBC e-mail signature generator and refer to the VPFO Email Signature Guide for more information.
The VPFO consists of individuals doing important work to support the university. Our people bring our strategy to life and make our plans into reality. Read more about the people of the VPFO.
Shout outs
- Thank you Lydia Dong and Wade Noseworthy in Financial Operations & Integrated Services’ Payroll Operations and Amelia Libonao in VPFO HR for working together to ensure one of our new employees was properly set up and paid in the system in a timely manner. Thanks for going above and beyond to make an employee feel welcome.
- Kudos to Russ Neal, Stan Takenaka in Facilities’ Energy & Water Services and our Facilities Clerical Team in Customer Services & Informatics for demonstrating a seamless onboarding process in Energy & Water Services. Your friendly and welcoming approach is much appreciated!
- Shout out to Borris Gunn and Tracy He in Facilities’ Customer Services & Informatics, and Amelia Libonao in VPFO HR for navigating a parental leave request and communicating effectively with the employee and Central HR to arrive at a solution. Great job!
- To our colleague John Mendes in Safety & Risk Services. We truly appreciate all that you do for SRS that doesn’t fall under your job description! From volunteering to help a unit facing deep sadness, to helping many of us figure out the Boardroom A/V (some of us repeatedly!), to administering the SRS Teams channels until our new Executive Assistant is onboarded, serving on the EDI committee, and so much more – you contribute so much to this department. Thank you.
- Shout out to Yvonne Kwok in VPFO Communications & Engagement for all her support during the survey and public engagement phase under the Campus Security Model Validation project. The project team really appreciated your professionalism, your prompt response timing, and your creative thoughts around the production and delivery strategy of key social media and other communication assets.
Well done! Want to give someone a shout out in the next edition? Submit your kudos in your local recognition program or email communications@vpfo.ubc.ca
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:
- Trades 2 - Carpenter (Construction Office) (JR13288) – 6/27/2023
- Municipal Engineer (JR13272) – 6/28/2023
- Millwright (JR13319) – 6/30/2023
- Senior Financial Specialist 1a (Gr 8) (JR13215) – 6/30/2023
- Financial Analyst (JR13237) – 6/30/2023
- Training Coordinator (JR12676) – 7/4/2023
- Lead Advisor, Information Security Compliance-2 (JR13373) – 7/4/2023
- Head Service Worker (Night Shift) (JR13349) – 7/4/2023
- Workday Security Administrator (JR13235) – 7/8/2023
- Trades 2 - Secure Access Tech (JR13273) – 7/13/2023
Don't forget to apply as an internal candidate! Please review Apply for an Internal Job Posting in the Workday Knowledge Base for instructions on how to apply. Reminder to attach a copy of your resume when you apply for a career opportunity in Workday.
We are the VPFO: Spotlight
Each week, we'll meet another member of the VPFO as they introduce themselves and their work.
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Denise Tang, Assistant Supervisor | Custodial Services
Did you know that Custodial Services provides services beyond the day-to-day cleaning of building interiors? My job is to manage the Utility Worker team and our contract work, including pest control, exterior window cleaning and carpet cleaning. Need help fixing or improving your workspace? Submit an online service request.
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Notable updates
Upcoming statutory holiday
A reminder that Canada Day is on Saturday, July 1 and will be observed on Monday, July 3 as a stat holiday.
View the full list of statutory holidays at UBC.
The Centre's Heart Health Fair was a success!
Last week's Heart Health Fair at The Centre was very well attended. It was a great opportunity for participants to learn more about their cardiovascular health and for us to collaborate again with the UBC Pharmacists Clinic. We have received a lot of positive feedback from those who attended.
For those who were unable to register for this health screening event, we will be hosting another health fair on October 10 & 11 with a focus on Diabetes Awareness. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information as registration details will be available closer to date!
For questions in regards to the health screening events, contact Lori Takenaka, Safety Advisor, Facilities at lori.takenaka@ubc.ca or 604-822-6732.
UBC launches training course on Indigenous understanding for faculty and staff
A new course to set a baseline understanding of Indigenous matters among UBC faculty and staff has launched on National Indigenous Peoples Day — June 21.
Weaving Relations is a self-paced, online training course that explores Indigenous histories, people and contexts, as well as settler colonialism in Canada, through the lens of Indigenous-Canadian relationships.
Learn more
UBC Farm Long Table Dinner is back on July 21
Join UBC Farm for an enchanting evening at the UBC Farm. Picture this: a multi-course, family-style meal, on a warm summer evening under twinkling lights at long tables set between rows of trees in the Poplar Grove.
Learn more
Helpful news
Some interesting news articles our team members have found informative, helpful, or fun! These are provided for information and entertainment only. Unless noted, UBC doesn’t specifically endorse or supply this content.
- What was the Chinese Exclusion Act in Canada? Here are 3 things you might not know, available on UBC Beyond.
- Vancouver is filled with a massive variety of opportunities for outdoor adventure activities. Read a hiking trail guide for a list of Vancouver hikes.
