Maintaining masks in UBC public indoor spaces
The BC Provincial Health Officer, Dr Bonnie Henry, announced that the Public Health Order requiring masks to be worn in public indoor spaces is lifted as of March 11, 2022.
The latest Public Health Order indicate that while face coverings will be optional for people in all indoor public settings, individual organizations can choose to continue to require mask wearing on their premises. As such, UBC will continue with the current approach, requiring masks to be worn in public indoor spaces on both campuses, until the end of the 2021/22 Winter Session on April 30, 2022.
Four newly funded projects aimed at boosting sustainability at UBC Vancouver
Four new Campus as a Living Lab (CLL) sustainability projects have just been awarded a share of $200,000 in funding, and will be set in motion this year on the UBC Vancouver campus.
These projects illustrate the diversity of sustainability research at UBC, ranging from insect sticky traps to monitor biodiversity, to a student-staffed pilot “E-Kitchen” for electronic product repair, to a facility that will recover resources from wastewater, to design charrettes focused on enhancing student-family well-being at Acadia Park.
All these projects show ways to improve sustainability by using UBC’s campus lands, buildings, infrastructure, and people as a living lab. The CLL Competition demonstrates how living labs can bring people together to make change.
Read more
Planon reaches 100,000 orders entered
Last week, Customer Services & Informatics' Service Centre announced that Facilities has reached the milestone of 100,000 orders submitted in Planon since the system launched in November 2020. This includes reactive maintenance requests, programed maintenance, reservations, purchase orders, and other records.
Congratulations to all our teams in Facilities for your continued contribution and efforts in using Planon to help improve operational efficiency, and deliver exceptional service to the campus community. Great work team!
A Walk Through Time: ESB – Main Mall entrance closed
Construction work along the sidewalks on the south and south-east side of the Earth Sciences Building (ESB) has started, as part of an exhibit extension of the Pacific Museum of Earth.
The museum will be installing a ribbon of steel plates and displays providing a timeline of significant geological and biological events in Earth’s history. The construction work is anticipated to be completed by end of April 2022.
During the month of March, the contractor will be excavating a trench for electrical pathways, using a small excavator. The entry/exit on the east side of the building (Main Mall) will be temporarily closed from March 11-31, 2022. During this time, please use alternative entry/exits in the building.
For more information about this project, including what to expect during construction, visit the Facilities website.
New job strategy session (NJSS): March 8
Construction Office:
Project Services:
For more information, please contact the Facilities Manager
Annual Mammography Screening Clinic
The Screening Mammography Program (SMP) Mobile Services will once again be visiting the UBC Point Grey Campus on April 5, 2022. BC women ages 40 and up with a primary care provider (doctor, nurse practitioner or naturopath) can book a screening mammogram directly through the program without a doctor's referral.
- When: Tuesday, April 5, 2022
- How: By appointment by calling 1.800.663.9203
- Where: BC Cancer Agency Digital Mammography Coach at University Commons by the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre
Learn more
Welcome to the team... and fond farewell
 Farewell to Jose Teres, Manager, Construction Office in Infrastructure Development after just under 3.5 years of service at UBC. Jose’s last day at UBC will be March 25, 2022.
Jose joined UBC in 2018, bringing extensive experience with leading small to complex large-scale projects including civil, institutional, high-rise and commercial projects.
Thank you for your contributions to the team, Jose, and best of luck with your future endeavors!
 Farewell to Doug Doyle, Senior Manager Mechanical Utilities in Energy & Water Services, after 9 years of service at UBC. His last day at UBC will be March 31, 2022.
Doug will be taking some time off to consider other pursuits. While we search for a suitable replacement, all ongoing projects will be managed by Jenny Liu, Mechanical Utilities Engineer and Stuart Gilbert, Assistant Civil Engineer. In the interim, Siu Tse, Director, EWS will also be Acting Manager of Mechanical Utilities.
Doug has been a valued member of the Energy & Water Services family for the past two years. Prior to joining Energy & Water Services, he was with Campus & Community Planning where he was responsible for regulatory approvals, policy planning, and long-range neighbourhood planning.
Wishing you all the best, Doug, we will miss you.
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:
- Utility Worker (JR6800) – closing Mar 21
- Associate Project Manager (JR6702) – Mar 30
- Project Manager I (JR6700) – Mar 30
- Trades 2 - Steamfitter (JR6783) – Apr 4
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.
Celebrating success and inclusivity at the 2022 Winter Paralympics
The 2022 Winter Paralympics was held in Beijing, China from March 4-13, 2022. The games are organized and delivered by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), with its vision to “make for an inclusive world through sport”.
Canada finished with 25 medals, its second-highest total ever only behind the 28 won at PyeongChang 2018.
Read this CBC article for seven mostly-Canadian moments that helped define the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics.
How accessibility leads to inclusion in sports
On December 3, 2021 — the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a new video series, Reflections on Inclusive Sport, debuted on the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Inclusive Sport Hub, a community created to offer a conversation space towards creating more diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Canadian sport community.
Watch this video of Camille Bérubé, three-time Paralympian in swimming, discussing how accessibility leads to inclusion.
Going beyond physical workplace safety: Psychological health & safety
When we think of safety at work, the first thing that often comes to mind is the prevention of physical injuries and risk mitigation measures, such as following safe work procedures and wearing proper personal protective equipment.
What we often forget is that psychological safety plays an equally important role in fostering a healthy and safe workplace.
For more information on psychological health and safety in the workplace, visit the Canadian Centre of Occupational Health and Safety website:
Weekly Emergency Tip: Preparing an emergency car kit
Emergency car kits are an essential part of our personal emergency preparedness. Whether we are commuting to and from work or going on a family vacation, it is important to have access to an emergency car kit while you're on the road. A good emergency car kit should have the following items:
- Water and energy bars
- Flashlight and road flares
- Booster cables
- Blanket and extra clothes
- First aid kit
For a complete checklist of items to include in your kit, visit the Government of Canada’s Get Prepared 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
- Arvind Kang (akang03@mail.ubc.ca): Custodial Services and Infrastructure Development.
Resources and support for coping with difficult events
The last few weeks have been challenging with a number of distressing events, including the conflict in Ukraine and the shocking loss of a team member at UBCO. UBC has a range of health and wellbeing resources and supports available for faculty and staff dealing with difficult situations.
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