Understanding Your Staff Pension Plan: new sessions this spring
We have several upcoming Understanding Your Staff Pension Plan sessions for members of the UBC Staff Pension Plan. If you are interested in attending, please register soon as these sessions fill up quickly.
These workshops help attendees learn about the plan, about pensions in general, and related retirement considerations.
- Tuesday, April 9, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, April 16, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 14, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, May 28, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
- Thursday, June 6, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 25, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Visit https://staff.pensions.ubc.ca/news/workshops/ to register.
Upcoming professional development workshops from HR
HR is hosting three professional development workshops this spring:
Thriving in Change: April 24 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)
This workshop is for UBC staff and faculty who want to learn more about the natural cycles and impact of change in order to remain resilient and engaged through the transition.
- Cost: $200
- Register online
Practical Project Management: May 29-30 (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
This workshop is for anyone who is involved in projects, as either a team member or project manager, and wants to learn the core basics and proven tools to help achieve more consistent project outcomes.
- Cost: $550
- Register online
The Foundations of Workplace Coaching Skills: June 6 (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
This workshop is for those who wish to gain a better understanding of how to use coaching in the workplace.
- Cost: $350
- Register online
If you are interested in these workshops, you may be able to use your professional development funding. Please visit the page for your employee group to learn more.
Mental Health First Aid training for UBC faculty and instructors: April 29-30
Mental Health First Aid training aims to improve mental health literacy. This workshop provides participants with the skills and knowledge to help people better manage potential or developing mental health problems in themselves, a family member, a friend or a colleague.
By the end of the training, participants will recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health problems, be able to provide initial support to a person who may be developing a mental health problem or is experiencing a mental health crisis, and be prepared to guide a person towards appropriate professional help.
Course information
Mental Health First Aid Training for UBC faculty and instructors
Date: April 29-30, 2019
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (both days)
Location: Rm 610, TEF III, 6190 Agronomy Road
Register online
Please note that you must attend the full training in order to receive the course completion certificate.
Mental Health First Aid Training is an evidence-based internationally recognized program through the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Free Health & Wellbeing workshops this spring
We have several free noon-hour Health & Wellbeing workshops over the next two months for UBC staff, faculty and postdoctoral fellows:
Volunteer at Graduation
UBC is seeking volunteers at the upcoming spring graduation ceremonies. This is an opportunity to get involved in this special occasion honouring students’ achievements, and to make it a memorable day for students, their family and their friends. Learn more and sign up at https://graduation.ubc.ca/faculty-staff/.
Hot Lunch with Susan Parker, University Librarian: April 24
You are invited to attend Hot Lunch on April 24, to meet and network with your colleagues across UBC, and to hear from Susan Parker, the University Librarian. Tickets are $10. Please purchase your tickets by April 22.
Hot Lunch is a cross-campus staff networking initiative hosted by St. John’s College and supported by Human Resources.
Upcoming conferences hosted by UBC this May
There are two conferences hosted by UBC in May that may be of interest to the HR community of practice:
2019 WACUBO Annual Conference: May 5-9
UBC and SFU are co-hosting the 2019 Western Association of College and University Business Officers (WACUBO) conference, May 5-9 in downtown Vancouver. Attendees will connect with colleagues from universities and colleges across the region, and learn about trends, best practices, solutions, and developments related to finance, human relations, organizational development, change management, and other fields connected to administration in higher education. This year’s theme is Beyond Boundaries, and focuses on innovative programming to expand individual and institutional capacity to successfully meet the diverse challenges facing higher education today.
Learn more about the conference. To learn how to become a WACUBO member, visit the UBC Finance website.
Building the Future of Work-Life: Catalyzing Inclusion: May 22-24
Our workplaces are changing. Demographic shifts mean that there are multiple generations in the workplace. Legal and legislative change means that our understanding and conception of family is broadening. Dual career challenges have moved from a ‘two-body’ problem to a ‘whole family’ opportunity. As practitioners in the field of work, life, and family, explore ways to respond to and anticipate these changes. The Building the Future of Work-Life: Catalyzing Inclusion conference is May 22-24 at UBC. This conference is hosted by the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office and the College and University Work-Life-Family Association (CUWFA).
Two free Health & Wellbeing workshops next week
We have two health & wellbeing workshops coming up next week for UBC staff and faculty:
Welcoming Change into Your Life: March 27, 12:45-1:45 p.m.
Change is a natural part of life. While some changes can affect the very structure of your life, other changes can have subtle impacts on your day-to-day activities. Sometimes you may be aware that a change is imminent but are uncertain about what it will involve and how it will affect your life. Situations like these can create ambiguity, worry, or a sense of loss and sadness.
This session will address the emotional reactions that participants may experience when confronted with change, taking into account their personality and strength, and provide coping skills to enable them to manage change more effectively.
Effective Communication at Work: March 28, 9:15-10:15 a.m.
Note that this session will take place at VGH/DHCC.
In order to communicate effectively, individuals have to master the techniques of effective listening and self-expression. These skills involve verbal and non-verbal behaviours as well as the ability to speak with persuasion and confidence.
This session will look at both of these essential sides of the communication equation. It will address key communication elements such as active listening and show participants how to present messages in a way that is more compatible with the receiver’s style.
Register now for Staff & Faculty Sports Day: May 3
This year’s Staff and Faculty Sports Day is May 3, 2:30-4:00 p.m. Open to UBC faculty, staff and grad students, this free, inclusive, accessible event is a fun team-building afternoon encouraging mental and physical wellbeing.
Save the date: Staff & Faculty Sports Day is May 3; registration opens March 18
This year’s Staff and Faculty Sports Day is May 3, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Open to UBC faculty, staff and grad students, this free, inclusive, accessible event is a fun team-building afternoon encouraging mental and physical wellbeing. Visit our Healthy UBC Newsletter article for more information.
Visit UBC Rec’s Facebook page to view last year’s photo gallery.
March Hot Lunch with Eilis Courtney, Senior Advisor, Ceremonies & Protocol
You are invited to attend Hot Lunch on March 27, to meet and network with your colleagues across UBC, and to hear from Eilis Courtney, Senior Advisor, Ceremonies & Protocol. Tickets are $10. Please purchase your tickets by March 22.
Hot Lunch is a cross-campus staff networking initiative hosted by St. John’s College and supported by Human Resources.
Positive Space workshop: March 28
Are your working, learning and living environments welcoming to LGBT2SQIA+ students, staff and faculty? Would you like to learn more how to improve and positively impact the climate for sexual and gender diversity?
The Positive Space foundational workshop covers current language, issues, resources, and best practices in an interactive and experiential learning environment. Participants will gain relevant knowledge and skills to use in their academic, work and campus life.
Upcoming workshop
- March 28, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Sign up on the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office website.
Feb. 27 is Pink Shirt Day
By working together, we can help to end bullying in schools and in the workplace. Please join us in supporting Pink Shirt Day on Feb. 27, 2019, and learn about how you can help to stop bullying in communities across the province at http://www.pinkshirtday.ca.
At UBC, we strive to provide a safe, respectful and productive environment for our faculty, staff and students. The UBC Respectful Environment Statement outlines our principles about creating a respectful environment for all:
The best possible environment for working, learning and living is one in which respect, civility, diversity, opportunity and inclusion are valued. Everyone at the University of British Columbia is expected to conduct themselves in a manner that upholds these principles in all communications and interactions with fellow UBC community members and the public in all University-related settings.
One of UBC’s initiatives to support a respectful environment is the Bullying and Harassment Prevention website. The website has information and training for UBC faculty, staff and student employees to support a positive workplace.
The UBC community works together every day to build a respectful environment for all. On Feb. 27, wear pink to show your support for an end to bullying and harassment in our communities.
Resources:
- Pink Shirt Day
- Bullying and Harassment Prevention at UBC
- Respectful Environment Statement
- Equity and Inclusion Office: Vancouver | Okanagan
- Contact your HR Advisor or Faculty Relations Manager
Next Integrated Renewal Program HR update call: Feb. 14
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Integrated Renewal Program HR update call on Jan. 27. If you weren’t able to make it, or you would like to review the slides and the call, there is a recording available.
Our next HR IRP call-in session will be Feb. 14, 9:00-10:00 a.m. All human resources practitioners at the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses are invited to join through phone or by video-conference.
Feb. 14 agenda
This month’s call in will be a Supervisory Organization Q&A session. The team is changing up the format for this call to ‘open the lines’ and take your specific questions about Supervisory Organizations for the hour. The team will also share more information about complex models and concepts of Supervisory Organizations such as matrix organizations, dotted line reporting and pooled positions. Please feel free to submit any questions for the team in advance of the call by including them in your RSVP email to integrated.renewal@ubc.ca.
RSVP
If you are interested in participating in the call, email integrated.renewal@ubc.ca to RSVP.
Hot Lunch featuring Barbara Meens Thistle, Vice President, Human Resources: Feb. 27
You are invited to attend Hot Lunch on Feb. 27, to meet and network with your colleagues across UBC, and to hear from Barbara Meens Thistle, Vice President, Human Resources. Tickets are $10. Please purchase your tickets by Feb. 22.
Hot Lunch is a cross-campus staff networking initiative hosted by St. John’s College and supported by Human Resources.
Positive Space workshop: Feb. 14
Are your working, learning or living environments welcoming to LGBT2SQIA+ students, staff and faculty? Would you like to learn more about how to improve and positively impact the climate for sexual and gender diversity at UBC?
The Positive Space foundational workshop covers current language, issues, resources, and best practices in an interactive and experiential learning environment. Participants will gain relevant knowledge and skills to use in their academic, work and campus life.
Upcoming workshop
- Feb. 14, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Sign up on the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office website.
Reminder: Next IRP HR update call Jan. 29
As a reminder, the next IRP HR update call is Jan. 29, 9:00-10:00 a.m. If you are interested in participating in the call, please contact IRP at integrated.renewal@ubc.ca to RSVP.
Jan. 29 agenda
- Integrated Renewal Program (IRP) Update
- HR Work Stream Update – what has the team been working on and what is planned for the next 30 days
- Supervisory Organizations – details of upcoming data validation with the community
- Q & As
PD workshop: In-Powering: Making Sense of Your Talents and Strengths: March 15
HR is hosting In-Powering: Making Sense of Your Talents and Strengths, a one-day workshop focusing on helping participants to gain a better understanding of their strengths, and how to translate those strengths to your professional life.
Course information
Date: March 15, 2019, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610 [map]
Cost: $375
Register online
If you are interested in this course, you may be able to use your professional development funding. Please visit the page for your employee group to learn more.
Move UBC month: Feb. 1-28
This February, invite your team members to move more! Move UBC is an annual university-wide initiative to encourage physical activity and reduce the time students, staff, faculty and the UBC community spend being sedentary. By inspiring people to move more through inclusive and accessible events and activities, Move UBC aims to improve everyone’s overall wellbeing. Check out the following Move UBC events:
- Feb. 1: Cha Cha Slide (Vancouver)
- Feb. 6, 13 & 27: Lunchtime Staff & Faculty Volleyball (Vancouver)
- Feb. 11: Wellbeing Challenge Kick-off (Vancouver)
- Feb. 28: Wear Your Active Wear Day (Vancouver & Okanagan)
Click here for a full Move UBC calendar of events taking place in Vancouver and the Okanagan.
Let’s talk about mental health on Jan. 30
On Jan. 30, let’s talk about mental health. Bell Let’s Talk Day is an opportunity to join a national conversation about mental health challenges and help reduce the stigma around mental illness.
UBC is committed to building mentally healthy workplaces where all employees can thrive – and we all have a part to play. Bell Let’s Talk Day is one of the ways we encourage UBC faculty, staff and students to think about mental health, to reach out to one another and connect with the resources, services and supports available at UBC and in the broader community.
Here are some simple ways you can support mental health at UBC:
- Learn about the mental health supports available.
- Find out how you can help a colleague in distress.
- Register for a mental health training program or workshop.
Thank you for supporting Bell Let’s Talk Day and for contributing to a safe, healthy and respectful community at UBC.