Town Hall Recap
Thank you to everyone who joined me for the Fall Town Hall and the announcement of the Principal’s Staff Awards winners. September is my favourite time of the year – not just because it’s the perfect time to get new stationery but because it feels like a time of infinite possibilities.
As we continue to celebrate UBC Okanagan’s 20th anniversary, I was pleased to share the work we’ve been doing on UBCO’s Academic Priorities to help set our course for the years ahead. I’m grateful to everyone who has engaged in this work throughout the spring and summer months, as it helped refine the priorities and ensure we landed somewhere really powerful. I’m excited to see how this shapes our campus as we move forward. To learn more about the Academic Priorities please visit the website.
The Q&A that followed the presentation included a number of questions around budget impacts and next steps, which is understandably top of mind for everyone. I know that we had a hard year with a number of difficult challenges, including teams across campus making difficult decisions that affected valued colleagues. Thank you to everyone for your perseverance, for contributing to the strong future ahead for our campus, and for taking part in the conversation at the Town Hall.
Below are answers to the most upvoted questions that I didn’t get to address in-person at the Town Hall. Although we can’t answer every question, the complete list is shared with the executive team as another opportunity to take stock of the important issues on campus.
Sincerely,
Lesley Cormack
Questions:
Q: How many more administrative layoffs are expected?
As we have been working on various initiatives to stabilize our enrollments, we will not have confirmed enrolment numbers until October/November. Given this is a major input to our budgets, we are monitoring this carefully as we work to set budget guidelines for the upcoming fiscal year. We understand that this uncertainty can be difficult for people. We likely have two more years of working within a tight budget, but it’s too soon to say what impacts we may see going forward. I am hopeful that the hard decisions we have taken over the last few years will cushion us from major impacts we may see going forward. The next steps would be entering into our budget planning process for the FY27 budget which will include the regular engagement process such as SUO and Senate Sub-Committee on Budget as we progress to a budget proposal to the BOG in April 2026.
Q: How can we say we are doing our best to provide students with exceptional experience when we’re offering fewer courses and losing key student-facing employees?
I want to acknowledge the concern directly; reductions in courses or staff can feel at odds with our commitment to exceptional student experiences. These decisions are never taken lightly. Our goal has been to adjust in ways that minimize disruption and preserve the core of what matters most for students: high-quality learning, access to support, and a vibrant campus community.
Even in a constrained budget environment, we are intentionally focusing on our academic priorities so that the areas that matter most to students are protected and strengthened. Within the AVPS portfolio, for example, that means concentrating efforts on equipping students with the skills, experiences, and opportunities that help them thrive during their time at UBC and beyond.
Q: Has there been consideration to offering more part-time (certificate/diploma) courses to create a 4th income stream?
At the Town Hall, we heard from Rehan about the important work being done to increase international student enrollment, but this is certainly not the only activities underway to increase revenue. Faculties are exploring and engaging in innovative and creative programming and initiatives that advance our academic strengths in ways that are financially viable and sustainable, supported by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic.
Examples from the Faculty of Health and Social Development and the Okanagan School of Education demonstrate how Faculties are delivering credit certificate programming to expand the reach of their offerings, meeting the professional development needs of nurses, teachers and other learners. Similarly, many Faculties are also developing non-credit programming, providing learners with exciting opportunities to meet their personal and career aspirations while creating meaningful pathways for UBC Okanagan to strengthen its relationship with communities, engage with employers, respond to government priorities and broaden the learning experiences of degree-seeking students.
Faculty with ideas to develop or redesign credit and non-credit courses and programs are encouraged to connect with their department head or program chair. Further information on the program development process can be found on the Office of the Provost website.
Q: Last year, there was discussion about the Board of Governors reexamining the “budget firewall.” Any progress on UBC operating cohesively?
The Budget Reimagining project continues, and the relationship between the two campuses and the related financial strategies for both campuses will be part of the considerations.
Q: Are there any updates you can share about downtown?
Construction on UBCO Downtown continues to progress, with the structure nearly at street level.
With regard to Hadgraft Wilson Place, Pathways, the City of Kelowna and UBC Okanagan have reached an agreement to build a new, purpose-built, facility for Pathways Abilities Society near Capri Mall.
There has been an immense amount of work taking place to reach this point and I am very pleased with the solution that has been found. You can read the full release here.
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