Department of National Defense

May 28, 2020

Dear Arts faculty and staff,

We have just wrapped up a term that few of us could ever have imagined, and we are still engaged in the significant work of designing a 2020-2021 Winter Term 1 that will have to be almost entirely online. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your hard work, flexibility, creativity, and collaborative spirit during these past few months. Your commitment to supporting our students and each other as we navigate the ever-morphing challenges of COVID-19 has been deeply moving and inspiring to me. I am extremely proud of what you have accomplished in such a short period of time, and I want you to know that my team in the Office of the Dean of Arts is fiercely committed to supporting you in all that you do.

As you know, UBC has now shared an update about its approach for the fall term.  We have worked with our Heads and Directors over the last few weeks to determine what courses in the Fall need to happen in person, and we are glad that, based on the responses from our units, we can say clearly that all of the courses offered for the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Media Studies, Bachelor of International Economics, and the BFA in Creative Writing will be offered fully online. This is to adhere to the gathering limits put in place by the Provincial Health authorities; to protect the health of our students, faculty, and staff; and to ensure the maximum amount of equity for all of our students. For other programs that rely on site-specific facilities, such as the Bachelor of Social Work, the BMus (Music) and the BFA in Visual Art and in Theatre and Film, students should check with their program.

As part of our plan to support students through this pandemic, we developed and delivered on three initiatives: Hire a Student; the GAA program to support development of on-line summer courses; and the GRA initiative to support research. We have also made a financial contribution to the university’s Emergency Student Bursary Fund.

To support faculty members in the transition to online learning, a range of supports have been created and mobilized. These include Arts collaborative workshops, CTLT’s academy and workshops, Graduate and Undergraduate Assistantships, Arts ISIT programs, and a doubling of the number of Learning Tech Rovers. In addition, we are looking at all of our 2,000+ course sections offered in the Faculty of Arts in the fall to determine the support each might need to create the richest, most immersive, experiential set of online offerings possible.

The public impact and the importance of Arts research has never been put in more stark relief.  Each day brings a range of stories about our COVID-related research, whether from sociologists, economists, geographers, psychologists, philosophers, historians, political scientists, artists, and others. Our museums and Creative and Performing Arts units, and indeed all of our Departments, Institutes, Schools and Programs have intensified their online activities to help all of us stay inspired, engaged and entertained. Our scholars are working on policy responses to the pandemic, sharing insights on how COVID-19 will impact culture and society, and helping us to stay informed and empowered. I am certain that we will come out of this crisis with a strengthened commitment to advancing a more just, equitable, and sustainable future.

I want you to know that we will continue to advocate for our community. We know that many of you are working, researching, and teaching in less-than-ideal circumstances. In the months ahead, as the fervor of the early response fades, it will continue to be important to reach out to those around us, support each other, and be sure that we’re caring for all in the UBC Arts community.

Please take care of yourselves, and stay healthy and connected.

Gage Averill, Dean of Arts

PS: We are grateful to have access to many support resources which I encourage you to make use of:

UBC’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 

• COVID-19 and UBC’s response
• Student resources and services during the COVID-19 outbreak
• UBC Arts and COVID-19

RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE TRANSITION TO ONLINE LEARNING 

• Keep Teaching: A UBC site that supports faculty in developing strategies for designing online courses.
• Keep Learning: A UBC site that supports students in preparing for online learning and understanding the technologies used at UBC.
• Upcoming events at the Centre for Teaching & Learning Technology
• Arts ISIT support & resources
• Upcoming events at Arts ISIT
• Arts remote teaching consultations

RESEARCH & GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

• Webinar – connect your research in COVID Times: Jun 3, 1:30-3:00pm
• Arts Internal Research resources
• Partnership Engage Grants COVID-19 special initiative: Deadlines Jun 15 & Sep 15

HEALTH, WELLBEING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• HR Resources for managing and working during COVID-19
• Tips from UBC HR: Thriving while working at home
• Professional counselling services offered through UBC’s Employee and Family Assistance Program