Thank you to all our faculty and staff members for supporting UBC’s academic mission.
Whether you are faculty or staff, this page is intended to support you with a range of useful FAQs, links and resources.
There is a whole host of information on various university websites and you are encouraged to access your own Faculty/Administrative Unit resources for information specific to your part of the university.
If you are a manager, you may be interested in the ‘Managing employees during COVID-19’ webpage provided by Human Resources. HR also has general resources for faculty and staff related to ‘Working during COVID-19’.
There is also useful information specific to UBC Okanagan. If you are a postdoctoral fellow, you can find additional resources here: UBC Vancouver, UBC Okanagan.
For guidance on COVID-19 vaccines, health and safety planning, you should visit the Health guidance and vaccines section. Don’t forget to also check out the archive of our main announcements.
Below are some additional FAQs specifically for faculty and staff. While we cannot answer every question you may have, we have done our best to cover the main areas you might be interested in.
On this page:
Information for managers and supervisors
- I’m a manager/supervisor. Where can I find information to support me during this time?
- I have a Work Learn/Work Study student – where can I find information about how they are impacted by the current situation?
- How best can I support my teams’ mental health and wellbeing during this time?
- Can faculty or staff refuse to come to campus for work, if they believe they are unsafe?
Teaching and Learning
- Is UBC holding in-person classes?
- Where can I get support for teaching remotely?
- What is UBC doing to address academic assessment and course concessions?
Research
Getting to and from campus
- How do I find out about public transit options – in both Vancouver and the Okanagan?
- What other options are available for getting to campus?
Health and Wellbeing
- Where can I find support for my mental health and wellbeing during this time?
- Where can I find support for my physical wellbeing during this time?
Buildings
- UBC Vancouver: Where can I find information about my building during COVID-19 (including ventilation, water systems, and cleaning standards)?
- UBC Okanagan: Where can I find information about cleaning standards in campus buildings during COVID-19?
UBC Facilities and Services
- Where can I find more information about parking locations and fees?
- What is the status of UBC Food Services?
- Are the UBC Bookstores open?
- What libraries are open on campus?
- What is the status of UBC sports facilities and programming?
Events and Graduation Ceremonies
Travel
Information for managers and supervisors
- I’m a manager/supervisor. Where can I find information to support me during this time?
I’m a manager/supervisor. Where can I find information to support me during this time?
Guidance is available for managers and supervisors on the Human Resources website.
- I have a Work Learn/Work Study student – where can I find information about how they are impacted by the current situation?
I have a Work Learn/Work Study student – where can I find information about how they are impacted by the current situation?
The Centre for Student Involvement & Careers at UBC Vancouver and the UBC Okanagan Work-Study office have created some FAQs.
- How best can I support my teams’ mental health and wellbeing during this time?
How best can I support my teams’ mental health and wellbeing during this time?
Human Resources have compiled these health and wellbeing tools and resources to help you support your teams.
- Can faculty or staff refuse to come to campus for work, if they believe they are unsafe?
Can faculty or staff refuse to come to campus for work, if they believe they are unsafe?
All employees have a right to refuse to perform unsafe work as long as it is based on a reasonable belief. Visit the Managing Employees During COVID-19 website for further information, including what to do if an employee advises that they believe their working conditions are unsafe.
Teaching and Learning
- Is UBC holding in-person classes?
Is UBC holding in-person classes?
Yes. UBC is conducting in-person classes. The health, safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff remain our first priority. Here’s what you need to do to help ensure a safe environment for yourself and those around you:
- Know the symptoms of COVID-19 and complete a daily health assessment. If you are sick, stay at home. Learn about the self-assessment tool at https://bc.thrive.health.
- Wash your hands regularly.
- We strongly recommend that all UBC community members get vaccinated and if eligible, receive their booster dose. You can learn more at https://immunizebc.ca.
- As a reminder, in BC, free vaccines are available to students arriving from international destinations and other provinces
- Where can I get support for teaching remotely?
Where can I get support for teaching remotely?
The Keep Teaching website offers resources and support to help you develop your own strategies for meeting the needs of your courses online. The website also has guidance on how to prepare to offer lectures, group work and discussion, assignments and assessments online. The Center for Teaching and Learning has additional resources for faculty at UBC Okanagan. Faculty and teaching assistants are invited to learn more about UBC Vancouver’s process for transitioning classes to an online delivery format.
To help you support your students with online learning, you can share the Keep Learning website with them. This site provides resources and tips to help students learn effectively, get to know online teaching technologies used at UBC and also take care of themselves while learning online.
- What is UBC doing to address academic assessment and course concessions?
What is UBC doing to address academic assessment and course concessions?
Decisions around academic regulations and variances to them (concessions) are primarily the domain of Faculties and the Dean. Students are advised to contact their Home Faculty Academic Advising Office to explore what options may be available to them.
Research
- Where can I find more information about conducting research activities at UBC?
Where can I find more information about conducting research activities at UBC?
All UBC activities are covered by a Communicable Disease Prevention Framework in alignment with the BC Centre for Disease Control and WorkSafeBC. For more information, visit: https://srs.ubc.ca/covid-19/covid-19-safety-plans.
The Field Safety program applies to university-related activities that occur off of UBC campus locations, including off-campus Field Research Activities. You can find out more here: https://srs.ubc.ca/health-safety/safety-programs/field-work-safety/.
Additional guidance applies for research involving human participants. Please consult the websites of the applicable research ethics board (BREB, Clinical REB, C&W REB, PHC REB and the BC Cancer REB).
Researchers are encouraged to visit https://covid19.research.ubc.ca for information on UBC’s COVID-19 research activities, including research projects, potential collaborators, initiatives, networks and support.
Getting to and from campus
- How do I find out about public transit options – in both Vancouver and the Okanagan?
How do I find out about public transit options – in both Vancouver and the Okanagan?
Useful updates and resources related to public transit can be found at: UBC Vancouver | UBC Okanagan
- What other options are available for getting to campus?
What other options are available for getting to campus?
A series of resources have been compiled with useful information related to biking to campus, parking options, car pooling and ride hailing.
Learn more: UBC Vancouver | UBC Okanagan
Health and Wellbeing
- Where can I find support for my mental health and wellbeing during this time?
Where can I find support for my mental health and wellbeing during this time?
Human Resources have compiled some health and wellbeing tools and resources to help support you.
- Where can I find support for my physical wellbeing during this time?
Where can I find support for my physical wellbeing during this time?
UBC Recreation has created these resources to help you stay active while working at home, which include live movement sessions, at-home workouts and ‘deskercises’.
Buildings
- UBC Vancouver: Where can I find information about my building during COVID-19 (including ventilation, water systems, and cleaning standards)?
UBC Vancouver: Where can I find information about my building during COVID-19 (including ventilation, water systems, and cleaning standards)?
The UBC Facilities website provides information and resources about Facilities’ operations and service levels for your building. UBC Facilities are working to ensure buildings are cleaned and ventilated, operating, and maintained to provide a safe environment for students, faculty, and staff.
- UBC Okanagan: Where can I find information about cleaning standards in campus buildings during COVID-19?
UBC Okanagan: Where can I find information about cleaning standards in campus buildings during COVID-19?
Facilities Management will continue to operate and maintain all campus buildings. Information on cleaning protocols is available on the HSE COVID-19 Health and Safety webpage. Questions or concerns can be submitted to ready.ok@ubc.ca.
UBC Facilities and Services
- Where can I find more information about parking locations and fees?
Where can I find more information about parking locations and fees?
UBC Vancouver: There are a range of parking locations, including reserved carpool parking, as well as rates and permits for parking on campus, including a 10-day multipack pass for staff and faculty.
Please note that parking on campus is limited. To ensure that all permit holders have available parking on campus, a waitlist is currently in effect for all student permit requests.
A parking permit does not guarantee you a parking spot. You are encouraged to review parking availability before driving to campus. For more information, visit: https://parking.ubc.ca/.
UBC Okanagan: Monthly parking permits continue to be available across parking locations on campus. In addition, a Flex Permit Waitlist has been developed for students, faculty and staff attending campus no more than 10 days a month. A Semester Permit Waitlist and Resident Student Permit Waitlist are also in effect. Also find out about sustainable transportation options.
For more information, visit https://parking.ok.ubc.ca/.
- What is the status of UBC Food Services?
What is the status of UBC Food Services?
Please visit the relevant website below for the latest information regarding UBC Food Services:
- Are the UBC Bookstores open?
Are the UBC Bookstores open?
For information about which UBC Bookstores are open, please visit the UBC Bookstore website.
- What libraries are open on campus?
What libraries are open on campus?
Most UBC Library branches across both campuses are now open.
For the most up-to-date information, please visit:
- What is the status of UBC sports facilities and programming?
What is the status of UBC sports facilities and programming?
For the latest information, visit the relevant website below:
UBC Vancouver Athletics and Recreation
UBC Okanagan Athletics and Recreation
Events and Graduation Ceremonies
- What is the status of events?
What is the status of events?
Events at UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan are permitted in line with public health restrictions as well as in accordance with UBC policies. Proof of vaccination is not required at UBC events.
Event planners are encouraged to review the guidance on UBC ceremonies, events and gatherings during COVID-19 available on the UBC Ceremonies and Events website. Information about UBC’s graduation ceremonies can be found at graduation.ubc.ca.
Travel
- What is the best way to ensure I get support while on UBC-related travel, if it’s required?
What is the best way to ensure I get support while on UBC-related travel, if it’s required?
You are advised to consult travel.gc.ca, which is the Government of Canada’s official source of destination‑specific travel information. It provides important advice to help travellers make informed decisions and travel safely while abroad.
Travellers with Canadian citizenship are advised to register their travel with the Canadian government.
Travellers from the UBC community, regardless of citizenship, are further advised to book their travel through the UBC Travel program so the university can contact and advise you during your travels.