Focus and advance your professional goals and development through coaching at UBC. 

UBC Coaching Services is committed to advancing the vision of UBC’s organizational coaching culture with a focus on leadership, career, health and wellbeing, conflict and change.

Coaching Services is for UBC faculty and staff, and includes individual, group and custom coaching partnerships. Coaching is an inquiry-based process with the coach acting as a thought-partner, through the demonstration of active listening and curiosity. Coaching supports goal-setting, accountability and action by surfacing new awareness, insights and learning. It is not counselling or therapy.    

Coaching Portal

Log in to the Coaching Portal to access your personalized profile and our full suite of accredited coaches.

Log in to Portal

Coaching services and Solutions

Learn about working with a UBC Coach, and what coaching services and solutions are available at UBC. 

Learn more

Coaching Education

Access professional development opportunities to grow your coaching skills and professional coaching competencies.

Learn more

Coaching Internship Program

Discover how UBC faculty and staff pursuing a coaching credential can access funding and become a UBC Coach.

Learn more

UBC offers an online collection of instructional videos via LinkedIn Learning designed to provide just-in-time training in a variety of topic areas for staff and faculty.

LinkedIn Learning for faculty and staff

This learning resource allows UBC faculty and staff to access digital tutorials, courses, and curated learning paths to enhance their work performance and career development at no individual charge. 

Sign up or login with your CWL to access LinkedIn Learning resources.

Login to LinkedIn Learning

Please note that clinical faculty, students, student employees and contractors are not eligible to access LinkedIn Learning under the terms of the agreement.

LinkedIn Learning for students

As of June 10, 2024 the LinkedIn Learning license for students expired – students are no longer eligible for LinkedIn Learning. UBC is currently exploring alternative opportunities, platforms, and technologies to continue to enhance student career development for the future. Students can also access LinkedIn Learning via their local library – learn more about LinkedIn Learning at VPL. 

LinkedIn Learning benefits

LinkedIn Learning is an online collection of instructional videos designed to provide just-in-time training in a variety of areas, including workplace business practices, software skills, information technology, marketing, design, video, web, 3D and animation, and more.

• Learn anytime, anywhere. Access LinkedIn Learning courses from your desktop or mobile device—anytime.
• Learn in your language. Get learning content in English, French, Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, German and Brazilian Portuguese.
• Expert instructors. Learn from industry leaders in business, technology and creative fields, all in one place.
• Personalized recommendations. Curated course recommendations drawing on insights from over 630+ million LinkedIn members.

Getting started

Activate your UBC LinkedIn Learning account

1. Login with your CWL.
2. Go through the short series of prompts to create your account.
3. You can choose to connect your UBC LinkedIn Learning account with your personal LinkedIn.com profile, or not. Connecting your accounts is optional. 

Connecting your UBC LinkedIn Learning account to your personal LinkedIn profile

When you are activating your account for the first time, you will be prompted to connect your LinkedIn Learning account to your personal LinkedIn account – this step is optional and the choice is up to you. If you aren't sure, you have the option to connect your profile at a later time, or if you change your mind, you can also disconnect your profiles at any time.

Benefits of connecting your profile:

• Easy access directly from LinkedIn.com
• Experience more personalized learning with recommendations based on your professional profile and what others in your role or industry are learning
• Keep learning top-of mind with high-quality, expert-led learning recommendations as you scroll down your newsfeed. One click and the course starts playing right in your newsfeed.

Individual subscription with LinkedIn Learning

If you already have an individual subscription on LinkedIn Learning, you can switch between this account and the UBC subscription, and manage how you choose to share your learning activities with your organization. See the relevant articles and resources linked below in the Additional Resources section for more information.

Privacy

Whether or not you have connected your learning account to your LinkedIn.com profile, the following information is part of your learning account:

• Learning history
• UBC employee information (name, employee ID, business email, faculty, department, job title, employee group, job function)

View the privacy information articles and resources linked below in the Additional Resources section for more information, as well as the UBC Privacy Notification information on the bottom of this page.

Additional resources

For help with managing your account, privacy information, gaining skills with LinkedIn Learning and more, there are many relevant resources on the LinkedIn Learning site. No account is required to access these resources.

• Manage your account and privacy settings
• Understanding your privacy settings
• Privacy information for LinkedIn Learning learners
• Disconnect your personal LinkedIn profile from your UBC Learning license
• Switch between LinkedIn Learning accounts
• VIDEO: How to Use LinkedIn Learning
• VIDEO: Gaining Skills with LinkedIn Learning
• VIDEO: Developing a Learning Mindset

Questions

If you have any additional questions after reviewing the information on this page, please contact support.wpl@ubc.ca. 

UBC Privacy Notification

This system will collect some information about you (your name, employee ID, work email address, employment group, campus, faculty/VP portfolio, department, position title) under the authority of section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). The information will only be used for the purpose of delivering online training to you. The information is securely stored on the LinkedIn servers, which are located in the United States and Singapore. Please see the LinkedIn privacy policy and settings for more details about how your information is protected and used. If you choose to link your personal LinkedIn profile to your UBC sponsored LinkedIn Learning account please learn more about what information UBC can see.

Faculty and staff can browse, enroll in, and track internal training, learning and professional development courses through the Workplace Learning Ecosystem (WPL).

UBC onboarding, orientation, professional development, wellbeing, and required training, workshops and courses are housed together in one central location on the Workplace Learning Ecosystem (WPL) so that faculty and staff can explore the offerings and find exactly what they need. 

Today’s learning opportunities come in a variety of forms and styles, with something to suit every learner. UBC encourages all faculty and staff to further their professional and personal development by taking part in our learning and leadership opportunities through the WPL.

Browse the WPL

For support with the workplace learning ecosystem, please contact support.wpl@ubc.ca.

Employees and managers each play an active role to ensure performance conversations happen, and are successful. 

Typically, your manager will schedule your performance conversations as a series of regular check-ins that culminate in a final year-end overview. Along the way, you will be invited to discuss your career interests and aspirations, and seek feedback on your performance. 

If you are new to UBC or have recently come under a new manager, don’t hesitate to ask your manager about the process around probation, team and individual goal setting, check-ins and the annual overview process.

Performance conversation cycle

Performance conversations will generally contain the following activities:

• Setting performance and development expectations aligned to unit and team goals. 
  Aligned to the role, desired outcomes, level of experience, and job classification.
• Agreeing to performance, development, and aspirational goals.
  Relevant to role, responsibilities, objectives, interests, career aspirations and feedback received.
• Making time for regular check-ins about overall wellbeing, goals, learning and teamwork.
  Recommend- at minimum- one regular monthly check-in to build relationship and discuss important updates, goal status, important feedback and learning objectives and outcomes.
• A dedicated Career Conversation.
  UBC supports career satisfaction and resiliency. Employees are encouraged to engage in at least one career focused conversation with their manager and align developments goals to support their growth. 
• Reviewing performance and learning outcomes against agreed-to goals and expectations.
  An opportunity to reflect on accomplishments, learning, and actual versus desired outcomes.

Performance conversation principles

UBC strives to cultivate the conditions where employees can thrive and grow. When it comes to performance conversations, adhering to a few important principles can enhance the experience for everyone.

• Strengths-based. Look for the best in others as well as yourself.
• A coach approach. Be curious and listen actively.
• Shared learning. Recognize there is an opportunity for everyone to learn something new.

Phase 1: Prepare for the performance conversation

Enhance your performance conversation by working through the following preparation questions:

• What would make this a meaningful conversation for you?
• What feedback or insights are you hoping to obtain?
• Are you meeting in person or virtually? How can you optimize the meeting space?
• How are you doing? What would you like to share with your manager? (goal updates, wellbeing, teamwork, remote work, etc.)
• What aspects of your performance and work do you hope to discuss?
• What are you most proud of in terms of your technical and interpersonal achievements?
• What challenges have you been facing, and how are you managing?
• What progress are you making toward your goals?
• How do you feel about your collaboration with others?
• What resources do you need to be more effective in your role?

Phase 2: Have the performance conversation

The Connect, Open, Explore and Close (COEC) conversation model supports effective learning conversations of all kinds. The approach provides employees and managers with a structure, questions and prompts and can be easily applied to your annual and ongoing performance and development conversations.

Phase 3: Learning and reflection for self-development

Enhance your next performance conversation by working through the following reflection statements:

• What I most appreciated about the performance conversation was…
• What I learned about myself, my manager and/or my work was...
• The aspects of the conversation that were challenging involved…
• My learning edge is…
• What will I be sure to remember for our next meeting…

Questions

If you have questions or concerns about the performance review process, please ask your manager, or if you need additional support, contact your HR Advisor.

UBC is committed to supporting your capability, capacity and maturity for change through a standard approach of change management practices.

UBC change and transition community of practice 

Enrich and elevate your capacity and capability for leading change by participating in monthly community of practice (CoP) sessions. The UBC Change and Transition CoP invite leaders to share stories (successes and challenges), harness cross-disciplinary expertise, engage with and learn from the approaches of others, and explore emerging trends and innovations in change management.

Open to all faculty and staff, the Change and Transition CoP is one way that UBC supports faculty and staff to navigate, lead, and implement change effectively. For current workshops, search the Workplace Learning Ecosystem (WPL). (Topic: Change Management).  

Sign up to be notified of upcoming workshops and offerings.

Tools and resources

Our revolving source of tools and resources is centred around change management practices. It guides leaders through steps in the change management process, supporting them to effectively prepare for, lead and implement change.

Access the Community of Practice series for additional support and guidance around using these tools.

Self-directed online learning

Learn at your own pace using curated resources centred around building capacity for leading change.

• LinkedIn Learning courses
• Change management courses and certificates

Organizational change management preferred vendor list

UBC has a list of prequalified preferred vendors for organizational change management. Vendors specialize in organizational change management consulting and are available for all departments and faculties to contract with as required.

Contact and feedback

For more information, questions or additional support, please contact the Organizational Change and Transition team at change.transition@ubc.ca.

Have a suggestion? We welcome your feedback.

Build career resilience to achieve a career of wellbeing and success for yourself or your teams. 

The Extraordinary Expense Fund (EEF) was established by UBC to help protect researchers by providing a fund for extraordinary expenses not otherwise covered. The fund applies to researchers with:

• Grant- and contract-funded staff and faculty (including Research Associates)
• Postdoctoral fellows with employee status
• Postdoctoral fellow award recipients who either receive their earnings through UBC or who receive funding directly from a source external to UBC.

The EEF is governed by  the Extraordinary Expense Fund (EEF) Policy (Policy FM7 – Contract Employees Fund (pdf, formerly Policy #86). The Office of the Vice-President (Research) has overall responsibility for the policy.

Postdoctoral Fellows status and eligibility

Postdoctoral fellows were included in the policy on the following dates:

• Postdoctoral fellows with employee status – effective April 1, 2011
• Postdoctoral fellow award recipients who receive their earnings through UBC – effective April 1, 2011
• Postdoctoral fellow award recipients who receive funding directly from a source external to UBC – effective September 1, 2011.

Eligible expenses

Expenses that are eligible for reimbursement from the EEF include the following

Contributions to the fund

The extraordinary expense reimbursements are funded by contributions, typically collected from grant and research worktags (Cost Center/Program/Project/Gift/Gift Initiative/Grant/Activity) with a different approach in place for PDF award recipients.

Where contributions have been paid on the salaries or earnings of grant- or contract-funded staff and faculty, postdoctoral fellows employees or award recipients, an application may be made for reimbursement of eligible expenses listed above.

Eligibility for reimbursement from the Extraordinary Expense Fund

In all circumstances outlined below, EEF contributions must have been paid on the salary or earnings of the grant- and contract- funded staff or faculty member, postdoctoral fellow employee or award recipient for whom the extraordinary expenses are being applied for.

Request for reimbursement from the Extraordinary Expense Fund

To make a request for reimbursement from the EEF, the grant holder (and/or the individual who has sign-off for the worktag) must complete, print and sign either:

• the Tri-Agency EEF reimbursement request form for tri-agency grant- or contract-funded employees, or
• the Non-Tri-Agency EEF reimbursement request form for non tri-agency grant- or contract-funded employees.

Questions and contacts

Applications for EEF reimbursement and related queries should be directed to UBC's benefits department by e-mail or by calling  604 822 6823.

Access the career retention, navigation and transition services to build your team’s career resilience and engagement for achieving agility in your unit and across university-wide academic support and administration. 

Career retention of the workforce

UBC offers support and resources to academic and administrative leaders:

• To take an operational approach for engaging staff and their careers with the department’s goals and objectives.
• To hold effective career conversations with their teams and offer appropriate referrals.
• To empower employees in transition for minimal impact on their business outcomes.

To learn more about the practices and systems that promote people retention, navigation and transition, please contact career.navigation@ubc.ca.  

Resources for leaders

To help you navigate career retention, navigation and transition conversations with your staff, some resources have been developed and are available for managers and leaders to make use of.

UBC offers career navigation and transition services for UBC staff, especially for those who want to engage and grow with the organization’s goals. Staff looking to engage in online and in-person group work are required to gain referral from a manager or academic/administrative leader.

Important information about relocation funding for hiring departments.

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Relocation reimbursement for Hiring Departments

A step-by-step guide walking you through the actions needed for a hiring department to seek reimbursements for relocation expenses.

Learn more

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POLICY FOR RELOCATION AND TRAVEL

View key information on the Relocation and Business Expenses policies.

Learn more

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Central Relocation Fund

Details about the reimbursement amounts available from the fund.

Learn more

Resources for completing the relocation process

Contacts

As a manager, you know best what local onboarding resources will be relevant to your new hire based on their role, team, and work arrangement.  

Onboarding in Workday

The Workday onboarding module enables new employees to track their onboarding progress including mandatory training, connections with helpful contacts and completing other important tasks. 

New hires must complete all of their onboarding tasks in Workday. Failure to do so can result in payment, tax slip or benefit coverage issues. You can view your new hire’s onboarding completion status in Workday by running the ‘Onboarding Status Summary – Distributed’ report. If you notice that your new hire has not completed their onboarding tasks and to-do's, provide them with support to ensure they are completed in a timely manner.

For support with this process, contact the Integrated Service Centre.

Workday Onboarding Process Map

The Workday Onboarding Process Map resource outlines the process and notification messages that your new faculty, staff or student employees may receive during their onboarding on Workday. The resource is designed to help you gain visibility on the automated communications and tasks that your new hires may see as part of their preboarding at UBC. 

Workday Onboarding Process Map (PDF) 

Updated October 2024

Onboarding Checklists

Hiring Manager's Onboarding Guide

This Hiring Manager’s Onboarding Guide is designed to be a starting point for your local onboarding plan and help guide your interactions as a manager with your new hire during their first weeks.  

Hiring Manager's Onboarding Guide (PDF)  

Template: Hiring Manager's Onboarding Guide (docx)

Updated December 2025 to correct outdated links.

Faculty & Staff: New Hire Onboarding Checklist

As you review the Manager's Onboarding Guide, it is recommended that you review and customize this New Hire Onboarding Checklist to meet local needs and provide to your new hire on or prior to their first day. You can add onboarding items specific to your new hire's job or unit in an additional document or email that can be sent together with this general new hire onboarding checklist. 

New Hire Onboarding Checklist (PDF)  

Template: New Hire Onboarding Checklist (docx)

Updated December 2025 to correct outdated links.

Student Employees: New Hire Onboarding Checklist

This checklist is intended for managers and supervisors to use as a customizable template when going through the various onboarding items to perform for new student employees. It includes things to consider and complete before your student employee starts, on your student employee's first day, and during their first week.

View and download the Student Employee Onboarding Checklist template via the Managing Student Employees page.

Resource Guides

Resource Guide for New Managers 

This Resource Guide is designed as a repository for managers who are new to managing staff at UBC to help them navigate the various resources, processes, and support services for people management responsibilities. This resource can be shared directly with new managers as part of their onboarding materials.

For UBC Vancouver:

Resource Guide for New Managers (PDF)  

Template: Resource Guide for New Managers (docx)

For UBC Okanagan:

UBCO Resource Guide for New Managers (PDF)  

Template: UBCO Resource Guide for New Managers (docx) 

Updated June 2024

Onboarding Journey Map

This Onboarding Journey Map resource is designed to support hiring managers and administrators who are involved in the onboarding process at the local/departmental levels to help you with integrating campus-wide orientations programming and resources into your local onboarding plans for new hires. This resource can be shared directly with your new hires as part of their onboarding materials.

For UBC Vancouver:

Onboarding Journey Map (PDF)  

Template: Onboarding Journey Map (pptx)

For UBC Okanagan:

UBCO Onboarding Journey Map (PDF)  

Template: UBCO Onboarding Journey Map (pptx)

Updated October 2024

Onboarding Colleague/Mentor Program Guidelines

These guidelines aim to support department administrators and hiring managers with developing and facilitating an informal onboarding colleague/mentor program within your department, including further resources for peers and managers who are critical to the success of the program. You are encouraged to use and tailor these institutional guidelines to best align with your department’s contexts and practices. 

Onboarding Colleague Program Guidelines (PDF)  

Template: Onboarding Colleague Program Guidelines (docx)

Updated September 2025

Related resources

To learn more about university-wide orientation, visit the Your First Days at UBC page.

See also:

• Faculty Relations
• Orientation for Postdoctoral Fellows
• The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology offers a variety of programs, resources and services to support teaching and learning at UBC.
• The VP Research Office offers extensive information and a research orientation. It offers many resources through UBC’s research support network, such as grant writing workshops and roundtable discussions with the VP of research, and information about HR

Workplace Accommodation & Accessibility Support

The Centre for Workplace Accessibility is available to support all managers, staff and faculty with workplace accommodation and accessibility support. For more information or to speak confidentially with a Workplace Accessibility Specialist, call 604-822-8139 or email workplace.accessibility@ubc.ca.