New to UBC Vancouver Connections Program
The New to UBC Vancouver Connections Program is designed to support new faculty and staff with building new connections within the UBC community and creating shared experiences as they navigate their onboarding journey.
About the program
Every year, hundreds of new staff and faculty join UBC, a workplace of over 18,000 people. While each person's onboarding experience is unique, there has always been a shared interest for opportunities to connect with others in the UBC community.
That’s where the New to UBC Vancouver Connections Program comes in – this self-directed, cohort-based program was developed especially for new faculty and staff who are in their first year of employment at UBC Vancouver. This program is a great way for you to connect with people outside of your team or department who may be in a similar role as you or share similar professional interests.
How it works
- Respond to an intake survey and share some general information about your role, interests, availability, and goals.
- Get matched into groups of 4-5 people based on those survey responses.
- Get access to the Connections Program Canvas course, which provides suggestions for activities and events to participate in as a group based on your shared areas of interest, such as arts and culture, nature and wellbeing, recreation, and more.
Throughout the six-month program, you and your group members will be able to direct your own experience. You will have the flexibility to decide how often to meet and the type of activities you engage in.
At the beginning and end of the program, you will be invited to attend a community event with other participants from your cohort. This will provide a great chance to meet other new faculty and staff from outside your group.
Eligibility
Only current UBC Vancouver faculty and staff who meet the program requirements will be considered.
You are encouraged to register for this program if:
- you are within your first year of employment at UBC (at the time you register for the program or waitlist)
- your role has a term length of at least nine months, and you are able to participate in the full duration of the program (see dates below)
- you work at least 17.5 hours per week in your role
- your primary work location is on the Vancouver campus or at an off-site location near the Vancouver campus; cohorts will be matched based on location, where possible.
Spaces are limited but we are working on expanding our capacity to support the wider UBC community in the future.
Time commitment and expectations
Each cohort will run for 6 months either in the winter or summer.
The program is self-directed, but you are expected to engage meaningfully with your group throughout the cohort by attending the community events at the beginning and end of the program and setting aside approximately 2 hours per month to connect with your group.
Program objectives
After engaging with the program, you will:
- Build connections and community with new faculty and staff across campus
- Expand your network at UBC to foster potential collaborations at work
- Experience UBC's culture, events, activities and places of interest
- Recognize the value of the diverse skills, experiences and perspectives of UBC’s community
Key program dates
Dates vary for each Summer and Winter cohort, but generally follow this schedule:
| Details | Summer/Fall Cohort | Winter/Spring Cohort |
|---|---|---|
| Program intake form opens. Spaces are limited and enrollment may close earlier if capacity is reached. | April – May | October – November |
| Cohort groups announced via email. | Late-May | Late-November |
| Cohort launch and closing events are held. | June | December |
| Groups are expected to meet at least three times during the program; groups have flexibility in when, where, and how often to meet. | June – November | December – May |
Registration
Intake for the Winter 2026 cohort has now closed. We are now accepting interest for the Summer 2026 cohort, which will begin in June 2026. Join the waitlist for the Summer 2026 cohort by completing the form below. Our team will contact you with an update closer to the intake period for the next cohort with more information.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please reach out to workplace.orientations@ubc.ca.
Workplace experience
UBC offers numerous ways for faculty and staff to engage with offerings at the university in order to have a strong and successful employee experience.
Explore the offerings below to find ways you can make your experience as a faculty of staff member at UBC a good one.
Workplace Experiences Survey results and administration
The Workplace Experiences Survey (WES) provides insights to help inform actions and priorities at all levels of the university, including support for managers in identifying areas of opportunity for their teams.
WES reports
Portfolio-level and unit-level insights reports have been distributed to the Vice-President or Dean, and senior HR leaders of each respective Faculty or Administrative Portfolio. A unit-level report is generated for any unit with 5 or more responses.
Curious about your unit’s results? Please connect with your unit head or manager to learn about your results. Leaders can connect with their local HR representative for assistance in discussing the results.
Please note: Unit heads and managers who had fewer than 5 responses will not receive a unit-level report. These unit heads and managers are encouraged to use the reports from their wider Department or Faculty/VP Portfolio to begin the action planning process with their teams. Conducting follow-up conversations with staff and faculty are the most important part of any engagement survey, and these can be accomplished without having a unit-level report.
Highlights on overall engagement for UBC Overall were presented to the Employee Relations Committee of the UBC Board of Governors on March 12, 2025.
View the UBC Overall Engagement Report (PDF)
Action planning toolkits for managers
It is recommended that unit-level reports be shared with faculty and/or staff in your Faculty or Administrative Portfolio to support team conversations around action planning.
Getting started
The Action Planning Toolkit for Managers is designed to guide Managers and Administrators through sharing local-level WES results with your team/department, and in facilitating conversations around developing actions and priorities that will focus on improving your team's engagement in meaningful ways.
WES Action Planning Toolkit for Managers (PDF)
Included in the toolkit are three supplemental resource guides that provide you with curated resources and suggested first steps if your team has identified one of the following themes as your priority areas for action from your conversations:
- Resource Guide for the Professional Growth theme
- Resource Guide for the Inclusion & Respect theme
- Resource Guide for the Health & Wellbeing theme
Before your team meeting(s)
To prepare yourself to conduct effective and meaningful results sharing sessions with your team, it is recommended that you review the below Briefing Presentation for insights and best practices for managing team conversations, interpreting WES results, and strategies to consider for action planning.
WES Briefing Presentation for Managers (PDF)
During your team meeting(s)
We recommend using the following Conversation Guide worksheet to facilitate your results sharing and action planning discussions. The guide includes helpful prompts to focus your conversations.
2-page Action Planning Conversation Guide (PDF)
Engagement in action
Questions?
If you have questions about your Faculty or VP portfolio’s results, please contact your departmental HR leader to learn more. For all other questions, contact workplace.surveys@ubc.ca.