Photo credit Laura Moss, November 2021
December 22, 2021
Recharge and reconnect
What a term. What a year. From the record-breaking weather events (from heat dome to forest fires to atmospheric rivers) to the Delta and Omicron variants to Zoom losing its lustre, 2021 was, well, a lot.
While I have sworn off the three most over-used words of 2021 (unprecedented, resilience, and rain), I definitely recognize their sentiments. Ever an optimist, I also want to point out that this year I saw not one but two double rainbows. Apparently, a double rainbow happens when light is reflected from different angles twice in a raindrop. Can we think of 2021 syncretically as a time when unusual burdens resulted in unexpected beauty coming in from multiple angles?
As the term winds up, I hope you can reflect on the joys of the term as well as the challenges. For me, three things stand out:
- We got to do Jump Start and Imagine Day in person and we were able to hold a special day for second year and transfer students who were New to Campus, if not UBC. It was just thrilling to welcome students to our campus community in person.
- We opened the new Arts Student Centre (ASC). Architectural comparisons to a certain household object notwithstanding, inside it is a gorgeous new space to congregate and study.
- We inaugurated the new Compass: Arts Student Engagement Hub and put on 35 (!!) sessions on wellness, mental health, academic pro tips, careers, alumni networking, and grad preparation. We’ll be offering more great programming next term in the ASC on Wednesdays at noon. Watch out for details.
I hope you take the holiday time to reconnect with those you love and to recharge. You deserve a rest. I don’t know what 2022 will bring, but I hope it comes with joy, knowledge, good health, adventure, and maybe another rainbow or two.
Laura Moss
Associate Dean, Students, Faculty of Arts
October 12, 2021
Where will you be in 10 years?
Last April we sent a survey to all Arts alumni who graduated from bachelor’s programs from 2006 to 2011. We wanted to put data behind what until now have been more anecdotal perspectives on the longer term “value” of an Arts degree from UBC.
We asked questions about academic and career pathways post-graduation, current employment and salary status, life satisfaction, retrospective impressions of an Arts education, and the significance of skills and knowledge gained at university.
Preliminary results show that some graduates went straight into jobs after graduation, others undertook further education (from academic degrees to professions like law and education), and a large number are now in management and leadership positions.
In the retrospective section, we heard about the importance of co-curricular and community-engaged learning, the significance of mentorship opportunities, and the need to support the specific challenges of BIPOC students, mature students, and students with caregiving responsibilities. Preliminary findings have already helped us with planning for this term (The Compass, for example). Stay tuned for the final report to be published in the new year.
I want to leave you with one final finding from the study: there is a clear correlation between participating in activities on campus (social and academic) and a sustained sense of belonging at the university. Don’t forget to look up and around.
Laura Moss
Associate Dean, Students, Faculty of Arts
August 11, 2021
Dear Arts students,
It is now August and classes start in a few weeks. While I imagine you are excited about the new academic year and the adventures ahead of you at UBC, you may be a bit anxious about coming to campus this fall. You may be wondering how challenging your classes will be and whether you will soon find friends. Or, you may be apprehensive about re-entry after the past 18 months of pandemic restrictions.
You’ve got this. I know you can do it. I know too that you are joining a vibrant community. The Faculty of Arts is here to support you through your departments, Arts Advising, peer mentorship programs, and a series of events we’ve planned for the fall on topics ranging from dealing with anxiety and stress to time management.
In the hecticness of the new school year, I hope that you will be able to find some calm moments in the beauty of our campus. You might read a book in the Nitobe Memorial Gardens, test your balance on the Greenheart TreeWalk, or trek down 400 stairs to the rocky beaches below campus. And don’t forget that all the museums and galleries on campus are free for students, so make a plan to check out MOA or the Belkin Art Gallery.
I look forward to meeting you at Jump Start, Imagine Day, or at events in September. See you soon.
Laura Moss
Associate Dean, Students, Faculty of Arts