At its final meeting of 2021 last night, UBC’s Vancouver Senate approved changes to its policy mandating students to adhere to UBC’s COVID-19 policies and discussed two admission paths for BIPOC students.
Here’s what you might have missed.
Senators approve more lenient approach to COVID-19 non-compliance on campus
After a lengthy discussion, senators approved changes to UBC’s COVID-19 non-compliance regulation that introduces an intermediary disciplinary measure that places a student on academic hold before deregistering continued or repeated non-compliant students from in-person courses in the “current term and for any subsequent terms and sessions.”
Non-compliant students will first receive a personal communication over email before being placed on academic hold, restricting their ability to receive marks and apply for programs such as Go Global. Should the student remain non-compliant, they will then face deregistration.
The regulation will be implemented in January.
Deregistration will only take place when there are no online options available and the non-compliant student does not have academic concessions.
According to the registrar, 9,800 students across both of UBC’s campuses have not declared their vaccine status, while an additional 6,250 have declared their status but haven’t uploaded their proof of vaccination. “A substantial number” of students who are unvaccinated, partially vaccinated or chose not to declare their vaccination status on Thrive have not shown up for their rapid testing appointments.
Initially, Associate Vice President, Enrolment Services and Registrar Kate Ross proposed an amendment to the university’s policy that would deregister students who failed to declare their vaccination status or show up for rapid testing appointments if they declare they are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. This regulation was passed at last month’s Senate meeting.
Ross cited the fact that many students who haven’t declared their vaccination status have not used their UBC email accounts or the Student Services Centre in months as a reason for the more lenient approach.
An academic hold-based intermediary policy would give these students an opportunity to fix any issues.
“I've been put on academic hold multiple times due to my parking tickets,” said student senator Eshana Bhangu. “It can be quite an irritant and it's very effective in just getting me to go and do what it's asking you to do before things get more severe.”
There was significant confusion at the meeting over what exactly this policy would entail. Several senators needed clarification on whether deregistration would still be an option with the new academic hold measure in place — it would.
Clarification was also needed on whether deregistration or a requirement to withdraw would be a stronger punitive measure. Associate Registrar Chris Eaton described the difference between these two acts, comparing the former to a suspension and the latter to an expulsion. Senators settled on deregistration as the optimal measure.
Dr. Kin Lo and Bhangu both recommended amendments that made it clear that continued non-compliance would result in deregistration and that such a measure could be taken as soon as term two. The initial wording only applied deregistration policies to subsequent terms, meaning that non-compliant students would be allowed to remain in classrooms for the remainder of next term. Both amendments passed.
More admissions pathways coming for BIPOC students
Senators also approved two motions that would renew an existing admission pathway for BIPOC applicants and create a new one.
Dr. Carol Jaeger, a professor of teaching at the faculty of applied science, presented the motions on behalf of the Senate Admissions committee.
The first motion recommended a renewal of the UBC and Langara College Indigenous Transfer Partnership Agreement, which eases the transfer process between the two schools for Indigenous students. The renewal broadens the eligibility to include Indigenous students that may be living in other countries. The motion passed unanimously.
Another motion called on the Senate to approve the Black Students MD Admissions Pathway. The new admissions stream seeks to address the underrepresentation of Black students in the faculty of medicine, as well as in BC’s healthcare system.
This would be a fourth specific pathway to admission in the faculty of medicine. Dean of Medicine and VP Health Dr. Dermot Kelleher called such a pathway “long overdue.”
“I’m just very grateful for this kind of proposal coming forward,” said Bhangu. “I think it’s just so, so aligned with our commitments as a university.”
The motion also passed.