March 27, 2019
Exploring our future
UBC Okanagan has established itself as an innovative hub for research and learning where a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community deeply committed to Indigenous partnerships welcomes students and faculty from around the world.
As a young campus of a globally influential university entering its second century, big thinking and bold ambitions are required to set the Okanagan campus on its long-term course toward even greater impact and service to the people and communities of British Columbia.
This exploration of our future reflects ongoing discussions at UBC about the opportunity presented by the Okanagan campus and what needs to be done to realize an ambitious future for the university and its role in the region over the next couple of decades.
Our ambitious outlook…
- Is founded on UBC’s new strategic plan, Shaping UBC’s Next Century
- Projects a 20-year view based on UBC Okanagan’s current Campus Master Plan and the Aspire visioning process.
- Identifies steps needed to move the university toward even greater impact and service to the people and communities of British Columbia
- Is informed by local, provincial and global contexts including estimates of future population, educational demand, and technological and social change, and considers possible future enrolment scenarios and academic program development
2040 Highlights
In 2040 the Okanagan campus…
Is recognized for its historic partnership with the Okanagan Nation and is a leader in Canada in the proportion of Indigenous faculty and students
Is a thriving UBC community of over 20,000 people including 18,000 students and 500 tenure-track faculty members
Offers a comprehensive range of academic programs across the sciences, arts, creative disciplines and professional fields and has synergistic academic links with the UBC Vancouver campus
Is a destination of choice for students in the Okanagan, across Canada and the globe, where an extraordinary community of scholars combine disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches and offers diverse and inclusive pathways to university
Has annual research funding of $100 million, up from $21.9 million in 2017/18, with projects reflecting a strong, continued commitment to fundamental research and scholarship, and to partnerships that translate research into practice
Has an annual economic impact in the Okanagan region of $4.8 billion, up from $1.5 billion today
Aligns with BC’s redesigned high school curriculum, emphasizing concept-based learning and the development of competencies to engage students in authentic tasks that connect learning to the real world
Transformative Learning
Innovative | Collaborative | Empowering
UBCO will offer an array of excellent undergraduate, graduate and professional continuing education programs, delivered to a diverse and international student body.
By 2040 UBCO will…
- Offer an array of new academic programs, including professional programs in health and technologies needed in the region
- Significantly grow opportunities for graduate student education and research
- Ensure that learners and communities are served by advances in science, technology, health care and business, rather than excluded or displaced by them
- Have more extensive partnerships with the college system, offering a suite of seamless educational paths that meet the needs of students and the community and are recognized nationally
People and PLaces
Community | Collaborative | Global
Inside and outside the classroom, UBCO will offer a student experience that is second to none. The campus will be recognized for its historic partnership with the Okanagan Nation and be a leader in Canada in the proportion of Indigenous faculty and students.
By 2040 UBCO will…
- Have continually enhanced support for Indigenous undergraduate students and succeeded in supporting transitions to graduate and post-doctoral studies and to academia and other professional careers
- Have further developed outstanding and integrated academic and social supports, significantly building on UBC’s current commitments on health and well-being across its campus communities
- Through significant capital investment, have created the spaces needed to support increased academic and research activity and community engagement
- Have expanded global connections, creating a truly exceptional learning and teaching environment without boundaries or limits for students
Research Excellence
Innovative | Collaborative | Global
Research and innovation will be driven by over $100M per annum of research funding. The Innovation Precinct will provide experiential learning opportunities, accelerate innovation, solve real-world research and development challenges and foster creative expression.
By 2040 UBCO will…
- Be recognized as a national centre for relevant community-engaged interdisciplinary research that has a direct impact on our region, province and country
- Attract top students from around the world drawn by unique research programs, with two in three research graduate students holding scholarships
Foundations for our future
Our future campus
See what campus could look like in 2040.
What’s Next?
We welcome your thoughts as the discussion continues about possible future academic program development, and the facilities we will need to support the aspirations of our university and our region.
Please share your ideas about how we can move toward this bold future state.
Email your comments to ubco.future@ubc.ca
Stay informed as exciting new programs are created, new buildings are planned and our community continues to innovate, connect and contribute in our region and around the world.
Learn more about our campus and our impact on the world at ok.ubc.ca
