University of British Columbia

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The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Canadian public research university with campuses in the Greater Vancouver area and in Kelowna, British Columbia. The main campus in the Greater Vancouver area is located in the University Endowment Lands on Point Grey, a peninsula about 10 km from downtown Vancouver, with smaller speciality and satelite campuses located at Great Northern Way and Robson Street, both in Vancouver proper. While the originating legislation created UBC on March 7, 1908, the first day of lectures was September 30, 1915. On September 22, 1925, lectures began on the new Point Grey/Vancouver campus.


History

Prior to the development of the University of British Columbia, the Point Grey campus was home to the xwməθwkwəýwəm (Musqueam) First Nations.[1][2] In Kelowna, the Sylix/Okanagan First Nations lived in what is now the UBC Okanagan Campus

Origins

In 1877, the Superintendent of Education John Jessop made suggestions for a provincial university. An Act Respecting the University of British Columbia was passed in 1890 in an attempt to establish a provincial institution. However, the act included a major requirement: to hold its first senate meeting with a quorum (enough members). Amid conflicts between the mainland and Vancouver Island on the location of the university, the senate did not reach a quorum, halting the development process.[1][3][4]

From then until 1907, post-secondary education in British Columbia was delivered through reliance on institutions outside of the province.[3][5] Vancouver High School cooperated with McGill University to establish the Vancouver College in 1899. Later, in 1906, McGill took over Vancouver College, renaming it the McGill University College of British Columbia. But the college offered two-year Arts and Science courses only; students were to complete their degrees outside of British Columbia.[1][3]

In 1908, after persistent efforts by supporters and provincial secretary and minister of education Dr. Henry Esson Young, the provincial legislature passed An Act to Establish and Incorporate a University for the Province of British Columbia (or the British Columbia University Act).[3][5][6] The act founded several important positions, including a president, a chancellor, and a senate.[1][7]

Following this step forward, the next step was to find a suitable location for the new university. To do so, a Site Commission analyzed numerous locations ranging from Chilliwack to Nanaimo. After concluding their assessment in June 28, the commission concluded that Point Grey would be the most suitable site.[3][6][8] The Point Grey Campus was born.

The first meeting of Convocation was held in 1912, electing 15 members for the senate and Francis Carter-Cotton as the first chancellor. The first president was appointed a year later, with the position given to Dr. Frank Fairchild Wesbrook.[1][3]

COVID-19 Pandemic

On March 12, 2020, due to rising cases of the Coronavirus disease 2019 in BC, the Provincial Medical Health Officer, the Ministry of Health, and the BC Centre for Disease Control advised to cancel all events of more than 250 people. As a result, the University of British Columbia cancelled all on/off-campus events including most lectures.[9] The rest of the term for the 2019 Winter Session, as well as subsequent summer and winter sessions, were converted into an online format.

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See Also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "A Brief History of UBC". University of British Columbia Archives.
  2. "Background". UBC Stadium Neighbourhood. Retrieved February 20, 2020. UBC’s Point Grey campus is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xwməθwkwəýwəm (Musqueam) people. The xwməθwkwəýwəm people have been present in their traditional territory, which includes the University Endowment Lands, all of present-day Vancouver, and surrounding areas, since time immemorial.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 ""From Humble Beginnings"". University of British Columbia Archives. February 19, 2018. The establishment of McGill University College of B.C. did little to discourage the efforts of those wanting to build a Provincial University. In 1908, their efforts resulted in the passage of An Act to Establish and Incorporate a University for the Province of British Columbia. Much of the credit for securing this legislation belongs to the personal efforts of Dr. Henry Esson Young who served as provincial secretary and minister of education. The provincial legislature passed an act in 1910 establishing a Site Commission. After a careful examination of several cities and rural areas, the Commission selected Point Grey as the most suitable location for the university. The government agreed and granted a 175-acre site at Point Grey to the university.
  4. The president's Report (1957-58) (PDF). University of British Columbia Archives: The University of British Columbia.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "University of British Columbia". The Canadian Encyclopedia. March 4, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Our History". Faculty of Land and Food Systems. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  7. An Act to Establish and Incorporate a University for the Province of British Columbia (PDF). University of British Columbia Archives. March 7, 1908.
  8. T. Logan, Harry (1958). "U.B.C. is Born: 1908". TUUM EST: A History of the University of British Columbia (PDF). University of British Columbia Archives: University of British Columbia. pp. 31–54.
  9. Carry, Ainsley; Szeri, Andrew; Mukherjee Reed, Ananya; Buchholz, Marcia (March 13, 2020). "COVID-19 – Updated guidance regarding events and travel (correction)". UBC Broadcast.