Managing Your Mental Health
HR has collected a great set of mental health resources to help you manage the ups and downs of our COVID-19 experience. Our VPFO HR staff is on campus every day for confidential conversations. See below for this week’s HR duty roster.
A few of the courses and resources available to you in the next few weeks:
- August 27: Change, Wellbeing and You
- September 10: Leading Change and Caring for Others
- Anytime:
A new service is now available to match faculty and staff needing in-home child care support with students in the Faculty of Education’s Early Childhood Education program.
Last week’s updates from UBC
- August 21: President’s Weekly Update: Weekly Update: August 21, 2020
- August 19: UBC Broadcast Email: Reappointment of UBC’s Vice-President, Health
- August 17: President’s Blog: Looking Forward to the Next Five Years
General updates about UBC and its response to COVID-19 continue to be updated at covid19.ubc.ca.
Department updates
Facilities – Building Operations, Energy & Water Services, and Infrastructure Development
- Expansion to First Nation House of Learning: Received Executive 1 and 2 approval. Project is anticipated to be completed by the end of next year, 2021.
- Heating & ventilation during Covid-19: Please refer to the Facilities COVID-19 website for updated information on heating & ventilation systems in buildings.
- 2021 noise work windows for Life Sciences Buildings and Pharmaceutical Sciences Building: Noisy or high vibration activities that need to occur in or around these buildings can be scheduled during the following dates:
- Winter: February 13–28, 2021
- Summer: June 26–July 11, 2021
- Project Services’ Project Coordinators on-site support schedule this week: Please continue to contact the designated Project Manager/Coordinator for project inquiries.
- August 24–28: Victor Wong & David Kosub
- Darren Harrington is on vacation until September 1, 2020
- David Meek is on vacation until August 28, 2020
Finance – Comptroller, Finance & Operational Excellence, and Treasury
- Quarterly Report and COVID-19 impact tracking: The Comptroller’s team has completed the Q1 report and the first report tracking the financial impact of COVID-19 on the university (for the month of July). Summaries tracking the financial impact of COVID-19 will be produced on a monthly basis.
- Single Audit and Ford Loan Audit: These audits have been finalized and the financials will be approved by the audit committee at the September meeting.
- US GAAP Financial Statements: These are being reviewed by OAG, and will be submitted to the audit committee next week for approval at the September meeting.
- American Foundation of UBC: Search for an accounting firm to audit the American Foundation of UBC and complete the tax returns for VCC is in the final stages. A decision will be made next week.
- IRP Readiness:
- The Comptroller team is assessing IRP readiness and preparing for Workday go-live.
- The Financial Operations team has begun the important step of mapping out end-to-end business processes impacted by IRP/AEP. The steps in these processes are outside of the Workday system, but pivotal to delivering services to UBC. Once mapped they will be added to the current Workday reference guides and training.
Operations & Advising — Communications & Engagement and Human Resources
- VPFO HR on-site support schedule this week:
- August 24: Kasia Burza, Gregor Macdonald
- August 18: Arvind Kang, Kasia Burza
- August 19: Gregor Macdonald, Rachel Lau
- August 20: Arvind Kang, Kasia Burza
- August 21: Matt Furgal, Rachel Lau
Safety & Risk Services
- COVID-19 Campus Leadership Committee: A new senior level steering committee has been struck to provide strategic level recommendations to the Executive Team on key campus-wide COVID-19 risks and challenges.
- Integrated Service Centre Training Session: The SRS PrISM team recently hosted a training session for the Integrated Service Centre (ISC), to help prepare them for a potential cyber, operational or privacy incident. Hackers often target the launch of new systems to carry out cyber-attacks, so it’s important that those involved in the launch of Workday are prepared for any eventuality.
Other notable updates
BASIC TRAINING NOW AVAILABLE FOR ALL WORKDAY SYSTEM USERS
Starting November 2, Workday will hold the basic information you will need to work at UBC. To access Workday you will need to know your CWL and complete some simple training available to two employee groups:
Vice-President of Finance & Operations, Peter Smailes, has asked that all VPFO staff have completed this basic training by August 21. If you have any questions about workday training, please email vpfo.workdayreadiness@ubc.ca.
ERIC KASTNER, A SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION FOR TWENTY YEARS
Erin Kastner, Geospatial Information Manager with Energy & Water Services celebrates 20 years as part of UBC Sustainability’s Sustainability Coordinator program. Visit the sustainability website to read about her role and commitment to the program.
Helpful news
People have been suggesting news articles that they have found informative or helpful at work. These are provided for information and entertainment only. Unless noted, UBC doesn’t specifically endorse or supply editorial to this content.
- Behind the Wild and Sometimes Wacky Facemask Economy. Inc.com shares how the face-covering business went from zero to crazy money in five months, with manufacturers pivoting production lines and brands seizing the moment to advertise.
- Fact Company shares some tips for awareness and action on how burnout can creep into your work routine and how to fight it effectively Hint, it’s all about learning new skills.
Sharing an article that may be helpful to your peers? Send it to communications@vpfo.ubc.ca at any time.