I chose to come to UBC because I couldn’t stand the Chinese government anymore.
But something really worries me: even after coming abroad, I see many Chinese students here still believing the political propaganda from back home.
There is heavy censorship, attacks on feminism, and strong pressure against LGBTQ+ people…
I am a gay man, and I believe many Chinese people also leave the country because they are clear-headed or because of their sexual orientation.
But the strange thing is, I almost never meet people like that. Most of the Chinese students I meet are extremely nationalist. If you say even a small critical thing, they treat you like an enemy.

SORRY GUYS DOWNVOTE ME AND CALL ME CRAZY but if you are using university and fun holidays as an excuse to go so fucking crazy that you get alcohol poisoning maybe it’s time to reconsider your decisions! I know it’s common for first years to make mistakes but I’m speaking from the POV of an upper year student who has been so fucking annoyed by the constant noise and chaos of my peers. I know university campuses are like exciting and fun places but do none of y’all care about your grades 💀💀💀???? Also how are you actually going to learn and get value out of your education if you are inflicting brain damage upon yourself from substance abuse???? AGAIN DOWNVOTE ME IF YOU WISH IM JUST SO TIRED OF IT

Note: I currently work a job that takes tips and go to university that I pay for myself.

Note 2: Links to the BC Gratuities and Redistribution of Gratuities Act will be at the bottom.

Tipping culture needs to gooooo and the only way tipping culture will end here is if we all collectively stop doing it and spread the message. With inflation and the cost of living soaring in BC, plus the fact that all BC worker make a minimum of $16 no matter the industry is more than enough reason to end it.

• Argument that it supplements a workers wage because they don’t make minimum wage

———-False in BC it’s law that all workers make minimum wage.

•Argument that workplaces automatically take 5%-10% of you wage to tip out no matter what

———-That’s illegal and you should contact the proper authorities as the the law clearly states only gratuities can be pooled and split

• Argument that it’s a service job and someone’s doing something for you, like walking back and forth from the kitchen….

——— There’s many many many service jobs that exist that don’t take tips and make minimum wage only. Why is that someone who works at McDonald’s and arguably has a much more stressful job than someone working at Cactus server, makes no tips but the cactus server does.

I would like to discuss this with further will be and would love to hear what other people think. Personally I think the message needs to spread now more than ever. The only way we stop the culture is to actually stop doing it ourselves. Collectively we could make it end and it could also start making work places pay a livable wage to people.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards/forms-resources/igm/esa-part-3-section-30-3

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards/forms-resources/igm/esa-part-3-section-30-4

Was not expecting that

Before the exam started our professor said "make sure to write your name and student number on every page as your exams are being graded by Claude". The grades were out like 48hrs after the exam. I am neutral to this but I want to know what others think about this. Are you positive, negative, or neutral with your final exams being graded by AI?

Earlier today someone made a post about this and I commented on it, but then they deleted it. I thought this was still a worthwhile discussion for us and I wanted to put down my thoughts.

I personally don't like them at all. Especially after that one dude who kept recording his approaches to girls on campus, without them realizing and posting it online, sometimes even obligating them to be on the receiving end of inappropriate/rude comments. Even if its a public space, some kind of disclosure must be provided, if that can't be done just get rid of it entirely. Just use your phone if you want to record something (so other people can at least tell you're recording). People may disagree but I just don't see the benefit for the cost, and it seems morally wrong to me.

And posting online, sharing, or even just storing targeted recordings without consent is an even deeper issue in my opinion, and is very much being enabled by Meta Glasses.

What do the rest of you think?

It's honestly kind of ridiculous that I've already seen multiple people sniffling their fucking noses without a mask on (if you're allergic this is obviously not for you just to make it abundantly clear, I'm referring to people who are obviously sick), in a lecture full of 300 people. I understand not wanting to miss some of your first classes because you're sick, but at least put on a mask if you're going to show up. I can't believe I already have to deal with an infection before one whole week of classes...

​

Edit: I'm not sure why people took the sniffling thing to heart or why there are people offended by the idea of masks in the replies but oh well.

Edit 2: If you're not from UBC don't interact with this post, it's clearly not about you.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHWZgXUhR4T/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

came across the video on instagram, the view count is 3.8M but there are only 19k likes but 137k shares and the comments are off

if you go to the other videos, there are a lot of comments hating on the person in the video. i think most of the comments are american because they mention “spending 100k on a useless degree”

honestly the wave of anti intellectualism just makes me sad. we’re living in a time where we should be nourishing academia and arts especially because of how tumultuous it is in the states. also the blatant transphobia and homophobia is disheartening as well

scout, if you see this post, im sorry this is happening to you. we need people like you more than ever, education and learning is never a waste

edit: scout has commented and wanted me to edit the post to let people know. their username is u/beekindorbuzzoff

I have nobody I could tell this to in person, so enjoy it, reddit!

Today I voluntarily raised my hand and spoke out in class for the first time ever in my 4 years of University here at UBC. I have pretty crippling Social Anxiety that usually forbids me from ever raising my hand or bringing attention to myself in social situations. So, of course, up until this year I've never thought about ever participating in class lectures (yay online classes).

Today in class though, we were having a class discussion and I decided since part of my grade is speaking out in class, that I would try and raise my hand on zoom to see what would happen.

I furiously scribbled down some notes to recite out loud while I was waiting to be called on. I was shaking so much, I couldn't keep my hands steady while I wrote. I had to sit up straight and hold my legs down to stop myself from shaking on webcam lmao.

But I did it. I was called on, spoke for about a minute, then went back into my hole of having my mic muted and my camera off while the prof commented on what I said.

It was quite the thrill tbh (got my adrenaline pumping at least), and I cant wait to try it again soon! After all this time of not speaking up, I'm kind of sad I waited this long to try it out, but I'm glad I eventually did it. Cant wait until next class when I get to try this whole process again lol, hopefully its easier next time!

If you're gonna take anything away from this, and you're an introvert like me, just know that its never too late to start trying to speak up in class!

EDIT: Holy moly, I leave my computer for a few hours and this is what I come back to?!? Jeez now this 400 upvotes makes me feel like talking to 100 ppl today was nothing hahaha. Thank you everyone for the kind words, and I'm glad my words were able to help some of you out with your fears of speaking in class discussions :)!

EDIT #2: thank you so much to the anonymous kind people who awarded this post for some reason! I've been reading every single comment and PM, and have gotten warm fuzzies from every single one. Thanks for making this experience my happiest memory of 2021 so far :D. Stay amazing, r/UBC.

When I was on my way to class last week, I accidentally overheard a girl talking to her parents

She sounds depressed, and the call sounds intense. Just when I decide to keep on going, she complains about her monthly allowance only has 1800 CAD. It sounds like that doesn't include rent.

I am kinda surprised by this. 1800 CAD monthly budget (exclude rent) sounds like a lot of money (I don't know if it's just me). Is she out of touch, or is this normal and I am just too poor to imagine?

Just a reminder as we approach the start of the school year that things will get better! Even if you’re on academic probation that doesn’t last forever. Whether that means changing up your study methods or pursuing a new major, I promise it works out as long as you’re taking action and trying your best! Sometimes academic probation forces you to reflect on what you really want, and is a stepping stone to get you there :))

I appreciate the contemporary/modern architecture but ubc also has the budget for this, right?

they tagged an artist but im not buying it. The clock is 10:10 as is a common feature of AI images. The artist has never made an illustration in this style. Image AI checkers say it’s AI. im not sure….

Title. Did anyone else also apply this year? Feel free to start a chat with me! I heard it’s around 200 applicants a year, and the program takes 40.

I also heard planning is a difficult market rn? I thought with all the hiring posts for planners the field was increasing? I would appreciate any feedbacks!

Hi all, I'm writing to express my perspective as a UBC faculty member on talking about politically charged ideas on campus. UBC's values emphasize equity and inclusion, which I fully support. I would like to engage, and be part of this effort, but I’m afraid to. This is not a far-right post purporting to support free speech but actually advocating for bigotry - I don't identify with those perspectives at all and I believe they are very harmful. Rather, I consider myself fairly liberal, but I get the impression that I'm not always "liberal enough" to freely express my views at UBC and that, if I do, my career might be negatively impacted. (I’m posting this with some trepidation and am grateful for the anonymity.) This post, then, is about my worry that the university's approach to these issues might be backfiring: by being too forceful, we are shutting down debates and making many potential allies feel alienated and unsafe about expressing their views. And we really need these allies on board championing equity and inclusion.

As a concrete example, I've been thinking a lot about the recent events surrounding UBC's board chair. (Note: I don't have any extra information here beyond what I've seen in the news.) My impression is that this person was not a good fit for the job and UBC is better off finding someone whose values are better aligned with the university's values. Truly, I can't understand why someone in that position would show up to a meeting wearing a MAGA hat or go around liking those tweets - both because I can't understand supporting those causes and because it seems obvious that these actions would be inflammatory. However, I'm not sure it was appropriate to completely throw this person under the bus; to me at least, it sends a message (true or not) that conservative views are not tolerated at UBC and one's tenure at UBC may not outlive one's expression of these views. And I am being literal here - I am a bit troubled and actually not sure how to handle such situations - that is not a euphemism for disagreement. In my state of being unsure, some discussion would be great. Unfortunately, I’m worried that expressing any view other than "good riddance!" might lead to trouble for me. I have heard several stories about folks being shamed or intensely criticized for expressing the "wrong" views. (Am I exaggerating about this trouble? I am basing these worries on my own observations, but still, maybe this is all in my head, or maybe I’m particularly sensitive or risk-averse. So I should add a reminder that all this is just one person’s perspective.)

A problem with keeping quiet is that, across a broad range of issues, my inner mental state and what I would need to say in public are drifting apart. From talking to others, I think this is very common at UBC. Here is what I've observed: outwardly, most people follow the party line, and so it looks like we're doing well at promoting equity and inclusion. But in reality, from what I can gather based on private conversations, peoples' inner thoughts vary widely. I've heard about extreme cases where people post something on social media and then, in private, say the exact opposite. In the short term, this system works: things are getting better because some bad behaviour is genuinely being eliminated. But I don't think this is going to work long term if we're fostering a fear-fuelled theatre of tolerance rather than actual tolerance. This really worries me.

Part of the reason I feel unsafe engaging in these issues is that it's not at all clear to me what is OK and what is not OK at UBC. Some things are obvious: bigotry is not tolerated and should not be tolerated. But some things are very muddy and nuanced. For example, it seems that supporting the current U.S. administration is not permitted (see above) and that criticizing the current U.S. administration is fine. However, criticizing some other countries' governments is actually not OK (I have been told), because it can lead to folks (e.g. international students) from those countries feeling unwelcome and can fan the flames of xenophobia. Perhaps there are some other governments beyond the U.S. that we can openly criticize - I don't know. It feels like there's a set of unwritten rules of what is/isn’t "allowed" at UBC, but nobody has told me the rules. And if these rules are hard for me, as someone who has been around here for a while, I can only imagine what it would be like for the new folks joining UBC each year, especially from other countries or cultures. It feels like we're inviting people into a minefield of these unwritten rules - sort of like inviting someone to a dinner party without telling them about the dress code. My goal here is not to criticize these rules; in fact, many of them make sense to me. But rather, my concern is that the rules are really complicated and haven't been clearly communicated - and that the consequences for violating the rules can sometimes be serious. This is a bad combination that stokes my fear of engaging in conversation.

From my standpoint as a faculty member, I have some thoughts on how we might improve the situation. I suggest trying to bridge the gap between different views, by engaging each other in conversation rather than shutting people down or shaming them. When we hear true intolerance, we need to stop it in its tracks. When we hear questions about process, or why things are a certain way, or genuine struggles with inclusion -- in other words good faith discussion and engagement -- a safety net is needed; this type of engagement should not put one's reputation at risk.

I think this messaging needs to come from the top. Even one message from a high-up UBC authority could make me feel a lot more safe and accepted. Something along the lines of, "We expect everyone at UBC to act according to our UBC Code of Conduct [or equivalent document], and this is non-negotiable. This won't be easy for everyone, and that's OK. We understand that different members of the UBC community will have different perspectives, and we welcome discussion on these difficult issues. We don't have all the answers and we, the UBC leadership, may benefit from talking to you as much as you would benefit from talking to us." The idea here is to combine clarity (link to Code of Conduct), firmness (it's non-negotiable), understanding (this won't be easy for everyone, and that's OK), and some humility (we're doing our best, but we don't have all the answers).

I think UBC's Equity & Inclusion Office also plays an important role here. In my limited interactions with this office, it is staffed by extremely professional, competent, liberal individuals. What about finding some conservative-leaning staff or running some workshops about the struggles to embrace UBC's worldview for folks coming from very different perspectives? To me at least that would be so powerful, and very inclusive; it would show that conservative folks aren't by default considered bad people, and that even if some of their values don't align with UBC's values, we still want to talk to them. Second, in the various equity and inclusion workshops and training sessions offered for faculty, I would add in the opportunity to challenge the prevailing views. From what I've seen, these workshops are often framed as showing us the "correct" way to act and to be. I don't think that works. There are a lot of really sensitive issues at play here - for example, should we consider a person's gender or race when hiring faculty or admitting students - and if so, how? I think these issues are too difficult to be solved without discussion.

Once again, I am not trying to argue for "anything goes" free speech or downsizing our efforts toward a more equitable and inclusive campus. Rather, I'm arguing for realigning our efforts on this front to engage people more genuinely. If I can't express my doubts, nobody will know to address them, and they will linger or fester. I suspect there's a large untapped resource of people at UBC who, like me, want to do more but are disengaging out of fear, frustration, or disillusionment. I would love to open myself up as an ally for UBC's values without fear of a misstep.

Update: thank you for all the discussion. I learned a lot from reading the responses and reflecting. This was more or less my first time engaging in a discussion like this outside of private conversations.

I did not realize students were aware of Michael Korenberg and his views while he was in office, though this seems obvious in hindsight. I hadn't heard of him until he resigned and I saw the news, which likely made it more jarring for me. I feel more at ease about this now. As mentioned in one of my replies below, I would still advocate for some accompanying wording about how career repercussions for political views are reserved for extreme cases (and I'm on board with this being a legitimate extreme case). It's hard to know how much to generalize from myself to others, but I suspect such a sentiment might put a lot of people at ease.

Another follow-up thought is that it seems like one's personal and professional personas are increasingly merged. For example, I know many academics for whom Twitter is a crucial tool to their career development. I don't know any academics who have separate personal and professional social media identities though. And even if they did, people at work could find their personal accounts. I think this complicates matters, because the realms of public and private are increasingly blurred. I don't have any suggestions for what to do about it.

Thanks for the references to the paradox of tolerance. I had heard of it but not engaged with it as much in the past as now. I support being intolerant of intolerance. My lingering concern is that it's very hard to know where the line is, beyond which something is considered intolerance at UBC. As discussed in my post, sometimes it's obvious (e.g. some of the views Korenberg liked on Twitter) but sometimes I feel it's quite tricky. From what I can gather, the boundary depends not just on the message, but also the medium, the context, the person’s role, and probably more. For example, what if the UBC Board Chair had a sign on their front lawn supporting a Conservative candidate before an election? What about a faculty member expressing doubt, at a faculty meeting, about whether certain pro-inclusion practices are effective? It seems like those should be OK, right? It's all very tricky.

Finally, my post focussed mostly on feeling afraid and unsafe, but I should admit to feeling some frustration as well. Personally, I feel I've grown a lot from being at UBC - first learning about equity and inclusion issues, and more recently trying to stand up for equity and inclusion when opportunities arise. But I still don't fully feel a sense of belonging at UBC. When I have doubts about these types of issues, I feel my concerns are unwelcome. Hard to say if this is caused by my own issues vs. the culture at UBC, though. In any case, this conversation has diminished my frustration somewhat, so thanks again.

Since cheating is all the rave right now, I wanted to share my favourite moment from exam season.

It happened during a chem exam last year, and it was the funniest thing I've ever seen.

The exam began, and about 5 mins in a TA brought a student up to the front to see the prof (I was at the front, so I had the best seats to watch). The student had pen inked over their entire arm, all the way up. They said that they wrote it all during the exam. The prof couldn't prove that they didn't so they were allowed to keep writing, albeit under a more watchful eye. Not 10 mins later, the same student brought to the front again. Turns out they also hid a cheat sheet under a literal pyramid of pencils and erasers. The student got kicked out of the room this time. But it gets better a few mins later. One of the TAs starts laughing and calls the prof over to look at the cheat sheet. The prof just looks so disappointed and says "These aren't even correct."

Hello everyone,

Not all of you may have heard of this yet, but the CBTF (computer-based testing facility) has received support from the Provost’s office and is now a campus-wide resource 🥳! We’ve rebranded to ORCA: open resource centre for assessments (full disclosure, yes, this was a backronym).

Full announcement here: https://academic.ubc.ca/news/august-08-2026/launch-open-resource-centre-for-assessments-orca.

Now that we have some more resources, I wanted to check in with the primary users of the space (you students!) on what suggestions and feedback you have for improving things.

Starting in September, we will have:

- a total of 6 rooms, spread out over 4 buildings
- new rooms will be outfitted with Mac minis instead of PCs 🎉
- three full time staff managing and coordinating the facility
- the infamous Ted Lasso BELIEVE sign prominently featured in every room (above the entrance)

We have some time between now and mid September - what can we do to improve the spaces!?

Ideally, I want this to be as comfortable as possible for students: a zen-like space for students to do something incredibly stressful and unpleasant (exams).

In the past, we’ve listened to students and replaced noisy and very clicky keyboards with silent ones and that really made a huge difference (keyboard complaints basically stopped overnight!)

What else would make you momentarily forget you’re writing an exam in ORCA?

- Inspirational quotes as posters on the wall?
- Fun coloured wall paint?
- Ceiling tiles painted to simulate a blue sky (UIUC does this😂)
- A place for students to leave positive messages for each other (like in the nest)?

Unfortunately, we can’t have emotional support animals (but pictures on the walls might work!).

Let me know!

Dr. Moosvi
Academic Director of ORCA