Category: GSS News

In Fall 2021, the GSS ran a survey to assess the engagement of UBC graduate students with the Society. The survey consisted of the following topics: awareness, past events, and future events. The results will be instrumental in targeting certain events and engagement methods that have provided the highest participation.

Here are some highlights from the survey results: 

Response rate: A total of 413 respondents started the Engagement survey, and 387 respondents reached the end of the survey, for a completion rate of 94%.

GSS Awareness: 91% of respondents are aware of the Graduate Student Society. Among respondents who know about the GSS, 70% of respondents do not know anyone involved in the GSS. The top three social media platforms that graduate students use to follow the GSS are Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, respectively. 

GSS Past Events: The top three GSS events that graduate students attended in the past are career-building workshops, networking events, and organized sports. In the past six months, 72% of respondents did not attend any GSS events and 25% of respondents attended one or two events. 

GSS Future Events: The top four events or services that respondents want the GSS to hold in the future are outdoor events or hikes, career-building workshops, subsidized tickets, and networking events. Near half of the respondents (43%) prefer in-person events and another 43% of respondents would attend the events either in-person or online. 

On weekdays, the best time window for graduate students to attend GSS events is from 6 pm to 8 pm. Generally, they prefer to attend events on Friday more than other weekdays. On the weekend, they can attend events from 10 am to 8 pm with an overall preference for Saturday over Sunday. 

Thank you to everyone who has completed the survey!

For more information, please contact survey@gss.ubc.ca.

Kimani Karangu is our GSS President for the 2021-2022 session who plans to make GSS a bench marking society for JEDI. Through this questionnaire, you’ll get to know fun tidbits about who he is and all his colorful aspirations for his role. So, without further ado, read on to learn more about our hardworking and passionate executive. Hopefully you discover something new! 

What is your favorite thing about/at the UBC campus? 

Craziness of the main mall, and especially the daily random postings on the plaque outside the school of Engineering. 

What do you most admire about the GSS community and organization as a whole? 

The diversity and passion of staff and executives’ teams 

What was the last book, movie, or TV show you read/watched? 

One who dreams is called a prophet 

What is your idea of perfect happiness? 

Still looking for it hahaha  

What is the trait you love most about yourself? 

Selflessness 

Who is your role model and why? 

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, relentlessness on oppression 

What secret talent do you possess? 

Dancing 

If you could change the world in one way or the other, what would you change? 

More kindness to humanity is needed 

What is your greatest fear? 

Failure 

Do you have a non-university-related passion or hobby? Yes What is it? Swimming 

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? 

Nothing 

What do you consider your greatest achievement? 

Leading the society for almost 4 consecutive years in different capacities 

What life lessons have you learned this past year? 

Nothing is to be taken for granted! 

What is your life motto? 

Discipline and Focus 

The GSS is excited to announce the appointment of Yuran Zhang as your new VP University and Academic Affairs.

A master’s student in Food Science, Yuran self-identifies as a passionate, conscientious and organized student leader. Read her appointment statement:

Yuran’s term as VPUAA will start immediately. Please join us in welcoming Yuran to the GSS Executive Team.

Thank you to the other candidates for their interest in serving the UBC graduate student community. We wish you all the best.

The GSS is excited to announce the appointment of Yundi Wang as the new VP University and Academic Affairs.

Yundi is a third-year Neuroscience PhD candidate and an active volunteer in the UBC community. Some of her goals for her term include:

1. Continuing the advocacy work on equitable tuition consultation and increased funding and scholarship/bursaries opportunities
2. Opening up discussions surrounding an equitable and safe transition to campus reopening and onwards
3. Exploring equitable and accessible models of higher education for current and future graduate students

Yundi’s term as VPUAA will start immediately. Please join us in welcoming Yundi to the GSS Executive Team.

Thank you to the other candidates for their interest in serving the UBC graduate student community. We wish you all the best.

Dear Members of the UBC GSS community,

On May 27^th, 215 Indigenous children were found buried at the site of the former Kamloops Residential School in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation territory. This school was one of the largest institutions in Canada’s residential school systems and was opened under Roman Catholic administration in 1890. In 1969, the federal government overtook the operation from the church to operate as a day school until it closed in 1978. This discovery continues to be devastating for Indigenous peoples and for non-Indigenous people of Turtle Island. It is believed that these children’s deaths were undocumented and are part of the other missing and murdered Indigenous women and children across the nation.

The GSS is run by and for the graduate students at UBC Vancouver, which includes members of all backgrounds and identities. Our fellow Indigenous students are valued community members and it is our responsibility to provide and protect safe and inclusive environments on campus and in virtual spaces. While the University has stated that there is an “aware[ness] of the community concerns relating to the honorary degree,” and that the “issues raised are deeply upsetting,” this response does not feel appropriate for this level of devastation. It is the responsibility of all UBC staff, faculty, associates, students and community members to ensure that we are using the language that emphasizes the gravity of the situation. At the GSS, we refuse to accept delayed responses to this matter and we will push for reconciliation in accordance with the consultation of Indigenous UBC community members.

Therefore, in the spirit of true reconciliation with our Indigenous community, the UBC GSS would like to call upon the Vancouver Senate Tributes Committee to revoke the 1986 honorary degree conferred to John O’Grady, who was principal at the Kamloops Residential School from 1939 to 1952, and for the University to consult with Indigenous UBC community members to address their needs, concerns and desires. We at the GSS offer our sincerest apologies and stand with Indigenous families and communities across the nation. Furthermore, we would like to also call for further investigations into all honorary degrees conferred by UBCV and UBCO to current and past recipients in order for the University to commit to the accountability and responsibility needed for creating and sustaining safe, inclusive, and equitable communities.

It is difficult to begin to understand how our students have been adversely affected by the recent news. However, the GSS believes that the patriarchal and colonial systems that underlie the university institution must be approached through decolonization, beginning with consultation of Indigenous communities across Canada. The GSS is committed to decolonization and reconciliation through our work, support, and service to the UBC community and broader society.

Sincerely, 
Graduate Student Society of UBC Vancouver

_{Photo credit: Global News}