A gifted emergency physician, Dr. Fleming contributed significantly to the UBC Faculty of Medicine as a teacher, mentor, colleague and academic leader, helping to shape the medical undergraduate experience for a generation of students.
From 2011 to 2017, Dr. Fleming served as Associate Dean, Admissions, where he oversaw MD undergraduate admissions and spearheaded new policy initiatives to improve the admissions process. A passionate supporter of the Indigenous MD Admissions pathway, he is remembered as a warm and engaging colleague who personally encouraged many prospective students to apply to UBC.
A message from Rob McMaster, Vice-Dean, Research, UBC Faculty of Medicine
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis has been reappointed as the Director, Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management (CCDPM), and the Reichwald Family UBC Southern Medical Program Chair in Preventive Medicine to June 30, 2027.
Dr. Martin Ginis is a Distinguished University Scholar and a Professor in the Faculty’s Department of Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and in UBC’s Okanagan School of Health and Exercise Sciences. In addition, she is a recipient of the Government of Ontario Medal of Good Citizenship for advancing the well-being of people with spinal cord injury through her longstanding contributions to science. She is also the Principal Investigator of the Canadian Disability Participation Project, a SSHRC-funded Partnership that brings together more than 50 university, public, private and government sector partners to improve physical activity, employment and mobility among Canadians living with disabilities.
The focus of Dr. Martin Ginis’s research is placed on understanding and changing physical activity behaviour. She has a particular interest in physical activity among people with spinal cord injury and other types of physical disabilities. She is deeply committed to knowledge translation; specifically, the development and implementation of evidence-based best-practices to improve health and well-being among people with disabilities. Dr. Martin Ginis spearheaded the formulation and knowledge translation of international scientific exercise guidelines for adults with spinal cord injury. Most recently, she led the first-ever paper on physical activity in people with disabilities, for the Lancet’s quadrennial Physical Activity Series.
As Director, CCDPM, Dr. Martin Ginis is committed to foundational research, clinical research, quality improvement, program evaluation and knowledge translation to build the groundwork of community-engaged research that focuses on management and prevention of chronic health conditions. Through Dr. Martin Ginis’ leadership as Director, the Centre has grown to 61 members including investigators, clinicians and trainees. The establishment of a highly successful Clinical Research and Quality Improvement Incubator program has resulted in a success rate of 75% for research funding applications. Dr. Martin Ginis will continue to advance CCDPM’s direction to collaboratively accelerate research and knowledge translation in the field of chronic diseases; harness collective research strengths from UBC Okanagan, Interior Health, and local clinicians; foster new opportunities that expand research excellence across BC; and achieve research excellence through competitive funding and recognition both nationally and internationally.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Martin Ginis on her reappointments and thank her for her continued leadership and dedication to these valued endeavors.
The Clinical Faculty Mentoring Program, a partnership between UBC Faculty Affairs and UBC Continuing Professional Development (CPD), is a program for clinical faculty within the UBC Faculty of Medicine (FoM) who are interested in mentorship. The purpose of this formal mentoring program is to support the career goals of clinical faculty in the areas of administration, clinical, and teaching to enhance overall engagement within the FoM. UBC Faculty Affairs and UBC CPD are leading this program on behalf of the FoM. Please visit our website for the online application form and more information about the program: https://ubccpd.ca/clinical-faculty-mentoring. Please note that applications close August 1, 2022. If you have any questions or would like to inquire about the program, please don’t hesitate to contact UBC CPD Education Manager, Allison Macbeth at cf.mentoring@ubc.ca.
Academic Renewal Round 2
A reminder that the deadline for proposals for academic renewal funding will be September 2, 2022 EOD and space approval and financial validation must be in place before the proposal is submitted. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Barker.
2022 Faculty of Medicine Awards
A reminder that the 2022 Faculty of Medicine Awards has been extended to Friday, July 8. Please review the new award categories and nominations guidelines carefully. Please submit your nominations to fom.recognition@ubc.ca
Repository of Board of Governors Policies, Procedures, Rules, and Guidelines – Updated Links
The Office of the University Counsel maintains the official repository of Board Policies, Procedures, Rules, and Guidelines. The repository has been restructured to create a landing page for each Board Policy and its related documents. As a result of this change, all websites that directly reference the URLs for individual policy documents must be updated to use the permanent URLs for the landing pages. Since the URLs for the landing pages are permanent, no further updates to your websites should ever be required again to maintain the currency of Policy links.
For further details, please see the attached memo regarding URL changes to policy documents. If there are any internal websites or materials that link to these policies within your Department/School, please ensure they are updated as referenced in the memo.
Valid Work Authorization for teaching in the MDUP
In light of the recent email (attached), prior to scheduling someone to teach at one of our sites, please ensure that they have an open work permit or a closed work permit that includes UBC as an employer. They also need to obtain a UBC faculty appointment to teach as per accreditation requirements. If there are any questions or concerns about a person’s status to work in Canada or teach at UBC, please contact Andie Sha, acting HR Coordinator, VDE, immediately. Andie can be reached at andie.sha@ubc.ca .
Immigrations Updates
Please read carefully the recent updates from UBC Immigrations below regarding work permit, maintained status and Workday BP processing:
Work permit processing times & short-term reappointments: Please prepare the documentation/information for the work permit extension application process approximately 5-6 months before the current work permit expires to allow for a longer processing time for online applications. For further details, please visit this link.
Maintained status & travel outside of Canada: As you may already know, in order for a foreign worker to continue working on maintained status, they must apply online for a new work permit before the work permit expires and as of the expiration date, they must remain in Canada while waiting for a decision from IRCC. Please assess the need to reappoint a foreign worker at least 6 months in advance of the expiry of their current work permit. Once a decision to reappoint has been made, please gather the necessary documentation/information and submit a new Offer of Employment at least 5 months in advance of the current work permit expiry.
For recently graduated students/study permit holders waiting for a decision on their post-graduation work permit, they may travel outside of Canada while their application is in process without losing status.
Please direct your questions regarding Maintained Status or immigration matters to HR ImmigrationHelp (UBCV) or Trisha Kasawski (UBCO).
The information above can also be found in this link.
Appointment length for those on Maintained Status: The processing times for work permit applications made to IRCC from within Canada has increased to an average of 143 days. Due to this increase, it is advised that the length of appointments in Workday for the period of Maintained Status should be set at 5 months from the date the foreign worker applied for their work permit. UBC Human Resources will continue to monitor processing times and as necessary will adjust their recommendation for the length of appointment during the period of Maintained Status. This information can also be found in this link.
Maintained status – post-graduation work permit (PGWP) option on Workday: Maintained Status on Workday now has two separate options. The new option, “PGWP – Maintained Status” is used in the case of Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) applicants. As the title indicates, this option is the one to select when hiring a recent graduate who has applied for a PGWP.
Administrators must collect specific documents from the PGWP applicant to prove that the individual has met the requirements to continue working while their PGWP application is in process.
The following documents must be uploaded to Workday:
A copy of the letter from IRCC confirming that they submitted a work permit application within 180 days of completing their program. They receive a letter from IRCC in their online account.
A copy of their Study Permit – must show that the permit is valid on the day that they submitted their work permit application to meet the rules for Maintained status.
Additionally, the following need to be kept in the Department/School file:
Formal transcript letter from their institution confirming that the student has completed their program.
Confirmation that the administrator has asked the new hire if they met the conditions set out on their Study Permit. This includes not working more than 20 hours off campus when their course is in session and not working from the date that they formally completed their program until the date that they submitted their PGWP application online.
The Prescribed Interest Rate has increased from 1% to 2% effective July 1, 2022. This means that any PIRL loans activated after July 1, 2022 will require the faculty member to pay 2% of the loan interest. As you know, the Prescribe Interest Rate has remained at 1% since July 1, 2020. As communicated previously, the Provost Office and the Department/Schools support the faculty member’s loan by splitting the remaining ongoing interest cost on the loan for the 15-year duration of the loan. Going forward after July 1, 2022, the faculty member will pay 2%, and the Provost Office and the hiring faculty/department will pay 2.65% in interest. For further details, please see visit this link.
Visa/permit information in Workday
When entering visa/permit information in Workday, please ensure the correct Visa ID Type is selected and that the back-up documentation is uploaded to Workday.
Please review the following Visa ID Types in Workday:
Maintained Status: Use when an existing foreign national has applied for a permit prior in the expiry of their current status. Refer to the Maintained Status information above for specific details.
PGWP – Maintained Status: Use specifically for applicants for a Post-Graduate Work Permit.
Student Permit: Use for foreign nationals who are working under a Student Permit.
Unknown:do not use.
Visitor Record: Use for those who enter under a 120-day work permit exemption or the short-term (15- to 30-day) work permit exemption. The Visitor Record can be a document, or a stamp in the passport with an expiry date written underneath.
Work Permit:do not use. This is a generic option and is a holder over from HRMS.
Work Permit (LMIA): Use for those who obtained a work permit under a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Work Permit (LMIA Exemption): Use in the case of foreign workers whose work permit is issued under an LMIA exemption. In the academic world this would typically be Postdoctoral Fellows, Medical Residents Clinical Fellows, Clinical Faculty and Visiting Faculty. Another common one is the NAFTA/CUSMA exemption.
Work Permit (Open): Use for those who have obtained an open work permit, meaning that is not for a specific employer or occupation. A spousal open work permit, bridging open work permit (BOWP) or Post Graduate Work Permit are examples. For further details, please visit this link .
Please feel free to bookmark this link containing the information above.
Emeritus Status
We are pleased to announce that the emeritus applications from the April 2022 cycle have been approved by the Provost. Please monitor Workday as it will be reflected over the next while. For any questions, please contact Aneri Dalal.
2022 Annual Honorary Reappointment Update
The batch reappoint for the honorary positions as of July 1, 2022 have been loaded in Workday. The end date of the position will reflect what was in Column A on the spreadsheets submitted to our office. However, please manually reappoint or terminate those positions that had no value or a “U” entered in Column A. We’ve been informed that there were some system rejections during the batch upload.
For those with an Academic Appointment, the Academic Appointment will also have been extended. The EIB experienced errors with those that do not have an academic appointment, and those individuals have not been updated. Please be reminded to add and update Academic Appointments as required to prevent system errors. There is a report (Faculty Positions Missing Academic Appointment – Distributed) that admins can run to find those without academic appointments.
Unfortunately, there were several rejections due to multiple possible reasons. Department needs to process these rejected reappointments manually in Workday. We will send the rejection list if received from FR, meanwhile; the department can use the “Upcoming Appointment End Dates” and/or “Employees Who Have Passed the Term End Date – Distributed” report to get the list of faculties whose end date is reflecting June 30th, 2022 instead of the reappointed end date (new end date of future years) and process the reappointment BP manually in Workday.
If you need further assistance, please contact FoM Faculty HR.
FoM Workday HR Community of Practice
New BC Minimum Wage, effective June 1, 2022
Per HR Network News, as of June 1, 2022, UBC’s Integrated Service Centre (ISC) department will automatically raise the hourly rate of any employees paid below the new minimum wage to the new rate of $15.65/hour in Workday.
If your Department/School has salaried students, please ensure that their salary is at least equivalent to the minimum wage for the number of hours they work.
NEW: Maternity leave vacation accruals
When an employee is on maternity leave, they may be eligible for vacation accrual during the maternity portion of their leave. To obtain the percentage entitlement for vacation during their leave, please submit a ticket to the ISC/Payroll and request the vacation accrual percentage.
A reminder that it is up to the individual units to calculate the vacation accrual based on the percentage amount provided by Payroll.
NEW: Workday Webinars
There’s a new series of Workday Webinars designed to support experienced Workday users with specific roles, such as managers and administrators, by building their existing knowledge. Each webinar is focused on a specific topic or area of Workday, and covers helpful tips and tricks. Recordings will be available after each session, for those who are unable to attend.
Upcoming webinars:
Recruitment – Hiring through a JobPosting: Thursday, July 21, 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Hiring – Best Practices for Direct Hires: Thursday, August 11, 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Understanding Absences and Time Off in Workday: Thursday, October 20, 10:00 am to 11:00 am
The ISC continually updates Workday to better meet UBC’s needs, based on community feedback and collaboration. Enhancements are prioritized by the relevant process owner (e.g., Central Finance, Central HR, Payroll), and the ISC supports them in evaluating and implementing these changes.
To view the current list of planned enhancements, please go to hxxps://isc.ubc.ca/workday-enhancements (replace hxxp with http). This list is updated as priorities are added, so check back frequently. To suggest a future enhancement, such as a way to improve an existing process, or to inquire about a planned enhancement, please submit a Workday support request through the ISC and include the word ‘Enhancement’ in the short description.
REMINDER: Running reports in Workday for PHO List
A friendly reminder to admins to review your PHO list and ensure all new employees working from a care location, or who may be required to enter a care location as part of their work, have been added to your list and asked to submit their proof of vaccination. Please see the attached email for detailed instructions on which report to run in Workday.
Employees under PHO Order: Moving Forward Steps
Please be reminded to review your PHO list and ensure all new employees working from a care location, or who may be required to enter a care location as part of their work, have been added to your list and asked to submit their proof of vaccination. Please see the attached email for detailed instructions on which report to run in Workday.
A message from Rob McMaster, Vice-Dean, Research, UBC Faculty of Medicine; Kim Nguyen Chi, Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, BC Cancer; and Heather Findlay, Chief Operating Officer, BC Cancer
We are pleased to announce that Dr. François Bénard has been re-appointed as the Associate Dean, Research, BC Cancer Research Institute (BCCRI), Faculty of Medicine, UBC and the Senior Executive Director, Research, BC Cancer until May 31, 2027.
Dr. Bénard is a Distinguished Scientist at BC Cancer, a Professor in the Department of Radiology at UBC, and holds the BC Leadership Chair in Functional Cancer Imaging. As a clinician scientist, his research interests are in positron emission tomography (PET), nuclear medicine, cancer imaging and targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy.
In addition, he is a recipient of the 2015 NSERC Brockhouse Canada Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Engineering. He is also the Scientific Director of the Centre of Excellence for Functional Cancer Imaging at BC Cancer. His interests combine state‐of‐the art clinical care with a thriving translational research program in imaging and radionuclide therapy. His research focuses on the development of novel radiopharmaceuticals for cancer diagnosis and therapy, and their translation and application to improve the care of cancer patients.
As the Associate Dean, Research, BCCRI and Senior Executive Director, Research, BC Cancer, Dr. Bénard is responsible for setting and facilitating a comprehensive cancer research strategy and agenda for British Columbia in collaboration with research leadership provincially, nationally and internationally as well as the overall strategic leadership and operational management of the research institute. Dr. Bénard will oversee the scientific direction and management of BCCRI in support of the Institute’s mission to conduct discovery, translational and clinical research to benefit the health of the populations we serve.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Bénard on his reappointment and thank him for his continued leadership and commitment to this important work.
A message from Dermot Kelleher, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health, UBC.
I am pleased to announce recipients of the 2022 Faculty of Medicine Distinguished Achievement Awards.
These awards are an important opportunity to acknowledge faculty members who exemplify exceptional contributions in the areas of education, research and/or service, and who are dedicated to advancing our five core values and our vision of transforming health for everyone.
The 2021 award categories include:
Excellence in Education
Excellence in Foundational Science Research
Excellence in Clinical or Applied Research
Service to the University and Community
Advancement of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusiveness
Overall Excellence – Early Career
Overall Excellence – Mid-career
Overall Excellence – Senior Faculty
Please join me in congratulating our 2022 award recipients. I look forward to formally celebrating the recipients and their accomplishments at our Annual Awards Reception in the late fall.
A message from Dermot Kelleher, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health, UBC.
"Ripple in still water When there is no pebble tossed Nor wind to blow" - Ripple by The Grateful Dead
I was introduced to this song by a bass player in a Dublin punk rock band who surprisingly told me that it was his favourite song. The lyrics, particularly the verse above — written in the form of a haiku — contemplate a spirit of reflection and tranquility in the face of a rapidly changing world.
All of us in this Faculty of Medicine will surely appreciate the importance that a summer of tranquility will bring. With the pandemic slowly receding, this is a time to reflect, to regenerate some of our frazzled neurons, and to rejuvenate. It has been a very difficult few years in so many ways and the pace has been relentless. So, as things begin to return to normal — perhaps a new normal — it is time to reconnect with those things that are important to us, whether taking time to enjoy the simple pleasures, be it dinner with family or friends, having a relaxed conversation, or finding the opportunity to venture out into the world and travel. My wish for all of you is that you take the time to step back a little this summer and take the opportunity to “climb a mountain or jump in a lake,” to read a good book, visit a gallery, or just stop and look around and marvel at the beautiful nature that surrounds us.
This year has been extraordinary in the life of the Faculty of Medicine. Once again, our faculty, staff and learners have surpassed themselves in education, research and clinical care delivery. We’ve consistently pushed the envelope in terms of what can be achieved and consistently surpassed expectations. It’s no coincidence that we’ve broken into the top 25 in the QS World University Rankings for Life Sciences and Medicine on the basis of outstanding contributions in research and education.
Just as critically important, there has been extraordinary work done in transforming our culture by embedding respect, equity, diversity and inclusion into everything we do. While this work must not let up, it’s encouraging to see the great strides that have been made, with great thanks to Roslyn Goldner and her team in the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
Much of this has been achieved by focusing on the goals and strategies within our refreshed strategic plan Building the Future, which has laid out our framework for action across four pillars: Research, Education, Organization and Partnership. The unsung heroes of the development of the strategic plan have been the core team of Dr. Chris Lovato, Shanda Jordan Gaetz, and Gabriel Rose, who, sadly for us, is moving to Toronto. We wish Gabe all the very best as he moves on to new opportunities. And special thanks are also due to our outstanding pillar leads, committees and their support teams. Lastly, the Office of Creative & Communications team led by Katie White have done an extraordinary job of disseminating the plan and its outputs, nationally and globally.
For now, as we enter the summer, I’ve resurrected my playlist with some of my old and current favourites. For me, music really does take me to past places and times, as well helping with the cross-fertilization of new thoughts and ideas. In this summer playlist, I’ve included a few Bob Dylan songs sung by other people (easier to hear the lyrics!), as well as some new thought-provoking music from the Toronto band The Weather Station. For those of you who are grappling with to-do lists, I have included Running Up That Hill, Helpless and Here Comes the Summer! Lastly, I’ve included Ripple by the Grateful Dead and Nature Boy based on an old Nat King Cole song, two of a kind in evoking a place of peace and contemplation.
So, thank you to everyone for your outstanding and continued support of the Faculty of Medicine. I hope that you all take time to refresh and rejuvenate over the summer.
