LFS Today Apr 4, 2022 | LFS Intranet 2020

News

Review UBC’s updated Business Expense Rules for faculty and staff

At some time, most employees at UBC will need to use university funds to conduct university business. UBC’s Business Expense Rules form the framework for incurring and reimbursing these expenses and help ensure we all use public funds reasonably, appropriately, and efficiently.

The updated Business Expense Rules came into effect on April 1, 2022 and are now available for faculty and staff. On the UBC Finance website, you can find out how these rules were developed, what you should consider when incurring an expense, and how you can be reimbursed for university-related expenses.

Events

Apr. 5 – Alex Pfaff (Duke University): Political Economy of Forest Protection

Date: 2022-April-05, 12:00 to 1:00pm
Location: MCML 350
Title: Political Economy of Forest Protection

Abstract: Better understanding of interactions between conservation and development policies would help to maximize the synergies and minimize tradeoffs across Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While it is well documented that roads − introduced for economic development − affect the siting and impacts of protected areas (PAs), there is little if any evidence of impacts upon development, e.g., upon roads and patterns of development, from introducing conservation policies such as PAs. In light of evidence for positive forest spillovers, for which road dissuasion could be a mechanism, we ask if PAs can discourage road expansion in the Brazilian Amazon. We compare municipalities with more PAs (old and new) to those with fewer, using for controls both matching and regressions. We find that Federal PAs reduced expansions of unofficial roads − thereby shaping development.

Biography: Alex Pfaff is a Professor of Public Policy, Economics and the Environment at Duke University. He studies how economic development affects, and is affected by, natural resources and the environment. He focuses on the impacts of both conservation and development policies upon many choices by individuals and communities — which in turn affect land use, water quantity, water quality, air quality, human exposures, and the provision as well as the use of information.

Apr. 7 – IRES Professional Development Seminar w/ Andrea Reimer

Abstract: How many times have you seen great ideas take much longer to come to fruition than they needed to, or even fail altogether, because people or politics got in the way? Power informs the way we take up space and whether or not we leave room for others. How we unconsciously accept the way the playing field is tilted and cede ground to other people also reinforces power structures.

It doesn’t have to be this way: power literacy and competency are skills like any other that can be learned and perfected. Power Fundamentals is a foundational session to give participants a common language for power and the building blocks for a greater understanding of their own power and the power of others, as well as the tools for basic power mapping to assist advocacy and policy-making.

Bio: Andrea Reimer served four terms in local government from 2002-2018 including 10 years on Vancouver City Council where she led ground-breaking policy efforts on social justice, making Vancouver the greenest city in the world, democratizing engagement and the emerging economy. In government her efforts garnered numerous awards including the World Green Building Council’s Chairperson award and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal. After leaving office, she was awarded a Loeb Fellowship at Harvard in recognition of her civic leadership. She currently teaches about power at several universities and through her consultancy, Tawaw Strategies, acts as a strategic advisor to governments and advocacy organizations acting with courage on bold policy initiatives.
Time: 12:30pm to 1:30pm (Pacific Standard Time)
Location: AERL Theatre, Room 120 (2202 Main Mall)
OR via Zoom:
REGISTER in advance for this Zoom seminar.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the Zoom link.

Apr. 13 – Research Partnerships, Geopolitical Risk & National Security Law

The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and University of Victoria have put together a workshop series on research security. A series of three engaging and thought-provoking one-hour conversations about evolving geopolitical risks and their impact on University research is set to begin on Wednesday, March 30th.

April 13, 10–11 a.m. PT: Research Partnerships, Geopolitical Risk & National Security Law
A panel will discuss their experiences with the NSERC Alliance program, an academic perspective of the impact of research security on research institutions, and geopolitical risk and national security law.

Speakers include representatives from CSIS, ISED, and faculty members from the participating Universities.

Deadlines

Apr 19 & 26 – Call for Proposals for the Continuous Learning Advancement Fund

The Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic, UBC Vancouver, is pleased to announce an open call for proposals for the Continuous Learning Advancement Fund (CLAF). Faculty, and lecturers whose appointments continue beyond the project end date, are invited to submit a letter of intent (LOI) by May 10, 2022 to be considered for funding.

View more details on CLAF under:

You can also browse the FAQs for answers to common questions.

The CLAF team is available to assist with your LOI. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule a meeting, please contact us at claf.admin@ubc.ca. Before your contact the CLAF team and if you like to bounce your ideas internally with a colleague, you may reach out to either Cyprien.Lomas@ubc.ca or Judy.Chan@ubc.ca.

Important dates:

April 19 – Last day to request support from the CLAF team for LOI submissions (CLAF.admin@ubc.ca)
April 26 – LFS Internal Deadline; please submit a draft of your LOI to judy.chan@ubc.ca by 3:00 pm