LFS Today Oct 29, 2021

 News  

Prepare your Pumpkins!

Halloween is coming up and LFS is holding a pumpkin carving contest again to find out who can design the most creative pumpkin. The main criteria to win is creativity!  Faculty & staff will vote for the most creative jack-o-lanterns.
 
Here are the rules:

1. Be creative – to up your pumpkin game, here are some some tips.
2. You must be the main pumpkin artisan, but you may enlist support from those in your household, especially those who are underage.
3. Submit a photo of your pumpkin with a CAPTION.
4. Send your photo & caption to lfs.today@ubc.ca by Tuesday, Nov. 2 (noon).
5. We will collect photos and open up voting next week!

Sharpen your carving knives! Here are the prizes:

• First place – Isman Cup Bragging Rights & Lunch Delivered via Door Dash
• Second and Third place – UBC-LFS Swag Bag 

Any questions? You can contact Barbara Hsiao at Barbara.hsiao@ubc.ca or Karen Lee at Karen.lee98@ubc.ca.

New Mandatory Training for LFS students, staff and faculty

To all LFS students, staff and faculty, a self- guided building orientation training will be made mandatory beginning Nov 1, 2021. This is to ensure that all incoming and existing members of the LFS community receive the proper orientation to the resources, safety features, UBC mandatory training requirements and more. This mandatory training will be added to our LFS Training Record Management System so users who have not completed the training will be prompted by a missing training alert email.
 
The information of the training is listed below and we strongly encourage you to go through the video and review the information on the LFS General Guide as soon as possible. User can either email a scanned copy of the complete printable Guide to lfs.safety@ubc.ca or to submit the Guide via the electronic submission form.

• LFS General Guide, printable, last updated July 29, 2020
• A video at https://youtu.be/Ff5erk7YQB8 is provided here to supplement the above LFS General Guide (some building specific information is catered to MCML)
• LFS General Guide, electronic submission, last updated July 29, 2020

Sustainable Friday

Your sustainability tip of the week is

Invite your co-workers within your group to brainstorm how to improve the sustainability in your office or lab.

Do you have a sustainability tip to share with your colleagues? Send it to mcm-lst@lists.ubc.ca and lfs.today@ubc.ca! Tips can cover a range of settings, from lab work to your community to working from home.

 Events  

Oct. 30 – Harold Steves Tree Planting Ceremony

Saturday, October 30, 11am

There will be a special tree planting ceremony to celebrate the career and retirement of distinguished Land and Food Systems alumnus Harold Steves, (BSc Agriculture, ‘63) – the founder of BC’s Agricultural Land Reserve.

Come honour Steves’ accomplishments and watch the official planting ceremony held starting from 11:00 am at the UBC Farm’s Pumpkin Fest!

Nov. 4 – Climate Justice: Activating Solidarity Economies (CJASE)

Join the Centre for Community Engaged Learning’s Social Impact Lab and Climate Justice UBC for our event, Climate Justice: Activating Solidarity Economies (CJASE)! CJASE is a 3-session lab event that focuses on addressing climate justice through community-based initiatives. You will learn from community
organizers & collaborate on innovative solutions for an opportunity to receive up to $1,000 to fund it!

1. Human Library: Thursday, Nov 4 | 5:00 – 7:00 pm PT
2. Strategize for Action: Thursday, Nov 18 | 5:00 – 7:00 pm PT
3. Pitch Party: Thursday, Dec 2 | 5:00 – 7:00 pm PT
   • Note: Register by Monday, Nov 29 at 5:00 pm.

You are encouraged but not required to attend all three sessions. Individuals who attend all sessions will receive a certification of completion for the event.

All three lab sessions will take place in a hybrid format, meaning you can participate in person (CIRS Building or Leonard S Klinck Building, depending on event – proof of vaccination required) or virtually! Proof of vaccination will be required to enter the venue.

We will also be serving light refreshments on site.

More information: Facebook and/or Instagram

 Deadlines  

Due Today – UBC Employment Equity Survey

For those who haven’t completed the UBC Employment Equity Survey, please do so as soon as possible to be included in the 2021 report (LFS response rate is 43% so far). It only takes a few minutes to complete! UBC employees are required to complete the survey, however, providing responses to the survey questions is optional.

UBC is committed to advancing employment equity. Still, we know that some in our community continue to experience inequities. As a university, we’re committed to doing better, to building more inclusive and equitable teaching and working spaces, and to creating a workforce that is reflective of the diversity of the student body and the wider community.

The Employment Equity Survey is an important part of these efforts and one way that you can help build a more inclusive UBC, today. By counting yourself in, you will:

• provide valuable data on the composition and diversity of UBC’s workforce;
• inform employment equity goals which improve our recruitment and retention practices;
• assess progress in terms of advancing the Employment Equity Plan;
• support institutional accountability by allowing us to track and report on progress and trends;
• help towards ensuring that everyone benefits from a fair and equitable workplace.

To find out more about the survey and to take it online, visit:
https://equity.ubc.ca/resources/employment-equity/employment-equity-survey/?login

Nov. 4 – Small Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) Innovation projects

Small TLEF Innovation projects support grassroots experimentation with pedagogical approaches to enhance learning. Faculty, staff and students can apply for grants up to $50,000. The LFS internal deadline is on November 4, 2021. 

Find out more here: https://tlef.ubc.ca/announcements/2022-small-TLEF-innovation. 

Nov. 4 – Open Educational Resources (OER) Fund

The OER Fund supports affordable and inclusive access to learning materials through the adoption and integration of open educational resources:

• OER Rapid Innovation Grants up to $2,000; applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
• OER Implementation Grants up to $25,000 to incorporate OERs as required materials into UBC Vancouver credit courses. The LFS internal deadline is on November 4, 2021.

For more information, visit: https://oerfund.open.ubc.ca.