How faculty and staff are thinking differently

Share your voice

As we embarked on a new academic year, we asked you to share how you've been thinking differently in response to COVID-19, and how that is making a positive impact in your role. This is what we heard. 

"Looking with a 'positive' lens on this pandemic, the challenge forced our medical program to deliver the curriculum in an 'unimaginable' fashion (e.g. switching small group learning to synchronous online delivery - an action that was not considered in precovid). It provides me with the opportunity to change my thinking that everything is possible when everybody works together as a team. None of these success could be true if we don't work together. Team Work makes success :)."

Hanh Huynh
Associate Professor of Teaching, Faculty of Medicine/Pathology and Laboratory Medicine/Vancouver Fraser Medical Program
UBC Vancouver

Everything is possible when everybody works together as a team.

Hanh Huynh

"I always see a bright side in every circumstances by trying to look for a positive and beneficial solution that will benefit the majority of people."

Rebekah Santos Lazo
Cook 2 at Gather at Place Vanier, Student Housing and Community Services
UBC Vancouver

Look for a positive and beneficial solution that will benefit the majority of people.

Rebekah Santos Lazo

"Due to the heighten anxiety resulting from the pandemic, I have increased my frequency of interacting with students, to give them a sense of reassurance, and accessibility even though I am not physically there, but always there virtually, to help".

Enid Ho
Senior Administrator, Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program
UBC Vancouver

I have increased my frequency of interacting with students, to give them a sense of reassurance and accessibility.

Enid Ho

"Having been thrown into the 'web-oriented' world of Winter Term 2020 just like our students, I am making concerted efforts to keep in mind two questions: How can I help students to develop and maintain social presence and connections with their peers and instructors? What can I do to facilitate universal access to learning, knowing that our students may have very different resources available to them?"

Richard Plunkett
Associate Professor of Teaching, I.K. Barber Faculty of Science/Biology Department
UBC Okanagan

Help students to develop and maintain social presence and connections with their peers and instructors.

Richard Plunkett

"We are all in this pandemic together. Things have changed but I don't find for the bad. With more conciseness of our place in this world. More space, kinder people. I have been working remotely since March and I love it. I save 2 hours of commuting and find I am much more relaxed in general."

Janet Rigney
Research Manager, Pediatrics/OT
BC Children's and Women's Hospital

More space, kinder people.

Janet Rigney
  1. Work/life balance is a lot better as there's no more commute time
  2. Collaboration and communication has improved as there are no hallway conversations
  3. We seem to care a lot more about each other's personal well being

George Firican
Director, Data Governance & Business Intelligence, DAE Services
UBC Vancouver

Collaboration and communication has improved as there are no hallway conversations.

George Firican

"I'm overtly emphasizing the importance of wellness, patience and flexibility as cornerstones of my course this year. "

Sean Nugent
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Education - Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy
UBC Vancouver

Emphasizing the importance of wellness, patience and flexibility.

Sean Nugent

"I have seen a growing appreciation between co-workers during this unusual time. Covid-19 has uncovered to all of us what takes priority. People over profit is my takeaway. Empathy, compassion and listening to each other helps all of us feel like we are not alone even if we are physically distant. I see the silver lining of this era. We have been forced to be aware that we need one another. No man is an island and my coworkers have been a great source of support and for that I am grateful!"

Kerstin Dashkewytch
Homestay Coordinator, Extended Learning Institute - Extended Learning
UBC Vancouver

Empathy, compassion and listening to each other helps all of us feel like we are not alone even if we are physically distant.

Kerstin Dashkewytch
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