UBC Reports | Vol. 54 | No. 6 | Jun. 5, 2008

Have Your Say on UBC’s Aboriginal Strategic Plan

By Basil Waugh

Should UBC be helping Aboriginal elementary and high school students prepare for university? How can UBC best recruit and support Aboriginal faculty and students? UBC is developing an Aboriginal Strategic Plan and wants your input.

President Stephen Toope has created a broadly-based 15-person working group to determine how UBC can better meet the needs of First Nations peoples.

Co-chaired by Anna Kindler, AVP Academic Programs, and Linc Kesler, First Nations Studies Program Director, the committee includes UBC Vancouver and Okanagan students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members, including UBC-O provost Alaa Abd-El-Aziz and Darrel McLeod of Indian and Northern Affairs Canda.

“Aboriginal education as a key UBC priority, as we identified in Trek 2010,” says Kindler. “The UBC Aboriginal Strategic Plan will clearly articulate and prioritize expected outcomes, set attainment targets, and guide a resource allocation process.”

This summer, the committee will consult with several groups, including Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members of the UBC community, alumni, and Aboriginal communities and organizations.

A new website -- www.vpacademic.ubc.ca/Aboriginal -- has been created to facilitate public input and communicate the plan’s progress. Updates will also be provided via outreach to Aboriginal communities and organizations and broadcasts to the UBC community.

“Consultation with the campuses and communities will continue throughout the process,” says Kesler. “Right now, we want to know what people think a draft plan should include. We will then present a draft plan for additional public comment early in the fall before the plan is finalized.”