May:
Prof. Frank Abbott is announced as dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, taking over from Prof. John McNeill who served as the faculty's fourth dean for close to 12 years.
June:
William L. Sauder becomes chancellor of the university.
The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Former UBC President Douglas Kenny dies at the age of 72. Kenny served as president from 1975-1983.
July:
The faculties of Arts and Graduate Studies appointed new deans for concurrent six-year terms. Prof. Shirley Neuman, from the University of Alberta, and UBC Prof. Frieda Granot are deans of Arts and Graduate Studies respectively.
Construction begins on St. John's College at UBC fulfilling a life-long dream for graduates of St. John's University, which was closed in Shanghai 45 years ago. St. John's will be a residential college for master's and PhD students, senior scholars and distinguished visitors.
UBC and the Sing Tao Foundation announce the establishment of a graduate school of journalism at UBC.
August:
UBC and BC TELECOM form a 10-year partnership to design and build a broadband, fibre-optic infrastructure linking sites throughout UBC's 400-hectare campus.
September:
A campaign is launched to save the Museum of Anthropology's unique outdoor collection of free-standing totem poles. More than one million visitors have viewed the houses and poles since 1961.
UBC's Women Students' Office celebrates 75 years of serving the needs of women students and welcoming them to the campus community. Mary Bollert became the university's first adviser of women in 1921.
October:
Dr. John Cairns is appointed dean of the Faculty of Medicine.
The C.K. Choi Building for the Institute of Asian Research officially opens. The Choi building provides a new home for the 19-year-old institute which houses five research centres focusing on different regions of Asia: China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and India and South Asia.
UBC alumni celebrate Evelyn Lett's 100th birthday. Lett, who graduated from UBC with a BA in 1917, an MA in 1925 and who received an honorary degree from UBC in 1958, has been active at the university since its founding.
November:
Dr. Martha Piper, vice-president, Research and External Affairs at the University of Alberta, is announced as UBC's 11th president. Piper succeeds David Strangway who completes his second, six-year term on July 31. Piper takes up her new duties as president in August.
December:
UBC Library moves 500,000 books from the Main Library to the Walter C. Koerner Library.
January:
Prime Minister Jean Chretien announces UBC will be the venue for world leaders during the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC '97) meeting on Nov. 25.
February:
A campus-wide immunization program is set up to innoculate 15,000 faculty, staff and students against measles. The campaign was triggered by a provincial outbreak first identified among students at Simon Fraser University.
March :
School of Music faculty and students are among the performers at the gala inaugural concert held in the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.
Walter C. Koerner Library officially opens.
April:
UBC hosts a national conference titled Academic Freedom and the Inclusive University. The conference attracted prominent academics, social activists and commentators who discussed issues such as political correctness, racism and sexism.
May:
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts hosts Spring Congregation ceremonies for the first time.