Okanagan First Nations leaders welcome UBC Okanagan - photo by Martin Dee

UBC Reports | Vol. 51 | No. 9 | Sep. 7, 2005

Welcome UBC Okanagan

On Thursday, September 1, the Okanagan Nation Alliance welcomed UBC Okanagan and Okanagan College to their traditional territory. The special cermony, featuring drummers, singers and dancers, was held at the UBC Okanagan gymnasium.

After months of preparation, UBC Okanagan is welcoming its first students this month, with orientations for returning students and first-year students held on September 6 and 7.

The official opening ceremony will be held on September 8. The day will include the following events:

11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Campus life showcase

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Opening ceremony

3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Academic colloquium with presidents of four international universities

7:30 p.m. Free music concert featuring Judith Forst, UBC School of Music and Penticton Academy of Music students

For tickets to the colloquium and concert, visit www.ubc.ca/okanagan/opening and use code OPEN6. View the opening ceremony, starting at 12:30, via webcast at www.ubc.ca/webcast.

UBC Okanagan Facts and Figures

• UBC Okanagan is welcoming 3,500 new undergraduate and graduate students (projected Sept., 2005).

• UBC Okanagan's faculty has grown to 215 since the campus was officially established in July. That includes 18 new faculty members who come from across Canada, the U.S. and Australia.

• Since last year, the UBC Okanagan campus has added a third floor to its Arts and Sciences buildings to accommodate student body growth. A campus master plan is being submitted to the UBC Board of Governors for approval.

• UBC Okanagan features several new undergraduate academic programs including engineering, management and pre-pharmacy. A variety of graduate programs are being established, the largest of which is a new Master of Education program.