Good support for students will improve the sense of community within EOAS – which is a prerequisite for an attractive and stimulating environment for working and learning. In fact, UBC’s strategic plan, Strategy 15, is “Student Experience: Strengthen undergraduate and graduate student communities and experience“.

The following recommendations are aimed at increasing the success and well being of existing students and consequently making EOAS a highly attractive place to earn a degree.

R10. Increase students’ sense of community within EOAS & QES.

“Undergraduate Community Experience” was item U9 in the 2021 EOAS strategic plan, in the “Undergraduate Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership” section. This set of recommendations as aimed squarely at this aspect of supporting students.

1. Introduce (or adjust) an EOAS faculty service duty, to be called “Undergraduate Liaison”. This requires a person who is interested in being a little more “hands on” with EOAS undergraduates. It is not about academic advising – that remains a separate task. There are lecturers or educational leadership faculty who would be good at this task so long as they are sufficiently resourced (time, access to staff & funding, etc.). Tasks that could be included in this person’s mandate – or implemented some other way – include:
   • Maintain resources and offer advice regarding scholarships, awards, bursaries available to EOAS undergrads. The goal is not “spoon feeding” but equitable facilitation of opportunities. The Scholarships for geophysics students handout is a model for this  kind of support.
   • Actively introduce professional organizations such as BCGS, KEGSF, BCGE, CSEG, SEG, and others. A student club executive member can maintain connections with such organizations, however, enthusiasm varies year to year, and the Department could help ensure these connections are maintained consistently from year to year.
   • Provide information and Q&A sessions regarding program requirements, including the distinction between majors vs honours, options such as co-op, minors or double majors, etc. This is nominally the domain of advisors, however offering events for all students more than just once in September would ensure that all students are equally well-informed and aware of options. It could also save advisors time by reducing the need to repeat ‘standard information’ in one-on-one meetings.
   • Regarding honors degrees, and based on discussion within EOAS about honours degree parameters in winter 2023, things can help define an honours program (differentiate it from majors) are:
     • More defined courses – a more targeted education, with more depth and perhaps more breadth as well
     • More higher level focused courses – more difficult courses, but not necessarily more 400-level courses (but that may be something to look at)
     • Some kind of research experience (449 thesis, usually)
     • Higher minimum GPA (perhaps only tracked for selective courses in the specialization)
     • The statement that Honours Degrees are the main path to graduate school is not accurate.
2. Actively and regularly engage with student clubs to
   • support and promote their activities,
   • help point them in directions to ease their interactions with the university bureaucracy,
   • encourage broader participation among all students, and
   • promote opportunities for undergraduates, graduate student, researchers and faculty to connect socially.
3. Instigate a club or interest group that could be called something like the “quantitative Earth sciences interest group”. This grouping should include all students in geophysics, atmospheric sciences and physical oceanography. Also, students in other specializations who may be interested should be invited. It would ideally be run by students like a new campus club, but faculty mentoring would certainly be needed to initiate and sustain it. Goals and activities would need to be developed but it could become a rewarding and creative “service duty” for the right faculty member.

R11. Improve the efficiency and efficacy of QES program advising

1. Provide EOAS student advising resources via Canvas. In progress – see the Canvas Resource discussion page or the Canvas site itself (CWL required).
   • Action: Annually review and update advising guidelines on the Canvas advising site, or in some other form if the Canvas site is not used. Ideally in April soon after a term is finished.
2. Advisors should consider interactions with QES students more as “mentoring” rather than as simply providing advise about degree programs. For small programs, this can be both efficient and rewarding. Aim to be timely, regular, focused, and transparent (see “Transparency of teaching practices” on the Frameworks page).
   • Initiate regular (even if infrequent – e.g. once or twice each term) opportunities to “mingle” with QES students in a non-academic setting (see “Increase students’ sense of community” above). Could be before a seminar, or after a class, or at an arranged mealtime event, etc.
3. Honors students could be better supported. Based on discussion within EOAS about honours degree parameters in winter 2023, things that can help differentiate an honours program from majors include:
   • Taking more defined courses – a more targeted education, with more depth and perhaps more breadth as well.
   • Taking more higher level focused courses – more difficult courses, but not necessarily more 400-level courses (but that may be something to look at).
   • A research experience (449 thesis, usually).
   • Higher minimum GPA (perhaps only tracked for selective courses in the specialization).
   • The statement that Honours Degrees are the main path to graduate school is not accurate. However, successfully completing an honours degree does demonstrate both diligence and (ideally) a successful introductory research experience,
4. Regarding professional registration: QES students have stated in surveys and personal communications that the requirements for being prepared for registering as a Geoscientist in Training in Canada are not clear within EOAS. Steps have been taken during QuEST and further recommendations for helping students understand and prepare for professional registration are included on the separate Professional Registration page.
5. Include support specifically targeting preparation for post-graduation opportunities.  More details are in the Career Preparation page.
6. Finally, there is a page of guidelines for instructors (link to a summary) providing (and explaining) key resources related to undergraduate teaching and student support. This was derived from information provided to instructors by James Charbonneau (Faculty of Science Associate Dean, Students) at start of term in late August, 2023.