May 22, 2007
Hi accepted and prospective MFS students,
First, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Judy Chan and I will be your main contact and academic advisor for the Master of Food Science (MFS) program. I have been working at UBC for the past year after completing my Ph.D. in Food Science.
I believe that most of you are aware of the orientation program being held at UBC this summer for the MFS program. This orientation program is designed for students who have graduated from universities where English is not the main language of instruction. The program will emphasize practice in the English language, with vocabulary related to food science emphasized in the second half of the program. The duration of the program will be July 23 to August 31, 2007. The first three weeks will be delivered by UBC’s English Language Institute and will focus on everyday English with an introduction to Canadian life and culture. The second three weeks will include field trips to introduce students to the discipline of food science in Canada and will emphasize disciplinary English.
If you are taking the orientation program:
Please see the FOOTNOTE below giving details of the orientation program.
If you are not taking the orientation program:
Could you please email me when you arrive at UBC campus (mfs.degree@ubc.ca)?
If you are interested, there will likely be opportunities for you to interact with the group of students doing the orientation program. For example, you might like to join a social activity or participate in a field trip. It would be good way of meeting most of the international students in the MFS program and helping them adjust to life in Canada.
If you have any questions regarding the MFS program please do not hesitate to contact me at . I look forward to getting to know you and assisting you in meeting your objectives for the MFS program.
Sincerely,
Judy
Judy C. K. Chan, Ph.D.
Food, Nutrition and Health
The University of British Columbia
FOOTNOTE
A. Costs of the orientation program
The cost of the six-week orientation program is $1,650 Cdn. Students are responsible for paying their own accommodation and food costs. The housing options below include a shared kitchen where you can prepare your meals.
Please send a cheque or money order for $1,650 Cdn. payable to the Faculty of Land and Food Systems no later than June 15, 2007.
Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Master of Food Science Program
#270 – 2357 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6T 1Z4
B. Housing during the orientation program
There are two options for housing during the orientation program:
Option 1: The “guaranteed housing” opportunity for Marine Drive residence offered to MFS students wanting to secure housing for the duration of the MFS program. This guarantee would require you to sign two contracts: a summer contract that would cost about $1,000 Cdn (from July 15, 2007 to August 31, 2007) and a year-round contract (September 1, 2007 to August 15, 2008) that would cost $7585 for eleven and one-half months or about $650 Cdn per month. If you are interested in this option, please follow the directions described in the email sent to you by Kirsten Cameron, Manager, Graduate Programs, on May 8, 2007 (lfs.gradmgr@ubc.ca).
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For this option, we recommend that you arrive on July 15 or as soon after July 15 as is convenient for you. This will give you a few days to settle into Marine Drive residence and to purchase linens and any needed kitchen utensils.
Option 2: The MFS program has made arrangements with UBC Housing and Conferences for rooms in Walter Gage residence for the period July 21 to August 26. The package price is $1,050 Cdn. The package includes:
•Private bedroom in a 6-person unit, with shared lounge, washroom
•Shared kitchenette equipped with cooking utensils and dishes
•Linens provided – bed and bath and kitchen.
•Housekeeping service once per week. (If you want to change bed/bath linens more frequently than 1x per week, it can be exchanged at the Front Desk for fresh)
•No tax
For this option, we recommend that you arrive on July 21 to allow one day to get over jet lag before starting the orientation program on July 23.
If you have received and accepted a UBC Housing and Conferences Winter Session residence contract you will be able to transfer to your Winter Session residence room on August 26. The Early Arrival accommodation between Aug 26-31 will be covered in the Option 2 package.
For those who will not be living in a UBC Housing and Conferences residence during the Winter Session, you will need to vacate Walter Gage residence on August 26. If you are unable to move into your accommodation before September 1, there are reputable short-term accommodation alternatives at YWCA in downtown Vancouver
http://www.ywcahotel.com/ or Hostel International
http://www.hihostels.ca/en/home.aspx at Jericho beach.
IMPORTANT: Please email me (mfs.degree@ubc.ca) as soon as possible to confirm that you are taking the orientation program and which housing option you have chosen. We need to know this so that we can make the necessary arrangements for you and the orientation program.
Thank you very much,
Judy Chan