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Date: May 20, 11:00am-1:00pm

Concerns around inequities in digital access have been a consistent theme in the Digital UBC conversations to date. Not everyone has equal access to technology or experiences it in the same way, and we need to identify these challenges and find ways to address them. Conversely, there is recognition that technology has the capacity to enhance inclusion and access. For example, virtual and hybrid technologies can open educational opportunities for students facing barriers that have made it historically difficult for them to attend formal education or in-person classes. However, without thoughtful development and implementation, technology can reinforce existing inequities, or create new barriers. How do we ensure that Digital UBC helps advance the university's foundational goals of equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as those of access and engagement?

Date: TBC

Communicating and engaging with our diverse and distributed community has always been challenging. In a hybrid world, these activities will become even more complex, and our approach will need rethinking as we consider and adopt the learnings from the past two years. Data-driven, digital-first communications that break down silos are becoming increasingly important. The management and dissemination of information are complex and critical tasks. At the same time, virtual communications and the ability to collaborate across the institution and with partners must be strengthened for those researching, teaching, learning and working remotely. What is the future of communications and collaboration at UBC, and what role can – and must – technology play?

Date: TBC

UBC consistently ranks as one of the world's top research universities. Technological advances that are more powerful and scalable, such as those used to support advanced research computing can revolutionize research and help lead to breakthroughs in knowledge and innovation. Cloud-based and other platforms enable the power, scale and data sharing across buildings, campuses, and countries that is so crucial to excellence in research. Data management is a complex domain and there are growing compliance demands on universities. How can we use the campus as a living lab framework to foster innovation and to operationalize and scale our research? What technologies or digital capabilities are needed to support the future of research at UBC?

Date: TBC

Historically, the UBC student experience has been primarily place-based. The past two years have seen a dramatic shift in delivery and hybrid modes are expected to continue with the result that technology is now as integral to students' lives at UBC as it is to their lives outside of the university. Students continue to want the important community aspects of in-person learning but also increasingly demand the flexibility afforded by hybrid teaching and services. There is an opportunity to reconceive how the university supports students as their digital interactions are enhanced, accelerated and personalized. What matters most as we consider how best to evolve and enrich the UBC student experience in all aspects of their interactions with UBC?

Date: TBC

It could be argued that we've undergone more change in the educational model in the last two years than across the previous fifty. Pre-COVID, courses were offered principally in-person. During the height of COVID, out of necessity, more than 95% of all courses were fully online. We are now navigating an equilibrium position for some form of hybrid learning model that lies between these two-end points. There are opportunities to leverage advancements in areas like AI, VR, and XR technology, to rethink program structures and academic calendars, and to reach a more diverse student body. What does education look like as we consider the potential of technology to enable new ways of teaching and learning?

Date: TBC

The global effects of climate change are increasing in severity, and higher education institutions are helping lead the way in addressing these challenges through their research and in taking steps to become carbon neutral. How can UBC use digital technologies to support a more sustainable future, including reduced inefficiencies and enhanced remote and hybrid operations that lead to smaller carbon footprints? How do we evolve our campuses in ways that best support our academic mission? There are possible implications for physical spaces, capital investment, and operating costs, as well as questions about how best to link virtual and campus-based infrastructure.

Date: TBC

The future of work, research, and teaching and learning can reasonably be expected to be more hybrid than pre-COVID – at least to some degree, depending on individual context. The pandemic has also shown us how we can use technology to support fully remote (initially) and hybrid (more recently) operations, with significantly enhanced cross-campus collaborations and interactions. The university is more than its physical footprint and it is more than one campus. How do we sustain the crucial benefits of place as the university embeds and expands hybrid education, research, and operations as part of the new normal? How do we ensure that we continue to work together effectively across the expanding and increasingly distributed UBC system, as we again convene in our respective campuses?