Welcome to UNBC!
created by Georgia Montgomery and Selina Ross (Administrative Assistants) 2015
Updated by Dr. Anne Sommerfeld, 2021
UNBC MOTTO: “En cha huna” = “respect for all living things”
Our story: The modern UNBC story began in January 1987. Three local residents – Tom Steadman, Charles McCaffrey, and Bryson Stone – had been talking about the idea of a northern university and decided to see if their idea had any merit by each inviting 10 people to a meeting on the topic. 40 showed up. By the fall of 1987, after around a dozen meetings, it had become apparent that there was considerable enthusiasm for the creation of a full university in the north, and on December 1, 1987, the Interior University Society (IUS) was incorporated under the Societies Act. Key founders would go on to chair the IUS: Murray Sadler, Elsie Gerdes, and Roy Stewart.
For the complete story https://www2.unbc.ca/about-unbc/history
Basic Facts and Figures
UNBC has over 29 departments/program/schools offering a comprehensive assortment of classes and opportunities for learning across all of Northern British Columbia.
https://www2.unbc.ca/about-unbc/facts
Our leaders and organizational structure:
https://www2.unbc.ca/about-unbc/organizational-structure
We are newly arranged into five Faculties:
Faculty of Business and Economics
Faculty of Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences and Humanities
Faculty of Human and Health Sciences
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Along with Division of Medical Sciences
Course offerings for all UNBC locations are available through FastPortal or from the UNBC website:
To view course descriptions, select one of the three choices under “Academic Program Sites”, then select the major, (e.g., Physics). This will take you to a specific Program web site where you can then read the course descriptions. The descriptions are also included in the Academic Calendars.
http://www.unbc.ca/calendar/undergraduate/index.html
http://www.unbc.ca/calendar/graduate/index.html
Now what? How do you get started?
The first and most important thing is to ensure that you have signed your contract. From there, you have been issued an employee ID number. You need this to get an ID card, a computer account, long distance code, and use of library facilities, among other things.
Ask the Support Staff for a mini-tour of the campus and hit all the hot spots including the faculty lounge. Bring picture ID with you; we can take you to the cashier to get your UNBC photo ID card and pick up your office keys and building entrance fob and have your library account validated.
Your Chair and Dean will guide you in your teaching assignment and setting up a research program. The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology will get you up to date in our learning management system and pedagogical practices.
Administrative Assistant
Your Administrative Assistant is here to help you and to take care of the administrative functions within your Program. You teach – we assist. Do not hesitate to contact your administrative assistant – if they don’t have the answers you need, they usually know where to find them.
These are some of the things they can help you with:
- choosing the appropriate forms for reimbursements
- booking travel
- class lists locations
- providing policy on almost everything
If your program Administrative Assistant is unavailable, the other Assistants are often happy to assist you. They all perform the same basic tasks for all departments/programs/schools.
