Graduate Academic Assistant, Liu Institute Network for Africa (LINA)

WL W21 GAA – Liu Institute Network for Africa (LINA)

Faculty of Arts, Office of Regional and International Community Engagement UBC Vancouver Work Learn Program

Job Type

UBC Vancouver Work Learn Program

Overview

The Liu Institute Network for Africa (LINA) at UBC is a graduate student-led, research-based network within the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (SPPGA). LINA serves as a focal point for research, discussions, and policy actions centering around African governance and development issues. To attain this goal the LINA has supported discussions and engagements through various activities: symposiums, webinars, and book launch support. The LINA aims to expand programming in collaboration with ORICE through this position.

**Activities during COVID-19 are modified to reflect public health restrictions and recommendations in Canada and abroad, but remain active through necessary modifications**

Job Description / Purpose:

The Graduate Academic Assistant (GAA) position with LINA will provide important research and technical input to inform our current primary project called The LINA Futures Project concerning the network’s sustainability. The team of graduate students involved in LINA’s creation and sustainability to date will be leaving their programs and the institution by the end of 2021. To ensure LINA continues to expand, connect, and develop relevant programming to support research on global issues affecting Africa and African issues, we require a GAA to lead The LINA Futures Project and ensure our success moving forward.

Primary responsibilities for The LINA Futures Project GAA will include:

Conduct a campus-wide audit of current programming related to LINA’s mandate
Identify similar initiatives to LINA elsewhere, research and summarize relevant activities and strategies for ongoing sustainability (this work may include reading grey literature; conducting interviews and / or a survey)
Conduct a network analysis using both (light) quantitative and qualitative skills to map current activities, connections with LINA’s ongoing programming, and pathways for future engagement
Identify potential future directions and collaborations for LINA with on- and off-campus LINA-relevant actors and activities
Provide potential recommendations, working in collaboration with the existing LINA team, for future LINA leaders
Update and maintain an active membership list, filing paper and electronic files, data entry, document scanning, pulling statistical reports, updating database and maintaining record keeping systems.
Document and promote the LINA activities through reports and a strong online presence.
Day-to-day support for the LINA (if possible further to above primary tasks):
Provide front-line updated information to students and other stakeholders related to the services and programs offered by LINA.
Assist with logistics of events and workshops (i.e., booking, set-up, registration, events reports)
Develop, collect and distribute communication materials including presentations for orientations such as UBC Imagine day and for promotional purposes.
Utilize available resources to complete tasks independently and answering inquiries appropriately in a timely manner.
Assist with inventory for supplies and resource materials
Update the membership and project database and maintain electronic and record-keeping systems
Assist the team in maintaining an up-to-date online presence.
Performs other duties and special projects as required for the LINA team.

Supervision:

The GAA reports to the LINA co-chairs and the ORICE Director through biweekly one-on-one meetings with the supervisor, and also receives support from project supervisors. The GAA will work within defined guidelines but will also be expected to exercise sound judgment in prioritizing multiple projects and tasks assigned.

Complexity:

The work required by the GAA is often of high consequence and it is expected that the GAA will communicate regularly with the LINA team and ask questions to seek clarification as needed. It is also expected that the student will exercise a high-level cultural sensitivity, tact and discretion. The GAA is required to manage multiple and sometimes conflicting tasks, with support from their supervisor. Most tasks are of moderate complexity, requiring a high level of organization and attention to detail.

Unit Goals

This position will play an important role for the Office of Regional and International Community Engagement within the Faculty of Arts. The unit is tasked with engaging a vast array of communities regionally and internationally for the purposes creating reciprocal partnerships that will deeply contribute to both student learning and global community development. This role will support those goals through supporting LINA to establish a sustainability and growth plan.

Qualifications

Skills and knowledge student must possess in order to be successful in this position are:

Demonstrated research experience particularly with skills required to conduct a broad analysis and map connections (existing and potential)
Demonstrated experience with both quantitative (light) and qualitative methods
Exceptional oral and written communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills
Ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, database, Internet and email
Strong intercultural sensitivity
Ability to prioritize work and to meet deadlines.
Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
Ability to think creatively and critically in order to apply knowledge to new situations.
Lived experience or concentrated study relating to Africa is an added advantage.

Education Level:

Currently undertaking a Graduate degree at UBC or studying at the senior undergraduate level with relevant experience.

Elements for a Great Fit:

High level of organization and attention to detail
Ability to multitask and experience prioritizing multiple projects
Willingness to take initiative in projects
Positive outlook and willingness to learn
Desire to develop their own professional skills

Hours Per Week: 10 hrs

Salary / Wage: $26.68/hr

How to Submit an Application:

Please submit a cover letter and resume to ubc.orice@ubc.ca by 4pm on Thursday October 28, 2021. Please note, you must be eligible to hold a UBC work learn position.

Anticipated Start Date: November 8, 2021

Canadian Student Advocacy Days Event Organizer, SAR & Human Rights Collective

SOWK 440J/571: Global Mental Health (2022S)

Overview

SOWK 440J/571 is a 3 credit course that will take place in Nairobi, Kenya and will be taught by Professor Mohamed Ibrahim. The course will run over 4 weeks in May 2022 and will include community-based attachments.

Course Description

Global Mental Health: Praxis Course introduces students to an emerging and important global mental health field. Global mental health is an area of study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving mental health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide (Patel, 2012). This elective will introduce students to advanced competencies in global health practice and research, such as the global burden of mental health, social and economic determinants of mental health, the globalization of biomedical psychiatry, global mental health governance, human rights, and equity. Students will discuss practical and ethical challenges in delivering care in low-resource settings, describe tools, and strategies to address the needs of specific vulnerable populations, especially urban refugees in resource limited countries. They will also examine cultural awareness and its importance in caring for a diverse population.

Risk: COVID-19

The program will adhere to the recommendations from UBC and Global Affairs Canada on travel, including an analysis of COVID transmissions, vaccination rates, travel requirements regarding vaccination, etc.

Rationale

According to the Global Burden of Diseases report, mental illness is considered to be among the top 10 diseases causing disability globally. Social workers practicing in international settings can play a role in policy development, health education and promotion, direct provision of psychosocial interventions, assessment, referral/linkage, and mobilization of self-help, mediation, advocacy, community development, public education and research.

This premier global mental health course provides an opportunity for social workers to gain the necessary knowledge and skills required to work as a mental health practitioner in a global context. This course is located in Kenya to ground the concepts of global mental health in a specific non-western context. Western knowledge and ways of knowing are often privileged and globalized to the Global South. This is often at the expense of Indigenous and local culturally and spiritually appropriate psychosocial and spiritual interventions. Students will be partnered with local mental health organizations to observe and learn from local experts.

Professor

Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim PhD, MSW, RN, is an Assistant Professor at UBC’s School of Social Work and an internationally trained scholar and clinician. He has an expertise in the content, lived experience in the area, and a strong network of local human service organizations and professional colleagues to assist in the facilitation of the course content.

More Information

Expand all

Collapse all

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all social work students with a BSW standing or a MSW standing by January 2022. Students who are entering their 4th year in September 2021 have the option of taking SOWK 440J in May. Fourth year BSW students are eligible and encouraged to take this course; please note that students will need to convocate in November 2022 rather than May 2022. A certificate of BSW completion can be provided to graduating students for future employers in the interim until they receive their diploma.

Students in other health professions, such as Nursing and Public Health, are encouraged to apply. Strong applications from students who are not in a health professional program may also be considered.

For the final round of selection, preference will be given to 4th year and Masters level students.

How to Apply

Round 1 deadline: Dec 5, 2021, 11:59 PM PST

Round 2 deadline: Jan 16, 2022, 11:59 PM PST

Round 3/ Final Round deadline: Mar 6, 2022, 11:59 PM PST

Interested students are encouraged to apply through the application link below. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage interested students to apply as soon as possible.

Please note: A program meeting will be conducted for selected students on March 4th 2022, Friday from 4:30-6:00pm. We request you to keep your availability open for this time in order to attend the meeting you may be invited to. Thank you.

Apply here

Program Fees

There are program fees, outside of tuition, for this course. The finalized cost per student is yet to be confirmed, but will be within the range listed below.

Full Program: $3,900-$4,400

Estimated Flight cost: $2000, Flight cost with ARA Funding: $600

Fee with ARA Funding: $1,170-1,320

Program cost includes:
Pre-departure learning sessions at UBC
Room and board
Transportation from the airport to your placement site
Orientation in host country
In-session debrief and workshop part way through your placement
Reflection materials
Community partner management fee
Program management fee

*Fees may be adjusted before offer. Program costs vary primarily due to cost of living expenses per country and region. Placements may be in other countries where ISL community partners are located.

Program fees do not include the cost of tuition.

Please see the Funding Opportunities section below for information on awards that are available to cover some of the cost of the program.

Funding Opportunities

Arts Research Abroad Award

Students in this course are eligible to be assessed for the ARA award. This award is granted to the top academic performers in the program, who meet all eligibility criteria. Decisions of who will be awarded the ARA funding will be made after selection for the program has been completed. Limited numbers of ARA awards are available. All students will be assessed automatically for the award. No separate application is necessary.

The ARA award will offset up to 70% of the cost. In cases of demonstrated financial need (determined by Enrollment Services), ARA may fund up to 100% of the program costs and flight.

To meet the minimum requirements for ARA funding for SOWK 440J/571, you must:
Be a third year, fourth year, or Masters Faculty of Arts student
Be based at the Vancouver campus
Be enrolled in a qualifying major for the course (Social Work)
Have a minimum of 70% in the top 24 credits of the previous academic year
Priority will be given to students that have 75% in the top 27 credits of the previous academic year (2018/19)
Be enrolled in 24 credits in the Winter Session prior to the program

Regional and International Service Learning Award

This $1500 award is open to all UBC students participating in SOWK 440J/571. Eligibility requirements are as follows:

Have a minimum GPA of 70% in the top 21 credits of the previous academic year. Priority will be given to students that have 75% in the top 27 credits of the previous academic year.
Be enrolled in at least 24 credits in the current academic year or enrolled in maximum sufficient credits to satisfy graduation requirements if this is your final year.

When you apply to any eligible program, you will be automatically assessed for the Regional and International Service Learning Award.
Note: Only one Award can be held at a time. The award that has a higher value is automatically applied.

Information Session: TBD

The next Zoom information session is TBD. The course professor Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim and ORICE director, Tamara Baldwin will both be present.

ECON 490 008 Problems and Controversies in the Economy

Program Overview

ECON 490 is the capstone course of the Economics Majors program at the VSE. It is designed to introduce students to hands-on economic research, in a small-group setting, with close supervision from a faculty member. This section of ECON 490 engages community based experiential research through ISL as a pedagogy.

ECON 490 008 is a 3 credit capstone Economics course from January to August including a 3 month international service-learning placement from May to August. This page describes the international service learning (ISL) placement associated with ECON 490 008; find more information about the capstone course here.

Course Description

Economics 490 008 Problems and Controversies in the Economy: Responding to Community Priorities in a Global Context is a capstone course integrating an international service learning(ISL) approach with rigorous academic studies.

The aim of this course then is to both deepen and broaden students’ understanding of the process of sustainable economic development as it affects poor communities through student participation in applied community-based research through ISL. Students will undertake a research project related to a specific economic problem of relevance to the community organization with whom they will be placed with. The academic content will prepare students to think critically and reflectively during their placements, connecting experience to scholarly literature, so that insights gained can be presented afterward as a contribution to the economic discipline.

The in-class instruction will be in T2, and again in August/September. Placements abroad will take place for a 12 week period from May to August and are coordinated by ORICE.

Note: Grades will be posted in August 2022. Students enrolling in this option will not be eligible for May 2022 graduation given that the remote placements will be in progress at that time.

International Service Learning Program

Student enrollment in ECON 490 008 is part of the ISL program and requires full participation in:

ECON 490 seminars on campus from January-April 2022
ORICE pre-departure learning sessions from Jan-April 2022
12 week International Service Learning (ISL) placement from the beginning of May to the beginning of August 2022
Mid-placement workshop facilitated by ORICE at the end of June
Return seminar and final course-work on campus in August 2022
ORICE re-entry debrief session and activities in August 2022

Risk: COVID-19

The program will adhere to the recommendations from Global Affairs Canada on travel, including an analysis of COVID transmissions, vaccination rates, travel requirements regarding vaccination, etc. While significant uncertainty remains about the possibility of travel in Summer 2022, in the event it is not, this program will continue as a remote student placement.

More information

Expand all

Collapse all

Eligibility Criteria

Students interested in taking part of the international service learning portion of the course must be registered in ECON 490. If you require assistance with ECON 490 course registration, please email Undergraduate Student Support (vse.undergrad@ubc.ca). ECON 490 course eligibility:

Open to all Economics students who have completed: all of ECON 325, ECON 326 and one of ECON 301, ECON 304 and one of ECON 302, ECON 305.
Priority will be given to students who have successfully completed a course involving community engaged learning in Economics.

Note: Grades will be posted in August 2022. Students enrolling in this option will not be eligible for May 2022 graduation given that the remote placements will be in progress at that time.

Placement Description

As a part of the ECON 490 008 course, you will be enrolled in an International Service Learning placement. Specific placements will be announced in March 2022. ECON 490 008 placements may be located in Mexico, Costa Rica, India, Kenya, Uganda, or other countries where ISL community partners are located.

Living Environment

In Uganda, Kenya and India, you will live with host families in modest conditions. In most cases, you will take public transport to and from your placement. In Mexico and Costa Rica you will live in hostel-style accommodations with modest living conditions on the placement site.

How to Apply

Review course and program details (please contact ubc.isl@ubc.ca with any questions you may have).
Review the ECON 490 008 course description on the Economics website and apply first through the Economics website.
Note: We will only be reviewing applications from those who have filled out the initial ECON 490 008 application form
Successful applicants will be contacted by email to continue the selection process (see below).
Students who have been selected to participate in ECON 490 008 will be force registered in the course and removed from any other 490 sections.

Process and Timeline

Selection Process

To apply please fill out and submit an online application. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview. After interviews, you will be notified of a decision; successful candidates will be sent an offer letter with further details on the program and detailed instructions on how to accept. You will have approximately one week after receiving the offer letter to accept. Your selection into the ISL program includes meeting eligibility requirements, as well as your initial application and your performance in the interview.

Don’t wait to apply, spaces are limited! Applications will be taken on a rolling basis until the course is full. Submitting an application is taken as a commitment to enroll in the course. Students whose application is accepted will automatically be enrolled in the course, and removed from any other 490 sections.

Pre-Departure Overview

The pre-departure learning program is designed to prepare you for an international service learning placement. This will include:

Pre-departure learning sessions taking place over the academic term leading up to departure led by staff and community development professionals.
Creation of a learning and development plan
Participant-led events/presentations
Facilitated meetings with your placement team to explore learning topics
Post-Placement Overview

Post-Departure Overview

You will participate in post-placement activities in August 2022, including:

A full day to debrief in August 2022
Return seminar and final coursework in August 2022

Gender+ Research Engagementship: Data Justice Guide (Cohort #5)

Overview:

This project originated in May 2020 with the numerous calls for the collection of disaggregated data along multiple axes of identity, many of which were amplified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This includes calls to collect race-based data; sex-disaggregated data; data including Indigenous communities; those who are differently-abled; and those in the LGBTQI/2S community; among others. Less well understood or addressed are the ways in which this kind of data collection fails to incorporate the social construction of race as a category; the politics of collecting identity-disaggregated data; the ways in which context can be stripped from datasets; the effects of surveillance on populations and communities; and how public citizens might be called into these activities on a voluntary basis. Some of these latter concepts might be held under a “data justice” conceptual umbrella in which “…fairness in the way people are made visible, represented and treated as a result of their production of digital data is necessary to determine ethical paths through a datafying world” (Taylor, 2017).

To explore the many follow-up questions arising from the increasing need to collect data and the ways in which community organizations might go about this work, the Gender+ in Research Collective (UBC ORICE) launched a research “engagementship” in which multiple cohorts, building on each others’ work, addressed a number of questions related to data justice and community-based research, and how community organizations might engage with these concepts.

Four cohorts have now worked with us on this project, attending teach-ins, workshops, and conducting their own research on how the concepts of intersectionality and data justice are engaged in community-originated research. The work of the first four cohorts has now coalesced into a ‘community guide’ whose primary focus is to introduce the concept of ‘data justice’ to community organizations who work with data or are looking to work on a data-based project, by providing definitions, examples, and reflexive questions to engage with. Striving for accessibility and usability, this guide takes the form of a PDF file, a website, and a series of posters.

Recruiting for this, the fifth cohort of this project will work with both regional and international community organizations/partners to share and distribute this guide amongst pre-existing networks of trust. Far from pretending to reinvent the wheel of data collection and management processes, this project acknowledges that community organizations already work with data and seeks to identify points of convergence between current methods of data collection, and Gender+ lenses.

We are looking for dynamic and engaging communicators who have previous experience in community organizing and who are passionate about ‘making visible’ the issues that surround data justice.

Scope:

Throughout the term, a team of 4-5 students will spend 3-5 hours each week to think through a distribution strategy and organize a series of events/initiatives that will ‘put the guide out into the world’ and achieve maximum accessibility. To conduct this work, students will be asked to engage in various activities, including, but not limited to: participating in weekly scheduled calls, strategizing the accessible distribution of this guide to a diverse range of stakeholders, planning and hosting interest-sparking events, facilitating guide-related workshops, leading a social media campaign, and constantly collecting/working with the ideas and feedback generated in this process.

Deliverables:

By October 4th, the team will familiarize themselves with the guide and with the assets created by the previous cohorts. They will also strategize the distribution plan that they will follow (social media campaign, planning of the delivery of the workshops, etc.). Over the course of the term, the students will lead their distribution strategy by hosting the events, facilitating their workshops with the concerned organizations, engaging on social media, and being attentive to (as well as proactive with) the ideas and feedback generated in the process. By the end of the term, students will be asked to provide a final report with resources for continued engagement (for instance, a workshop facilitation plan) and give a short presentation to the Gender+ in Research Collective about their key learnings.

While the program’s facilitators have drafted the program structure and suggested milestones for the project, students will be given the flexibility to co-design and modify their final outcomes as they deem relevant and in coordination with ORICE project managers. The students participating in this cohort of the Gender+ collective will be supported by ORICE team leads throughout the duration of this project.

Academic integration:

Please note this is a not-for-credit unpaid opportunity. If you are interested in making this a student-directed study course, please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca to discuss the process to explore this option.

Anti-Racism and Ethics of Engagement:

The Gender+ in Research Collective and the Office for Regional and International Community Engagement (UBC ORICE) are committed to embedding anti-racism in our daily work and ongoing projects. Students are encouraged and expected to consider how they can take an anti-racist lens to the work they produce around citizen science, data collection and use, and connections between community-based organizations, academics, and government. This might include, but is not limited to, ensuring the incorporation of the ongoing and often unrecognized work of organizations advocating for justice for minorities, particularly during the pandemic; or engaging with the politics of citation in including and citing the work of non-white scholars and other researchers.

Eligibility

Be an undergraduate or graduate student (domestic or international) at the University of British Columbia with 60 or more completed credits as of May 1st, 2021. (Note: recent grads are welcome to apply but priority will be given to current undergraduate students);
Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely;
Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively;
Demonstrate ability to take initiative and work in a collaborative environment;
Prior experience engaging with community organizations is an asset;
Experience with workshop facilitation and public speaking is an asset;
Prior knowledge about or interest in data justice, gender intersectionality, and community-based data collection initiatives is an asset, but not necessary.

Timeline:

Deadline: September 12, 2021 @ Noon 12.00pm PST (updated)
Successful shortlisted candidates contacted by: September 13, 2021
Short interviews on: September 13th week
Project dates: September 20, 2021, to December 7, 2021

How to apply:

Apply here, noting the following deadlines and dates for the engagementship.

Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

About the Gender+ in Research Collective:

The Gender+ in Research Collective works to promote a community for rich dialogue in which gender and other intersections, including race, Indigeneity, class, sexuality, and ability (among other intersections of identity), are considered when conducting community-based research. The Collective focuses on capacity building and providing the tools researchers need to utilize a gender+ lens. The Collective is housed within and supported by the UBC Office for Regional and International Community Engagement (UBC ORICE).

_________________________

Taylor, L. (2017). What is data justice? The case for connecting digital rights and freedoms globally. Big Data & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951717736335

The Gender+ in Research Collective acknowledges that we organize, research, and learn on unceded traditional xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory. We understand that both gender and research have been used as tools of colonization on these lands, and commit to working towards disentangling gender+ research from colonialism and Indigenous genocide.

Storytelling & Advocacy Engagementship

Overview:

From the narratives that we tell about ourselves to those that inspire us to change, stories are the heartbeat of solidarity, potential understanding, and, ultimately, action. Beyond the sharing of mere facts, they have the ability to convey and unlock the depths of human experiences and push one to adopt new ways of life. But, in a context of overlapping climate and social crises, what are the intersections between storytelling and advocacy? What did advocacy look like for community leaders during the isolation of the past year? And how does one engage with people that are resistant to change?

Far from showcasing already-made ‘solutions’ or ‘theories’, it is to discuss, engage others in dialog and introduce the complexities of advocacy that the UBC Office of Regional and International Community Engagement (ORICE) seeks to develop a series of podcast episodes on the multiple edges of this topic. This medium will also be an opportunity to further unpack the inputs of, build upon the work of, and give lasting life to the past events organized by ORICE and its current projects intersecting advocacy, such as the Scholars at Risk and Human Rights Collective and the Collective for Gender+ in Research.

We are looking for curious storytellers (and/or participants interested in podcast-making) who have a great sense of initiative and who are passionate about social justice and advocacy. Together, they will form a team that will start, from scratch, the conceptualization and the production of a five-part podcast series podcast, launched later in the academic year.

Scope:

Throughout the year, a team of 2-4 students will spend 3-5 hours each week to conceptualize and produce the podcast series while achieving maximum accessibility to the aimed-at audience. To conduct this work, students will be asked to engage in various activities, including, but not limited to: participating in weekly scheduled calls, receiving the training of podcast-making and interviewing, brainstorming about and articulate its topics, audience, and invited speakers, hold interviews, edit, and produce the podcast. It is because this opportunity requires starting a project from scratch and learning new skills that we expect to spread over the whole academic year.

Deliverables & Milestones:

From mid-September to the end of November, the team will receive training on the production of podcasts and will familiarize itself with the literature surrounding advocacy and its connections with the work of ORICE. They will also conceptualize and plan the production of podcast episodes (which will take place during the second half of the academic year). By the end of the term, students will be asked to provide a production calendar and a short presentation about the series to the team at ORICE.

From January to the last week of March, the team will conduct the research, hold the interviews, and edit the episodes of the podcast. Meeting with the communications assistant at ORICE, they will also think about the distribution strategy of this project. By the end of the term, students will be asked to provide a final report (on their tips and resources for continued podcast-making) and give a short presentation to the team at ORICE about their key learnings.

While the program’s facilitators have drafted the program structure and suggested milestones for the project, students will be given the flexibility to co-design and modify their outcomes as they deem relevant and in coordination with ORICE project leads. The students participating in this engagementship will be supported by ORICE team leads throughout this project.

Academic integration:

Anti-Racism and Ethics of Engagement:

The Office for Regional and International Community Engagement (UBC ORICE) is committed to embedding anti-racism in our daily work and ongoing projects. Students are encouraged and expected to consider how they can take an anti-racist lens to the work they produce around citizen science, data collection and use, and connections between community-based organizations, academics, and government. This might include, but is not limited to, ensuring the incorporation of the ongoing and often unrecognized work of organizations advocating for justice for minorities, particularly during the pandemic; or engaging with the politics of citation in including and citing the work of non-white scholars and other researchers.

Eligibility

Be an undergraduate or graduate student (domestic or international) at the University of British Columbia with 60 or more completed credits as of May 1st, 2021. (Note: recent grads are welcome to apply but priority will be given to current undergraduate students);
Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely;
Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively;
Demonstrate ability to take initiative and work in a collaborative environment;
Prior experience with content production is an asset
Prior knowledge about or interest in advocacy, social justice, and storytelling is an asset, but not necessary.

Timeline:

How to apply:

Please fill out the application form here, noting the following deadlines and dates for the engagementship.

Deadline: September 12, 2021 @ Noon 12.00pm PST (updated)

Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

______________________________________________________

The Office for Regional and International Community Engagement (ORICE) acknowledges that we organize, research, and learn on unceded traditional xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory. We understand that both gender and research have been used as tools of colonization on these lands, and commit to working towards disentangling gender+ research from colonialism and Indigenous genocide.

Ethics of International Engagement and Service-Learning Engagementship Opportunity: Updating the Guidebook 10 years later

Overview:

Over a decade ago, a group of faculty, staff and students began to convene to discuss shared questions and concerns related to international engagement and service learning – particularly as it related to university activities of research, teaching and learning, and public engagement. Why was research being done in particular locations? How was it being done? By who? With who? Why were students motivated to participate in volunteer activities abroad? In global seminars or service-learning courses? How were immersive courses being framed and who was the learning meant to benefit? All of these questions and more led us to ask ourselves, how we could come together to critically think, dialogue and act upon some of these questions. How could we hold ourselves accountable to a strong ethic of engagement? What did we mean by a strong ethic of engagement? And what resources existed to support this critical learning and reflection? This group secured TLEF funding to engage students, staff, faculty and community partners to develop the Ethics of International Engagement and Service-Learning (EIESL) project, and its related community of practice.

The community and resources developed through EIESL have been a tremendous resource over the last decade, and now, we would like to engage a new cohort of students, staff, faculty and community to dialogue and develop a 2.0 version that reflects current discourse grounded in the social, political, economic and ecological realities of our day. What does community engagement on global issues mean to you? What is the role of the academic institution on such issues? Has higher education’s role changed? How might we engage the campus community in a renewed conversation? Join us in shaping the next version of this project!

We are looking for collaborators with skills in project design, and a strong interest in ethical participatory community engagement. Successful candidates for this opportunity will demonstrate experience or interest in:

Undertaking a deep exploration into existing EIESL materials to be able to adopt an asset-based approach to build from existing strengths.

Collaboratively developing a participatory process to engage the campus and community members into a renewed conversation and set of actions on ethical engagement.
A commitment to continual learning and engagement with topics of ethics, social justice, anti-racism and related conversations

Scope:

Beginning in January 2022, a team of 4-5 students will spend 3-5 hours each week exploring the many ways that international (and local) engagement has changed over the years since launching the original EIESL guidebook, and consider how our ethical framework should also adapt to reflect this. Cohort 1 of this project will meet with some of the original faculty, staff and students involved in EIESL 1.0 to learn more about the original motivations and process for the project. Many original members will remain involved as teammates or mentors on the project. Simultaneously, cohort #1 will undertake a review and content analysis of the various EIESL resources and do a preliminary literature review to identify opportunities and gaps in existing frameworks. Following this familiarization process, the cohort will consider how to renew participation on this topic and identify initial areas/topics to prompt dialogue. Cohort #1 will take place from January – April 2022. This is expected to be a multi-stage project (approx. 2.5 years in duration) and will be coordinated through UBC ORICE (one of the original contributors to EIESL). Cohort #1 will be part of developing the roadmap (project plan) for the overall project.

Students participating in this project will develop skills that include: project design, literature reviews, and campus/community outreach planning.

Deliverables & Milestones:

Students will meet with a selection of original team members to further explore the intentions of the first project, how it shaped their academic and professional trajectories, and how they know the guide and supplemental resources to have been used over the years.
Students will conduct a review of existing resources, and begin to identify potential opportunities and gaps that can serve as dialogue prompts in the campus/community engagement process.
Students will conduct a preliminary literature review on ethics of engagement to supplement the review of opportunities and gaps identified in the resource review.
Students will support the development of a participatory plan for re-engaging the wider UBC community on the overall project.
Students will be asked to provide a transitional report with a summary of the activities they have undertaken throughout the engagementship and recommendations for subsequent cohorts.
The students will additionally give a short presentation to the team at ORICE about their key learnings.

While the program’s facilitators have drafted the program structure and suggested milestones for the project, students will be given the flexibility to co-design and modify their outcomes as the project unfolds in coordination with ORICE project leads. The students participating in this engagementship will be supported by ORICE team leads throughout this project.

Academic integration:

Anti-Racism and Ethics of Engagement:

UBC ORICE is committed to embedding anti-racism in our daily work and ongoing projects. Students are encouraged and expected to consider how they can take an anti-racist lens when producing and using the developed content through ORICE, between between community-based organizations, academics, private organizations and government. This might include, but is not limited to, ensuring the application of intellectual humility, valuing and including marginalized groups ways of knowing, and reflecting on how power can be used and is used at the individual, community and institutional levels towards facilitating or inhibiting change.

Eligibility Criteria

Be an undergraduate or graduate student (domestic or international) at the University of British Columbia with 60 or more completed credits as of September, 2021. ;
Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend remote meetings; Meetings are likely to be a mix of in person and remote.
Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively;
Demonstrate ability to take initiative and work in a collaborative environment;
Prior experience engaging with community organizations an asset;
Experience with participatory project design and public speaking is an asset;
Prior knowledge about or interest in ethical participatory community engagement is an asset

How to Apply

Please fill out the application form here, noting the following deadlines and dates for the engagementship. The application deadline is January 16, 2022 @ 11.59pm PST. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis; apply before it's too late! Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

Timeline

Round 3 Deadline*

Deadline: January 16, 2022 @ 11.59pm PST
Successful shortlisted candidates contacted by: January 17th, 2022
Short interviews: January 18th-21st
Offers December: January 21st

Project dates: Week of January 24th, 2022 to April 4th, 2022

*The above dates are for the final round of applications and updated on Jan 11 2022.

Scholars At Risk & Human Rights Collective: Academic Freedom and Human Rights Research Engagementship

Overview:

This co-curricular opportunity is a collaboration between Scholars at Risk (SAR), SAR’s Canada Section (SAR-CAN), the UBC SAR & HRC, and the UBC Office of Regional and International Community Engagement (ORICE). Students will engage in human rights reporting and analysis that will further our understanding of threats to academic freedom in Canada and the policies in place to protect it. Student research conducted on the current climate in Canada will also be of use to the wider SAR Network and other organizations which take a rights-based approach to protect the life and liberty of scholars around the world.

Go, Houston, Kim, Liu, Mendoza, Phuong, Roger, and Soebroto completed a comparative analysis of 23 university institutions across Canada, which are all members of SAR Canada. Their report and presentation are published here

About the Scholars At Risk & Human Rights (SAR&HR) Collective:

The Scholars At Risk and Human Rights Collective at UBC supports Scholars at Risk (SAR)’s international initiative for advocacy, protection, and learning towards academic freedom and respect for scholars’ human rights. SAR&HR Collective spans across the three arms of SAR’s work – protection, learning, and advocacy. We focus primarily on the learning and advocacy arms of the Scholars at Risk mandate and complement the protection work carried out under the VP International.

Led by Dr. Jenny Peterson, the experiential human rights research project started as the PURE-Funded project (2019-2022) and we are now working to consolidate and expand our programming in ways that support and engage with other human rights-focused learning opportunities at UBC. The project is supported by the Office of the Dean of Arts, Office of the Vice Provost International, the Scholars at Risk Network, and the Office of Regional and International Community Engagement (ORICE).

Deliverables:

A gathering of policies related to the protection of Academic Freedom across the higher education sector in Canada
Comparative analysis of policies with the aim of providing a summary of key questions and dilemmas impacting the ability to move towards a rights-based approach to Academic Freedom in Canada and globally
Analysis of key Canadian cases where the safety and security of the scholarly community was at risk to help illustrate the tangible impacts and need for the above policies (or improvements to them)
Written brief of the research conducted and a presentation to interested stakeholders such as UBC Faculty and Administration, UBC’s SAR-HRC, SAR (Global), and SAR Canada staff
Presentation/advocacy to the Canadian government and non-governmental representatives where appropriate
Raising awareness of some of the threats to academic freedom locally, nationally, and internationally

Project dates:

Week of September 13, 2021, to December 7, 2021

What to expect:

Over a period of 12 weeks from September to December 2021, teams of students will spend 4-6 hours each week to work collaboratively towards understanding and how the Canadian Higher Education sector is responding to threats to Academic Freedom in Canada and how such policies might inform the rights-based approach taken by global SAR Network and the work of SAR-Canada. Students will be asked to participate in weekly scheduled calls or meetings to ensure collaboration and accountability goals are defined and met. However, much of the allotted time will be self-directed as per agreements with teammates. Where possible, these sessions will be embedded in weekly calls or meetings though some may fall outside of regularly scheduled times. Depending on COVID restrictions and accessibility requirements of the team, some meetings may also occur in person or take an online/hybrid format.

Academic integration:

Please note this is a not-for-credit, unpaid research opportunity. If you are interested in making this a student-directed study course, please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca to discuss the possibility of this option.

Eligibility:

Be an undergraduate student (domestic or international) in the Faculty of Arts at UBC with 60 or more completed credits as of May 1st, 2021. Undergraduate students not meeting 60 credits or outside of the Faculty of Arts, as well as graduate students, can apply but preference will be given to undergraduate Arts students with 60+ credits.
Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend meetings remotely if online meetings are required.
Demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively and be willing to take responsibility and initiative to meet project deliverables.
Prior knowledge about academic freedom or human rights monitoring initiatives is an asset, but not necessary
Able to work within Pacific Time Zone (PST) in cases where virtual meetings are required.

Anti-Racism and Ethics of Engagement:

Scholars At Risk & Human Rights Collective and the Office for Regional and International Community Engagement (UBC ORICE) are committed to embedding anti-racism in our daily work and ongoing projects. Students are encouraged and expected to consider how they can take an anti-racist lens to the work they produce around citizen science, data collection and use, and connections between community-based organizations, academics, and government. This might include, but is not limited to, ensuring the incorporation of the ongoing and often unrecognized work of organizations advocating for justice for minorities, particularly during the pandemic; or engaging with the politics of citation in including and citing the work of non-white scholars and other researchers.

Timeline:

Deadline: August 22, 2021 @ 11.59pm PST
Successful shortlisted candidates contacted by: August 27, 2021
Short interviews by: week of Aug 30th
Project dates: Week of September 13, 2021 to December 7, 2021

How to apply:

Thank you for your interest. The recruitment for this program has now closed.

Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

_________________________________________________________

The Scholars At Risk & Human Rights Collective acknowledges that we organize, research, and learn on unceded traditional xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory.

ECON 490 008 Problems and Controversies in the Economy

Note: Courses that involve international travel will be subject to travel restrictions issued by UBC, the Canadian government and the host country. While plans are in place to consider travel for 2022, students should understand that the changing landscape of COVID-19 will determine the viability closer to the date. Should travel not be possible, this course will be taught on campus with remote project collaborations with community organizations and guest speakers joining remotely

Program Overview

Course Description

The in-class instruction will be in T2, and again in August/September. Placements abroad will take place for a 12 week period from May to August and are coordinated by ORICE.

Note: Grades will be posted in August 2022. Students enrolling in this option will not be eligible for May 2022 graduation given that the remote placements will be in progress at that time.

International Service Learning Program

Student enrollment in ECON 490 008 is part of the ISL program and requires full participation in:

ECON 490 seminars on campus from January-April 2022
ORICE pre-departure learning sessions from Jan-April 2022
12 week International Service Learning (ISL) placement from the beginning of May to the beginning of August 2022
Mid-placement workshop facilitated by ORICE at the end of June
Return seminar and final course-work on campus in August 2022
ORICE re-entry debrief session and activities in August 2022

More information

Expand all

Collapse all

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all Economics students who have completed: all of ECON 325, ECON 326 and one of ECON 301, ECON 304 and one of ECON 302, ECON 305.
Priority will be given to students who have successfully completed a course involving community engaged learning in Economics.

Note: Grades will be posted in August 2022. Students enrolling in this option will not be eligible for May 2022 graduation given that the remote placements will be in progress at that time.

Placement Description

Living Environment

How to Apply

Review course and program details (please contact ubc.isl@ubc.ca with any questions you may have).
Review the ECON 490 008 course description on the Economics website and apply first through the Economics website.
Note: We will only be reviewing applications from those who have filled out the initial ECON 490 008 application form
Successful applicants will be contacted by email to continue the selection process (see below).
Students who have been selected to participate in ECON 490 008 will be force registered in the course and removed from any other 490 sections.

Process and Timeline

Selection Process

Pre-Departure Overview

The pre-departure learning program is designed to prepare you for an international service learning placement. This will include:

Pre-departure learning sessions taking place over the academic term leading up to departure led by staff and community development professionals.
Creation of a learning and development plan
Participant-led events/presentations
Facilitated meetings with your placement team to explore learning topics
Post-Placement Overview

Post-Departure Overview

You will participate in post-placement activities in August 2022, including:

A full day to debrief in August 2022
Return seminar and final coursework in August 2022

ECON 492d – The Economics of Sustainable Development

Communities, Markets and Technology

Program Overview

Applications are currently being reviewed in the order received. The program will close when full, OR at 11:59 pm on January 1st, 2018, which ever comes first.

Eligibility Criteria

Students who have completed their second year (54 credits) by January 1, 2018 and who have completed a minimum of nine credits in Economics.

ECON 492d has multiple components

Pre-departure learning program from January – April 2018
ECON classes run on campus from January to end of May 2018
12 weeks of fieldwork in a Regional Service Learning placement for June & July 2018 and remote follow-up as needed in August 2018
Return seminar and final course-work on campus in September 2018
Re-entry debrief and public engagement presentation on campus in September – October 2018

Course Description

Communities, Markets and Technology is a six credit course integrating an international /regional service learning approach with rigorous academic studies. The aim of the course is to both deepen and broaden students’ understanding of the process of economic development as it affects poor communities in East Africa, India and Latin America. In particular, students will explore the problems and concerns of developing communities in relation to ways that resilient, healthy communities are able to create sustainable livelihoods, to support rather than deplete the local or regional environment, and to build local economies that ensure the well-being of all community members.

Example Syllabus draft: Econ-492d-Course-Outline-2018

Regional Service Learning Placement Description

As a part of the ECON 492d course, we will be piloting a new partnership with Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT), in Tofino, BC. CBT will host 2 student regional service learning (RSL) placements. Students in this placement will work with CBT on research/inquiry studies that bring together social, cultural, economic, and environmental information to tell a story about the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve region and measure the vitality these communities. The UN SDG’s provide a global and universal lens to examine wide issues of poverty, climate action, ocean health, economic growth etc, and will help to frame this regional placement in the global context as discussed in the course.

This placement is part of a new partnership and is best suited to students who are open to ambiguity and ready to not only collaborate effectively in the internship activities, but to also participate in establishing a respectful, professional and reciprocal relationship with the host organization and community.

Regional Partner: Clayoquot Biosphere Trust

Two decades ago residents were looking for ways to be more sustainable while continuing the traditional economic activities of the region, such as logging and fishing and subsequently came together to find solutions towards a better future for their ecosystem and their communities. In January 2000, Clayoquot Sound was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This recognition celebrates the unique ecosystems of Clayoquot Sound and the people who work so hard to encourage a respectful and sustainable relationship with our environment.

The mission of the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) is to assist the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Region Community to achieve its vision by providing funding and logistical support for research, education and training initiatives that promote conservation and sustainable development. The CBT will facilitate the sharing and exchange of knowledge and experience both locally and globally. The CBT will accomplish these objectives by working creatively and proactively within the framework of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere programme.

Living Environment

Tofino, like many regions in BC, is facing a housing shortage – an issue that is heightened in the summer months when Tofino experiences its peak tourist season. As such, due to this placement being a new partnership, the living environment will be determined in the preceding months. Students should be prepared to live in possible options such as homestay with family, rental space, or hostel /shared living environment.

Program Dates

Date	Activity
Nov. 30, 2017	Regional placement application open. Applications are currently being reviewed in the order received. Placement will close when full, OR at 11:59 pm on December 10th, 2017, whichever comes first.
January – April 2018	Orientation and pre-departure learning sessions (all successful applicants will be expected to be in attendance at all sessions)
January – April + May, 2018	ECON 492d course
Late May – August 2018	12 week regional placement including a facilitated workshop approximately mid-way through (exact dates TBA) (8 weeks on location, 4 weeks remote)
September 2018	ECON 492d Course – Post Placement seminar and assignments due (exact times TBA)
September – October 2018	RSL Post-placement reflection sessions and Public Engagement Presentation

*Please note these dates may be adjusted but will be confirmed prior to offer.

Program Costs

Please see the Awards & Eligibility section below for more information. The finalized cost per student is yet to be confirmed, but will be within the ranges in the table below.

Location	Full Program Fee
Tofino	$2,900 – $3,200

NOTE: The RSL Program fee is separate from UBC course tuition. Tuition dues will be appear on your Student Services Centre account at the beginning of the term(s) in which you receive course credit.

The program cost includes:

Pre-departure learning sessions at UBC
Housing in Tofino
Transportation from UBC to Tofino return
Orientation program in Tofino
In-session debrief and workshop partway through your placement
Reflection materials and post public engagement events
Program management fee

*Fees may be adjusted before offer. Program costs vary primarily due to cost of living expenses.

Additional Information

All expenses not covered in program costs are responsibility of the student. Costs not included are tuition, food during placement, local transportation while on placement, personal items, and daily incidentals. You will be required to bring your own laptop.

Processes & Timeline

Selection Process

To apply please fill out and submit an online application. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview. After interviews, you will be notified of a decision; successful candidates will be sent an offer letter with further details on the program and detailed instructions on how to accept. You will have approximately one week after receiving the offer letter to accept and pay a program deposit. Your selection into the RSL program includes meeting eligibility requirements, as well as your initial application and your performance in the interview.

Don’t wait to apply, limited spaces exist!

Pre-Departure Overview

The pre-departure learning program is designed to prepare you for an regional service learning placement. This will include:

Pre-departure learning sessions taking place over the academic term leading up to departure led by staff and community development professionals.
Creation of a learning and development plan
Participant-led events/presentations
Facilitated meetings with your placement team to explore learning topics

Post-Placement Overview

You will participate in post-placement activities in September- October 2018, including:

A full day to debrief in September 2018
Return seminar and final coursework in September 2018
Presentation at a Global Development Symposium in October 2018