Come join us at the GSS for a family-friendly game night!

Want to chill with other grad students and have a fun evening? We’re hosting a board game night at the GSS Graduate Life Centre (GLC) that’s perfect for students with dependents too! We’ve got a cool kid-friendly area where your little ones can safely play while you enjoy a variety of board games.

Activities: Board games for adults, and a dedicated area with toys and activities for kids.

DATE: Friday, February 23rd

TIME: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

LOCATION: Graduate Life Centre (GLC), 

Thea Koerner House
452 – 6371 Crescent Road
Vancouver, British Columbia V6T1Z2
Canada

Join us at the HIBAR Launch Event for an afternoon filled with fun, laughter, and connection with fellow UBC students across both campuses.

DATE: Wednesday, March 6th

TIME: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm PST

LOCATION:

Thea's Lounge, Thea Koerner House

6331 Crescent Road Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 Canada

This winter, the GSS is encouraging graduate students to enjoy the snow on beautiful Cypress Mountain! Our Winter Mountain subsidy scheme allows UBC graduate students to get discounts on lift tickets. You can get a 50% discount on a day pass to Cypress Mountains from now until March 31st. 
Go out and enjoy the snow and fresh air on the slopes, and share your visit with the rest of the grad student community on social media using the hashtag #GSSWinterFun. 

Details:- Offer available to UBC Vancouver graduate students only- 50% discount for the price of a 1-day pass- One order per student

To receive the discount you must:

Be a current graduate student at UBC's Vancouver campus

Submit your information through the link below to receive a discount code

Enter your coupon code at this link: https://shop.cypressmountain.c... (NOTE: This code is only valid through the above link. It is not valid through the main site.)

Come and learn French with GSS! This class is intended for beginners. 

DATE: Tuesday and Thursdays, February 27th to March 28th (10 sessions)

TIME: 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

LOCATION: Zoom

For more information, contact eventsassistant@gss.ubc.ca

The Varsity Outdoor Club and the Graduate Student Society are collaborating for a snowshoe trip! Grad students will join with the VOC for a beginner-friendly trip to a chill location with beautiful views. Students can learn more about the VOC while enjoying some outdoor fun. At the top, attendees can enjoy a charcuterie board and mulled wine.

We will be carpooling, so we encourage anybody with a vehicle to sign up! Drivers will be reimbursed for gas costs.

Please note that there is a mandatory pre-trip meeting on Wednesday, February 28th at 6:30 pm in the VOC clubroom. Please only sign up if you're sure you'll go.

DATE: Saturday March 2nd, 2024
TIME: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
LOCATION: VOC Clubroom (6133 University Blvd, Vancouver)

The UBC Graduate Student Society joins 9 other student unions in demanding that banks:

1. Drop Coastal Gaslink and TMX
2. Divest from fossil fuels
3. Respect Indigenous peoples Free, Prior and Informed Consent

Stop funding fossil fuels & respect Indigenous sovereignty!

Sincerely,

10 Student Unions

The GSS has set up the Graduate Student Financial Aid (GSFA), a fund to support graduate students experiencing unforeseen circumstances. This may include, but is not limited to: living expenses, prescription medications not covered by MSP, Pharmacare, and the AMS/GSS Health and Dental Plan, and the UBC Leave of Absence fee. GSFA will not cover tuition and other school fees. 

Dealing with difficult situations as a graduate student at UBC can be challenging and exhausting. Whether a student is facing financial, housing, academic or supervisory issues, knowing what to do, seeking support, and where can be very confusing. If you are in this situation, there is no need to fret. The GSS is right here to support you.

Our Advocates are uniquely positioned to help you navigate these challenges and many more by providing answers to your questions through peer support, external advocacy and resource referrals. Our team is also actively working on new policy recommendations and proposing amendments to existing UBC policies that would benefit the graduate student community of UBC.

Our advocacy coordinators are here to help you. Contact us at:  advocacy@gss.ubc.ca

The Housing Security Aid (HSA), is a newly approved fund provided by the GSS specifically to cover housing-related challenges. The purpose of the HSA is to provide housing related support to graduate students who are facing housing insecurity or challenges.

Funding examples:

• Rent/Security deposit assistance (including rent increases by landlord)
• Moving-related expenses
• Assistance with temporary accommodations
• Assistance with replacement of damaged items in the student’s units which could necessitate fines by landlord

Questions? Email gsfa@gss.ubc.ca

We are looking for creative competitors to present at the Science Slam, Vancouver’s most epic science showdown! Based on the format of a poetry slam, a science slam is a competition where speakers gather to share their science with the audience. Competitors have five minutes to present on any science topic without the use of a slideshow and are judged based on communication skills, audience impact and scientific content. Props and creative presentation styles are encouraged — no slides!
Interested? Submit your application by February 29.

We invite you to register below for the Draft Sexualized Violence Action Plan validation sessions and focus groups, hosted in partnership with Naqsmist, on behalf of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills (PSFS). This Action Plan is informed by the voices and ideas of students, faculty, staff, and additional post-secondary community partners. The early advice and recommendations from consultations with post-secondary communities and partners in 2022 shaped the draft of this plan. Your participation in the validation sessions is an opportunity to provide feedback to validate the draft actions to prevent and respond to sexualized violence at B.C. post-secondary institutions.

The Action Plan requires students and post-secondary sector partner feedback and validation. If you are willing to participate in the student focus groups, please fill out the following questions. A $50 honoraria is available for all students who attend, and will be distributed after each session.

A separate stream of validation sessions is being conducted with First Nations and Inuit people. For further information, please contact admin@mahihkan.ca. A separate stream of validation sessions is being conducted with Métis people. For further information, please contact Shyla Elgie at selgie@mnbc.ca or Josh Diemert at jdiemert@mnbc.ca.

Having thoughts of suicide? Experiencing a mental health crisis? Help is available. Call or text 9-8-8, Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline.

With Here2Talk, students have immediate access to counselling and community referral services across phone, online chat, and mobile app. All Here2Talk services are free to students and available 24/7, in multiple languages. It is accessible to all UBC students, including domestic and international students, graduate or undergraduate. No matter where they are in the world, UBC students can access Here2Talk anytime and as frequently as they require.

The Fostering Science mentorship program for youth in foster care and refugees needs undergrads/grad students/postdocs to help high school students work towards a science fair project. You would attend an orientation session and would need to commit to Zoom meetings for 1 hour every 2 weeks with one student from now until the end of May 2024. 

If you are interested or have questions, check out the Fostering Science website or email fostering.science@ubc.ca

The waitlist for the free counselling services is now open and are accepting referrals. Clients are seen by appointment only, there are no walk in services, and we do not offer crisis services. Counsellors are Counselling Psychology masters and doctoral graduate students supervised by experienced clinicians. Clients are 18+ years old from UBC community (students, staff, faculty, alumni) or anyone in the Greater Vancouver Area.

We are located at 1100-2125 Main Mall- Neville Scarfe Education Building (UBC Vancouver Campus) and are offering in-person appointments. Interested folks should call 604-822-1364 to talk with an administrator about wait-list availability and booking an initial screening intake appointment.