Unleash your creativity and design a one-of-a-kind swag item for the Graduate Student Society (GSS)! We’re seeking designs that embody the diverse and inclusive spirit of our graduate student community. The winning designs will receive fantastic prizes, recognition, and be featured on GSS tote bags and stickers. Submit your design by May 15 and join in celebrating something truly special.

Prizes:

• 1st Prize – $100 CAD gift card + your design featured on GSS tote bags & stickers
• People’s Choice Award – $50 CAD gift card + special recognition
• Runners-up – GSS Swag Bundle

Ready to hit the field? Join the GSS Softball League for a summer of fun, friendly competition, and community spirit!

• Season: May 22 – July 31

• Game Days: Thursdays

• Time: 5:15 PM – 8:15 PM (75-minute game slots)

• Location: Thunderbird Stadium

• Frequency: One game per week (excluding playoffs)

• Rules: View full rules here

Whether you're a seasoned player or new to the game, this league is a great way to stay active and connect with fellow grad students.

Team captains, please register your teams below to secure your spot! 

Questions? Please email: events@gss.ubc.ca.

Need a break from your thesis? Come hang out with fellow grad students for a fun and relaxed evening of conversation and laughs.

This is a low-key social where we pull random questions from a jar, perfect for sparking real talk, funny stories, and new friendships. Whether you're new to UBC or just want to unwind, everyone's welcome!

Date: Monday, May 5
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
 Venue: Graduate Life Centre (GLC)

We’ll bring the questions, you just bring yourself!

Boost Your Academic Communication – and Win!

Strengthen your communication with your academic supervisor through a free, self-paced online workshop. Learn to express your ideas clearly, navigate feedback, and build strong academic relationships.

Bonus: Complete the training by August 31 for a chance to win $50 UBC Bookstore Credit – 12 prizes available!

Enroll now ... it's free!

Get ready to move, connect, and celebrate cultures from around the world through dance!

Join us for a fun and energetic evening where a fellow grad student will introduce traditional and modern dance styles from different countries. No experience needed, just bring your curiosity and good vibes!

When: Monday, May 12
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Where: Graduate Life Centre (GLC)

Energy-boosting snacks provided! Come dance, laugh, and experience global rhythms.

UBC REC has teamed up with the GSS to offer three exciting 6-week fitness classes for students of all levels!

1. Yoga – Relax and reconnect with calming, mindful movement.  SIGN UP HERE
2. Tuesday Pilates – Build strength, flexibility, and balance through low-impact exercises. SIGN UP HERE
3. Thursday Pilates – Same great class, different day! SIGN UP HERE

The GSFA is a GSS-funded program that helps graduate students at UBC Vancouver facing unexpected financial hardship.

The aid can cover costs such as:

• Housing issues (e.g., moving, emergency repairs, sudden rent increases)

• Medical expenses (e.g., MSP fees, emergency procedures)

• Urgent travel

• Emergency situations (e.g., conflict or displacement)

• Loss of funding

Please note:

• GSFA does not cover tuition or school fees.

• Funding is limited and not all applications can be approved.

• The maximum amount available per student is $1,500.

Check your eligibility and learn more below.

Feeling stuck or isolated while working on your dissertation? You’re not alone — and you don’t have to write alone either.

Join our Dissertation Writing Co-Working Space, a virtual drop-in room where graduate students come together to work quietly, stay motivated, and make consistent progress on their writing. This space is about building momentum together, in a low-pressure, supportive environment.

Date: April 1 - August (Monday-Friday)

Time: 8:30AM - 10:30PM (drop-in anytime)

Location: Microsoft Teams

For any questions contact, Raha at rahaubc@student.ubc.ca

The GSS Loft will be closed from April 30 to August 31, as it will be used by the AMS during the Summer term. 

Graduate students will not have access during this time. We encourage students to use the GLC. 

Stop by the Graduate Life Centre every Tuesday and Thursday, 5:00 - 9:00 PM and grab what you need.

Note: One item per member of your household, ensuring everyone gets a chance to enjoy something.

Want to help shape the pantry? Vote for your favourite items in our monthly Instagram polls and see them stocked! Let’s create a community-driven, food-secure space, one delicious choice at a time.

This Week’s Menu: Persian (Sahel)

Meat Option: Kebab plate (includes tomato and rice)
Vegetarian Option: Falafel Wrap

Pickup or dine-in: Graduate Life Centre
Date: Wednesday, May 7
Time: 5:30 – 7:00 PM

The Centre for Accessibility facilitates disability-related accommodations and programming designed to remove barriers for students with documented disabilities and ongoing medical conditions. You will have confidentiality about the nature of your diagnosis per the language of LR-7.

The Centre for Accessibility works with students with permanent or ongoing conditions. Please contact your Department/Program or Graduate Advisor if you have a temporary condition. If your Program has questions, they can follow up with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

geXC Life Course is a comprehensive multi-omics symposium on Aging and Life Course. The symposium will cover a range of topics including single-cell and spatial technologies, multi-omic approaches, advances in sequencing, and data analysis. By blending academic and industry presentations with a fully catered event. 

Breakfast, lunch, and prizes available

Reserve now, limited spots

Date: May 8

Time: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Location: LSI Atrium W (2350 Health Sciences Mall)

The Black Graduate Student Network (BGSN) at the University of British Columbia is growing, and we are looking for new members to join our team. If you are passionate about community, leadership, and supporting Black graduate students at UBC, we encourage you to get involved.

Serving with BGSN is an opportunity to:

• Build meaningful connections with Black graduate students across UBC
• Support and advocate for the Black graduate community
• Develop leadership and organizational skills
• Contribute to initiatives, events, and projects that create lasting impact

This is a volunteer opportunity for those who are committed to building community and advancing the mission of BGSN at UBC.If you are interested, please complete the form here: https://forms.gle/Zu5ER5cxSr1H7zMK8 

We look forward to connecting with you.

Graduation Stole Fundraiser Supporting Education Initiative led by Youth in Gaza: Purchase a subsidized tatreez/keffiyeh graduation stole for yourself or gift one to a graduating student who celebrates their heritage or wants to show solidarity with Palestine. $20 of each purchase goes to an education initiative led by Youth in Gaza. Each stole is handmade by local Palestinian artist Mona @turath.mona on Instagram.

Pre-order here: https://tinyurl.com/grad4p

With the recent developments regarding Canada’s response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, UBC recognizes that these changes may impact your procurement needs. UBC’s procurement team is closely monitoring the situation and doing their best to minimize disruptions. Your requirements remain a top priority and we appreciate your patience as we navigate this evolving landscape.

UBC encourages you to consider sourcing from Canadian and Indigenous suppliers. If you have questions about your current purchase with a U.S. supplier, please contact the designated Buyer or Procurement Officer who is facilitating your order.

The UBC Centre for Migration Studies announced that the Migration Data Challenge is open for applicants from UBC students!

It is an exciting competition inviting students to explore underutilized Statistics Canada datasets. Participants will work in teams to develop innovative, evidence-based projects that explore disparities in geographic proximity to services and facilities among immigrants, permanent residents and Canadian-born individuals 

Students will gain hands-on experience, build professional networks, and have a chance to compete for cash prizes!

The Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s University is inviting applications for one-year Pre-Doctoral Fellowships in Black Studies.

These Fellowships are open to PhD students (from universities other than Queen’s) who are conducting doctoral research in the creative arts, humanities, social sciences, or natural and physical sciences. Applicants must have completed all PhD requirements except for their final doctoral project (e.g., dissertation), which they are expected to complete during the fellowship term.

Fellows must relocate to Kingston, where they will teach one course in the Faculty of Arts and Science and engage in the intellectual life of the university community.

Application Deadline: June 1, 2025 (Decisions by June 15, 2025)
Fellowship Term: September 1, 2025 – August 31, 2026

Award Includes:

• $37,000 annual stipend

• Benefits

• Paid teaching opportunity

• Research and conference funding

• Relocation support

Are you a CUPE 2278 Component 1 member? TA, tutor, exam invigilator, or GAA? Our current collective agreement is set to expire at the end of this summer, and it's time to make your voice heard.

Join us on Monday, May 12 from 6:00 – 7:00 PM for the Bargaining Endorsement Meeting to vote on the bargaining package we’ll bring to the table for our next agreement.

Your vote matters!

Hybrid format: Online via Motion Meetings + in-person (location TBD – food will be provided!)

AMS Peer Support is a free mental health and harm reduction service providing one-on-one peer support for UBC students. They are trained to talk about academic stress, anxiety, burnout, depression, substance use, relationships, grief, and more. They also distribute free safer sex and safer substance use supplies.