UBC Robson Square Community Report

2011

Celebrating a decade of

community engagement and

lifelong learning in the heart of

downtown Vancouver

Community Solutions: Planning & Evaluation ... Public Health &

Climate Change … UBC Opera Ensemble: Free Noon Hour Music

Series … Japanese Nationals: Earthquake Dialogue & Response …

Aboriginal Women: Law & Equality … The Art of Short Story Writing

… The Future of News Forum ... Volunteer Development Art

Exhibition Project: Expressions from Girls in Vancouver Youth

Detention Centre ... Global Islam Dialogue ... Engineers Without

Borders … Kids Upfront Foundation Workshop … Governor General’s

Leadership Conference … BC Human Rights Coalition … Russian

Cinema: Freedom & Restraint … Consul General of Mexico:

Education Conference ... UBC Alumni Dialogues ... Sustainability

Conversations … First Nations Presidential Roundtable ...

Approaches to Retirement Aging & the Power of Mindfulness …

Arts Wednesdays – Street Vendors in China … Canada Wilderness

Committee … Indian Community Roundtable ... Building

Confidence & Resilience in Women … International Indigenous

Rights Movements ... The Napoleonic Legacy in Western Art ...

Canadian Immigration Information Sessions ... National Crime

Prevention Centre Discussion... Robson Reading Series ... Power of

Emotional Intelligence … Republic of Korea Film Screening

Background: UBC Robson Square Theatre Seating

At a Glance

Facility hosted 40,000 course participants.

80,000 sq ft designed to provide exceptional meeting spaces for adult learners.

Conveniently accessible by transit.

Award winning architecture by Arthur Erickson.

Adjacent to civic precinct: Vancouver Art Gallery, BC Law Courts and public gardens.

With thanks to our Signature Partners:

HSBC Bank Canada and TELUS.

a place of community engagement

UBC Robson Square proudly celebrates

ten years of community engagement

and lifelong learning in the heart of

Vancouver.

We welcome individuals and groups

from all cultures, demographics and

backgrounds to explore new ideas,

engage in meaningful dialogue and

acquire beneficial skills to enrich their

lives.

This past year, our facility hosted

outstanding community events, public

forums, music concerts, lectures, author

readings and art exhibits, attracting over

8,000 participants. See a sampling of

events on the adjacent page.

We value the many community

partnerships we have forged over the

past decade and look forward to

fostering and developing new

relationships in the future.

Two

Executive Masters in Business Administration ... Social Media

Program … World Languages Program ... Sustainability

Leadership & Strategies for Transformation ... Masters in Health

Administration ... International Development … Web

Intelligence ... Immigration: Law, Policies & Procedures ...

Program Management... Business Family Centre Seminars …

North America’s Most Sustainable City Seminar Leading in a

Unionized Workplace … Family Law Mediation ... Best Practices

in Business Management for Global Media Companies …

Structuring & Managing Strategic Alliances ... Criminal Justice

Cybercrime Training … Leading High Performance Teams …

Sustainability Food Systems: Issues & Implications … Digital Media

for Entertainment … Art of Facilitation … Social Media Governance

… Mobile Technology, Design & Marketing ... Network

Administration & Security Professional ... Web Analytics…

Electronic Evidence & Electronic Trials … Technical & Design

Processes in Digital Media Development … Business Analysis …

Building Green with LEED … Pediatrics: Emergency Updates …

Valuation of Mineral Projects … Strategic Decision Making

Background: Robson Square stairs and ramp

a place of lifelong learning

Serving as a hub for professional

development and lifelong learning

experiences throughout our region and

beyond, the rich campus offerings

include part-time master’s degrees,

certificate programs, courses, seminars,

international conferences and breakfast

briefings.

Last year we hosted over 2,200 courses,

serving over 32,000 registrants. They

included adults seeking new strategies,

skills and perspectives to enhance their

careers; leaders looking for effective

solutions to organizational challenges and

growth opportunities; and individuals

exploring life paths and ways to add value

to their communities.

We also provide an educational home to

a broad range of associations for their

professional development programs.

Our Students

General Public … Lawyers … Health

Professionals … Technology Specialists …

Business Executives & Managers … Writers …

Educators … Accountants … Graduate-

Level Students … International Negotiators ...

Sustainability Managers … Non-Profit &

Social Service Professionals … Engineers …

Foresters … Government Ministries …

Realtors … Artists … Musicians …

Architects … Physicians … Entrepreneurs …

Four

Operational Achievements: UBC Robson Square Administrative Team

Lease renewal successfully negotiated for 10 + 10 years.

Four staff (22% of FTEs) obtained University degrees this year (International Development, Journalism, Political Science, Psychology).

UBC President’s New Leadership Award presented to Event Manager.

Internal online newsletter (quarterly) initiated to enhance organizational culture.

Quality educational facility maintained despite four years of Provincial building site remediation.

Sustainability initiatives expanded to cover more products and onsite composting.

Robson Square acknowledged for excellence of nationally significant architecture with 2011 Prix du XXe siècle award.

$0

$200

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

UBC Bookings Community Bookings

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sand

s

Short-Term Room Rental: 2011 Revenue

Background: Robson Square Plaza tiles

Lease & Operating

46%

Administration4%

Cost of Sales30%

Salaries (& Benefits)

20%

Expenses(Projected 2011-12)

a place of innovation and accomplishment

Six

A thousand student success

stories could be told about

UBC Robson Square.

Here are two.

Devlin O’Neil

Graduate, UBC Certificate in Project Management.

This intensive program, designed for busy

professionals, provided Devlin with a great career

transition and new skills, helping him gain a

project management position with HSBC Bank

Canada. He was impressed with the quality of

instructors and curriculum and appreciated the

downtown campus. “What’s not to love about the

location” says Devlin, “it’s close to shops, galleries,

restaurants, transit and where I live!” He now

contributes to the program as a valued guest

speaker.

Diane Richer

Graduate, UBC Certificate in Peer Counselling.

Through the program, Diane was able to deepen her

knowledge and improve her counselling skills in

many important ways. She now volunteers as a peer

counsellor with UBC Continuing Studies at UBC

Robson Square, helping people with their life and

career choices. “It’s an invaluable service to members

of the downtown community and we can really make

a difference. It’s heart-warming,” says Richer.

Inspiring minds … Transforming lives … Fostering public good …

Leveraging collaborative partnerships … Serving the community

… Building a vibrant urban hub of learning and culture …

Opportunities for public engagement … Positive impact …

Program growth … Building global networks … Future expansion

… Raised profile … Integrated presence ... Inspiring minds …

Transforming lives … Fostering public good … Leveraging

collaborative partnerships … Serving the community … Building

a vibrant urban hub of learning and culture … Opportunities for

public engagement … Positive impact … Program growth …

Building global networks … Future expansion … Raised profile …

Integrated presence … Inspiring minds … Transforming lives …

Fostering public good … Leveraging collaborative partnerships …

Serving the community … Building a vibrant urban hub of

learning and culture … Opportunities for public engagement …

Positive impact … Program growth … Building global networks …

Future expansion … Raised profile … Integrated presence …

Inspiring minds … Transforming lives … Fostering public good …

Leveraging collaborative partnerships … Serving the community

Background: Arthur Erickson’s heritage theatre wall

a place of future growth and opportunity

UBC Robson Square is continually

evolving to meet the needs of our

community, enhancing learning and

civic engagement for positive impact.

As we look towards the future, we are

exploring options to expand our

downtown presence, our profile and

the contributions we make.

We are committed to pursuing

collaborative learning opportunities

with community groups, governments,

businesses and cultural associations.

Our goal: to enhance personal and

organizational growth, while adding

value for our students and for our

society.

Eight

Looking Ahead

Expand community learning connections in support of UBC’s Strategic Plan.

Redesign and renovate entryways to enhance profile and wayfinding at street level.

Update site branding and signage to better align with UBC’s brand program.

Advance our long-term business plan to expand downtown learning, service and exhibition space with new high-profile facilities, housing successful and sustainable programs that have a powerful impact in the community.

Ethical Bean Coffee ... Ocean Wise Certification ... Sustainability

Practice ... Environmental Commitment ... Battery Recycling ...

Food Waste Composting ... LED lighting & Lights-out Signage ...

ISO 14001 Certified ... Direct Digital Controls - for optimal

scheduling of heating & cooling systems … Ethical Bean Coffee ...

Ocean Wise Certification ... Sustainability Practice ...

Environmental Commitment ... Battery Recycling ... Food Waste

Composting ... LED lighting & Lights-out Signage ... ISO 14001

Certified ... Direct Digital Controls - for optimal scheduling of

heating & cooling systems … Ethical Bean Coffee Ocean Wise

Certification ... Sustainability Practice ... Environmental

Commitment ... Battery Recycling ... Food Waste Composting ...

LED lighting & Lights-out Signage ... ISO 14001 Certified ...

Direct Digital Controls - for optimal scheduling of heating &

cooling systems … Ethical Bean Coffee ... Ocean Wise

Certification ... Sustainability Practice ... Environmental

Commitment ... Battery Recycling ... Food Waste Composting ...

LED lighting & Lights-out Signage ... ISO 14001 Certified ... Direct

Digital Controls - for optimal scheduling of heating & cooling

Background: Robson Square Plaza Dome

a place of environmental commitment

At UBC Robson Square, we are fully committed to protecting the environment. To complement the University’s sustainability goals, we place high value on waste reduction and have created an environmentally-aware and sustainable workplace. Our facility also hosts a wide range of public lectures, forums and conferences on topics of sustainability for practitioners and interested citizens. Peake of Catering, our catering partner, offers 100% Ocean Wise certified menus. We serve Ethical Bean’s fair trade, 100% organic and locally roasted, coffee. We were awarded a grant from the 2010 Xerox Workplace Sustainability Fund for our on-site composting program and have been recognized by the UBC Sustainability Office for our many successful initiatives.

Ten

As UBC’s downtown gateway, Robson Square

serves as an agent for change in

the community by integrating and

demonstrating sustainable workplace

practices, raising awareness of sustainability

issues to regional and international visitors

through public lectures, events and

conferences, and educating business

professionals on key principles and best

practices in sustainability management.

Kara McDougall,

Campus Sustainability Office

Sharing a world of opportunity in the heart of Vancouver

UBC Robson Square 800 Robson Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 3B7

T 604.822.3333 F 604.822.0070 robsonsquare.ubc.ca