On Wednesday, September 5th, the University of Northern British Columbia will begin offering courses in its 21st academic year.

Final enrollment numbers for the fall will not be known until later in September. However, according to recent numbers, registrations are up almost 8% from last year. Student numbers remain consistent from previous years, at about 4300 students. The makeup of the student population is also steady, with 70% from the north central region of BC, 16% from the rest of BC, and 14% from elsewhere.

UNBC has been ranked in the top 3 of Canada’s best small schools for the past four years. Its student to faculty ratio, which is 10:1, is one of the lowest in western Canada, and as Canada’s Green University, UNBC is continuing to focus its efforts on being a leader in green energy alternatives relevant to its region.

Here's an overview of the first week of school events on campus. 

Athletics

UNBC Northern Timberwolves' first year in the CIS league begins with a women's home game on Saturday, September 15, against the University of Victoria at the Rotary Fields. The men's team returns to the pitch the weekend of Saturday, September 22nd. They'll take on Trinity Western University, while the women playing the University of Saskatchewan.

The T-Wolves basketball season begins with a weekend opener at the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre on November 9th and 10th, where both men and women's teams will host Trinity Western University. Both teams will also be presented with their first place banners from the 2011 PacWest Championships. The full schedule can be found at unbc.ca/athletics.

This is the first year that the public can purchase seasons tickets.

Programs

For the first time, UNBC will be offering the MEd in Counseling at the Fort St. John campus. The program has been extremely popular in Prince George, and there are already 16 students enrolled in Fort St. John. Classes start this September; however, those interested can still apply and begin the program in January.

Students in the first Physiotherapy (PT) cohort at UNBC will begin training this fall. The Northern and Rural Cohort (NRC) of the UBC Master of Physical Therapy program is a provincially-funded initiative developed in partnership with UNBC. The aim of the NRC is to increase recruitment and retention of physiotherapists to northern and rural areas where there is a significant shortage of physiotherapists.

Orientation

Northern Degrees Orientation 2012 starts this weekend and includes a number of activities:

Residence move-in:  Sunday, September 2, 8:30am – 7:30 PM, at the UNBC student residences. Along with President George Iwama and his wife Marilyn, UNBC staff, athletes, and returning students will help new students move into their new homes.

Parent Orientation: Sunday, September 2, 7:00 - 9:00 PM, at the Canfor Winter Garden. Parents can browse the multiple student support services available for their children while attending UNBC.

Campus tours: Monday, September 3, 9am-12pm. New students can participate in a campus tours led by current UNBC students and get help finding their classrooms.
Orientation for all new students: September 4, 8:30am to 4:00pm, at the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre. New students will have the opportunity to win prizes and explore the campus. They'll take their class of 2016 photo, tour the city of Prince George and learn about all of the academic and student success services available to them while at UNBC.

Barbeque: September 4, 11:30am-1:30pm, at the Agora Courtyard. Students can enjoy a free barbeque.