Academic Restructuring

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March 30, 2020

UNBC's Academic Restructuring project is in response to the call-to-action put forth in the Academic Action Plan – Final Recommendations to establish an organizational structure that supports creativity, flexibility and interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration, while responding to opportunities which best align with its unique skills and assets. The Academic Restructuring project is an opportunity to examine the structure and programming which have supported the institution’s successes, to incorporate changes that allow UNBC to flourish in the short-term and to position UNBC for further growth and success in the future.

The objective of the project is to provide flexibility, agility and innovation within the academic structure to respond to emerging needs, seizes future opportunities and supports the University’s vision of being “Canada’s leading destination university". The secondary objective of the project includes a restructured University budget that supports the renewed academic framework of UNBC, and enhances the quality and impact of academic programming. Achieving these objectives require in-depth conversations about UNBC’s academic programs, a deep desire to examine the University’s work and a process in which the University can enhance its current practices and programming.

Consultation and engagement sessions took place throughout 2018 and 2019 regarding thematically arranged faculties and unit alignments, and further discussions took place in 2019 and 2020 regarding the creation of the Division of Medical Sciences and the School of Engineering.

The UNBC Senate and Board of Governors approved the establishment of the following five Faculties, the unit affiliations and the Division of Medical Sciences:

Faculty of Business and Economics

  • School of Business
  • Department of Economics

Faculty of Human and Health Sciences

  • School of Education
  • School of Health Sciences
  • School of Nursing
  • Department of Psychology
  • School of Social Work

Faculty of Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences and Humanities

  • Anthropology
  • Department of English
  • Department of First Nations Studies
  • History
  • Department of Global and International Studies
  • Political Science
  • Women and Gender Studies
  • Northern Studies
  • Philosophy

Faculty of Environment

  • Ecosystem Science and Management
    • Biology
    • Forestry
    • Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management
    • Environmental and Sustainability Studies
  • School of Environmental Planning
  • Geography
  • Environmental Science

Faculty of Science and Engineering

  • Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • Computer Science
  • School of Engineering
  • Math
  • Physics

Division of Medical Sciences

The Division of Medical Sciences has been established as a separate and distinct academic administrative unit and includes the following:

  • UBC MD Undergraduate Program (Northern Medical Program)
  • UBC Health Professions Degree Programs offered through UNBC
  • future UBC/UNBC joint Health Professions Degree Programs
* The Division of Medical Sciences is connected to the Faculty of Human and Health Sciences only for the purposes of professional academic association and collaboration.

Project Lead: Mark Dale, Interim Provost and Vice-President Academic
Project Manager: Bernadette Patenaude, Director, Integrated University Planning

Implementation Timeline: 
Initial implementation - April 1, 2021