UBC Arts Co-op Annual Report 2009/2010

HIGH QUALITY STUDENTS

HIGH QUALITY SERVICE

UBC ARTS CO-OP PROGRAM HIRE

EDUCATION

2009/10 ANNUAL REPORT

message from the dean The Faculty of Arts is justly proud of the broad-based liberal Arts education that we provide to our students, and we’re convinced that the Liberal Arts are more relevant to society than ever. Our mission is to enable students to become articulate and informed communicators, to know how to identify and solve problems of many kinds and in many contexts, and to learn the cultural and historical sensitivities essential to working and living in today's global environment. We aim to enhance our students' critical thinking, research methods, teamwork, and self-direction in order to prepare them for the lives they will lead upon leaving the university. We know these to be the flexible, career-oriented skills sought by today's employers, and the Arts Co-op Program is instrumental in ensuring that Arts students have the opportunity to build upon and demonstrate these valuable skills.

The 2009/10 academic year marked the start of the second decade of the Arts Co-op Program and the launch of the University’s Place and Promise strategic plan which contains a revolutionary commitment to all UBC undergraduates that the university will provide the opportunity to participate in multiple “enriched educational experiences”, including co-operative education programs, a reflection of the transformational value of rigorous community-based experiential learning.

Perhaps not coincidentally, 09-10 was a record-breaking year for applications to the Arts Co-op Program: 294 undergraduate students, as well as 89 graduate students from the School of Library, Archival, and Information Studies (SLAIS), applied to the program. As a result of this remarkable demand, the Faculty funded two new positions in the Arts Co-op Office to enable the program to increase undergraduate admissions by 50% in 10/11 and an additional 50% in 11/12 while continuing to accept all qualified SLAIS students. The program will remain committed to a rigorous student selection process, ensuring high calibre candidates for our community partners. We will also continue to provide innovative and substantive pre-employment training to guarantee that students can make a smooth transition into their co-op jobs and back to their UBC classrooms.

2009/10 also marked the 10th anniversary of the Arts Co-op Students’ Association (ACSA), a student-led AMS club dedicated to creating a sense of community for Arts Co-op students and to nurturing opportunities for personal and professional development. To recognize a decade of student leadership on campus, UBC honoured ACSA with the Helen McCrae Award in recognition of their contributions to the student learning environment at UBC. ACSA was the only student group recognized with the award this year, and the first Co-op student association at UBC to receive it. I am enormously proud of the commitment of our Arts co-op student leaders over the past decade and congratulate them on the well deserved Helen McCrae Award.

I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about the Arts Co-op Program, its remarkable students and dedicated employers, in the pages of this Annual Report. Congratulations to the Arts Co-op Program— its students, employers, faculty, and staff—on a successful year. I wish them continued success in the years to come. You may have heard often the University’s motto, but it’s especially relevant to this program: Tuum est – It’s yours!

Gage Averill Dean, Faculty of Arts

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message from the director I’m pleased to present our Annual Report for 2009/10. Thank you for your continued support of our program: our successes each year would not be possible without our employer, student, and faculty partners. I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Sheila Ashwell who was Acting Director last year during my secondment to another unit on campus. Sheila made many positive changes to our program at a difficult economic time, leading with energy and agility.

The Faculty recognized Sheila’s achievements with the 2008 Dean’s Award for Staff Excellence. Congratulations Sheila!

We also want to acknowledge our out-going Dean, Nancy Gallini.

Because of Nancy’s commitment to Arts students over the past 8 years, many student-centred activities flourished under her leadership, including the Arts Co-op Program. We look forward to working with our new Dean, Gage Averill who, as you will see from his message here, is a strong supporter of experiential learning programs.

Unfortunately, we saw a 7% decline in our placements during 2009/10, largely because of cutbacks in the government and non-profit sectors where the majority of our students work. We also noticed a 4% drop in international placements this year, again in response to realities of the global market. We’ve responded by trying to further diversify our employer base, and hope as a result to see a higher share of placements from the private sector in the year ahead.

We were delighted to celebrate the launch of the UBC Arts Co-op Alumni Network in November 2009; in response to interest expressed at our 10th anniversary event in May 2009, 3 alumni leaders—Phoenix Lam, Mike McGreer, and Michael Wong—stepped up to the plate to work with UBC Alumni Affairs to create the Network. Turn to page 4 to learn more about their year. We were also thrilled to learn that the Arts Co-op Students’ Association was the recipient of the 2009 Helen McCrae Award. The award recognized not just the outstanding leaders in 2009/10, but a decade of active ACSA engagement. ACSA is the first co-op student association at UBC to receive this award: turn to page 5 to learn more.

Arts Co-op continues to play an important role within the Centre for Arts Student Services (CASS); check out the CASS web site to learn more: www.arts.ubc.ca/students Feel free to contact me at 604.827.5194 or julie.walchli@ubc.ca if you have questions or comments.

Julie Walchli Director, Arts Co-op Program

arts co-op program mission The UBC Arts Co-op Program offers students enriched educational experiences for personal and professional growth by working with diverse community partners and sectors to provide transformative workplace learning.

The UBC Arts Co-op Program aims to:  Provide students with the support and opportunities for career exploration, and diversification of experience and skill sets  Develop skilled professionals who can strengthen the workforce in new and innovative ways  Enable students to be engaged citizens who contribute positively to a global society  Build student capacity for leadership  Foster student and alumni connections to UBC and the local and international communities 2009/10 annual report

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alumni relations The UBC Arts Co-op Alumni Network started in 2010. To mark the 10 year anniversary of the Arts Co-op program, the Network had its launch event in October, bringing together the first meeting of 40 alumni in an informal event to reconnect, or meet for the first time. The Network Organizing Committee is currently made up of Phoenix Lam B.A. '06, Mike McGreer B.A. ’08 year, Zack Lee, B.A. ‘08 year. They work closely with the Arts Co-op Office and the Alumni relations office to connect alumni, staff, current students and the university. A follow-up event was held at Quince Cooking Studio during the summer, where a dozen grads sampled craft beverages and participated in a cooking class.

The group has worked closely with the program, sharing professional advice with current students through bootcamps and the ACSA mentorship program. Moving into its second year, the Alumni Network will continue to organize opportunities for Alumni to get together, as well as organizing a professional development workshop.

To get involved or for more information, please contact Mike McGreer at mmcgreer@gmail.com. commitment to student engagement & sustainability 2009/10 was our first full academic year using our new online learning system, Vista, for co-op student assignments. We received very positive feedback from students, who preferred submitting their assignments electronically rather than in hard copy. We are currently working to digitize our archive of past student assignments to make them more accessible to current students in the program.

We also completed a major re-design of our student handbooks, and we launched a new electronic community for students and alumni, the Co-op Community, facilitated through Vista. These initiatives enable us to reduce our use of paper and create more robust and accessible resources for students and alumni.

Students and alumni continued to make a significant contribution to our pre-employment workshops, with over 30 participating as facilitators and speakers. Thanks to all those who shared their experiences.

09/10 marked the fourth year of the Arts Co-op Student of the Year Awards, and we are proud of the following students who were this year’s recipients:



Kelsey Beninger– Bachelor of Arts, Major in Psychology, for accomplishments during her work term with the United Way.



Leanna Jantzi- Master of Library and Information Studies, for her contributions at SFU W.A.C. Bennett Library



Anneleen van Djik - Master of Archival Studies, for her contributions at Library & Archives Canada, Ottawa

Thank you to our Advisory Committee members who helped us to adjudicate these awards.

We also nominate the recipient of our undergraduate award for the CAFCE (Canadian Association for Cooperative Education) and ACE (Association of Cooperative Education, BC & Yukon) Student of the Year Awards which are national and provincial competitions.

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student association The Arts Co-op Students’ Association (ACSA) strives to create a tight-knit community for students and alumni to connect with their peers, and to share their Co-op experiences and career aspirations. As the first co-op student association at UBC, ACSA organizes events to enhance students’ professional skills and provide them with an opportunity to get to know other people in the program so they can learn from each other, have fun and stay connected.

ACSA has 8 teams that are led by students, who are elected by the Arts Co-op student body: · Publishing Team · Promotions Team · Alumni Relations Team

· Social/Grad Team · Finance Team · Web Team · Mentorship Team · Professional Development Team

2010 marked the 10th anniversary for ACSA, and we are delighted to report that in recognition of a decade of outstanding leadership, the 2009/10 ACSA Executive received the prestigious Helen McCrae Award from UBC for outstanding contributions from a UBC AMS affiliated club. UBC Vice-President Students Brian Sullivan presented the award at a ceremony in April. Thank you to all the current students and alumni who wrote letters of support for the nomination. It’s clear that ACSA is achieving its goal of providing community and professional development opportunities to Arts Co-op students, and making a difference in the life of the UBC community.

In addition to ACSA’s regular professional development workshops, mentoring, and a range of social events, ACSA also chose to contribute a portion of each students’ membership fees to the UBC United Way campaign, helping to raise awareness of the needs and services within our local community.

To learn more about ACSA and their accomplishments, and to read their new online blog, please visit: http://acsa.coop.arts.ubc.ca/.

student intake and program innovations We received a record number of applications for our program in 2009: 294 applications from undergraduate students and 89 from SLAIS students. We admitted 114 students to the undergraduate program and 83 students to the SLAIS co-o program. In part in response to this record student demand, the Faculty of Arts has funded 2 additional staff positions for 2 years in the Arts Co-op Office to enable us to increase our undergraduate admissions in 2010 and 2011 by 50 each year. We look forward to accommodating more students who wish to do co-op in 2010/11.

Potential undergraduate Arts Co-op students go through a rigorous and competitive application process, as we strive to admit outstanding students who will meet the needs of our employers. We assess students’ suitability for the Program by reviewing their academic achievements, previous work and volunteer experiences, interpersonal skills, writing abilities, and career motivation. After reviewing applications, we select the strongest students to participate in group interviews where students are asked both behavioural and standard interview questions, participate in a teambuilding exercise, and complete an independent writing assignment. We invest in this rigorous selection process to ensure that we consistently deliver the highest caliber students for our employers.

2009/10 annual report

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program history and placement statistics Year

UG

G

Total

99/00

112

112

00/01

119

119

01/02

144

144

02/03

134

15

149

03/04

189

25

214

04/05

182

20

202

05/06

212

28

240

06/07

220

46

266

07/08

264

54

318

08/09

223

39

262

09/10

201

37

238

Total

1986

257

2243

The Arts Co-operative Education Program placed 238 students during 2009/10, including 201 undergraduate (UG) students from Humanities, Social Science, and Creative and Performing Arts majors, and 37 graduate (G) students from the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies. Due to the economic downturn, this is a 7% decrease from last year’s placement numbers.

The Arts Co-op Program began with 40 undergraduate students in the B.A., B.F.A, and B. Mus. Degree programs in January 2000, and was extended to graduate students in the School of Library, Archival, and Information Studies in 2002/03. We are now the third largest co-op program at UBC with about 380 active students in the program.

employment distribution by sector and region The public sector remains the largest employer of Arts Co-op students in 2009/10 with 55% of placements, down 2% from last year. The non-profit sector had 28% of placements (an increase of 2% from last year), with the remaining 18% working in the private sector (staying constant from last year).

In 2009/10, 77% or our placements were in the Lower Mainland area, 3% on Vancouver Island, 5% in other BC locations, 9% in other Canadian provinces and territories, and 7% in foreign countries. educating global citizens: international placements This year 16 students completed co-op terms in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Taiwan, the United States, Mexico, France, and Switzerland—a 4% decrease from last year. Since the Program’s inception in 2000, Arts co-op students have worked in over 22 different countries.

We know that living and working abroad is one of the most powerful educational experiences students can have, and want to ensure all students who want international co-op experience have access to challenging opportunities.

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Year

International Placements

% of Total

99/00

10

9%

00/01

10

8%

01/02

10

7%

02/03

15

10%

03/04

18

8%

04/05

19

9%

05/06

35

15%

06/07

25

10%

07/08

43

14%

08/09

29

11%

09/10

16

7%

Total

233

10%

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student salary averages Since the Program’s launch in January 2000, Arts Co-op student wages have totaled over $18.2 million!

The following salary data shows co-op salary averages by employment sector.

Undergraduate students earn an average of $2,058.35 per month while on Arts Co-op work terms, while graduate students earn an average of $3,314.37 per month. In total, undergraduate Arts Co-op students earned approximately $1,654,910.35 in salaries during 2009/10, and graduate Arts Co-op students earned $490,527.20 in salaries, for a total of $2,145,437.55 earned in 2009/10.

An undergraduate student will earn on average a total of $33,283.70 over 4 work terms.

Students who choose to do an optional fifth co-op work term before graduation will earn an average of $43,356.17. The data shows that undergraduate student salaries usually increase with each work term, depending on the sector.

Undergraduate salary figures

Graduate salary figures

Work Term

Average Work Term Salary

Sector

1

$7,659.38

Public

$3,406.52

2

$7,500.21

Non-profit

$2,362.17

3

$10,416.15

Private Business

$2,730.94

4

$7,707.97

Overall

$3,314.37

Total

$33,283.70

5

$10,072.47

Total

$43,356.17

Sector

Average Monthly Salary

Public

$2,343.99

Non-profit

$1,976.71

Private

$1,648.02

Overall

$2,086.88

2009/10 annual report

Average Monthly Salary

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social sciences majors Types of knowledge these majors possess:

Majors Anthropology



Archeological methods & principles

Cognitive Systems



Data collection and analysis

Economics



Economic modeling



Environmental assessment

Economics & Political Science



Environmental economics

Geography (Human, Physical, and Environmental)



Finance



Fundraising

Health & Society



Geographic Information Systems

International Relations



International development



International peace and security



Policy analysis



Quantitative and qualitative research methods



Statistical analysis

Speech Sciences



Survey design & implementation

Women’s Studies



Technical and research report writing

Political Science Psychology Sociology

Hiva Parandian Economics (Honours)

Hiva wholeheartedly recommends Co-op to any students considering joining the program.

“Don’t leave the thought of joining Co-op on the backburner – take it seriously and make it a priority in your life.” Learning first hand that work experience is just as important as earning high grades in an increasingly competitive post -graduate job market, Hiva is extremely grateful that Co-op has allowed her to focus on both her academics and career path through its alternative work/study structure.

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Jeff Cui Political Science/ International Relations

When the world’s eyes were set on Vancouver for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Arts Co-op student Jeffrey Cui was in the thick of it all, on a Coop term with Olympic sponsor Jet Set Sports. While hundreds of thousands of spectators clamored to gain access to Olympic sporting events and venues, Jeffrey fully utilized the perks of working in an organization integral to the success of the Winter Games and was able to enjoy the Olympic experience first-hand while contributing to the positive experience of spectators at the Games. ubc arts co-op program

humanities majors Types of knowledge these majors possess:

Majors



Communications

Asian Language and Culture



Fundraising



Intercultural communication



Language abilities: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, South Asian Languages, Spanish

Asian Studies Canadian Studies Classical Studies English French History



Museum collections

Interdisciplinary Studies



Policy development and analysis

Italian



Program administration



Research and analysis



Technical and business writing



Translation

Japanese Modern European Studies Nineteenth Century Studies Religion, Literature, and the Arts Spanish

Meghan Magee Sociology/English Literature

Work terms at BC Hydro and TRIUMF helped Meghan solidify her career plan: after graduation, she hopes to work in a communications role in the science and technology industry or for a university student service before pursuing a Masters degree in Communications. She observes, “It’s amazing how many people in management roles have gone through the Co-op program. I think it’s a great testament to the strength and worth of these programs . Co-op is the best decision I’ve made in my undergraduate degree.”

2009/10 annual report

Mark Penney History (Honours)

Through work terms with Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society and Ericsson, a Swedish telecommunications company, Mark developed high-level research and technical writing skills, and a new consciousness about his writing style, a definite edge for the Honours History student about to embark on a year of thesis writing. “The writing I do for school and work is very different,” Mark says. “Technical and business writing requires a specific style and audience. This experience has made me a lot more conscious of the way I write.”

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creative and performing arts Majors

Types of knowledge these majors possess:

Film Studies

Film Production

Music

Studio Arts

Visual Arts

Art History

Tina Sha Visual Arts

Tina says, “My training in visual arts has allowed me to approach projects conceptually…

As a visual artist, you want your work to speak about important issues, and for it to engage in and become part of a larger discussion. As a marketer, it is very much the same.” Tina has been able to use her education on work terms with NUVO Magazine and UBC’s Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, helping her discover a career path which she is interested in.

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

Arts administration



Creative writing



Digital arts



Film production



Fundraising



Music education



Music composition and performance



Painting, photography, print media, sculpture



Theatre design, directing, and acting

Ting Wang Visual Arts

Through co-op Ting learned that many employers are seeking employees that can create visual products, especially using design software such as Adobe’s Creative Suite. Her educational experiences, which Ting describes as more theoretical and conceptual, provided a stepping stone for her “hands-on” workplace assignments. On work terms at TRIUMF and the UBC Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ting says, “I run into problems – then I learn how to solve them.”

ubc arts co-op program

school of library, archival, and information studies UBC offers co-op programs to Masters students in the School of Library, Archival, and Information Studies.

For five decades, SLAIS has been a leader in educating information professionals in Canada, equipping them with the knowledge and understanding necessary to obtain and manage information in an increasingly complex world. SLAIS offers students graduate level instruction and handson practice in library and archival theory and best professional practices to complement their undergraduate education in a variety of disciplines including the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences. This combination of academic education and professional training prepares SLAIS graduates to perform effectively as leaders in the information professions.

Lina Ma MLIS

Co-op has helped Lina discover herself. Her co-op term at UBC allowed her to become “more certain of what direction I want to take, what kind of work environment I thrive in, and the importance of working for an organization whose values align with my own.”

Knowing this can be a rarity when “many people end up unhappy at their jobs because they do not know what they really want, enjoy, or are good at professionally.” Lina adds, “it’s important to know and understand myself, so I know what goals to set and how to acquire skills for a career that is suitable for me.”

2009/10 annual report

Degrees

Library and Information Studies (MLIS) Joint Archival and Library Studies (MASLIS) Archival Studies (MAS)

Types of knowledge these majors possess:  Electronic information retrieval

      

Internet research Knowledge management Management principles Organization of information Records management Research and analysis Web site design and content development

Jennifer Borland MAS/MLIS Dual Degree

Jennifer has received two things in tandem from Co-op: confirmation that she has chosen the right career path in records management, and a job offer from BC Hydro, resulting directly from her Co-op term with them in the fall of 2009. According to Jennifer, “Without a doubt, my Co-op position opened the door to my current job working as a records manager and librarian in a professional capacity.” She recommends that all students enroll in the Coop program: “It’s an excellent opportunity to apply the theories, principles and methodologies to the real world.”

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selected alumni profiles Karly Pinch, BA (International Relations) 2005 Currently: Arts Internship Coordinator, UBC During her two work terms at Muscular Dystrophy Canada as their Community Development Assistant, Karly worked in client services, fundraising, and marketing outreach. She enjoyed her time there so much that she was bridged into a full-time position: “I liked the people I worked with, the projects I was working on and knew that’s where my future career path would lie.”

During her work terms, Karly learned the value of stewardship in fundraising, and how big a difference personal relationships play in achieving fundraising success. Her experience putting together internship and career related postings during her work term helped her find work upon returning to Vancouver after a CIDA internship in Cameroon. She says, “My experience with Coop helped me get a job as the Arts Internship Coordinator for Career Services.”

Kelsey Beninger, BA (Psychology) 2010 Currently: London School of Economics When asked how Co-op benefited her, Kelsey enthusiastically says, “Countless ways! My Co-op work terms are the reason I was able to find a great job immediately after graduation.” Her manager at the City of North Vancouver points out how, “Her international conference planning at the National University of Singapore, her report writing and public speaking with United Way, and her technical programming and website experiences at the UBC Office of Learning Technologies” all contributed to her incredibly versatile skill set that sets her apart from the average student upon graduation. In fact, her co-op and academic accomplishments helped her be accepted at a prestigious graduate program at the London School of Economics in October 2010, a program geared at professionals with several years of experience in the field.

Kelsey has a message for students considering the Co-op program: “Don’t think twice. It’s an invaluable opportunity that few people get the chance to do….it allowed me to learn more about myself and challenge myself to be better.” For her accomplishments during her work term at the United Way, Kelsey received the 2009 Arts Co-op Student of the Year Award.

Peter Lee, BA (Political Science/IR) 2010 Currently: Logistics Coordinator, G20 Summit Toronto Peter’s work terms with the Asian Research Institute in Singapore and the North Asia Commercial Relations division at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa taught him how to work effectively in a dynamic environment with tight deadlines. He says, “When your supervisor comes to you at 4 pm in the afternoon asking you to finish a briefing note within the next hour - time management and flexibility become very important.”

These new skills, along with memorable experiences such as preparing briefing materials for the Minister of International Trade’s trip to China in March 2009, have truly enhanced Peter’s career prospects in international diplomacy. “I’ve enjoyed my studies,” he says, “but through my work terms, I fell in love with what I was doing. I am now excited to see where my career path leads.”

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ubc arts co-op program

Mark Phelps, BA (Political Science/Economics) 2010 Currently: Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa Mark’s academic background in political science and economics prepared him well for his Co-op terms. He started out with the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce as an Information Counselor, providing information and assistance to tourists navigating around the city and surrounding areas. Developing his research and analytical skills, he monitored industry trends in the biotechnology field with a Seattle-based company named Pan Asia Biofuels. He then returned to the political sphere at a work term with the United States Consulate, where he created presentations to outline new trade objectives of the Obama Administration. Because Mark’s term coincided with country’s transition to the new Obama administration, he was truly able to apply his knowledge of political and economic affairs outside the classroom in a dynamic setting. This experience paved the way for Mark to work with DFAIT on the Olympic file, where he worked with “VANOC, the IOC, and embassies abroad to coordinate 2010 themed events, focusing on priority countries” with ripe investment potential, and worked to raise Canada’s profile as a “stable investment climate.” Mark secured work at DFAIT in Ottawa after graduation because of his co-op experience.

For students considering joining the Arts Co-op Program, Mark says simply, “Do it. I was on the fence, but now I can say with a 110% certainty that this was the best decision I made at UBC.” Kelly McElroy, MAS/MLIS, 2010 Currently: Columbia Basin Trust, Digital Library After cataloguing photographs for public access at the Washington State Archives’ Digital Archives, Kelly then did a work term with the Columbia Basin Trust where she coordinated the creation of a subject-based digital library, locating documents and securing copyright permission for inclusion in the library. Because both of her work terms “showcased the centrality of digital materials,” Kelly realized that “the key to providing greater access to collections often lies in the world wide web.” Yet another example of theory application was Kelly’s opportunity to learn firsthand about copyright. “It was thrilling to discuss the copyright permissions documents I had crafted with a lawyer specializing in intellectual property – reading about copyright is one thing and applying the laws is another.”

Susan Redmond, MLIS, 2007 Currently: Information Services Librarian, Maple Ridge Public Library For Susan the benefits from the Co-op program manifested almost immediately after her graduation: work terms at the Department of Justice and the North Vancouver District Public Library led to a position at the Richmond Public Library after graduation. Susan says, “The Co-op program allowed me to get a full-time job 3 months after graduation - the timing could not have been better.” She adds, “Co-op gave me a chance to step ahead of the pack and the opportunity to ask myself what kind of librarian I wanted to be.”

2009/10 annual report

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advisory committee members 2009/10 Employer Representatives: Laura Dilley Dillon Consulting Limited Andrew Fabro Head, Library Services - Pacific & Yukon Region Environment Canada David Tucker Project Manager, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada

Faculty Member Representatives: Judy Brown Assistant Head / Senior Instructor, Dept of English Sally Hermansen, Assistant Dean, Centre for Arts Student Services/Senior Instructor, Dept of Geography

Arts Co-op Alumni Representatives: Mike McGreer Economic Development Analyst, City of Surrey Christine Gergich Records Analyst, Law Society of BC Blair Slater Branch Manager, Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Student Representatives:

UBC Staff: Anna Jubilo, Co-op Coordinator Michelle Mallette SLAIS Student Services Coordinator Julie Walchli Director (Committee Chair)

Kristin Hodgins MLIS Graduate Student Representative Manuela Boscenco MLIS/MAS Graduate Student Representative Jasmine Khungorey Political Science/Sociology Executive Coordinator, Arts Co-op Students’ Ass’n Timmy Wong, Psychology/Geography Undergraduate Student Representative

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ubc arts co-op program

ubc arts co-op staff Julie Walchli, Director Julie has worked in the field of co-operative education since 1997 when she founded the first co-op education program in Arts at UBC in the English Department. Since then she has helped to create an Arts-wide program that offers career training and opportunities to students throughout all undergraduate programs and a graduate co-op program in the School of Library, Archival, and Information Studies. During 2008/09 she completed a secondment as Senior Advisor, Strategic Initiatives with the UBC Go Global International Learning Programs Office, creating a Student Safety Abroad policy and resources for UBC, and a handbook for faculty members leading Group Study Programs Abroad.

Julie has served in a number of leadership roles in the BC co-op community, and is currently Chair of the UBC Co-op Council and a board member of the Association for Cooperative Education BC. A graduate from UBC's B.A. and M.A. programs in English, Julie taught in the English department from 1993-97 and co-edited Landmarks: A Process Reader for Canadian Writers. Recognitions include UBC’s President’s Service Award for Staff Excellence and the Association of Co-operative Education BC award for outstanding contributions to the Association.

Undergraduate Degree: B.A, English (Honours) & Political Science (UBC) Graduate Degree: M.A., English (UBC) Sheila Ashwell, Senior Coordinator Sheila has been working in the career education and employment services field since 1995. Starting with youth in the secondary school system, she moved on to employment coaching and workshop delivery with Career Services at UBC, but has spent the last 9 years actively involved in the growth and development of UBC’s Arts Co-op Program.

An alumna of UBC’s Psychology Program, Sheila understands the value of an arts degree. Sheila’s primary responsibilities are to oversee the undergraduate Arts Co-op program, including the co-op student recruitment process, developing and delivering pre-employment workshops, advising students, and maintaining positive relationships with the varied employer groups. In 2007 she completed her M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology from UBC, in 2008/09 she served as Acting Director, and in 2009/2010 she took a personal leave to act as UBC’s Loaned Representative to the United Way of the Lower Mainland and to volunteer/ travel in East Africa. Sheila is the recipient of the 2008 Dean of Arts Award for Staff Excellence.

Undergraduate Degree: B.A., Psychology (UBC) Graduate Degree: M.Ed., Counseling Psychology (UBC) 2009/10 annual report

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ubc arts co-op staff Anna Jubilo, SLAIS Coordinator Anna has a wide-ranging background in librarianship, program coordination, communications, and administration; extensive experience working with and participating in international exchange programs; as well as several years of experience at UBC, working with various departments and programs in the Faculty of Arts. She first worked with Arts Coop in 2001 during a work term as a shared Communications Assistant with the Dean of Arts Office. Her other co-op positions were as a Technical Communicator for TELUS Enterprise Solutions and as an Academic Office Assistant with the YMCA International College. While completing her M.L.I.S. degree at UBC, Anna completed her practicum and professional experience with the Vancouver Art Gallery Library, worked as a Coordinator for VPL’s Summer Readalong Program, and as a work-study student, managing the Department of Linguistics’ Reading Room.

Undergraduate Degree: B.A., English & Linguistics (UBC) Graduate Degree: M.L.I.S. (UBC) Heather Liau, Manager, Marketing & Industry Relations Heather’s main role at the Arts Co-op office is to expand the program through active marketing, industry outreach, and brand awareness, with the goal of significantly increasing the number of job opportunities for Arts Co-op students.

In her previous experience, Heather's marketing initiatives have brought international attention to British Columbia's technology industry. In 2004, she launched BC's first International Partnering Forum at the Vancouver International Digital Festival. Through personalized business matchmaking, Heather provided an avenue for local companies to pitch the likes of international producers and distributors such as Cartoon Network, BBC, Flickr, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Most recently, Heather led product launches and interactive and print marketing for Vision Critical, makers of the world’s most adopted online research platform.

Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Commerce, Marketing (UBC)

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ubc arts co-op program

ubc arts co-op staff Merry Wang, Program Assistant Having graduated from the UBC Arts Co-op Program in May 2005, Merry has first-hand knowledge of the value of co -operative education. Through the Arts Co-op Program, Merry learned how to apply the skills she developed as an International Relations major in a variety of work environments. Merry completed her co-op work terms at S.U.C.C.E.S.S. (as an Assistant Program Coordinator), Atira Women's Resource Society (as a Human Resources Assistant), and TRIUMF (as a Technology Transfer Assistant).

Merry hopes that through participation in the Arts Co-op Program, students, employers, and faculty members will realize that a Liberal Arts education prepares students for a wide range of career opportunities.

Undergraduate Degree: B.A., International Relations (UBC) Roger Ling, Program Assistant As a recent graduate of the Arts Co-op Program, Roger directly experienced the invaluable challenges and rewards offered by co-operative education. He successfully completed domestic and international co-op work terms as the Business Administrator of a locally-owned coffee enterprise and as a Native English Teacher for a well-respected language institute in Japan. Through these unique opportunities, Roger understands that co-op really does work for students (just as much as students work for co-op!). He is excited to be part of the Arts Co-op Program once again and will do his best to empower Arts students for dynamic and fulfilling careers.

Undergraduate Degree: B.A., Sociology & Family Studies (UBC)

2009/10 annual report

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highlights: student involvement ACSA Receives Helen McCrae Award

The 2009/10 ACSA Executive receive the Helen McCrae Award from UBC for outstanding contributions from a UBC AMS affiliated club. UBC Vice-President Students Brian Sullivan presented the award at a ceremony in April.

ACSA Photo Contest: First Place Winner

Bernice Liu “Bangbing school is a photo taken on a service trip I went on with some of my students to rural Yunnan, China. We taught English to kids, built sinks at the school, donated sports equipment, and went to an ethnic minority dance party!�

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ubc arts co-op program

highlights: student involvement

ACSA Photo Contest: Second Place Winner

Amanda Fox "I worked for Banff and Lake Louise Tourism Bureau as a information Counselor. This photo was taken during my orientation when we did a familiarization tour of Lake Louise."

2009/10 annual report

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The UBC Arts Co-op Program has students available each January, May, and September for 4 or 8-month paid work placements.

Undergraduate students are studying a wide range of courses in Social Sciences, Humanities and the Creative and Performing Arts.

Graduate students from the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies are also available.

For more information about the UBC Arts Co-op Program or to hire a student, please contact us: Arts Co-op Office Buchanan Building C121 1866 Main Mall Phone: 604.822.1529 Email: arts.co-op@ubc.ca Web: www.artscoop.ubc.ca