Interest Groups

activities cluster

Cluster Coordinator: Paul Steinbok (2022)

Past Cluster Coordinator: Richard Spencer

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) play an important role in helping the Emeritus College achieve the aims outlined by past Principal Donald Fisher in “Aims of the establishment of an Emeritus College at UBC”.
These aims, for retired faculty, librarians, administrators, and those nearing retirement, include:

  • creating a community of scholarship and camaraderie
  • creating a welcoming social and intellectual environment
  • promoting social and intellectual interaction and collaboration
  • promoting programs that promote the well-being of all
Special Interest Groups
Guidelines for Emeritus College Special Interest Groups

(Please click on the link to download the PDF with Guidelines for Emeritus College Special Interest Groups )

1. Emeritus College SIGs operate independently, in accordance with these guidelines.
To ensure transparency, all proposals for new SIGs are brought to Council for information by the Coordinator of the Activities Cluster. In exceptional circumstances, Council may decide that a SIG cannot operate as part of the Emeritus College.   

2. An individual or group that is interested in establishing a new SIG should:

  • contact the Coordinator of the Activities Cluster.
  • provide the Coordinator with a brief description of the proposed group in the form of a short article for publication in the EC newsletter.
  • submit the short article to the newsletter for publication after Council has been informed of the proposal.

The Coordinator will:

  • inform Council of the proposed group.
  • work with those interested to schedule a first meeting to gauge interest in the group, facilitate the meeting, and identify someone who is willing to act as the convenor for the group.
  • if, following the first meeting, there is sufficient interest, and a convenor has volunteered:
    • ask the EC office to arrange for a mailing list to be created and made available to the group
    • arrange with the EC office to set up a section on the website for the group.

3. The Emeritus College office provides the following support to SIGS:

  • asks UBC IT to set up a mailing list for the group on the UBC list serve, which the SIG will maintain for contacting its members.
  • adds a section to the Emeritus College website, which the SIG uses to outline its aims and objectives, describe its activities, and provide other information to its members and the broader EC community (and with the SIG convenor, maintains the currency of this section as necessary).
  • helps with coordinating planned activities to avoid unnecessary conflicts, and adds events to the College event scheduling system.
  • helps with finding and booking space at UBC for SIG activities, when required.

4. Approved SIGs are expected to:

  • be visible and transparent to all College members by maintaining current information on the College website, responding to queries, publishing occasional articles on their activities in the newsletter, and using other appropriate avenues for communication.
  • offer membership to all members of the College and their partners, subject to reasonable constraints on the size of the group, based on its typical activities.

5. Group convenors should:

  • act as the contact person for those wishing to join the group.
  • maintain a record of group membership in a UBC mailing list, adding member names and email addresses as required, and use this list to communicate with members.
  • keep information about the group on the College website current .
  • whenever possible, select event dates and times to avoid conflict with other College events.
  • use the College events scheduling system to schedule meetings (office staff will enter scheduling information in the scheduling system, and put links to the schedule on the group’s web page).
  • not communicate scheduling changes directly to members (i.e. without using the scheduling system) unless last minute schedule changes are required. The scheduling system should be updated to reflect these changes.
  • provide information to the Coordinator and the office about participation in group activities.
  • working with the office, maintain a waiting list, and consider helping form additional groups, if there are requests for membership that cannot be accommodated.
  • as appropriate, make sure group members understand possible liability issues and that they are responsible for deciding whether to take part in any group activities.

6. The Coordinator of the Activities Cluster will:

  • maintain contact with the convenor of each group, and help resolve any issues that arise, if asked.
  • meet with convenors as a group at least annually.
  • report to Council on group activities as appropriate.
  • make any necessary recommendations to Council relating to groups.

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