UBC president Santa Ono discussed a range of topics in an interview this morning on Global BC.
Women comprise 55 per cent of entering students this year, and Ono noted that “one of great positive movements at UBC is that it used to be that the very few students going to applied science and engineering and computer science were female, but now that number has grown over the past several years to almost 33 per cent on the Vancouver campus.”
Ono also spoke about UBC’s housing plans. “There are 11,00 students now on campus–it’s the largest number of students living on any campus in Canada, but what’s even more encouraging is that we’re growing the number of beds in the next several years….We are investing $450 million in additional rooms and beds for incoming students, and we have a similar plan for faculty and staff.”
As for clean needles and naloxone kits being available through UBC’s campus security and Alma Mater Society, Ono said: “I’m proud of UBC for taking this proactive step. Any step we can take to save a life is I think an appropriate step forward.”
