The VP Student’s Office is the primary point of contact for families and the UBC community when a UBC student dies. We empathize with how difficult it is to experience the loss of a loved one. Our primary focus is ensuring coordinated, responsive, timely, and respectful support for both the student’s family and the UBC community.
Support and resources
We are here to support those impacted by the death of a student by providing guidance and serving as a liaison regarding university-related matters. We can support families by ensuring campus departments are appropriately notified, organizing grief support for impacted UBC students, faculty and/or staff, and liaising with various campus offices including ResidenceLife, Faculties, Academic Departments, Human Resources, and Enrolment Services.
If you are reporting the death of a UBC student, please notify our office by calling 604 822 3644 or email urgent.vps@ubc.ca. It is helpful if you can provide the following information:
- Student’s full name and UBC student number
- Date and cause of death
- Residence (on- or off-campus)
- Contact information for the students’ family
In the case of an emergency or immediate death on campus, please call 911 and call Community Safety at 604 822 2222.
Grieving the loss of a UBC community member
The loss of a friend, colleague, loved one, or someone close to you is hard, and it is common to experience a number of different feelings and reactions as we work through what this means for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
We encourage all UBC community members to reach out to their communities for support, explore positive and productive coping strategies, and seek help when they are having trouble coping effectively.
UBC resources for students
- Support for Students Experiencing Impactful Events
- Counselling and mental health support
- Access the Wellness Centre
- Help a friend
- UBC multi-faith chaplains
UBC resources for postdocs, staff, and faculty
- Support for Students Experiencing Impactful Events
- Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
- UBC faculty & staff community supports
Community resources
- Support for Students Experiencing Impactful Events
- BC Bereavement Hotline (BCBH)
- Living Through Loss Counselling Society of BC (LTLC)
- UBC faculty & staff community supports
Protection of Privacy
We respect and honour the unique needs and wishes of the student’s family for privacy and adhere to the legal requirements for privacy of information as imposed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
In most cases, UBC Vancouver will not, as a regular practice, announce student deaths to the campus, lower the flag, hold memorials, or share information with the campus community about the circumstances of the death. Exceptions to this practicewill only be made if specifically requested by the family and when UBC administration deems such actions as helpful and notharmful to the campus community.