University of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus)

The current site of UBC Okanagan was initially used by Okanagan University College (OUC), which was founded in 1989 (in principle) as a part of a plan by the government to improve access to post-secondary education in the Southern Interior of British Columbia. Initially, degrees were awarded in partnership with other universities, but by 1995, the university college began granting degrees in its name. In the late 1990s, OUC started lobbying efforts to gain full university status.

In December 2002, the British Columbia Progress Board submitted a report to the provincial government, recognizing the need to expand post-secondary education in the Okanagan.[3] The board, chaired by the University of British Columbia president Martha Piper, recommended that the province extend "the mandate of an existing provincial University to Kelowna ...."

In March 2004, BC Premier Gordon Campbell and UBC President Martha Piper held a press conference, announcing that OUC would be dissolved. OUC's university operations would be consolidated at its North Kelowna Campus and would come under the University of British Columbia. The other programs and campuses of OUC would form a new community college, which would later take on the name Okanagan College. The OUC Board was reportedly not invited to the press conference. It had not been told in advance of the imminent demise of the OUC Board and removal or the termination of the majority of the OUC board members.[4]

According to the Ministry backgrounder released at the time, the affiliation between UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan would be "based on the highly successful University of California model" and that "UBC Okanagan and UBC Vancouver will each have an independent senate to set academic priorities for their respective institutions, based regional needs and priorities. At the same time, they will share a common board of governors, with strong representation from each region."[5]

As of December 2019, UBC's Okanagan campus is represented on the UBC Board of Governors by John Klironomos and Nicole Udzenija.[6]

Although the campus itself is located in a semi-rural area, it has a direct interchange with Highway 97 and Downtown Kelowna can be reached with 15 minutes of driving.[15] It is also close to Kelowna International Airport.

UBC Okanagan Exchange is the northern terminus of express bus route 97X Kelowna RapidBus, which provides Downtown Kelowna access in approximately 20 minutes. The exchange is a major transfer point for bus services to the Airport and beyond north to Lake Country and Vernon. The campus is also connected to the regional bikeway, Okanagan Rail Trail and John Hindle Drive Multi-use Pathway.

UBC's Okanagan Campus also has a presence in Downtown Kelowna with UBC Innovation Library, located in the downtown Kelowna branch of the Okanagan Regional Library,[16] and the Innovation UBC Hub, located in the Innovation Centre.[17]

UBC announced in June 2020 that it is planning to expand its presence in Downtown Kelowna by constructing a new 43 storey mixed-use tower on Doyle Avenue.[18] Construction was approved in August 2023[19] and is expected to be completed in 2027. The building will include spaces for health programs, community engagement, and an art gallery.[20]

There is also a Southern Medical Clinical Academic Campus located at Kelowna General Hospital.[21]

According to the UBC Okanagan Campus Plan from September 2015,[22] the next 20 years will see drastic expansion in research, teaching, student residence, and commercial spaces. A proposed 85,292-square-metre (918,080 sq ft) increase in academic space would more than double the current capacity. The student residence is proposed to increase by approximately 2,200 beds to a total of approximately 3,900 beds. Commercial space would increase from 2,411 square metres (25,950 sq ft) to 4,561 square metres (49,090 sq ft). The additional space will remain within the main Okanagan campus, rather than expanding into the West Endowment Lands. Sustainability upgrades to 11 of the existing buildings are also underway.

Future projects include the newly constructed Nechako Commons Block building adjacent to the UNC (University Centre), additional residences, an engineering design building, a retrofit of a nearby industrial building billed as Innovation Precinct, and various other, more minor projects.[23]

Common rooms known as Collegia were created for commuter students, containing kitchen facilities, study space, lounges and social areas. Each Collegium has theme and targeted for a particular student population, however, they are open to all students.[26] The campus' Collegia program has gained national attention as a home-away-from-home for its large commuter population.[27]

The Okanagan campus currently has two sororities and two fraternities. The sororities are Kappa Beta Gamma and Alpha Omega Epsilon. The fraternities are Sigma Phi Delta and Phi Delta Theta. Alpha Omega Epsilon and Sigma Phi Delta are both International Organizations and have membership restrictions based upon faculty (Engineering students for Sigma Phi Delta,[28] Engineering and Technical Science[29] students for Alpha Omega Epsilon). Theta Phi is a local sorority open to all faculties.[30] Phi Delta Theta is an international fraternity open to students in all faculties.[31] The Okanagan campus does not allow Greek housing, so none of these organizations have an official house or room on campus.

The Phoenix is the bi-weekly student newspaper at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus. It was established in 1989 at former Okanagan College.[32]

UBCO.TV was a web-based TV station that existed until 2016 and created videos about research, teaching, current events and campus life at the Okanagan campus. UBCO.TV was also streamed on TVs across the campus in common areas.

UBC Studios Okanagan and UBC Communications Services took over the UBCO.TV functions and co-manages a YouTube channel.[33][34]