SCI Team

Support Science students through their professional and personal development.

Become a Peer Leader!

Applications for this role are now closed. Please check back for future opportunities.

Overview

Events and Peer Advising programs share a common goal of supporting students in their experience at UBC. This can include helping students navigate academics, careers and personal wellbeing, through targeted educational events that reach groups of students who utilize this support and guidance to thrive personally and academically.

SCI Team is a Peer Program that seeks to support Science students’ success through a variety of events spanning academics, careers, personal & professional development, and wellbeing. These supports are intended to benefit new-to-campus, current, and graduating students, in addition to the peers (SCI Team student leaders) themselves. Through SCI Team events, Science students will gain skills, feel a personal connection to UBC, and engage in new and interesting leadership and learning opportunities.

Organizational relationship

Faculty/department/unit

SCI Team is a group of about 30 Science students from diverse specializations who are interested in supporting, enhancing and developing the academic and career-related experiences of their peers and building a sense of community within the Faculty of Science. The primary way that SCI Team contributes to these important needs is through a variety of events hosted throughout the year. SCI Team is a student-driven team that is advised by the Student Engagement Officer and is a part of the Student Engagement unit in the Faculty of Science, Dean’s Office.

Staff advisor

Erin Green, Student Engagement Officer, Science
e-mail: green@science.ubc.ca

Peer Programs Network

Peer Programs is a network of student teams that strive to improve the UBC student experience through programs and events in areas like academics, careers, and personal development. These teams are structured, advised, and supported by UBC staff and offer a great opportunity to build your own skills and experience through training and program implementation while giving back to the campus community.

Primary functions

Events

  • Envision, plan and implement various events such as Get into Research, Science Case Competition, and Beyond the BSc.
  • Provide targeted educational events that support all undergraduate students in the Faculty of Science
  • Brainstorm new and exciting initiatives that address Science students’ abilities and interests to engage in active learning, research, leadership, community service, career development, wellbeing, access and diversity, and international experiences.
  • Support, enhance and develop the academic experiences of peers and build a sense of community within the Faculty of Science.

Engage in personal and professional skill development

  • Gain tangible skills in chairing meetings and taking minutes, creating and running committees, facilitation, presentation, event planning and program development, professional communications, and network building.
  • Develop valuable leadership and teamwork skills in organizing and carrying out conferences, workshops, and events; roles and responsibilities will shift in nature and increase in complexity with experience through the two-year commitment.
  • Actively participate in experiences that are integrated into the curriculum of leadership development for:
    • SCI Team - which include event planning and assessment, professional communications, team building, public speaking and conflict management.
    • UBC Peer Programs Network - including key learning sessions in March, September, and January.

Provide excellent service to students/community partners

  • Diverse event offerings to address student needs and interests. See current events here
  • Increase students’ exposure to opportunities both on- and off-campus.
  • Facilitate connections to peers within the UBC Science community, and with professionals from within UBC and diverse career fields, including UBC Science alumni
  • Engage in dialogues and events that develop diverse understanding and knowledge that will benefit students both during and after their BSc degree

Model outstanding student leadership on campus

  • Embrace the role as an ambassador for student leadership at UBC and as a representative of SCI Team.
  • Understand the role that a SCI Team member and active participant in the Peer Programs Network plays within a community of leadership at the UBC-Vancouver campus.
  • Contribute to an environment at UBC that is dedicated to excellence, equity, and mutual respect.
  • Uphold UBC’s Respectful Environment Statement as a responsible member and ambassador of the UBC community.

Other responsibilities

  • Coordinate and attend self-scheduled meetings relating to your projects, and special committees (e.g. social media, website coding, research and development of new events within the Faculty of Science). These self-scheduled meetings are in addition to full team meetings on Wednesdays from 5:30 - 7.
  • Attend ongoing and regular Student Engagement professional development sessions both within and outside of full team meetings.
  • Meet individually at the end of each term with the SCI Team Advisor to check in on goals and to collaboratively review performance.
  • Represent SCI Team and the Faculty of Science with professionalism fitting for a student leader and role model.

Time commitment

Important dates

  • Spring Welcome - welcome and training– April 1, 2017 (full day)
  • Peer Programs “Launch and Learn” – September 3, 2017 (full day)
  • SCI Team/Science Peer Academic Coaches coordinated overnight retreat and training - September 8 - 9, 2017 (4:30 pm Friday through 9 pm Saturday)

Regular meetings*

  • Wednesdays 5:30-7 pm (September to November; January to March)

*note: these meetings are mandatory and if you are a successful applicant, you will be required to clear your schedule of classes and other commitments during this time.

Note for students who have specialized or who are interested in a pharmacology specialization:

  • Due to significant disruptions from the mandatory lab course, PCTH 302, also scheduled on Wednesdays, SCI Team will not be able to consider new applicants who are entering their THIRD year of pharmacology. The first year on SCI Team is a crucial time for developing skills necessary for your success in the subsequent year on SCI Team. If you are entering third-year pharmacology and are looking for opportunities in Peer Programs in the Faculty of Science, we encourage you to consider if Science Peer Academic Coaches (SPAC) is a fit for your interest and goals, as their meetings occur on Tuesdays.
  • Pharmacology students who will enter their SECOND year in September 2016 are still eligible to apply for SCI Team. Continuing into their second year on SCI Team (and third year pharmacology), these students must be prepared to be diligent and proactive in keeping up with meeting minutes, discussions, co-chairing, and all other commitments on SCI Team to counteract the impacts of PCTH 302 on regular meeting times. SCI Team will only consider students who demonstrate exemplary time management skills and commitment. 

Position term and time commitment

  • Successful candidates will commit to a minimum of 25 months (2 Academic Years), from March 2017 until the end of April 2019. Other commitments such as co-op or exchange may be in conflict with your ability to complete your SCI Team role - if you are unsure or if you have questions, please contact the SCI Team staff advisor.
  • Mandatory weekly meetings are on Wednesday, 5:30 – 7 pm. You will also be required to coordinate and attend self-scheduled meetings relating to your projects and special committees.
  • Successful candidates must commit a minimum of 4 - 7 hours per week to SCI Team. Some weeks you may volunteer much more than 5 hours depending on committees and event schedules. You will not be expected to volunteer during final exam weeks.

Desired skills and experience

  • Be an undergraduate student studying within UBC Science, in good academic standing (Cumulative average greater than 60%)
  • Be prepared to utilize your existing skills and experience while being open to learning about yourself and others & to adapting and developing as a young professional.
  • Be prepared to commit fully to this role and the team. Experience with time management is an asset.
  • Be able to meet all responsibilities & expectations outlined, previously.

Benefits of participating in this peer program

Develop a specific set of professional competencies

  • Enhance leadership skills in the areas of communication, team-building, personal and professional growth, diversity/awareness, and networking
  • Gain experience in organizing and carrying out events and programs as required
  • Gain tangible skills in meeting organization, workshop facilitation, and program development
  • Technical skills such as using WordPress website/blog platforms and ways to improve efficiency such as “mail merge” will be offered as part of training

Receive sponsorship to attend UBC Student conferences and events

  • Student Leadership Conference, January 2018

  • UBC Recreation Events (Day of the Longboat, Storm the Wall)

Increased opportunity for partnerships with programs and peers across campus

  • Be a part of the broader Peer Programs Network, which engages both within and beyond the UBC campus community in support of and service to others.
  • Team members are part of a larger community in the Faculty of Science, as well as campus wide, collaborating with SUS, Academic advisors, the Centre for Student Involvement and Careers, Alumni, and other Peer Programs.
  • SCI Team works with the Science Peer Academic Coaches (SPAC) regularly and both teams strive to foster a sense of community. SCI Team seeks opportunities to collaborate with SPAC and other Peer Programs for developing events.

Contact us

Apply now!

Become a Peer Leader!

Applications for this role are now closed. Please check back for future opportunities.

Related content

Apply to be a Peer Programs leader!

Applications are now closed. Check back in January 2018.

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