Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I update my address or information with the Alumni Association?
• How can I be added to the mailing list for Trek Magazine?
• Do I need an Alumni Card (Acard)? How do I apply for one?
• How do I plan a reunion?
• How do I nominate someone for an UBC Alumni Achievement Award?
• How can I receive copies of my transcripts?
• I’ve heard that alumni have access to a free UBC e-mail forwarding service. Where do I sign up?
• Can we have our wedding at Cecil Green Park House?
• I’ve lost my diploma. How can I order a replacement?
• Where can I buy diploma frames, crested T-shirts or other souvenirs of my university days?
• I’m visiting from out-of-town. Could you suggest some accommodations on or near campus?
• How do you translate the UBC motto, Tuum Est?
• Does the University of British Columbia have a mascot?
• Where can I find out about job postings and career services information? How can I post a job?
• How many alumni are there?
• Can you give me some facts about UBC and UBC Alumni?
• What are the definitions of alumnus, alumni, alumna and alumnae?
• How do you make the UBC cinnamon buns?

How do I update my address or information with the Alumni Association?

To update your address, you can either call us at (604) 822-3313, or email us at alumni.association@ubc.ca or simply fill out the Update Address form on our website.

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How can I get on the mailing list of Trek Magazine?

Send an email with your request (including your contact details) to Michael Awmack, at (604) 822-8741 or by email at michael.awmack@ubc.ca.

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Do I need an Alumni Card (ACard)? How do I apply for one?

The ACard gives you access to discounts from several partners, as well as a host of UBC services and venues listed here. The card is free and will never expire.

The fastest way to obtain an ACard is by visiting the Alumni Association’s office or UBC Robson Square Library. You can call us at (604) 822-3313 for more information.

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How do I plan a reunion?

Contact Joan Hall at 604 827-3146 or by email at joan.hall@ubc.ca to help us plan your reunion. Also be sure to visit our Reunion Planning Guide for important details on what you’ll need to get started!

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How do I nominate someone for an UBC Alumni Achievement Award?

All of the details and deadlines for the UBC Alumni Achievement Awards are outlined here.

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How can I receive copies of my transcripts?

Information about transcripts can be found here.

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I’ve heard that alumni have access to a free UBC e-mail forwarding service. Where do I sign up?

You can sign up for our free email forwarding service here.

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Can we have our wedding at Cecil Green Park House?

Cecil Green Park House is home to UBC’s Alumni Association and is the setting for many alumni functions — reunions, meetings, and social events. UBC alumni can also book the house and grounds for weddings and other personal events.

For more details and views of the house and grounds, please visit the Cecil Green Park House website.

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I’ve lost my diploma. How can I order a replacement?

Contact the Registrar’s Office for replacement diplomas.

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Where can I buy diploma frames, crested T-shirts or other souvenirs of my university days?

You can purchase diploma frames through our website. T-shirts and other memorabilia can be purchased through the University Bookstore.

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I’m visiting from out-of-town. Could you suggest some accommodations on or near campus?

For on-campus accommodations visit the UBC Conferences website.

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How do you translate the UBC motto, Tuum Est?

“It is yours” or “it is up to you”.

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Does the University of British Columbia have a mascot?

According to a Public Affairs media release and the Library Archives, the Thunderbird is sanctioned as UBC’s official mascot. Our two Thunderbird mascots are Thunder and Lightning.

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Where can I find out about job postings and career services information? How can I post a job?

Alumni now have full access to Career Services.

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How many alumni are there?

275,000 and growing.

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Can you give me some facts about UBC and UBC Alumni?

We know you are proud of UBC, so here are a few current statistics to back you up:

• 54,000 students from 140 countries around the world on two major campuses.
• International students comprise 12% of the total student population.
• UBC’s Vancouver campus is home to more than 37,000 undergraduate and 9,000 graduate students.
• UBC’s Okanagan campus educates more than 6,500 undergraduate and 450 graduate students.
• UBC has recently introduced innovative broad based admissions criteria whereby potential students, in almost all faculties, are judged by their academic marks and their personal achievements.
• UBC has over 275,000 alumni, mostly in BC, but there are alumni in over 120 countries around the world.
• Notable UBC alumni include:
  • Nobel laureate and economist Robert Mundell;
  • Former Canadian prime ministers Kim Campbell and John Turner;
  • Author and historian Pierre Berton;
  • Man-in-Motion Rick Hansen; and,
  • Opera singer Ben Heppner and actor Bruce Greenwood.
• UBC consistently ranks among the top universities globally:
• Times Higher Education (UK) – #22 (2011)
• Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU – Shanghai Jiao Tong University) – #37 (2011)
• Last year, UBC’s total annual revenues, including capital, research, endowment, etc, exceeded $2 billion.
• UBC has a total economic impact of $10 billion annually with around 40,000 jobs dependent on the university.

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What are the definitions of alumnus, alumni, alumna and alumnae?

From the Canadian Oxford Dictionary:

Alumnus: a graduate of a specified university or other school

Alumni: plural of alumnus

Alumna: a female graduate of a specified university or other school

Alumnae: plural of alumna

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How do you make the UBC cinnamon buns?

UBC students have been hoovering up these sticky treats for more than 50 years. Introduced in 1954 by a Hungarian baker named Grace Hasz, the bake shop produces 100 dozen buns daily. In recent years, Food Services has produced a miniature version of the cinnamon bun, responding to our modern belief that rich, delicious foods are bad for us. The traditional recipe calls for margarine rather than butter. But why? Probably because the original recipe was concocted post WWII when butter was hard to come by.

The one great omission here is raisins. For those of us who think raisins make anything taste better, distribute a cup of them on the dough just after you sprinkle on the filling.

Dough

3 cups (750 mL) 2% milk
6 tablespoons (90 mL) butter
6 tablespoons (90 mL) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) salt
1 teaspoon (5 mL) sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water
2 (8 g) packages active dry yeast
2 large eggs
9 cups (2.25 L) all-purpose flour, about

Filling

11/4 cups (300 mL) sugar
2 tablespoons (30 mL) ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (175 mL) melted butter, divided

Dough:

Scald milk. Stir in butter, 6 tablespoons (90 mL) sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve the 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sugar in lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast over water mixture. Let stand in warm place for 10 minutes; stir.

In large bowl, combine lukewarm milk mixture and eggs. Stir in dissolved yeast. Add 4 to 5 cups (1 to 1.25 L) flour and beat well for 10 minutes. With wooden spoon, gradually add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough out on to lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour as needed. (This is a soft dough.) Place in well greased bowl and roll dough over to grease the top. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in warm place for 1 hour or until double in size.

Meanwhile prepare filling: In small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

Punch down dough and turn out on to lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half.

Roll out each piece of dough into 18×9-inch (46×23 cm) rectangle. Brush each rectangle generously with melted butter. Place remaining melted butter in bottom of 161/2 x111/2 x21/2-inch (42x29x6 cm) pan.

Sprinkle an equal portion of sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over each rectangle. Roll each dough rectangle up tightly like a jelly roll, starting from the long side; pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) slices. Arrange slices, cut-side down, in prepared pan and cover loosely with greased wax paper. Let rise in warm place for 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size.

Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 35 to 45 minutes or until baked. Remove from oven and immediately invert on to serving tray.

Makes 18 large cinnamon buns.

Approximate nutritional analysis for each serving: 433 cal, 9 g pro, 14 g fat, 69 g carb.

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