August 15, 2016

Dear UBC Alumni,

I wanted to write to you directly to share with you my belief in the value of alumni engagement, and to ask that you join me in finding ways to improve and strengthen our university.

We value highly the more than 300,000 graduates of UBC who proudly carry our name and reputation around the world. Though our graduates may leave UBC when they have finished their studies, UBC stays with them wherever they go, whether in the form of lifelong friends, or habits of learning, or values that guide their life choices.

That sense of being part of a place and a tradition is something to cherish and to build on. Our university has helped to make us who we are and laid the foundation for our future growth and success. That is why so many alumni have stayed in touch with UBC, and why they are visiting us, in person and online, in ever-increasing numbers.

As I begin my duties as the 15th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia, I intend to reach out to you, our alumni, to invite your ideas and input on the directions your university should take as it moves into its second century. With help from your association, alumni UBC, I shall look for opportunities at home and abroad to meet personally with the graduates of this amazing institution, and invite your continued interest and involvement in the affairs of your alma mater.

My goal is to move UBC from excellence to eminence; with your help, we shall get there.

Please connect with me directly via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram via my handle @ubcprez so that we can establish a real time dialogue.

Sincerely,

Professor Santa J. Ono
President and Vice-Chancellor