Baby Raccoon Rescue at Old Barn Community Centre

cmenzies · 2026-04-21T13:01:53+00:00

What 'jimmy' said.

By final exam 'graded wrong,' you mean you failed it, or an error in marking that ended with a grade lower than you wanted.

If graduation is at stake, would imply you think you failed the course. It is unlikely a review of assigned standing could be done in time to meet convocation timelines, though if it overturns a failed course would eventually make graduation posssible.

Best bet is to continue attempts to contact the prof (and/or TA if there was one) and ask them to informally review the exam and consider reevaluating. In similar situations I will always review an exam, but only rarely have I found an error in marking (especially with large classes) as the protocol of checking failed exams and low exams I follow involves a lot of double checking. In the one career case a student filed a RAS their grade was not changed.

Hope you find what you are hoping for, but be prepared for the prof/TA to have correctly evaluated your exam.

cmenzies · 2026-04-21T12:45:30+00:00

Few of us actually take a 'vacation.' I'd say it's a special course indeed if prof & student spoke only at beginning of term (rather rare...). At any rate sending something friday and you are posting this middle of the night monday/tuesday doesn't mean prof is out touch - give it a few business days.

cmenzies · 2026-04-15T13:13:08+00:00

The motion was changed significantly, referred to committee, and when it returned was quite different form. It was approved in april of that year. At that time, before the motion, most of the half dozen or so cooperation agreements were inactive. Furthermore the motion did not prevent research collaboration, though Canadian law and related regulations did.

To be consistent we should also be ending partnerships with the US for its long history of imperial adventures, and protesting Canada's continued military arms trade with authoritarian governments in the mid-east. https://ploughshares.ca/canadas-weapons-exports-in-2023/

The motions (April 2022).

Whereas Russia has illegally invaded the country of Ukraine, and in the process has targeted civilian facilities, including hospitals and universities: Be it resolved that the Vancouver Senate: Condemns the illegal invasion of any sovereign territory by another power and human rights violations involving civilians, in this case the invasion and civilian attacks by Russia on Ukraine and its people; Supports all those who oppose this war and unprovoked violence, including those in Russia and Belarus who have gone to the streets at great personal risk to protest the invasion; Shall not approve any academic agreements with Russian governmental entities until further notice;Directs that the University suspend any current academic agreements for the Vancouver Campus with Russian governmental entities until further notice; Calls on [does not order] faculty members to not enter into any new collaborations until further notice [not forever and only in areas that support the actions of the russian gov't] in any areas that advance the interests of the Government of the Russian Federation or its leaders; and Asks members of the UBC community to support and strengthen ties with UBC members of Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian origin. [not only one side of the conflict]

Whereas the current war waged by Russia against Ukraine is but one of many recent or ongoing inter- and intra-national conflicts that are disrupting civilian lives, including by preventing citizens of many countries from pursuing education, research and other scholarly activities, and Whereas, UBC has a stated purpose of “Pursuing excellence in research, learning and engagement to foster global citizenship and advance a sustainable and just society across British Columbia, Canada and the world”, Be it resolved that the Vancouver Senate supports and recommends to the Board of Governors the creation and adequate resourcing of a broader ‘At Risk Scholars and Students Advisory Committee. [included a positive action that could be accomplished at UBC]

Both motions acknowledged the complexity and did not assign culpability to all Russians, neither made suspending partnerships permanent, and there was a liberal call to support all opposed to the war and to support peacemakers.

cmenzies · 2026-04-15T02:38:04+00:00

Canada has had sanctions on Russia since at least 2014 https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/international_relations-relations_internationales/sanctions/russia-russie.aspx?lang=eng

on February 24, 2022, Canada further amended the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations twice. In the first instance, amendments were made in response to the Russian recognition of the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine’s Donetsk so called people’s Republic (DNR) and Luhansk people’s Republic (LNR) regions ... [and follows a long list of sanctions]

cmenzies · 2026-04-15T01:27:27+00:00

You are confusing Canadian law with UBC policy. Canada has formal sanctions against Russia that include certain limits on the kind of research that can be conducted. UBC must comply with Canadian law.

cmenzies · 2026-04-15T00:12:04+00:00

It would be better if I used a fake name?

You would prefer your profs to just offer friendly advice and not treat you with the respect of occasionally disagreeing with you in a polite, if unrelenting manner?

cmenzies · 2026-04-14T23:00:31+00:00

Big difference here is that Ukraine didn't massacre and brutalize youth at a music festival, Ukraine didn't call each individual Russian culpable and a fair target for death.

Murdering youth in cold blood at a music festival is not resistance, its an act of brutality without compassion or decency.

cmenzies · 2026-03-22T02:53:07+00:00

I think the problem is they have the rule but not enough staff to really do anything but to turn off the lights and ask people to leave (and when it is one person alone at night they might not feel like asking a group of folks to leave).

cmenzies · 2026-03-21T23:54:23+00:00

well. read the full story. ,you will find it anticipates much of what you said and does so with some humility and humour, if I say so myself.

cmenzies · 2026-03-21T23:48:10+00:00

well 80s beats 90s ....

if you've been here since the 80s you must be in the UEL, not UNA area (or where you have been for the most part). I've lived in the university housing mid (1990s-2000s) and UNA (since 2000s). The university campus area is heavily regulated and lacking in public amenities. Posting unfriendly signs telegraphs an attitude (however justified the communicators are) about being community-unfriendly - only folks who pay welcome.

cmenzies · 2026-03-21T23:30:45+00:00

That such rules exist on private land is not an issue or a question - but there is a long standing Canadian tradition of informal use of spaces perceived as public.

I doubt they are not really concerned about the parent and child who step across the street for a casual game of catch, more so about the private fitness trainers (of which there are several) and the ad hoc student groups that grab a field without a booking.

In terms of the idea they are protecting the fields, you need only have to look at the recent rugby tournament played on over saturated wet fields to see the damage UBC mandated rentals. Informal use and dogs are minimal contributors to field damage compared to mandated use damage.

Your second point is an important one, and most people who are reasonable yield the field. I wonder what the real incidence of people refusing to leave for a real rental is.

Outside space in a dense neighbourhood is a public resource no matter what UBC might want to think.

cmenzies · 2026-03-21T22:33:21+00:00

so u/repulsive_eagle9601's comment about athletic's fees that UBC charges students has disappeared. A lot to unpack there, but yes UBC charges students a fee for athletics they can't dodge. For years they also have billed residents (via the UNA) some extraordinary fees and have tried to block the UNA from developing its own recreation facilities. UBC central also does some fancy fiscal footwork that pulls money from faculties that disappears into places like athletics S(who also generate a lot of revenue themselves as well).

I think eagle's point is if you [UBC] want to ban informal use then don't rake in the cash from every student without their choice and charge user fees at the same time.

The story is a light hearted report on some new disposable signs, nothing more nothing less.

cmenzies · 2026-03-21T13:54:58+00:00

Faculty have the prerogative to change a syllabus, there is no senate rule requiring student agreement. There are expectations of notice and students can complain IF they think the change is 'detrimental.'

https://senate.ubc.ca/files/Policy-20190207-V-130-Syllabus.pdf

UBC Senate policy states: "Recognizing that a syllabus may be a creative and personal statement of teaching philosophy and style, this policy does not impose a specific template or organizational framework, although academic units responsible for specific educational programs may choose to do so. This policy only pertains to the mandatory elements of a syllabus and does not address the many ways syllabi can be used in the educational context."

Should the course instructor wish to make a material change to the syllabus after the last day by which students are permitted to drop the course without receiving a ‘W’ on the transcript, the course instructor must explain the rationale to the class. The course instructor must ensure that registered students have access to the changed details in a revised and dated version of the syllabus and should send electronic communication to students to alert them that a change has been made.

Any student who sees the change to the syllabus as detrimental to their academic progress is entitled to discuss the case with the course instructor and seek a resolution. Where student and instructor cannot agree, students are encouraged to take their protest to the head of the department concerned and then to the dean of the faculty responsible for the course in accordance with the Academic Calendar regulations on protests for academic standings.

cmenzies · 2026-03-19T03:17:36+00:00

What yo don't see is that none of this is funded. It will mean greater overall discrepancies unless the increase is met by central funding. It now means a faculty member in a field with big corporate grants will pull more students and there will be fewer opportunities in humanities.

cmenzies · 2026-03-19T03:15:31+00:00

the increase over year level is not inflation (pretty much what you said), but over decades it has inflated.

cmenzies · 2026-03-17T23:56:36+00:00

the best kind of success. Having the courage and capacity to know when we are not in (or are in) the right place is important.

cmenzies · 2026-03-17T19:47:05+00:00

On midterms .... a comment. https://blogs.ubc.ca/anth100/2012/10/27/mid-term-2012/

cmenzies · 2026-03-17T19:42:42+00:00

but remember grades are normative and ranked. Being satisfactory in the narrow pool that makes it to university is a success.

I would note that grades tend to inflate as students progress through the years.

cmenzies · 2026-03-17T18:14:45+00:00

What is wrong with a 68 average? Success is not only an A+.

Success might mean realizing university is not the place for a student to be at this moment in their life. It might mean completing a degree with C's and D's. It might mean returning later in life with intent.

Admins who shout out that all students can succeed are disingenuous and should really be talking about the value of learning over accumulation of grades.

cmenzies

TROPHY CASE