News Archives

We’re pleased to announce the launch of the newly refreshed UBC Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) website. This update focuses on modernizing the site’s design and underlying platform to improve accessibility, security, and overall consistency.  

The OCIO website has been upgraded from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10, ensuring compliance with current UBC website security standards and accessibility requirements.  The site’s core functionality and content remain the same, and this upgrade strengthens the site’s foundation, making it more secure and reliable for the users. 

New OCIO website features: 

• Modernized design and platform: The upgrade to Drupal 10 enhances accessibility, improves performance, and ensures long-term sustainability. 

• Enhanced security and compliance: Updated security features will help protect users and university information more effectively. 

• Refreshed Data Governance content: Improved presentation and structure of data and governance information. 

• New Chatbot Now Available: An OCIO chatbot can now help answer common questions and supports users in finding OCIO, UBC IT, Privacy Matters, and GenAI information easily. 

We value your input! As we continue to refine and improve the website, we encourage you to share your feedback with us at https://www.it.ubc.ca/communications. Your insights help ensure the site meets the needs of the UBC community. 

Visit the refreshed OCIO website 

The AI Steering Committee was formed to examine the impact of AI tools, including generative AI tools, on pedagogy, academic practices, and administrative operations within a higher education context. The committee is tasked with developing recommendations for how UBC should address the opportunities and challenges for increasing AI literacy and adoption.  

What’s new: latest meeting highlights (September 2025) 
AI Trends, Development & Application: Faculty researchers presented perspectives on AI’s current state, covering ethical implications, technical advances like retrieval augmented generation, and predictions about exponential growth. Discussion emphasized protecting critical thinking skills and maintaining human oversight in AI adoption. 

Gen AI Foundational Learning: HR presented a proposed learning package that includes a core course, micro-learning resources, conversation guides, and use-case examples. Needs assessments highlighted the importance of clear entry points and support for managers navigating cultural and emotional concerns about AI. Next steps include validating SMEs/content owners and reviewing whether the package should become required training. 

Student AI Advisory Council Update: The newly formed council of 20 students has contributed to student-facing resources including “10 things students should know about generative AI” and a readiness assessment tool. These resource materials are being distributed through academic and student communication networks. Opportunities for future collaboration with the steering committee were discussed. 

The next AI Steering Committee meeting will be in January 2026. 

View all AI committee meeting summaries 

The IT Communications team used Synthesia, a video creation platform powered by artificial intelligence, to produce engaging instructional videos for students, faculty, and staff. The short, easy-to-follow instructional videos were used to support the UBC community through technology transitions such as the move to our new email system, M365 Microsoft Exchange Online. The videos transformed routine migration email content into an engaging learning experience, covering a range of topics from email migration preparation, to re-connecting and navigating the new email system with confidence.  

Why use Synthesia? 
Creating videos is one of the most effective ways to support users, but traditional video production can be time-consuming, labour intensive, and require specialized AV teams to produce. With Synthesia, our goal was to empower our team members, regardless of video editing experience, to produce professional-quality, engaging videos quickly and efficiently. We wanted our team to create content faster, have consistent voice and branding, and create a more dynamic support experience for our users. 

Reception has been positive. Diana Yoon,the M365 Senior Project Manager at Enterprise Digital Transformation and Automation commented:  

“The AI-assisted videos made it easier for users to understand the value the new M365 email service provides and what changed from their old email platform. It also helped that the team was able to produce the videos quickly and cost-effectively.” 

Plans for Synthesia in the Future 
The IT Comms team is exploring new ways to use Synthesia beyond IT support, expanding into areas like cybersecurity awareness (training on phishing, MFA, and data protection), onboarding for HR and administrative processes, and storytelling to showcase new IT initiatives and share with the university community. 

View our Synthesia video 

On October 29, nearly 420 UBC faculty and staff from across campus and online came together for the 8th annual Privacy Matters @ UBC Symposium — a vibrant day of learning, dialogue, and shared commitment to privacy and cybersecurity.  

Key moments from the day included: 

• Opening remarks by Acting Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Larry Carson, offering insights into UBC’s evolving cybersecurity landscape.
• Thought-provoking panel discussions on risk management, data governance, and the intersection of cybersecurity with research and medicine.
• A look into the Faculty of Medicine’s approach to cybersecurity governance, showcasing a practical, collaborative, and scalable model.
• Engaging sessions such as a live theatre skit on travel security and a forward-looking exploration of quantum computing’s implications for data protection.
• Practical strategies for enhancing cybersecurity communication and aligning privacy practices with emerging AI technologies. 

The Symposium concluded with the Champions Award Ceremony, recognizing UBC faculty and staff who demonstrate exceptional leadership in advancing privacy and cybersecurity across the university. This year’s award recipients included Chatty Lagura, Stephen MacDonald, and David Johnston. Among them, Johnston was named the Grand Prize Winner, receiving a $500 UBC Bookstore gift card in recognition of his outstanding contributions. 

Thank you to all who attended and contributed to the success of this year’s event. 

Access session recordings and resources through Privacy Matters on Demand, available on the Privacy Matters @ UBC website. 

Discover how the Privacy Matters Champions Network supports a culture of privacy at UBC.