Welcome to the CFC Information and Events page. The UBCFA Contract Faculty Committee organizes a number of events throughout the academic year for sessionals and lecturers. In this section on our site, we hope to keep you updated on all of them. If you’re a sessional or lecturer, you’ll also receive email notices advising you of what’s coming up (and if you aren’t receiving our notices, please get in touch).
For more information on our Sessional Conference Fund click here.
Feb. 24 Forum: What I wish I knew when I started!
Have you been working at UBC for a few years, months or even weeks but still have questions about your job? Are you unsure of your rights or the rules, policies and practices that you’re supposed to follow?
You’re not alone – that’s why the UBC Faculty Association’s Contract Faculty Committee is holding a forum on Feb. 24 to talk about the onboarding process at UBC and to give you the opportunity to ask the questions that no one else seems to be able to answer.
Join us for a panel presentation and a Q&A session on Zoom at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24th for helpful hints to make your work as a contract faculty member easier and the UBC environment a little less opaque.
Zoom link to the Feb. 24 Forum
April 28: Contract Faculty Colloquium —
Call for Submissions
The UBC Faculty Association Contract Faculty Committee, in partnership with the Vancouver Centre for Teaching and Learning, is hosting the Annual Contract Faculty Colloquium on Tuesday, April 28. This is our opportunity to share and learn about the innovative pedagogies and research interests of our Contract Faculty colleagues.
We are now accepting applications to present at the Colloquium. Submissions can be submitted via email and should include a 150 word synopsis of your proposed presentation, your name, department, Faculty, and when you are available to present (in person or via Zoom) on April 28th.
Please email submissions to Stephanie Tolman, Chair, UBCFA Contact Faculty Committee by March 2, 2026.
Fair Employment Week
Every fall, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and its member associations including the UBC Faculty Association, organize and host a week-long celebration of contract faculty. We also take the opportunity to remind the University of the importance of Contract Faculty. A copy of our 2025 letter to President Benoit-Antoine Bacon and Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal Lesley Cormack has been posted here.
FEW October 20 to 24, 2025 “Know Your Rights” Workshops – Copies of the Powerpoint presentations are now available:
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SESSIONALS
Know Your Rights (PPT Presentation 2025) -
LECTURERS
Know Your Rights (PPT Presentation 2025)
Sessional Conference Fund
The UBC Faculty Association and UBC are pleased to announce travel grants for sessional faculty who will be presenting papers at academic conferences in 2026. Please note that Applications will only be accepted after a call has been made – generally at the end of January.
Depending on demand, this year’s grant will have a maximum value of up to $1500.00 and may be used for travel, accommodation, conference fees and meals (UBC per diem). You may claim expenses for presenting at a conference you attend in 2026, regardless of whether you are on contract at the time of the conference. You can submit your expenses for reimbursement once you return to employment, so long as it is prior to February 26th 2027.
If you would like to apply for one of these grants, please complete the Application Form available on the UBCFA website or on the Faculty Relations website and forward it to the UBC Faculty Association at [email protected] by February 27, 2026. Successful applicants will be notified.
Although not guaranteed every year, this grant is available to sessional lecturers who present papers at conferences within the calendar year. Applications are only accepted after a call has been made (usually in January) and MUST be submitted by February 27th for conferences in that calendar year in order to qualify (unless otherwise specified). Applications made after this date are not accepted. For additional information, visit the Sessional Conference Fund page.
