Guidance

Welcome to UBC MECH!

Please feel free to email if you have any questions or requests to Graduate Student Secretary at secgrad@mech.ubc.ca. Note that your student number is required for your request being processed. If you need to contact our Graduate Advisor, Dr. S. Rogak, please email him at rogak@interchange.ubc.ca. Graduate program office hours are: Mon – Fri, 10am – 12noon; 3 – 4pm.

The following list outlines important information that must be taken care of prior to/upon your arrival to UBC :

1. Visit the Student Service Centre
2. Register Courses
3. Apply Health Insurance
4. Apply SIN
5. Research Assistantship (RA)
6. Teaching Assistantship (TA)
7. Check VISTA
8. Purchase Extra Insurance
9. Complete Safety Course and Submit Key/Alarm Request
10. Prepare Award Application
11. Check Mail Box

1. Visit the Student Service Centre

First, create your Campus-Wide Login(CWL). After logging on the Student Service Centre, you can:

• Register for courses
• Review your financial situation (Payments are due May, September and January)
• Review your awards and fill in the acceptance form
• Update your personal information

2. Register Courses

A list of courses offered at UBC can be found under Registration in SSC.

If you cannot register in the course online (the course may be full, restricted or undergraduate level), please submit the change of registration form to Graduate Secretary.
Course change & withdrawal dates

Mandatory courses: All M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. students are required to register for thesis course all year around in order to maintain your full-time student status. Similarly, MEng students are required to register for project course all the time.

Once you are registered, you can obtain a UBC card and U-pass from the UBC Bookstore - bring a photo ID and your student number.

3. Apply Health Insurance (BC Medical Plan)

Soon after your arrival to Canada, you’re required to apply for MSP by submitting the application and visa copy. MSP waiting period is 3 months which will be covered by iMED ( the mandatory basic health insurance program. iMED also will cover your trip (ten or less days) to Canada. The arrival date must be within the coverage dates.

What is iMED, BC Medical Plan (MSP), and AMS/GSS Health & Dental Plan?

4. Apply SIN

What is Social Insurance Number (SIN)?

SIN is required if you are expected to work on campus as RA, TA, or receive a major scholarship to be paid through UBC Payroll system.

How to apply for SIN:

1. Submit the Employment Contract Form to Graduate Secretary.

2. Submit the application form and all the supporting documents (including the form stated above) to the Human Resources Department of Canada (HRDC) centre.

The center nearest to UBC Campus is:

3. Submit a SIN confirmation receipt to the Graduate Secretary for your appointment.

Remember that SIN and Study Permit have expiry dates and must be renewed at least 3 months in advance. The ultimate responsibility for maintaining up-to-date documents lies with the student. Remember also that it is your responsibility to ensure that your passport remains current.

5. Research Assistantship (RA)

A majority of MECH graduate students are offered RA by their supervisors. Such assistantship is funded by research grants for specified projects which virtually always constitute thesis projects. A RA may be held in conjunction with Teaching Assistantship or scholarship.

How to set up your RA appointment:

1. Apply for a SIN (please refer to the information above)

2. Ensure all your information in the Student Services Centre is up-to-date (e.g. current address, phone number, etc)

3. Ensure you have completed the Department Safety Training Requirement.

4. Ensure all followings have been submitted to the department:

4.1. A copy of Study Permit/Visa
4.2. A copy of Passport
4.3. A copy of SIN confirmation receipt (or a plastic card)

5. The first pay check needs to be picked up at the payroll office in person. Please bring your UBC card for ID verification. RA and TA are paid semi-monthly (in the middle and end of the month).

Note: RA appointment may take up to five business days after all information was received. Incomplete documents may cause a delay payment.

You may also apply for:

• Payroll Direct Deposit
• Tuition Payroll Deductions/fee deferral

6. Teaching Assistantship (TA)

Require assisting in undergraduate laboratories, tutorials, and marking. These may be held in conjunction with other assistantship or scholarships. Assignments are based on 4 hours of work per week and remuneration is approximately $1,500 per term. Details can be found on VISTA (see #7).

7. Check VISTA

VISTA provides important internal information such as PhD Qualifying Examination Procedures, Program Guidelines, TA application Procedures, etc.

How to enroll VISTA

8. Purchase Extra Insurance

The department has a policy that all students, both Graduate and Undergraduate, must have accident insurance. In fact, we do not allow anyone to use the workshop without insurance. However, even if you never use the workshop, you must have insurance to cover you in case of an accident while working in a research lab or some similar activity.

Student Accident Insurance is an additional insurance that provides additional medical coverage for UBC students and post-doctoral fellows performing course work related activities in environments where the risk of injury is greater than in a classroom, e.g., laboratories, clinical practice, field work. It provides a $50,000 maximum benefit for death or dismemberment and a $5,000 excess medical coverage, e.g., ambulance, prescription drugs.

Students must have the BC Medical Plan or its equivalent from another province in place (basic medical care) in order to be eligible for the Student Accident Insurance.

The cost to enroll in the Student Accident Insurance program is $7 per student per year, and can be paid at the reception in the main office.

9. Complete Safety Course and Submit Key/Alarm Request

This course is required for all incoming/current graduate students.

New employees and students of the Mechanical Engineering Department must receive Safety training. In fact, an introduction to safety and a lab orientation must be completed prior to being given access to work in labs or workshops.  This is a legal requirement for new and young workers.

The basic training includes the UBC Introduction to Lab Safety course plus a local laboratory orientation to each lab in which you will be working.  Mech lab orientations will be conducted by your supervisor or his designated lab manager.

You should complete these prior to applying for lab keys and fob so that you can attach them to the request. Note: anyone seeking unsupervised lab access, other than to purely computer labs, and anyone who will be working in, or assigned a desk in a research or teaching lab, is required to complete the safety training before being granted  access.

This Intro safety course is available online through the Risk Management  site http://www.riskmanagement.ubc.ca at (http://www.riskmanagement.ubc.ca/courses/intro-lab-safety)and you may register with your Campus Wide Login id (cwl).  You will receive an email confirmation of course completion.

Depending on your position and type of work, you may also be required to take a more in-depth course in addition.  You should discuss this with your supervisor and register for appropriate courses – being sure to submit all course completion confirmations to Bailey Grose (CEME 2054).

Laboratory and workshop keys and alarm codes will be authorized only after  Safety training is completed and we have the record of completion.

After completion of the Introduction to Lab Safety and your local Laboratory Orientation, submit the following documents to Bailey Grose, at MECH Reception CEME 2054.

•             Your completed and signed access (key/alarm request) form (blanks available from Bailey until our new intranet platform is launched this September)

•             Completed and  signed  Orientation  to your Mech  laboratory

•             Confirmation of completion of  the Intro. to Lab Safety course from Risk Management (http://www.riskmanagement.ubc.ca/courses/intro-lab-safety)

10. Prepare Award Application

Annual award administration (for NSERC Scholarships and UBC Affiliated Fellowships) is held in the middle of September to the middle of October (details to be announced when time comes). New students who are planning to apply for the award are advised to bring some extra final official transcripts from previous institutions for award application. The department notifies students more external/internal awards/scholarships opportunities all year around via internal group email account.

11. Check Mail Box

Any postal mail deliver the office will be put in the alphabetical boxes located outside the main office. Messages for you may also left there so please check your box at least once a week. Cheques and registered mail will be held at the reception and a student name will be posted on the chalk board across from the mail box. Please DO NOT have personal mail sent to the department.