Steps in Finding a Faculty Sponsor

Finding a Faculty Sponsor can be the most difficult part of the Student Directed Seminars application process, but it doesn’t have to be. The most important thing to remember?

Start early.

Approaching a Potential Faculty Sponsor

There is a Faculty member I have taken a class with that I think would be a great sponsor for my Seminar!

Great! Don’t be afraid to approach them about your request. You can send them a polite email, or even better, ask them in-person in their office hours. This is an excellent option since they already know you and are familiar with you.

Things to Remember:
  • Make sure you have a good idea of what your seminar will look like (i.e. content, structure, etc.), so that you can share the details with them.
  • Direct them to the website, and more specifically, the FAQ for Faculty and Staff page to ensure they have a good understanding of what the role would entail.
  • If they agree to be your Faculty Sponsor, make sure they fill out the Faculty Sponsor form (found in the application).
  • Your Faculty Sponsor should be a tenured or tenure-stream Faculty member. SDS sponsorship requires additional work which may not be recognized by colleagues with other appointments. However, with the support and approval of a Department Head, the SDS Advisory Committee will consider approval of seminars being supported by colleagues other than tenure or tenure-stream faculty. It is imperative, however, that individuals in this latter case who agree to take on this supervisory role do so voluntarily, understanding that it is not a condition of their UBC employment.

But what if I don’t have a potential Faculty member in mind for my Seminar?

Not to worry! Send an email to tlell,elviss@ubc.ca that includes the idea behind your seminar (topic, content, structure, etc.). We will then use this to information suggest a few Faculty members we think will be appropriate for your seminar and support you in appraoching them.

a place of mind, The University of British Columbia

Center for Student Involvement & Careers
Brock Hall
1002-1874 East Mall,
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada
Tel: 604.822.9805
Email:
Tlell Elviss
Centre for Student Involvement & Careers
1002-1874 East Mall (Brock Hall),
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada
Email:

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