Parents/Guardians

• Applications: Get the essential application facts, find out how to apply, and what to expect after applying 
• Dates: Keep track of important residence dates and deadlines 
• Fees and Payments: Find out the fees for your residence area, when to pay and how to make a payment

To help students prepare for life in residence at UBC, you and your student can check out the new to residence guide for a pre-arrival checklist, virtual residence tours, how-tos, resources and more: New to Residence Guide 

• Community Living  

• • UBC Student Housing is a academic residence experience designed for independent adult living within an inclusive community environment.  

• • Our guiding principles for communal living include the idea that every person can expect consideration and respect for their feelings and needs and in return has the responsibility to show respect for others. Further, every person can expect to live in an environment where their possessions and space are shown respect. 

• • Mutual consideration and agreed upon standards of living are essential to residence life. The wellbeing of the residence community rests on balancing the needs of individual students and the needs of the larger residence population. This balance is best achieved when all individuals are aware of their rights and accompanying responsibilities to themselves, to others and to the community. UBC is committed to providing a residence environment that is: 

• • • Safe and secure.
    • Supports academic pursuits.
    • Supports personal growth. 

• • To this end, Residence Standards are established within the Residence Contract to communicate the expectations of students living in the residence community.  If your student has a concern regarding behaviour in residence that is not conducive to the academic success of the community, or that poses harm to another resident, we encourage them to contact their Residence Life Manager.  

• Living With Roommates  

• • Living with another student can be one of the most rewarding experiences in university. Sometimes, roommate pairings are the start of life-long friendships, however it is important to remember that your student does not need to be best friends with their roommate, they just need to find a respectful dynamic for their shared space. Successful roommate relationships require communication and respect.  

• • Roommate Agreements – All students who live together in residence will be asked to complete a roommate agreement with their roommate or suitemates. A Roommate Agreement is a conflict prevention tool that we when residents start living together. Roommate Agreements allow residents to set expectations and discuss how they will approach their roommate if they’re unhappy about something in their unit. Residence Advisors guide their residents through creating their Roommate Agreements. Roommate Agreements can be revisited through the year if expectations change or are no longer working for the roommates. 

• • Resolving Conflict – Sometimes there’s conflict between roommates, typically due to noise levels, unwanted guests and cleaning responsibilities. If your student is having trouble, please encourage them to speak to their roommate(s) about the issue before getting other people involved. It’s always best when roommates take a direct and tactful approach to conflict resolution before asking a Residence Advisor for help. If your student shares concerns about their roommate with you, helpful questions to ask are, “What did you agree to in your roommate agreement?” or “Do you need to revisit your roommate agreement with your roommate?”. Residence Advisors are always available in the community to help mediate conflict, however the first question the Residence Advisor will ask a student is “Have you talked to your roommate about this yet?”.  

• Meet the Student Housing team 
  • Meet the team here!

• Getting involved and overcoming loneliness 

• • It is normal for students to feel a little lonely when they arrive at university and at times throughout the year. The secret to feeling that you belong at a big place like UBC is to find a smaller place—a smaller group of people, a smaller community—within this larger community—and begin to meet others, one at a time. Loneliness is overcome one hello, one conversation, and one friendship at a time. We know that it can be an awkward and challenging for students to put themselves out there. Encourage your student to put themselves out there. You can suggest they say hi to someone they don’t know. It’s the best pathway to friendship! Starting a conversation can feel intimidating, and it’s likely the other person is just as hesitant.  

• • Here are some great conversation starters: 

• • • How was your move in?
    • When did you arrive?  
    • Where do you call home? 
    • What faculty are you in?  
    • What are you going to do this weekend? 

• • Parents can encourage their students to overcome loneliness by getting involved in campus. One of the easiest ways to get involved is by joining programs and activities. At the beginning of the term, Residence Life staff organize a variety of opportunities for students to join low barrier activities in their floor community or through the wider campus. It doesn’t matter so much what the activity is, the impact in forming community is in having shared experiences with other students.  

• • Living in residence is one of the most effective strategies to deal with the loneliness, adjust to and succeed at university.  

• • • Hang out in the residence lounge, not in their room. 
    • Attend residence events—particularly those early in the year.  
    • Eat meals with other people.  

• • One of the biggest worries for most new residents is who they’re going to eat with! If they live in a first-year residence, their floor may have tables in the dining room where they typically sit. They can invite roommates or floormates to go with them or ask their Residence Advisor, who is likely heading that way to eat too and would be glad to have company. If your student goes by themselves and there’s someone at their floor or residence table they haven’t met, they can ask to sit down next to them— remembering to follow all current public health guidelines, of course!

• • If your student is looking for company, they can leave their room door open when they’re home. Fellow residents will stop and say hello. Students are encouraged to look at the bulletin boards around residence that announce events and activities to see what’s going on and find some to check out. It’s fine to attend by themselves!
  • Talk to one of the Residence Advisors. Ask them what  activities they’re planning. Your student can tell their RA what kinds of things they would enjoy doing or trying.   

• • We encourage all students to attend the SUO EXPO Student Associations and Services Fair to see if there’s a club that interests them. Successful students tell us that getting involved in campus organizations was a key factor in building campus connections.  

• • If they continue to have a hard time and still feel lonely, they can talk with a Residence Advisor or the Residence Life Manager. RAs or RLMs can’t fix the problem—but they’ll listen and try to help your student better find the answer that works. 

• A Diverse and Inclusive Community 

• • UBC’s Okanagan Residence is a diverse and vibrant community of more than 2,100 students. Students from dozens of countries attend UBC and live in residence. Our goal as Student Housing and Community Services is to provide a safe and secure living and learning environment where residents have access to educational opportunities and related co-curricular programs that promote personal growth and academic success. Above all, we believe that all residents should feel welcome on campus and be able to access the support they need to thrive.   

• • We believe that the tone of our Residence community starts with the Residence Life staff that support our community members. Every year we recruit a diverse team of fun and helpful Residence Advisors to build community in residence and support student’s transition to academic life.   

• • We welcome feedback from students and parents about steps we can take to ensure that all students in our residence community feel included, valued and safe.  

• Before you Arrive: Checklist
• What to Pack / What to Leave at Home

• First-year students living in single-connected units are enrolled in an All-Access Meal Plan, which can be used at Pritchard Dining Hall. This meal plan is included in your student’s housing fees.  
• Students assigned to a suite-style residences have access to a shared kitchen but may also consider purchasing a voluntary meal plan. Options include the All-Access Meal Plan, the Convenience Plan or Swipe Plan. 

• Dietary support: UBC Food Services’ dietitians provide student residents with advice and support on healthy eating, and managing food allergies while dining on campus. 

• Pritchard’s Menus & Allergen Info: Check ingredients and daily menus anytime at ubcok.nutrislice.com. 

Parents can be supportive and trusting, encourage independence, and provide a safety net. Here are some recommendations: 

• Familiarize yourself with campus resources and campus services. 
• Ask your student to share important emails from the university. 
• Check UBCO Student Services’ dates and deadlines page for significant dates. 
• Familiarize yourself with Student Housing’s important dates page for significant residence and meal plan dates and deadlines. 
• Read your student’s residence contract. 
• Book recommendation! Pick up a copy of Don’t Tell Me What To Do, Just Send Money—The Essential Parenting Guide to the College Years, by Helen Johnson and Christine Schelhas-Miller. It offers a clear, relatively current look at issues students and parents will face. If you only have time to read one book as your student starts university, make it this one. 

It’s important to stay in communication. While it’s important to connect regularly, don’t wait by your laptop or phone to hear back. Students may want to know more about what’s going on at home and be less inclined to return your call or message and let you know what’s going on with them.  

• Consider making a communication plan to help set expectations. 
• Accept that you won’t know every detail of your student’s life. 
• Remember that returning your call or text often will not be their first priority. 
• Show care and concern about their lives. 
• Ask questions, but try not to invade their privacy. Often students want to let you know what is happening at their own pace. 
• Be prepared for “the phone call” – Often it comes just after midterms or near the end of first term. At that point, work is piling up, marks aren’t what they’d expected, they’re feeling overwhelmed and not as resilient as usual. They’re upset and, chances are, they’re going to call you. But don’t panic. Remember that this is normal and, as much as you’d like to alleviate their stress, you cannot (and should not) fix their problems. They will rely on you to reassure them they can successfully work through the challenges. 
• Consider sending a care package – a sure sign of care, concern and support. 

Anticipating challenges:

• The dynamic when your student returns home, during any breaks or at the end of the academic year, may be more challenging now that your student has spent time experiencing life on their own. 
• For several months they’ve been concerned with only their daily routine—not the family’s. Sometimes they come home with a new outlook and new expectations for family members. It’s a transitional time for everyone.
   

Ways to support a positive dynamic:

• Stock up on favourite foods for your visiting student—and have plenty of laundry detergent on hand! Even though student life might be going well, be careful about romanticizing about university life as the best years of one’s life. For a student who may be struggling with exams, papers and career worries, this may not provide the intended comfort or reassurance. 

Supporting students’ transition to life at university is what we do. Moving into residence marks a major life transition for many students. Student Housing is here to ease that shift by offering structured orientation programs, peer mentorship, and ongoing support from trained Residence Life staff. For most students living in residence, this is their first time living away from home. For many students who are new to Kelowna, or new to Canada, Residence Life staff help orient students to their new environment and provide a welcoming transition to life at UBC Okanagan. We help students navigate the early days of university life—adjusting to new routines, managing independence, and finding their place in a new community. Our goal is to ensure every student feels welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed from day one.  

Our residences are intentionally designed to meet the unique needs of university students. From study lounges and communal kitchens to social spaces and wellness rooms, every aspect of our buildings supports academic success, personal growth, and community engagement. Residence Life staff live on-site and are available to provide guidance, mediate conflicts, and foster a respectful and inclusive living environment. Students living on campus have an opportunity to connect by playing pool or ping pong in a house lounge or unwind with an instrument in one of our music rooms. The Nechako Commonsblock is a welcoming amenities hub for all residents. Your student can join a yoga class in the Gathering Room, come for ice cream happy hour in the all-you-care-to eat dining hall or visit the fitness room available exclusively to residence students.   

We believe that students thrive when they feel a sense of belonging and connection. Through events, workshops, and community-building initiatives, Student Housing creates diverse opportunities for students to connect with peers, have fun, and build lasting friendships. Our Residence Advisors and student leaders play a key role in cultivating a positive atmosphere where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. With neighbours from all over the world, the residence community has something to offer for everyone.

Living in residence is more than just having a place to stay—it’s an opportunity to grow, connect, and thrive. Through our Residence Life programming, students build the skills to succeed at university and beyond. Students living on-campus have the opportunity to participate in living learning communities, leadership committees, intramurals, and an array of experiential learning. Whether it’s learning how to manage their time, exploring career paths, building meaningful relationships, or becoming an engaged and respectful community member, our programs are designed to support their personal, academic and career journey. Students will discover ways to get involved, explore their interests with like-minded students and make the most of their university experience—all while having fun and feeling at home. 

Living in residence offers a direct link to the broader university experience. We work closely with campus partners to ensure students are aware of the many opportunities available to them. Residence is a conduit to clubs, course unions, student government, and countless academic experiences. Living in the heart of campus provides convenient access to soak in the best of UBC’s vibrant student life experience. Residence Life staff will facilitate opportunities to explore arts, culture and varsity events on campus. Students will be invited to explore the local community and all that the Okanagan has to offer. By bridging the gap between residence and the wider campus, we help students build confidence and take full advantage of their university experience.  

Navigating a large university can be overwhelming at first, but Student Housing plays a key role in helping residents access the wealth of resources available on campus. Our Residence Life staff are trained to guide students toward academic support services, health and wellness programs and career development opportunities. Whether it’s connecting with a registered dietician, booking a counseling appointment, or finding a tutor, we ensure students know where to go and how to get involved. Through programs like the Residence Wellness and Advising Hub, resources like Registered Nurses and Academic and Career Advisors offer drop-in programming right in the residence community.  

Student Housing is committed to student wellbeing and safety. We provide access to a wide range of resources—from mental health support and academic advising to emergency response protocols and 24/7 on-call staff. Our Student Housing Front Desk is open 24 hours a day to answer questions, help students who are locked out, or pick up their mail. Residence Advisor staff perform duty rounds of all residence communities on a daily basis to identify any safety concerns and to connect with the community. Our residences are equipped with secure entry systems, and we collaborate with campus security to maintain a safe living environment. We also educate students on personal safety, respectful conduct, and how to access help when needed. Above all, we help students form community and make campus feel like home.  

It’s important to remember that this is a challenging and exciting time for your student. They’re juggling competing priorities—classes, friends and extra-curricular activities, not to mention the typical challenges of early adulthood—and can become distracted. 

However, if you’re feeling worried or concerned because your student hasn’t returned your messages or calls, here’s what you can do and some info about support resources at UBC. 

Urgent health or safety concerns

If you are concerned that your student is at risk, and you think or suspect an urgent health or safety check may be needed, or if there is a known emergency, first responders (i.e., police, ambulance and fire) are best positioned to assist your student. 

You should immediately call 911. The police will attend, and Campus Security and residence staff will assist and give them access to your student’s room. 

If you live elsewhere and are not able contact local emergency responders via 911, contact the local police (RCMP) detachment (24/7) at 250-762-3300 instead. 

Are there consequences for calling 911? 

• Your student will not get in trouble if they call 911—or if 911 is called on their behalf. 
• There is no cost for using the 911 service. 

If your student isn’t replying

From our experience, in many cases where a student has not replied to a family member’s messages or phone calls—which is especially common in the first couple months of the academic year (i.e., September and October)—the student was often busy with the many academic, social and extra-curricular activities at UBC. 

Other scenarios include: 

• They were asleep 
• Their phone ran out of battery 
• They didn’t have a chance to reply 
• They simply missed the messages or phone calls 

There are also circumstances where a student is choosing not to reply or avoiding communication with an individual for personal reasons. 

What to do if it’s not an urgent health or safety concern 

If you do not think an urgent health or safety check is needed, but repeated efforts to contact your student, via different contact methods (i.e., message, phone, email, etc.) have failed, and you are growing concerned about their wellbeing, here are a few options: 

Contact your student’s residence front desk: You may call your student’s residence front desk. Within the following 24 hours, our staff will send a message through the RA (Residence Advisor) team to your student to inform them that you have phoned and that you have requested they contact you.

Contact the local police (RCMP) detachment (24/7): Call the local police detachment (RCMP) at 250-762-3300. The police will discuss the situation with you and help determine the best course of action—which may include a wellness check. If needed, Campus Security and residence staff will assist first responders and give them access to your student’s room. 

Please note that our staff are not able to provide wake-up calls, give reminders about classes or assignments, or relay messages. 

Due to privacy legislation in British Columbia: 

• We will be limited in the information we can discuss about your student, if any. 
• After reaching out to your student, our staff are not able to report back to you and share information about your student. 

Can you call? Can you see their grades? What’s a parent to do?

You’ve dropped off your student at their new UBC residence building or waved goodbye in the airport terminal and suddenly they’re on their own—and so are you. But what if they encounter challenges? What if they need your help? What is a parent or guardian to do?

A balanced approach

It’s widely acknowledged among mental health professionals that the following parenting approaches can hinder youth from developing into independent, resilient adults:

• Helicopter parenting—flies in at the first sign of trouble.
• Snowplow parenting—clears their student’s path of all obstacles.

Rather, healthy development depends significantly on youth having opportunities to solve problems, overcome obstacles and take reasonable risks independently, without parental intervention.

But you don’t want to step out of the picture entirely.

So what is a balanced approach to distance parenting your university student, which empowers them to discover their independence, resilience and agency, while making sure they know they can turn to you for support when needed?

While there’s no magic formula, here are some pointers to help you address a few common issues.

Missed messages

Especially in the first few months at university, you might feel like you’re not hearing from your student as often as you’d like and/or they’re not responding to your messages or phone calls as quickly as you’d hoped.

This situation is very common and totally normal, with all the competing demands on a student’s time and attention while they’re getting used to the pace and demands of life at university.

Venting time

Get ready for it. You’re bound to get at least one phone call home that involves your student venting about one (or more) issues, whether it’s a conflict with a roommate or neighbour, a difficult class or assignment, or any mix of the challenging emotions that come along with their university adventure.

But remember, venting is literally a way to release pressure—to blow off some steam. It is not necessarily a request for you to jump in and solve the problem for them.

Grades

Grades at UBC are communicated directly to students and, like all of your student’s personal information and records, they are protected by BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

If your student is reluctant to share their grades, there could be many reasons, which may or may not be an indicator of how well they are performing.

Substance use

An important conversation to consider having with your student is about substance use—alcohol, cannabis, nicotine and other substances—no matter how challenging, to discuss expectations and risks.

It’s recommended to have a conversation with your student about this subject, no matter how challenging, to discuss expectations and risks.

• Learn more about alcohol, cannabis and nicotine
• Learn more about substance use and harm reduction

When to lean in

Maybe your student hasn’t returned your calls. Maybe you’ve got a feeling that something’s up. Whatever the case, there is a role for parents in ensuring the health, wellbeing and safety of their student.

First and foremost, learn more about the resources available at UBC and in the community, and encourage and advise your student on how to access relevant resources directly.

By coaching them to seek the supports and resources they need, you’ll help reinforce and strengthen their resilience and self-efficacy, both of which are essential qualities for success at university and in the future.

Resources at UBC

• Learn about health and wellbeing resources at UBC, including our counsellors in residence, and consider sharing them with your student.
• Read I’m worried, my student isn’t replying to learn more about what you can do if you’re concerned
• Learn more about the student residence team.

Know where to find help

Take some time to familiarize yourself with these UBC resources:

• Residence health and safety
• Counsellor in Residence
• UBC Counselling Services
• UBC Health and wellbeing resources
• UBC Student Health Service

Lighthouse parenting can be a helpful approach for supporting your university-aged child. By offering steady guidance and emotional support—much like a lighthouse guiding ships—you can provide clear values while still giving your child the space to make decisions, learn from mistakes, and build resilience. This balanced style encourages independence while maintaining a strong, reliable connection, helping your child navigate the transition to adulthood with confidence. 

• View our Fee Policies  

Between academics, paid or volunteer work, clubs, sports, friends and family, student life is vibrant and full. Staying healthy and taking care of personal wellbeing is also a critical part of student success. We encourage parents to discuss these topics with their student before they move to campus and throughout their time at UBC. Here are some helpful health and wellness links:

• • Health and wellbeing 
  • Fitness facilities 
  • Substance use 
  • Sex and sexual health 
  • Understanding stress 
  • Counselling services 
  • Student wellness
  • Safety and security 
  • Emergency preparedness 

If your student notices something in their unit is broken or not working, they can issue a maintenance request here. 

Find information about our allergy support, nutrislice, and nutrition FAQs here.

Visit our Maps, Tours & Directions page to help you navigate the campus.  

UBC’s student records, including housing information, are protected under BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). This means that the information is not accessible to anyone other than the student themselves, even parents, without the student’s explicit authorization. If a student wishes to grant a parent access to their housing information, they can do so by granting third-party authorization.  

View our Resources for Parents page here.