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UNBC is considered to be one of the best in the latest national undergraduate-school rankings, but its students are giving it high praise for its mental health services.
The Prince George post-secondary was ranked fifth out of 19 schools across Canada in Maclean’s 2021 report, an annual list highlighting schools that are largely focused on undergraduate education, with relatively fewer graduate programs and graduate students, according to the magazine.
UNBC students, however, are giving the school full marks for its mental health services, especially this past year as COVID-19 has forced most classes and labs to switch to online.
“It is immensely gratifying to see the efforts of our Health Services team reflected in these survey results,” said Interim President Dr. Geoff Payne in an email to PrinceGeorgeMatters about the school’s avenues for support.
“The mental wellness of our students is always a top priority for UNBC. This year, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and with many of our courses offered via alternative delivery methods, our awareness of mental health challenges that our students may be experiencing is heightened. We understand that COVID-19 has resulted in increased stress and anxiety for many people in the UNBC community, including our students, faculty and staff.”
UNBC offers a wellness centre that provides counselling needs, urgent care references for students on- and off-campus and resources through its medical clinic staff.
According to the student satisfaction survey, mental health services were given the highest credit for why students appreciate UNBC.
It is perhaps because of those supports that the school has done noticeably well on the Canadian stage as UNBC was ranked first among the Maclean’s list in the awards category, which accounts for the number of students who have claimed national recognitions.
According to a release this morning (Oct. 8), this is the fourth year in the last five that the Prince George institution has topped that specific category.
“These rankings reflect the dedication of everyone in our community and demonstrate UNBC continues to be one of the best universities of its size in Canada,” Dr. Payne continued.
“In what has been a challenging year for all of us, both here at UNBC and around the world, it is gratifying to receive this endorsement as we continue in our mission to support our students and researchers as they discover and share knowledge.”
The completed list of UNBC rankings by category are as follows:
- 1st = Student Awards
- 2nd = Student/ Faculty Ratio
- 11th = Faculty Awards
- 8th = Social Sciences and Humanities Grants
- 7th = Medical/Science Grants
- 4th = Total Research Dollars
- 3rd = Operating Budget
- 11th = Library Expenses
- 9th = Library Acquisitions
- 15th = Scholarships & Bursaries
- 10th = Student Services
Mount Allison University in New Brunswick jumped from second in 2019 to first overall in the undergraduate schools list this year.
