Week of August 30, 2023

Privacy Implications of AI Tools

The BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act requires a
Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)
for tools involving personal information at the university. To date no university-wide PIA has been conducted for AI tools. As such, AI tool use by students should not be mandatory unless non-disclosure of personal or sensitive data is ensured.

For any such tool that is suggested as an option for use in an assessment, an
equivalent alternative
should be provided to the students who
opt out of using the tool.
Instructors should file a PIA if using generative AI in teaching, especially for assessments and grading.

Please contact forestry.tls@ubc.ca for consultation and support. Please visit
ai.ctlt.ubc.ca to find out more.

Syllabus Langauge on Generative AI

The use of generative AI tools at UBC is a
course- or program-level decision.
Students should not assume that all available technologies are permitted. There is no overall ban in using AI tools in teaching and learning at UBC.
As such, the use of ChatGPT or other generative AI tools does not automatically equate to academic misconduct at UBC.
Instructors should set clear expectations around the use of these tools.

Consider including in the syllabus whether there are any course restrictions on using AI tools and provide a rationale for why.
Read more at Generative AI Syllabus for further resources and sample syllabus statements that can be used. See these guidelines on the use of ChatGPT and Other Generative AI Tools.

Make-Up Monday Reminder

The Vancouver Senate has approved a schedule alteration for Thursday, Oct 12, 2023, designating it as a “Make-up Monday” in response to a calendar imbalance that disproportionately affected Monday classes due to statutory holidays (full details here on pages 29-31).
Regularly scheduled classes for Thursday, Oct 12, are canceled and replaced by those usually held on Mondays (view UBC announcement here).

Key actions for instructors:
If your course is scheduled on a Monday or a Thursday, please highlight this schedule change in your course syllabus with the message below:
“Important: Thursday, Oct 12, 2023, has been designated as a “Make-up Monday” for the Term 1 academic schedule. Classes scheduled for Thursday, Oct 12, are cancelled, and will be replaced by the classes normally scheduled on a Monday. This includes our course.”

Add this if your course is scheduled on a Monday:
“Please ensure you plan to attend our Monday class at its regular time and location on Thursday, Oct 12.”

Add this if your course is scheduled on a Thursday:
“Please note that our Thursday, Oct 12 class is cancelled.”

Please avoid scheduling midterm examinations or other assessments on Make-up Monday, Oct 12.
If you have questions about the logistics of Make-up Monday, please contact Scheduling Services at
schedulingservices@students.ubc.ca.

Faculty & Central Updates

Canvas and EdTech Training & Resources

We are pleased to announce our Canvas Training & Resources Canvas Site
(view here) which compiles
the key resources for setting up Canvas courses for instructors, teaching assistants, and staff in the Faculty of Forestry.

Available Software in Forestry

See the IT One Pager. The Forestry Software List summarizes commonly used or requested software. This list does not represent what is currently installed in the UG labs nor CBM laptops. For questions, contact forestry.ithelp@ubc.ca.

UBC Zoom & Teams Video Retention Policy

Starting in October 2023, UBC will automatically remove video recordings from Zoom and Microsoft Teams one year after each video is recorded. This new video retention policy will affect all faculty, staff, and student employees who use UBC accounts to record with these tools. Detailed instructions can be found at
Zoom and Microsoft Teams video retention policy. Check the tip-sheet for frequently asked questions.

Workshops & Events

Forestry Teaching & Learning Drop-in Sessions

Time: Fridays (11 am – 12 pm) | Online
We host weekly drop-in session to answer teaching related questions. Instructors and TAs are welcome to join the Zoom meeting.

Weekly Gen AI in Teaching and Learning Office Hours

Time: Wednesdays (1 – 2 pm) | Online
The CTLT is now offering weekly one-hour drop-in clinics to answer Generative AI related teaching and learning based questions like: Which AI tools am I allowed to require in my class? Should my assessments change given Generative AI tools? How can I incorporate Generative AI into my curriculum?
Register sessions here.

Generative AI 30+30 Series

Time: Sep 7 (1 – 2 pm) | Online
The CTLT are introducing the 30+30 series of Generative AI workshops which includes a thirty-minute interactive presentation each with their own focus, followed by 30 minutes of discussions, questions, and answers. You can register the next
30+30 workshop here.