Role Overview
The Science Peer Academic Coaches (SPAC) are a group of dedicated Science students who provide individualized support in the form of one-on-one, strengths-based conversations with fellow students. This includes utilizing open-ended questions, active listening, and paraphrasing to ensure that the student’s concerns, problems, or issues are heard and fully understood. The coach then works with the student to create a plan of action that addresses the unique needs identified during the coaching conversation. This may also involve making referrals to a variety of campus resources to ensure the student is receiving the best support. Following the conversation, the coach will continue to check in and follow up, if needed.
We expect that incoming Science Peer Academic Coach members will prioritize this senior level commitment and appropriately reduce other co-curricular involvement and volunteerism to facilitate the time necessary to contribute to and gain experience from this opportunity.
Organizational Relationship
The Science Peer Academic Coaches are a group of Science students who are interested in supporting, enhancing, and developing the academic experiences of their peers and building a sense of community within the Faculty of Science. SPAC is a student-driven team that is advised by a staff advisor and is part of the Student Engagement unit in the Faculty of Science, Dean’s Office.
Time Commitments
Important Dates
You must available for:
Welcome and Training | Saturday Mar 21 9 am – 2 pm | Meet the team, ask questions, develop coaching fundamentals and build community with your peers |
Summer Training | Virtual Wednesday May 13 In-person Sunday Sept 6 (half day) | Virtual synchronous and asynchronous training sessions |
SPAC Promotions | Tuesday Sept 8 (full day) | Assist in building awareness of our support for new-to-UBC students at Imagine UBC Please note: you are still eligible to be an Orientation Leader; connect with the staff advisor to discuss how these two roles impact each other later in the summer |
Science Peer | Friday Sept 11 (from 4:30 pm) and Saturday Sept 12, 2026 (full day) | In-person, off campus, two-day event. |
Study Hall Program | Various Tuesday evenings 3:30 – 6:30 pm | Support the weekly Study Hall program in Term 1 |
Academic Success Program | Various Saturday mornings | Support with Academic Success programming |
Regular Meetings
Please note: These meetings are mandatory. The inability to attend these meetings means you are not eligible for this role.
| General Team Meetings | Wednesdays from 5:30 – 7 pm throughout the academic year, running from Sept – early Dec; Jan – early Apr |
| Recurring Committee Meetings | Regularly scheduled (e.g., weekly) and organized by the committee chairs |
Weekly Commitment
Successful candidates will be expected to prioritize their involvement on the SPAC team and must commit to a minimum of 5 hours per week (including the meeting mentioned above). Some weeks you may volunteer much more than 5 hours as a result of your committees and events schedule. You will not be expected to volunteer during final exam seasons.
Your commitment includes (but is not limited to):
- Helping to facilitate study skills workshops and coaching initiatives throughout the year
- Participating in at least two 1-hour drop-in coaching shifts per week
- Facilitating appointment-based coaching conversations that may take place outside of drop-in coaching shifts
- Other hours as required based on committee needs
Note for students who have specialized or who are interested in a pharmacology specialization and/or who are interested in pursuing co-op:
- Due to significant disruptions from the mandatory lab course, PCTH 302, also scheduled on Wednesdays, SPAC cannot consider applicants who are specializing in pharmacology
- Due to the time commitment that is required from participants, SPAC cannot consider applicants who intend to participate in the co-op program in Term 1 and/or Term 2 of 2026W
Desired Skills and Experience
- A strong academic background in the Faculty of Science (GPA greater than 70% in your most recent year);
note: it is an asset to have felt challenged by the transition to university and to have developed further skills to support your own academic goals - Excellent communication skills, demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills
- Demonstrated ability to take initiative, identify needs, and work independently and within a team to generate creative solutions
- Demonstrate an openness to learn about yourself and others, while developing as a young professional
- Be open to reflecting on your own experiences and be able to apply them to future experiences
- Be able to meet all responsibilities, attend and engage in all mandatory training dates, and fulfill all expectations outlined above
Benefits of Participating in this Role
Involvement in the University community
Team members are part of a larger community in the Faculty of Science, as well as campus-wide, collaborating with SCI Team, SUS, academic advisors, Career Services, Alumni, and other Peer Programs.
Develop a specific set of professional competencies including:
- Leadership skills in the areas of adaptability, communication, team building, personal and professional growth, diversity/awareness, and networking
- Valuable leadership and teamwork skills in organizing and carrying out workshops and events
- Skills in group facilitation, event planning, program development, chairing meetings, and taking minutes
Learning opportunities to further your personal and professional development
Through involvement as a Coach, you will be trained on how to effectively utilize accepted coaching practices in your 1-on-1 coaching interactions with students. This includes:
- Understanding how to apply active listening skills, paraphrasing, open-ended phrasing, powerful questions, results-based coaching framework, and the principles of S.M.A.R.T. goal setting
- Developing a reflective approach to your own coaching practice to identify strengths and
determine areas of improvement