Quarter Century Club
The UBC Quarter Century Club was established in 1996 by President David Strangway to recognize active full-time faculty members and librarians with 25 years of service. In 2003, the club began recognizing active members who have reached the additional milestone of 35 years of service. This group is known collectively as Tempus Fugit, or “time flies.” This year, new levels of recognition for current club members who have reached 40 and 50 years of active service at UBC have been added.
The first members of the Club were those faculty still active at UBC prior to the Club’s establishment in the fall of 1996. Faculty members who had retired prior to fall 1996 were not considered to be eligible. New members are inducted at a special dinner held each fall.
Milestones & Memories: A Celebration of 25+ Years
Annual Event
Over the years, the annual celebration has become a wonderful opportunity for new, active and retired members to keep in touch with each other and the university in a warm, celebratory environment. Please ensure you keep us up to date with a current email address to ensure you will receive your invitation each year.
UBC recognizes long service at the Vancouver campus by way of the 25 Year Club for staff, and the Quarter Century Club for faculty. Annual celebrations to recognize staff and faculty who have reached the service milestones have historically been held separately.
We’re excited to advise that starting in 2025, we will bring together all members of our UBC community reaching long service milestones in one annual celebration on Monday, October 20, 2025, at the Life Sciences Centre, West Atrium.
You can find a copy of the print program here.
Membership Criteria
To be eligible for membership, an individual must be a full-time UBC faculty member for 25 years. Colleagues in the following categories are eligible:
- full-time Lecturer
- any Tenure Stream appointment
- any Professorial or Instructor Rank Without Review
- full-time Librarians
- full-time Program Directors
- Sessional Lecturers*
- Research Associates*
*Head of the Academic Unit will need to identify and provide a written recommendation for inclusion in the QCC. Individuals can also self-identify and contact the QCC President or UBC Protocol, Ceremonies and Events office to be considered for inclusion in the QCC. Committee members should consider level of contribution for the evaluation of unusual cases.
In counting accumulated years of service, the following may be considered:
- one year spent at UBC as a “visiting” faculty member;
- any years of paid leave taken for the purpose of study;
- any years of paid or unpaid maternity or parental leave;
- any years of unpaid leave taken for scholarly purposes or in secondment to government;
- any years on a reduced workload (per the Agreement);
- one year’s break in service as a Lecturer (here treated like a leave);
- up to five years spent as a Research Associate or Sessional Lecturer;
- up to five years spent on disability leave
What does not count towards years of service?
- personal unpaid leaves;
- time spent as a postdoctoral fellow;
- time spent in clinical or adjunct appointments
The committee will also consider on a case by case basis service by individuals who have completed 25 or more years of service in a faculty position that does not meet the traditional eligibility criteria. In these cases the Head of the Academic Unit will need to provide a written recommendation for inclusion in the QCC.
Benefits to Members
At the annual Quarter Centre Club event, the University President or Provost and Quarter Century Club President present new members with gifts and a certificate from the University. Members also receive a membership card, which entitles them to privileges such as two-for-one admission to UBC Botanical Garden and Nitobe Memorial Garden, a free one-year membership to the UBC Museum of Anthropology and complimentary parking upon retirement, in-line with parking permits that are issued upon confirmation of Emeritus status. Membership also provides the opportunity to attend the annual event and celebrate with colleagues each year. There are no membership fees.