B.C. university reopens graduate applications for U.S. citizens, citing political ‘shifts’

The UBC sign is pictured at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver on April 23, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

The University of British Columbia is reopening applications to graduate programs for U.S. citizens, citing increased interest amid a shifting political and social climate.

U.S. Applicant Week begins Monday, inviting prospective students to apply for more than 70 programs past the deadline and promises “quick admission decisions,” according to a dedicated web site set up for the initiative.

The move, according to Assistant Dean Jens Locher, comes after the university saw a 27 per cent spike in U.S. applicants compared to last year.

“While UBC has a strong track record of welcoming students from the U.S., this is the first time we’ve taken the extraordinary step of temporarily extending or re-opening applications for select graduate programs,” Locher said in a statement to CTV News.

“There are no formal admission targets for this initiative as it is simply intended to provide an opportunity to American students that may be considering new options due to arising political or social shifts.”

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The statement did not elaborate on these “shifts” and did not name President Donald Trump. However, UBC’s decision comes as the administration is clawing back billions in post-secondary funding – mostly from Ivy League institutions – as part of a broader push of using taxpayer dollars to pressure major academic institutions to comply with Trump’s political agenda and to influence campus policy.

At UBC, programs were given the choice of whether to opt in and those that participating include architecture, medical genetics, mathematics, obstetrics and gynecology, biomedical engineering, journalism, and linguistics.

With a file from The Associated Press