Green College is a centre for interdisciplinary scholarship and a community of scholars at the University of British Columbia founded by Cecil Howard Green and Ida Green.
The college consists of a residential community of nearly 100 graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, visiting scholars and professors, and non-resident affiliated faculty and academic programming. Green College is one of only three graduate residential colleges in Canada which are modelled on the Oxbridge system, the other two being St. John's College, University of British Columbia and Massey College, University of Toronto. Green College has formal ties with both institutions as well as with the University of Cambridge and Green Templeton College, Oxford, which similarly owes its inception to the generosity of Cecil H. Green.
The college is located at the North end of the UBC campus, near the Faculty of Law, Museum of Anthropology, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Buchanan complex. Cecil Green Park House is an oceanfront mansion adjoining the college property. Dining together is an integral part of the Green College experience. The college is home to the Green College Dining Society which provides ten meals a week to residents and guests in Graham House's Great Hall.
In 1997, Green College was evaluated as "[surpassing] goals" by an independent review committee. The college's "stimulating program" earned a Peter Larkin Graduate Program Award from UBC in 1998.
History
Green College was established in 1993 thanks to a $7 million gift by Cecil H. Green and Ida Green, which was matched by the Province of British Columbia. This gift provided a home to the Cecil and Ida Green Visiting Professorship program, launched by the Greens in 1972.
History Prior to 1993
The facilities of the college campus existed prior to the founding of the college.
In 1935, the Grand Campus Washout eroded a deep ravine across the east end of the grounds. After several days of erosion, the Gardener's shed collapsed into the ravine. Afterwards, the gully was filled with debris from a nearby landslide. The shed was not rebuilt. The landslide area can be identified today by the younger trees on the fill area and a sudden decrease in elevation where the fill has compacted.
The following year the campus drainage system was constructed, terminating in a spiral drain at the southwest end of the Cecil Green Park Road parking lot associated with the college. Two more minor erosion events occurred in the summer of 1995 and 1997 when the drainage system overloaded and flooded the parking lot. A berm was constructed to prevent a recurrence of these events. Slope stability and controlling further erosion continues to be a significant issue for all of the north end of campus including the college grounds.
Green College role in APEC meeting, 1997
In November, 1997, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting was held in Vancouver, with the final gathering at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. Great controversy arose when politicians instructed RCMP officers to use force and pepper spray against non-violent protesters. Green College was located near the Museum of Anthropology, directly adjacent to the official motorcade route to the APEC venue there. Green College resident and Law student Craig Jones was arrested and held for 14 hours when he displayed signs reading simply "Free Speech", "Democracy", and "Human Rights" on College property. Green College residents displayed protest banners from the windows and walls of the college. Green College residents were among those doused by pepper spray by the RCMP. Also, starting six months before the APEC summit, Green College provided event space and logistical support for an "APEC-University Forum", to discuss both sides of issues raised.
Housing Contract controversy, 2006
In order to pay for mounting maintenance costs, the college entered into an agreement with UBC Housing and Conferences during the 2005–2006 term for Housing to take over some of the administration of Green College. On 28 July 2006, residents received a new contract with terms that many residents found objectionable, with the order to sign the contract by 1 August 2006. Many residents did not sign the new contract. The deadline was pushed back several times, but eviction notices were given on 28 August to at least twenty-three of the residents.
Mandate and Motto
The college's coat of arms features two cougars grasping a flagpole above a shield, and includes the college's motto "Ideas and Friendship". It was registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority on January 15, 1996.