'Slowest student in the world' finishes UBC degree 54 years after he first enrolled

It's not unusual for students to take some time off from their university studies to find themselves before finally graduating.

In the case of Arthur Ross, that time off lasted about five decades. 

The 71-year-old is set to accept his bachelor of arts degree at a convocation ceremony at the University of British Columbia on Thursday, 54 years after he first enrolled.

"It makes me sound like the slowest student in the world and I guess that's what I am," Ross told CBC's On the Coast from a family property near Kamloops, B.C.

Ross arrived at UBC's Point Grey campus in 1969, having graduated from nearby Prince of Wales Secondary. It felt like a natural progression as he had family members who were UBC graduates.

He says he started a general arts program, but quickly developed an interest in theatre, taking part in productions at Frederic Wood Theatre.

He left his studies at UBC to attend the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal. He learned that acting appealed to him; the life of an actor didn't. 

He went on to study law in Toronto and spent 35 years as a litigator in B.C.

After retiring in 2016, Ross returned to the unfinished matter of his UBC degree.

"It was always one of those things, even as I was practising law, [I was] thinking someday I'll go back and finish that off," he said.

He returned to class in January 2017 with a focus on studying history and completing his final year of studies. He was determined to get his degree, but he was also determined not to rush it. 

"The plan always was one course at a time," he said. "I wasn't going to sit down and take five courses all at once." 

While UBC's Point Grey campus has changed dramatically over the decades, many of Ross's courses were taught in the Buchanan Building, which he first attended in 1969.

As the years progressed, Ross got to know his young classmates, and was impressed by those who kept going through the COVID-19 pandemic.