Adult learners in Alberta's Rocky Mountain House area now have a one-stop solution to their learning needs following a new partnership between Campus Alberta Central (CAC) and Rocky Community Learning Council (RCLC). Under the agreement, learners can now access information and support services for CAC's post-secondary program offerings under the RCLC umbrella. Campus Alberta Central is a joint venture between Olds and Red Deer Colleges and collaborates with other PSE schools. These partnerships allow access to accredited higher-education courses and programs in 30 central Alberta communities. Olds College News Release

Yesterday the Nova Scotia government fleshed out details on the $5.5-million investment in student aid the province announced in its 2012 budget. The government has used the funding to increase the weekly assistance allowance to $170 per week and increase the non-repayable grant portion of a student loan to 35%. The funding builds on last year's investment of $42.5 million that included the province's first debt cap, increases to the book allowance, more exemptions for in-study earnings, and keeping tuition for NS students at or below the Canadian average. NS News Release

Despite enrolment growth, Fanshawe College is bracing for a few tough years due to the Ontario government's belt-tightening. Fanshawe's board of governors has adopted a strategic plan for a $197-million operating budget for 2012-13 that includes a $1-million shortfall, which will be covered by dipping into an operating reserve fund. The college's VP of administration says annual shortfalls are expected to increase to $3 million in the next 2 years. As Ontario tries to curb spending, the VP expects provincial grants to colleges will fall short of inflation and salary settlements. Fanshawe has prepared for the funding shortfall by steadily bumping up an $11-million reserve fund, she says. The college's strategic plan includes $55 million in capital spending, the largest component being the renovation of a downtown building for an arts campus. Measures to support strategic growth in current and new student markets include the launch of a virtual School of Graduate and Professional Studies this summer, and a new 3-year marketing plan. London Free Press | Fanshawe Strategic Plan 2012-13

The University of Guelph has initiated campus-wide and community consultations about the design of a School for Civil Society. Through a dedicated website, small group meetings, interviews, and other sessions, a "catalyst team" will collect feedback and exchange information with faculty members, students, staff, and stakeholder groups. The team will gain ideas to prepare a school design proposal to be discussed this fall. UoGuelph Campus Bulletin | Designing the School for Civil Society

The University of Calgary has unveiled a new academic plan, the foundational piece and essential component for reaching the institution's goal of becoming one of Canada's top 5 research universities by 2016. The academic plan outlines 7 high-level academic priorities and makes recommendations for action within each of the following priority areas: talent attraction, development, and retention; teaching and research integration; interdisciplinarity; leadership; internationalization; connection with community; and sustainability. UToday | Academic Plan

Should the Simon Fraser Student Society's (SFSS) budget pass, the proposed men's centre will receive $30,000 next year, the same amount dedicated to SFU's women's centre. Many students have questioned whether male students need the funding. SFSS' treasurer says men could benefit from a similar "safe space," noting that men deal with more suicides, alcoholism, and drug abuse, and suffer negative stereotypes just as women do. The outgoing opinions editor of SFU's student newspaper does not think the men's centre would be capable of providing the counselling support the SFSS treasurer proposes, pointing out that the women's centre refers women in crisis to mental-health professionals on campus. Maclean's OnCampus

Cambrian College president Sylvia Barnard says she supports French colleges, but wants the Ontario government to take a closer look at how it distributes funding for colleges. Cambrian is cutting programs and staff, while Collège Boréal, which receives twice as much per-student funding as Cambrian, will distribute iPads to all first-year students this fall. Boréal president Denis Hubert-Dutrisac notes that the $500,000 for the iPads comes not from operating grants but from fundraising. He says there are several reasons Boréal receives more provincial funding, one of which is that enrolment figures have been increasing. Translating textbooks and having small campuses across Ontario means francophone education is more expensive, Hubert-Dutrisac says. Even though Boréal gets more funding, Hubert-Dutrisac says the institution thinks like a business with regard to maximizing revenue from parking and book sales, and expanding to new cities.  He says Boréal laid off some 50 employees a few years ago, and plans to cut back photocopying and staff travel this year. CBC

At a meeting over the weekend, the student group CLASSE voted against the Quebec government's offer to spread out the tuition fee increase over 7 years instead of 5. "The offer doesn't really respond to our demands," says a CLASSE spokeswoman. "The tuition hike is still there. We are questioning the legitimacy of the increase, and there hasn't been any compromise on that." Leaders with Quebec's CÉGEP and university student federations say they could make a counter offer to the province, and that they are open to possible mediation. CLASSE, however, says it is not interested in mediation at this point because it "won't change anything," the spokeswoman says. CBC | Montreal Gazette

Exasperated by increasing subscription fees charged by academic publishers, Harvard University is encouraging faculty to make their research freely available through open-access journals and to resign from periodicals that keep articles behind paywalls. In a memo to teaching and research staff, Harvard Library says it can no longer afford the price increases imposed by many large journal publishers, as the annual cost now approaches $3.75 million. In consultation with the Harvard Library leadership, the Faculty Advisory Council to the Library concludes that "major periodical subscriptions, especially to electronic journals published by historically key providers, cannot be sustained." To continue with the subscriptions "would seriously erode collection efforts in many other areas, already compromised." Memo | The Guardian

The University of Regina announced last Monday an agreement with Beijing-based North China Electric Power University to establish the China-Canada Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability Research, which will have a physical presence in Beijing and Regina. Under this agreement, the 2 PSE institutions will work together to establish joint research programs and faculty and student exchanges in the fields of energy, environment, climate change and social adaption, and pollution reduction for power industries. uRegina News Release

A dozen Aboriginal secondary students from Kamloops and area have just finished getting a head-start on their university education through a pilot project between Thompson Rivers University and a local school district. The Aboriginal TRU Start Program saw students take university-level courses in English, biology, and statistics at TRU in order to experience university life. The students were provided with mentors to help with the transition to a university learning environment. TRU worked with the school district to create course content that respects and integrates Aboriginal knowledge. The program began in February and ended Friday with a celebration lunch. TRU News

Mohawk College broke ground Friday on a new recreation centre for students. The 2-storey, 64,000-square-foot centre will feature 3 gymnasia, an indoor running track, a fitness centre, multi-purpose studios, and outdoor basketball and volleyball courts. The $35-million facility is expected to open in fall 2013. Mohawk Matters

27 Grande Prairie Regional College staff members were laid off last week as part of efforts by the college to balance its 2012-13 budget. The board approved the budget Thursday, announcing the cuts and corporate restructuring, which will include the creation of 14 new positions. GPRC president Don Gnatiuk says base funding from the Alberta government has not kept up with salaries, benefits, supplies, and services, and as a result, the institution must change its business practices. In addition to the layoffs, GPRC will no longer offer ESL services, which have not received provincial funding for more than 5 years. The decision to move these services to a local provider is part of the college's plan to focus resources on its core business: credit students and programs. Demand for ESL programming at GPRC was limited and the number of students moving from ESL to credit programming was low. GPRC News (Budget) | GPRC News (ESL) | Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune

A new Council of Graduate Schools study suggests that US universities can do more to help graduate students find jobs outside the academy. Current graduate students do not have the necessary skills for industry jobs, such as the ability to work as a team member and work within strict timelines, and are largely unaware of the options outside academia. The study argues that PSE institutions should work with private companies to develop partnerships, and that companies can increase tuition reimbursement programs, in order to attract skilled workers. The study also found that only one-third of students had “adequate information” about career paths before enrolment, yet about half of all new PhD students found non-academic employment after graduation. Inside Higher Ed | The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

As part of its strategic vision to establish itself as Canada's most community-engaged research university, Simon Fraser University is building an interactive map that charts student and faculty engagement in communities worldwide. Visitors to the map can click on a location to bring up one or more stories submitted by students and professors. Examples of engagement include tackling environmental problems, teaching farmers, and teaching Greek in China. Engagement Map

Job prospects for Calgary area graduates look better than they have for a while. About 7,300 ads have been posted on the University of Calgary's internal job board this year, up 18% from the year before, and up 76% from 2008. uCalgary's annual Career and Job Expo in February was booked to capacity, and some employers interested in participating were wait-listed. At Mount Royal University, 15 to 20 fresh job postings appear daily. The Class of 2012 is well-positioned to capitalize on Alberta's rebounding economy, says the chief economist for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. He says business confidence in Calgary is at the highest point since 2007, according to a poll conducted for the chamber. Calgary Herald

Students attending Yukon, Aurora, and Nunavut Arctic Colleges will soon have more opportunities to further their studies at southern universities. On Wednesday, the 3 colleges signed a 5-year agreement with CALDO member institutions (Dal, uAlberta, uLaval, and uOttawa) that will lead to increased opportunity for student and faculty exchanges. The MOU will help to develop a framework for the 7 PSE schools to increase the number and range of courses at the 3 northern colleges that are transferable to CALDO universities, as well as to expand opportunities for degree completion at the colleges. Yukon College News Release

The Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU) plans to challenge the institution's board of governors in court over a recent bylaw revision LUSU's president says muzzles the 3 student representatives on the board. He says the board now considers it a conflict of interest for students to vote on student matters such as tuition fees. "It means that if any issue pertaining to students as a whole comes up...these three members must leave the room, (and) cannot discuss the issue and cannot vote for or against the issue," LUSU's president says. A spokeswoman for the Canadian Federation of Students' Ontario chapter says Lakehead's attempt to make it a conflict of interest for students to vote on student issues is going to upset a lot of people, including student unions, across Canada. "If Lakehead University doesn't back down, or if the government doesn't step in to say, 'look, students deserve equal representation in terms of their capacity to perform as a board member,' I think we're going to see a pretty massive fight," she says. CBC

Postcript: May 1, 2012

On Friday, Lakehead University's board of governors unanimously passed a motion to allow students to remain at the table for a discussion and vote on tuition fees. The motion followed notice from Lakehead's student union that it would challenge the board in court over a conflict-of-interest bylaw that barred student representatives on the board from voting on student matters such as tuition fees. The board suspended the bylaw so student governors could both debate and vote on tuition fees at Friday's meeting. Lakehead News | Orillia Packet & Times

Postscript: Feb 5, 2013

Students sitting on Lakehead University’s board of governors will once again be allowed to vote on tuition matters. A Lakehead spokesperson says the board agreed to amend its bylaws at a meeting Friday. The move reverses a bylaw change made last year. In April 2012, the board chair at the time said it would be a conflict of interest for student members to vote on tuition rates. Lakehead’s student union said at the time that it would challenge the decision in court. CBC

US institutions are excited enough about the potential of Pinterest -- an image-based social network that is one of the fastest-growing sites ever -- to keep their brand on the minds of potential students and alumni that many have scrambled to set up a "presence" there, even as Pinterest's value as a marketing tool remains hazy. The site's essential focus on visual storytelling might give it a trump card over the largely text-focused Facebook and Twitter, says a digital media specialist at Iowa-based Drake University, which has a Pinterest page. The site's asset as a marketing tool -- the opportunity to casually stimulate an audience with visual ideas without connecting it to an explicit message -- may also be its greatest liability. From an ROI perspective, the need to be "human" (Pinterest has no user category for organizations or companies, just "people") can be stifling. The Drake marketer notes that metrics such as "likes" and "re-pins" are "kind of foggy" in terms of providing insight into whether a college's Pinterest page is worth the time and labour that goes into curating it. Inside Higher Ed | Pinterest

An associate professor in the University of Ottawa's Department of Family Medicine has conceptualized a Web-based tool that will help Canadian medical students, residents, and practitioners enhance their understanding of medical care for refugees and new Canadians. The Refugees and Global Health e-Learning Program is the first online tool of its kind in the country to follow new medical education guidelines under the Canadian Medical Education Directives. The program uses 7 online modules, featuring real case scenarios, video footage and practical questions designed to guide learners through training that gives them the knowledge and skills they need to excel in global health. uOttawa News Release

On Tuesday, Saint Mary's University celebrated the official opening of its Homburg Centre for Health & Wellness. The new facility features a light-filled lobby, the Centre for the Study of Sport and Health, and well-appointed community-use studios and fitness areas. New offerings include fitness and recreation programs and the chance to work with cutting-edge athletics equipment, such as the centre's new Pilates reformer machines. The opening of the centre included the official release of SMU's new health and wellness strategy. SMU News Release

Phased retirements and a hiring freeze are some of the solutions that Thompson Rivers University officials are considering as a way to trim 2% from the institution's 2012-13 budget. "We’re looking at across-the-board savings plans," says a TRU spokesman. "We’re going to look at innovative solutions." These solutions include a rethinking of how the institution handles staff workloads and overtime -- all in an effort to boost revenue during the next 2 years. TRU's senate kicked around several ideas at a meeting Monday, the spokesman says. The institution wants to trim where it can without cutting positions or affecting students and programs. "We're going to give our best effort to mitigate service impact on students," he says. Kamloops Daily News

Newfoundland and Labrador's 2012 budget provides approximately $66 million to reduce student debt through a continued tuition freeze at Memorial University and College of the North Atlantic ($44 million), up-front needs-based grants and interest-free student loans ($19 million), and debt reduction grants ($3 million). The budget includes more than $2 million to increase base funding at MUN's Marine Institute, and $1.7 million for the expansion of the university's engineering faculty. The province is allocating a total of $66.7 million in infrastructure investments for MUN, as well as $2.5 million to accelerate shop modernization at CNA. The budget also provides $4.1 million in new funding to support initiatives to advance apprenticeship opportunities and support underrepresented groups in skilled trades. NL News Release

"All of us are very concerned about the burden being put on students of up to £9,000 a year and we want to show that there are alternative ways of running higher education," says a member of the Social Science Centre, a group of 40 English academics who will open a "free" university this September in Lincoln. All students will be part-time, and will be taught in evenings and weekends in venues such as community centres. While official degrees will not be awarded, all courses will be taught and assessed at the same level as similar classes at mainstream institutions. To cover costs, students who are employed will be asked to pay a voluntary monthly subscription fee, which will be equivalent to how much they make in an hour. BBC

The University of Alberta has developed a website that showcases the university's influence in the province. Using a Google Map, "Advancing Alberta" serves as a virtual pincushion atlas of uAlberta's many research projects, partnerships, initiatives, programs, and facts about enrolment and alumni from the 4 corners of the province. In the longer term, uAlberta's VP of university affairs hopes the site will be expanded to include the university's impact nationally and globally. uAlberta News | Advancing Alberta

Animation Career Review has ranked Sheridan College number one in the world for animation training. In its ranking of the top 100 schools, the Review cited Sheridan as having the most sought-after graduates by prominent studios such as Disney and Pixar. The Review conducted its analysis based on school reviews, industry-reviewed lists, and a survey of animation industry professionals and recruiters. Sheridan News Release | Animation Career Review rankings

UBC's Sauder School of Business announced Monday a revamped MBA program for fall 2012, with an emphasis on hands-on learning, global immersion, and integration of business disciplines for a "360-degree" management perspective. Students will travel to one of Sauder's partner institutions -- Copenhagen School of Business, the India Institute of Management Bangalore, or Shanghai Jiao Tong University -- to work with MBA counterparts on experiential projects for multinational companies. At UBC, students will collaborate with classmates across all business disciplines on projects for organizations in Vancouver and beyond that emphasize applied problem solving and real-world connections. The new MBA has been streamlined from 8 specializations and 10 sub-specializations into 4 career tracks: Business Innovation; Consulting and Strategic Management; Product/Service Management; and Finance. UBC News Release

Quebec Education Minister Line Beauchamp said Monday that she has agreed to meet with student groups, as long as they agreed to a 48-hour truce to the social unrest that has recently spurred violent clashes with police. "I am also asking for it (the truce) in the name of the people who are growing weary with the acts of disruption and who want us to give a chance for discussions," the minister said. "I can’t stop the students from raising the question of tuition fees...the idea here is not to close the door, the idea is to keep it open." Beauchamp also extended the invitation to the Coalition large de l'Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (CLASSE), which had refused to condemn violent confrontations as demanded by the minister. CLASSE has agreed to condemn certain violent acts, but it still supports civil disobedience. Talks began yesterday afternoon, and students said they were willing to take whatever time was needed to come to an agreement, even if it meant extending the truce. Quebec News Release (in French) | Globe and Mail | Montreal Gazette

As academic leaders worldwide rush to expand their global agendas, they must also be aware of "potentially adverse unintended consequences," according to a statement from the International Association of Universities. These issues include: language centralization; a "single model" of university; brain drain; poor recruitment of international students; questions about the viability of branch campuses; obsession over rankings; and unequal relationships. The statement calls on PSE institutions to embrace several values and principles when it comes to designing and implementing internationalization strategies. These include demonstrating a "commitment to promote academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and social responsibility," and pursuing "socially responsible practices locally and internationally, such as equity in access and success, and non-discrimination." Inside Higher Ed | Statement

In an opinion released last week, the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse said it "believes that it is time for (Quebec private and public general and vocational colleges) to change their practices in order to meet their duty to accommodate the persons with disabilities, including students who have 'emerging' disabilities." Disabilities that are described as "emerging" include learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, and mental-health problems. The Commission calls on the Quebec government to amend the General and Vocational Colleges Act and the Act Respecting Private Education to include specific provisions that would clearly outline the responsibilities of these PSE institutions regarding the organization of the services for students with disabilities, as well as the required implementation regulation. CDPDJ News Release | Opinion (in French)

Last Thursday, Carleton University officially opened its Confucius Institute, which will provide a platform to explore the growing relationship between Canada and China. The Institute will offer courses and programs on language, Chinese culture, business practices, and China-Canada relations. Carleton has also signed an MOU with Central-China Normal University and Wuhan Digital Media Company to develop a digital media product called Canada-China Digital Media Bridge, designed to promote language, digital culture, and tourism in each country. Carleton News Release

Some foreign-trained midwifery students say Saskatchewan is not letting them get the practical experience they need in order to graduate. Currently, the Saskatchewan College of Midwives' transitional council does not recognize any non-Canadian programs. Students doing placements in the province must be licensed, according to the college. "If I can't graduate, I can't go through the process of being licensed and working as a midwife here," says a Midwives College of Utah student who lives in Regina, adding that will make it harder for women to find a midwife. "There are far more requests for midwifery care than the midwives are able to take." She and another student took their concerns to the Saskatchewan legislature last week, asking Health Minister Don Morris to intervene. He says it's up to the college to determine the standards and credentials needed to practic e in the province. Regina Leader-Post | CBC

Douglas College announced last week that it will adopt all the recommendations in an independent review of its 2 partnership programs with Chinese institutions. The 2012 review followed up on a 2010 internal report by Douglas faculty regarding exam and grading practices at the college's partner institutions in Shanghai and Harbin. The latest report notes that the college has already addressed a number of issues identified in its review. The report also found "no evidence of systemic or widespread irregularities related to the examination or grading practices of either partner institution." In addition to changes already in place, the report outlines a series of recommendations to align the business processes of the partnerships with best practices. The report is available on request through Douglas. Douglas College News

A year after launching Canada's first brewmaster program, Niagara College is expanding its course offering to Western Canada through a new partnership with Alberta-based Olds College. Niagara has committed to sharing its expertise and knowledge with Olds to deliver the brewmaster program at the latter's campus. Both colleges will deliver common curriculum and courses and use identical infrastructure and brewing equipment to educate students under terms of the new agreement. Olds' teaching brewery will be housed in the Pomeroy Inn and Suites, an on-campus hotel and conference centre that is currently under construction. Olds is expected to welcome its first class of brewmaster students in September 2013. Olds College News Release | Niagara College News Release | CBC

Last Wednesday, University of Windsor president Alan Wildeman revealed the preliminary renderings of the institution's downtown campus. The Windsor Armouries will be transformed to house the newly merged Schools of Music and Visual Arts. Changes in store for this property include ample skylights and a vertical addition on the south end. Across the street, the former Greyhound bus depot's original art-deco façade will be restored, and a one-storey addition will be built to house uWindsor's film production program. The School of Social Work and the Centre for Professional and Executive Education will move into the Windsor Star building, whose historic façades will remain intact. Wildeman says the campus "will create an important cultural hub for our community, providing access to services and new ideas that speak to the quality of life, when it opens in the fall of 2014." uWindsor Daily News | Windsor Star

The Alberta government is promising to investigate possible grade inflation at private schools after a Calgary Herald analysis found large discrepancies between the marks given by teachers and student scores on standardized provincial tests. The analysis of results in 3 Grade 12 subjects found private schools where student performance on the standardized tests declined by more than 4 times the Alberta average. "If there are discrepancies, I would want to know about them and have them looked into," says Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk. "At the end of the day, I want to make sure all children earn that high school diploma." Alberta is one of only a few provinces in which students must write standardized tests in Grade 12, with diploma exams counting for 50% of a student's final grade. While the minister says he is committed to initiating a review into grade inflation, the public also has a responsibility to be on the lookout for problems. "In a private school setting, it’s expected that parents would play an active role in monitoring as well." Calgary Herald

Concordia University's presidential search committee has made a unanimous recommendation to present Dr. Alan Shepard to the university community as the candidate for president and vice-chancellor. The introduction of Shepard is the final step in the search process and will take place tomorrow during a joint meeting of the board of governors and senate, which will be open to the Concordia community. The university will welcome feedback about the candidate until noon on May 1 for consideration by the search committee. Once the formal recommendation is finalized, it will be brought to the board for consideration. Shepard has been the provost and VP academic of Ryerson University since 2007. Concordia News

A group of about 40 demonstrators occupied the office of Western University's president for half an hour Thursday to protest the banning of a pair of London activists from campus. The ban stems from the activists' participation in a protest on February 1 that interrupted an event organized by Israel On Campus. There were no injuries sustained or arrests made at Thursday's event and president Amit Chakma was engaged in off-campus meetings at the time. Though the men banned say Western U is trying to silence them, the university stands behind its decision to bar them from campus. "This has never been about free speech. This is about conduct and safety," says the VP of resources and operations. In a letter to Chakma, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association called on the university to overturn the ban. Western U says it has already begun a review into the circumstances surrounding the trespass notices issued at the time of the February incident. London Free Press | Western U Statement

Memorial University will introduce this fall a 2-year pilot program for first-year students who feel they would benefit from a little extra reassurance about the transition to PSE, without missing any academic credit hours. Targeted at students with entrance averages between 70% and 75%, the First-Year Success Program will be housed in the arts faculty and is intended for first-year students who fall within this average and who are not accepted into direct-entry programs. The pilot program emerges from a MUN study that found that students whose entrance averages fall between 70% and 75% are particularly vulnerable to academic distress that could impact their entire PSE experience. MUN News

Yesterday the University of Waterloo launched its new School of Public Health and Health Systems. In the school, faculty, students, and researchers from multiple disciplines will collaborate on exploring the interrelationships between the many factors that affect our health and our health systems. The school features a professional practice centre with capacity to provide cutting-edge research for public, private, and non-profit organizations on issues as they arise. This will allow the school to be responsive to current health concerns, while also providing students with a learning environment focused on societal needs. uWaterloo News Release

Federal departments grappling with this year's austerity budget are reducing the number of students they hire, leaving some students scrambling to find summer work and co-op placements they need to graduate from university. The Federal Student Work Experience Program received 600 fewer requests from department managers last month than it did the year before, according to Public Service Commission data. "Student recruitment and hiring continue, but at a slower pace," says a PSC spokeswoman, noting that the recent budget "may mean conducting student recruitment in a way that is more focused." At the University of Ottawa, where 60% of placements are with the public sector, the co-op program's director says the situation is the worst he has seen in 12 years at the department. "(We) might have been too dependent on the federal government, they were a very good supplier of good experience for students," he says. "Now they’re pulling out and we’ll have to see how we can find other quality work experience for our students." Globe and Mail

A former University of Winnipeg recruitment agent has been charging 4 Chinese students up to $3,000 a month for a small room and a meagre food allowance in his home, students claim. The students were recruited to attend the University of Winnipeg Collegiate, a high school that is part of uWinnipeg, beginning in 2008. The students lived in the home of Ronald Chong, who was a paid recruiter of international students at the time. uWinnipeg cancelled Chong's recruitment contract earlier this year after it became aware of the students' living conditions and accommodations cost, and moved the students to a university residence. Chong should not have been putting students in his home, uWinnipeg officials say. "In this instance, it seems that there may have been some misrepresentation there," says uWinnipeg's senior executive officer. Since one of the students was a minor when he arrived in Canada, his mother signed over guardianship to Chong. The others listed him as a relative, making the situation difficult to monitor. "Their parents entered into a relationship that was outside of the purview, and a contract outside of the institution's awareness and purview -- and in that sense, legal responsibility," says the senior executive office. CBC

Tensions are high at many Quebec PSE institutions, with students resisting tactics to try to force them to return to school. The Université de Montréal had to retreat from providing classes Wednesday after students found increasingly violent and disruptive means to ensure university activities could not resume. Meanwhile, 161 protesters were arrested Wednesday for blocking the road near the Université du Québec en Outaouais' Gatineau campus. Adults were fined over $400 for violating the Highway Safety Code and have since been released, and one student was arrested for obstructing police. The demonstration came a day after UQO administrators announced that students and instructors must respect a court decision to allow classes to continue. Police in Montreal and Gatineau clashed with student protesters and arrested some demonstrators yesterday while the Quebec government hinted it could meet with some student representatives today. The student groups FEUQ and FECQ have said they will not sit down with the province if CLASSE is excluded. CLASSE says it will reconsider its position on acts of violence and vandalism by some protesters at a convention in Montreal this weekend. Montreal Gazette | Ottawa Citizen | Postmedia News | CBC | CTV

Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor are joining a growing group of top-tier institutions that are embracing massively open online courses (MOOCs) as the logical extension of elite PSE in an increasingly online, international landscape. The 3 universities will join Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley as partners of Coursera, a company founded earlier this year by a pair of Stanford engineering professors, and buoyed by $16 million in venture capital. Using Coursera's platform, the institutions will develop free online versions of their courses that anyone can take. The Coursera courses will be interactive, with potentially hundreds of students completing exams and assigned work that will be marked, either by intelligent software or by their peers. The institutions will own their courses. None of the universities will offer formal credit through Coursera courses; however, some might give students the chance to earn certificates bearing the names of both the institutions and the company. While there is no formal credentialing structure currently in place, some university officials indicate that a tangible recognition of the achievements of non-enrolled learners is a goal. Inside Higher Ed | Coursera

On Tuesday, officials with Mount Royal University and the Calgary Catholic School District signed an agreement that could see Grade 12 students at Bishop Carroll High School, located across the street from the university, taking introductory arts, sciences, or business courses before they graduate from high school. The hope is that students who qualify, or complete Grade 12 courses early, can better transition into university life and get an idea of what their strengths and interests are at the PSE level. Mount Royal's provost says the agreement will also address some of the PSE accessibility issues that students face. "We get four applications for every one seat we can offer," the provost says. "We are facing limited government funding, budget challenges, limited enrolment. Our demand is greater than the available number of seats. But this is a way of offering what you can to students in perhaps other locations. It’s a win-win, especially for the students." Mount Royal News Release | Calgary Herald

After 2 years of studying how to make stressed-out students worry less about marks and actually enjoy their studies, the University of Toronto's law school is considering a proposal to scrap its letter-grade system in favour of 5 broader categories of marks: High Honours, Honours, Pass, Low Pass, and Fail. The school may also start telling faculty members roughly how many students should fall in each category in order to avoid wild variation in grades from class to class. "We’re trying to shift the culture and give students permission to really follow their interests and not just focus on what marks they get in a course," says the law school's assistant dean of students. It’s part of a larger effort to address mental-health issues across Canadian universities, she says, "and quite frankly, it’s good advice for your career as well." Stress-busting initiatives include yoga, foot massages, and "Doggie Day," where law students can play with and walk pooches on hand. One student says she appreciates faculty efforts to reduce the stress "that can sometimes run amok because of the competitive group of students law schools attract." Toronto Star

Whistler city council received a preliminary proposal Tuesday for Whistler University, whose project director is promising to construct a $300-million private institution for 1,500 students on a site known as Alpha Lands. With possible programs in tourism, sustainability, and business administration, Whistler U has already drummed up support from UNBC and BCIT. The proposed institution's relationship with UNBC and BCIT would allow Whistler U to grant diplomas and degrees, and it will also apply for degree-granting status on its own, the project director says. If the proposal were to get the go-ahead from council, classes could be up and running in temporary locations as early as fall 2013, he says. "For students, I think the appeal will be the location because it’s a sexy destination,” says the head of BCIT's tourism marketing program. "To have an international destination as a draw, that’s good, and that’s the primary focus for students." UNBC's VP of external relations says that while it's too early to detail program offerings, Whistler U will give UNBC an opportunity to expand the reach of its programs in business, sustainability, and tourism. Vancouver Sun

The Canadian Association of University Teachers is urging institutions to refuse to enter the AUCC-Access Copyright model license agreement, arguing that it "fails to reflect current law and undermines efforts to create better ways of accessing, using and sharing educational and research material." Disappointed with the agreement, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance notes that while the licence model falls short of the $45 per-student fee originally proposed by Access Copyright, the new $26 fee represents a significant hike in costs compared to the previous tariff. OUSA says Ontario institutions will likely pass these new costs directly to students, and that it's unclear how the fee will be charged to students. For universities that sign the model licence, the new deal is simply more of the same, says Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa. "AUCC and its institutions pass along copyright costs to students, Access Copyright gets millions in revenues despite ongoing questions about its repertoire (with thousands used to lobby against education copyright reforms and most of the money going to foreign collectives and publishers, not authors), and the potential for digitally-oriented changes within Canadian higher education heading back to the back burner." CAUT News | OUSA News | Michael Geist blog

Writing for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Kevin Carey of the Washington-based think-tank Education Sector contemplates the effect the open-credentials movement will have on PSE. The digital badge system, through which students can certify their abilities and skills, is a way to structure the education process itself, Carey writes. "Students will be able to customize learning goals within the larger curricular framework, integrate continuing peer and faculty feedback about their progress toward achieving those goals, and tailor the way badges and the metadata within them are displayed to the outside world." The time when employers embrace the use of badges and gain confidence in those who bear them "will create hardship for traditional institutions that now use the revenue generated from their undergraduate-credential franchise to subsidize the cost of graduate education, administration, scholarship, and other activities," Carey states. Society as a whole will benefit from digital badges, he says. "The store of human capital will be more broadly and accurately represented by credentials that are useful in a mobile, interconnected world." The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

Saskatchewan's advanced education ministry has signed an MOU with the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute that formalizes an academic relationship between the province and India. The ministry will work with PSE partners in Saskatchewan to deliver on the objectives of the MOU that include: promoting Saskatchewan-India education co-operation and collaboration; raising the province's education profile in India; facilitating academic partnerships between PSE institutions in Canada and India; and sharing information on international education best practices in India. Saskatchewan News Release

Commissioned by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, a new study explores the effect of the Summer Transition Program (STP) -- a provincial government program for students with learning disabilities -- and enhanced services for such students that promote engagement and academic performance. Researchers found that STP improved the quality of students' transition to higher education through an early introduction to institutional disability services and staff members, and smoothed pathways to required pre-PSE assessments. The study also observes that STP improves students' orientation and awareness of student services, disability awareness, and willingness to self-advocate. At the completion of data collection, over 87% of students in the sample were still attending PSE or had graduated. STP participants were more likely to access other student services and were more likely to be successful in their studies. Of those, the majority stated that they would not have been as successful had they not used disability services and other on-campus supports. Research Summary | Full Report

The prospect of a fast-tracked career and a sky-high starting salary has students flocking to mining schools. Admissions to the top mining schools in Canada have nearly tripled in 3 years, helped by wages that can be even higher for graduates who move overseas. "Ten years ago we were lucky to have one or two students applying," says a mining engineering professor at McGill University. "In some years it was that bad. But this year alone 250 people have applied to mining." The growing number of students does bring its own problems, as larger classes result in more competition for the limited supply of summer jobs in the field. Experts say that students with industry experience prior to graduation get more job offers and command a higher entry salary than their peers, and also have a head start on completing their professional designation. For their part, firms that offer summer internships can attain a loyal workforce years ahead of competitors who only look to recruit graduates. Reuters

The Niagara College Foundation announced yesterday that it has successfully completed its "Building Futures" campaign, surpassing the initial $16.5-million goal by more than $1 million. Launched in 2008, the campaign has raised $17.7 million for new facilities, equipment and learning resources, and scholarships and bursaries. With matching funds from the Ontario government's former Ontario Trust for Student Support program, the campaign's total impact on student learning and success is $21 million. Niagara College News Release

The US Education Department has announced it will evaluate new criteria to measure PSE graduation rates. The measurements, which are reported into the Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System, may consider transfer students, part-time learners, and those who are not attending PSE for the first time. Community colleges have long argued that failing to account for these students lowers their completion rates, and does not recognize that many students attend community colleges with the goal of transferring, rather than graduating. While community colleges are happy with these changes, they note that the department will be "taking steps" and "examining the feasibility" of broadening the criteria, and it could be months before any changes are implemented. Inside Higher Ed

In an ongoing effort to support its strategic plan, the University of Windsor has committed close to $2.5 million from its Strategic Priority Fund to support new initiatives and programs to improve the student experience, pursue strengths in research and graduate education, recruit and retain the best faculty and staff, and engage in and foster community and international partnerships. One of the projects approved for the 2012-13 budget year is 4Winds, which aims to facilitate Aboriginal participation in post-secondary STEM fields. Participating students in Grades 6 to 8 will take part in science and technology experiences that are extensions of Aboriginal cultural practices in interacting with nature for energy, food, health, and shelter. uWindsor Daily News

Seneca College has selected Peterborough Airport as the preferred location for its Bachelor of Aviation Technology program. The college has been searching for a new home for the program due to the upcoming closure of the Buttonville Airport in Markham. The agreement is still not completely final, but is in the final stages, says the City of Peterborough's planning director. Seneca president David Agnew cites the recent $28 million in improvements to the Peterborough Airport and community support as reasons the institution is pursuing this opportunity further. Seneca will look to partner with Fleming College for facilities and supports for its Peterborough-based students. Seneca News | Peterborough Examiner

A Thompson Rivers University student's photography project was reinstalled after its controversial removal from campus hallways earlier this month. The fine art student's photo of woman wearing full Islamic dress holding a bra in her hands while folding laundry was included as part of TRU's annual diploma show. The CBC reports that the picture was originally displayed with other student photos in mid-March, until some students complained and a staff member later removed it. TRU's VP of advancement told the CBC that the picture was taken down by a staff member who was acting on their own, and not in any official capacity. Once TRU learned of the action, it immediately returned the photo and made a commitment to cover any costs for its repair or replacement. "We have heard the concerns of all our stakeholders," the VP says. "We will maintain the right for freedom of expression on our campus. There was nothing condoning hatred or disrespect in this work and we stand behind it." TRU News | CBC

A Saudi doctor who is suing the University of Ottawa for over $55 million has lost his bid to overturn his dismissal from the university's neurosurgery residency program. A panel of Ontario Division Court judges rejected the doctor's claim that uOttawa's senate appeals committee violated procedural fairness and acted unreasonably when it upheld the doctor's dismissal from the program in January 2011. Last November, the doctor and 2 other Saudi physicians filed a civil lawsuit against uOttawa, collectively seeking over $150 million in damages for, among other things, alleged discrimination, defamation, and "malfeasance in public office." In 3 decisions dated March 29, the Human Rights Tribunal dismissed the 3 doctors' complaints, stating that it was prohibited from proceeding because the doctors had initiated civil suits based on the same facts and allegations and were seeking similar remedies. Ottawa Citizen

Recent US research observes that 20-something consumers ("digital natives") switch media venues approximately 27 times per non-working hour. The study's 30 subjects were split evenly between natives and "digital immigrants" (consumers who grew up with old-school technologies and adapted to newer ones). Researchers found that immigrants switched media venues just 17 times per non-working hour. The findings mean "the (creative) bar is set higher" for advertisers, says the CEO of the research firm that conducted the study. "I'd be most alarmed about the challenging act of capturing the attention and emotional response of my target audience, because it's almost like going from shooting fish in a barrel to little minnows," he says. "The target has become faster, and the window of opportunity for capturing them has become smaller." Advertising Age

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced last week plans to make it easier for skilled tradespeople to immigrate to Canada. Under the modernized Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) to be revealed later this year, Citizenship and Immigration Canada intends to establish a separate and streamlined program for skilled tradespeople, allowing these applicants to be assessed on criteria geared toward their reality, with more focus on practical training and work experience than on formal education. If approved, further details about the Skilled Trades program and the revised FSWP are expected to be announced later this year. CIC News Release

Touting its "quality, professional programs in an international setting," the University of Windsor is running a campaign to attract students from the neighbouring state of Michigan. A TV spot airing on Detroit's NBC affiliate introduces uWindsor in advance of the Michigan School Expo, which will run on the final weekend in April. "We are defining ourselves as part of the local market for Michigan, but we can offer something other universities can’t -- international experience," says a uWindsor official. The TV ad mentions the institution's location "just across the Detroit River," while highlighting the opportunity to study alongside students from 80 nations. uWindsor Daily News

A private high school is now part of the plans moving forward to Whistler city council this week by the proponents of the Whistler University project. The university proposal now includes a design concept for a 200-student private high school for both boarding students and day students. Whistler U's project director says it would be an international school to attract overseas students, likely offering an International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement accreditation. Earlier this month, the project director submitted rezoning plans for Whistler U that include residences for approximately 1,400 students. Pique Newsmagazine

To address a $1.5-million shortfall, Holland College is cutting 8 positions and suspending 2 programs. The PEI government cut the college's funding by 3% this year. This fall, the college will not offer interactive multi-media, whose enrolment was not high enough. The institution's retail business management program will be absorbed by other business programs. A Holland College VP says every department has been asked to find savings. CBC

Last month, Ted Baillieu, the premier of the Australian state of Victoria, opened an account on the popular social network Weibo to connect with Chinese-speaking voters and international students in his state. Within hours of registering, he was inundated with complaints, most focused on the lack of public-transport concessions for foreign students. (Victoria is one of 2 states that do not extend public-transit subsidies to international students). Baillieu told his Chinese audience that his government had no plan to offer subsidized fares and touted Victoria's "world-class higher education system" as attractions. Some Weibo user comments published in The Age criticize soaring tuition fees and the quality of education in Australia. The Age

Western University and the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) have partnered on a new program that will give 25 TVDSB students the opportunity to complete their final secondary school courses needed for graduation, as well as earn a university credit at no cost. The first program of its kind in Ontario, "School Within a University" will allow students to complete up to 6 senior high school credits while earning a university credit -- all on Western U's campus. Eligible students will be selected by school staff and must meet criteria set by the school board and the university's Admissions Office to demonstrate that they are academically capable. The students will be supported by mentors to facilitate their success. The new program builds on the success of the TVDSB's "School Within a College" program created in partnership with Fanshawe College. TVDSB News Release

On Wednesday, Mount Allison University revealed designs for its $30-million Centre for the Arts, whose tentative opening date is scheduled for fall 2014. The 50,000-square-foot facility will feature a large atrium with double-height ceilings linking 3 distinct spaces: the School of Fine Arts, a studio hall, and a 100-seat black box theatre. The centre will house Fine Arts and Drama programs, which are currently spread throughout buildings on campus. The university is contributing $10 million toward the cost of the centre and running a fundraising campaign to raise the remaining $20 million from private donors. Mount Allison has been criticized by some students, alumni, and community members for its decision to tear down its historic Memorial Library to make way for the new centre. The institution plans to save elements of the library to be used around the centre. Mount Allison News Release | Centre for the Arts

Canadian Studies departments at some US universities face cutbacks this year with the rollback of a grant program administered by Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs, which is facing a $72-million budget cut. Although funding is usually modest -- $11,000 to $15,000 spread out to a dozen projects -- the results they produce are "off the charts," says the associate director of Canadian Studies at the Seattle-based University of Washington. Without the grants, some Canadian Studies departments will have to reconsider program content, cancel special projects, or even admit fewer students. Foreign Affairs is still accepting applications for grant funding, with submissions assessed on a case-by-case basis, says a department spokesperson. With regard to the potential impact on the grant program, the spokesperson says that "details about the measures unveiled in the Budget will be announced over the coming weeks and months." Vancouver Observer

The University of British Columbia is warning students who are now writing final exams about the possibility of strike action at the Vancouver campus by one or more of its unions upset with the government's net-zero mandate for public-sector contracts. A mediator has been appointed to assist with bargaining in the dispute involving 2,300 teaching assistants, language instructors, and tutors represented by CUPE. Job action is not permitted while the mediator does his work, says a UBC spokeswoman. Another CUPE local, whose members include nearly 2,000 custodial and maintenance staff, also has a strike mandate but has not issued a strike notice. The spokeswoman says all has been quiet recently at that table. Vancouver Sun

Regent College has unveiled a new-look website, whose redesign involved focusing the message on the core audience -- the future graduate school student. The VP of external relations at the UBC-affiliated Christian graduate school says user testing and strategic enrolment management became critical factors in the redesign project, and, given the rise of mobile usage, Regent chose to develop a responsive website rather than create a separate mobile platform. The homepage features 4 videos that provide an introduction to the institution. Separated under the themes of "cultivate," "intelligent," "joyful," and "vigorous," the videos feature students discussing their experience at Regent and how it has shaped their identities, their relationships with each other and with professors, and life in Vancouver. Although the site is primarily geared toward prospective students, Regent also engaged current students in the research process to develop a tool that functionally meets all their needs. Regent College News | Regent College website

Starting this fall, the University of Regina will have a new policy for students living in on-campus residences. First-year students will get top priority for residence spots, while returning students will have to enter their names in a lottery to try to secure accommodations. uRegina's VP of external relations says the revised policy is meant to help first-year students transition to campus life. It's important for students' well-being and for retention, she says. The VP says she understands why many students would be upset about being displaced from their on-campus housing, but says that if it's any consolation, in a couple of years uRegina will add 700 more beds, bringing the total number of residence spaces to nearly 2,000. CBC

The University of British Columbia is the first large Canadian university to implement a personalized service model, which will see each incoming first-year student at the Vancouver campus assigned a student service specialist to guide and assist them through their entire UBC career. Trained to assist students with admissions, fee assessment, registration, student financial support, and student records, the specialists -- known as Enrolment Service Professionals (ESP) -- can customize their advice for each student and situation. UBC states that the potential for students to get to know their ESP over the course of their education will allow Enrolment Services to be more proactive, both in making suggestions that will enhance the student experience and in solving any problems that may surface. UBC News Release

As it works on an accreditation standard action plan, the University of Saskatchewan's College of Medicine has not yet appointed a new dean. The CBC reports that before any hiring decisions were made for the replacement of the current dean, who will retire in a few months, 2 of the 3 shortlisted candidates accepted positions in Alberta. uSask's provost says he does not think the 10 shortcomings identified by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools deterred the applicants for dean. "To the best of my knowledge from talking to the candidates, it did not play a role," he says. "Other medical doctor universities across the country compete for the same people. We know we're in that kind of race. We're happy to compete. We don't like it when we don't win." The college invited faculty, staff, and students to a meeting yesterday to outline a new clinical-academic structure. The provost says that if a new model is not in place by the summer, the new dean will not be able to lead and the medical school's accreditation will be pulled. CBC | uSask News Release

Collège de Valleyfield director Guy Laperrière has ordered striking students to return to class, despite a vote to extend a campaign to force the Quebec government to withdraw plans to hike university tuition fees. "The situation is critical. We don't have a choice," says Laperrière, who notes that his CÉGEP is the first to order students to return to school. Leaders of the coalition representing striking students condemn the order and are calling on students from across Quebec to march on Valleyfield today. Feeling the heat from students concerned they will lose their term, Laperrière says he had a duty to act. The college recently announced it would annul its summer courses in order to meet the required class hours for its current semester. Meanwhile, Concordia University president Frederick Lowy said at a town hall meeting Tuesday that while students have a right to protest, "it doesn't mean it will be without consequences." While Concordia does not have the power to grant academic amnesty, which is something that has to be worked out on a course-by-course basis, Lowy said the institution is considering waiving a $20-per-course fee for incomplete grades. Montreal Gazette

To produce greater numbers of qualified job-seekers to feed a growing economy, some Indian universities may have to double their student intake in the next 5 years, with students per acre of university campus serving as a measure of efficiency. The University Grants Commission (UGC), which regulates PSE in India, says the majority of 556 universities do not enrol enough students despite their large campuses. In a document that seeks to chart the course of university education in India, UGC says a 100% intake increase is feasible in 30 central universities. Any plan that looks at just boosting numbers is "ridiculous," says a former vice-chancellor of the University of Delhi. "Authorities should not equate number with quality, though we understand that a service economy needs to get enough human capital to sustain the growth rate," he says; however, he is in favour of compact universiti es, stating that "there should be a maximum utilization of resources." Mint

Most elite PSE institutions in the US describe their admissions policies as "holistic," suggesting they evaluate the totality of an applicant, but a new survey of admissions officials at the 75 most competitive institutions observes that there are distinct patterns that differentiate some holistic institutions from others. Most schools focus solely on academic qualifications first, and then consider other factors. The research found that 21% of elite colleges begin with measures of "institutional fit." These schools do the initial cut based on student essays, recommendations, and specific questions of whether particular students will thrive at and contribute to the institution in various ways. This approach results in a focus on applicants' non-academic qualities, and tends to favour applicants who are members of minority groups underrepresented on campus, as well as those who can afford to pay all costs of attending. Inside Higher Ed

Adjusted for inflation, state support for each full-time public PSE student fell by 26.1% from 1990 to 2010, forcing students and their families to bear more of the cost of PSE at a time when family incomes were largely stagnant, observes a new US report. Over the same 20-year period, the report states, the published tuition-and-fee price of a 4-year public-college education rose by 116%. The report recommends that states revise their tax systems to make more funding available for PSE, direct funding to need-based aid rather than to merit aid, and make college completion a goal of their spending. The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access) | Report

With a provincial election approaching, Alberta's PC party announced yesterday that if re-elected, it would enhance PSE facilities across the province through a new 3-year, $650-million capital project funding commitment. The funding would support capital projects at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, the University of Calgary, NorQuest College, Lethbridge College, and Mount Royal University. The PC party is pledging $200 million for a Centre for Applied Technologies at NAIT, $142 million for an expanded engineering school at uCalgary, $170 million for NorQuest's downtown campus development, $55.6 million for a trades & technology renewal and innovation project at Lethbridge College, and $85.5 million for a Library and Learning Centre at Mount Royal. PC Alberta News Release

Some PSE schools in Manitoba do not expect that provincial funding and tuition will be enough to cover their costs without cutting positions, programs, and services. The University of Winnipeg faces up to $4 million in cuts, three-quarters of it due to ongoing pension issues. If the government does not provide a loan or agree to some other arrangement to come up with the money, uWinnipeg will have to look at the entire budget again, says the VP of Finance. Facing an $11-million shortfall, Red River College is seeking tuition parity with Assiniboine Community College and University College of the North. The University of Manitoba will have to reallocate some funding on campus, says president David Barnard, but "I don't think it's going to be dire. We're definitely not making across-the-board cuts." Brandon University will have to cut 4% to balance its budget, largely through leaving jobs vacant, and it expects a 5% enrolment drop next year as a result of the faculty strike this past fall. Winnipeg Free Press

According to a new report, American universities are better at using social media than their UK counterparts. The report assessed universities' social media use across 5 attributes known as PRINT: Popularity, including website traffic, followers, and fans; Receptiveness, such as linking and referencing; Interaction; Network reach; and Trust, including positive endorsements and ratings. The average PRINT score for institutions was set at 100. As a group, UK universities scored 72, while US institutions averaged 127. Just 2 UK institutions -- the Universities of Oxford and Sheffield -- make the top 10 for their social media performance, ranking seventh and eighth, respectively. Harvard placed first, followed by the University of Pennsylvania and MIT. The report attributes US universities' dominance in the top 10 in part to much larger student populations and increased funding compared to UK institutions -- factors that skewed their PRINT measurements of popularity and network reach. Times Higher Education | Report

Statistics Canada reports that employment rose by 39,000 among 15- to 24-year-olds in March, pushing their unemployment rate down 0.8 percentage points to 13.9%. Despite the increase last month, the number of young people employed has changed little since July 2009 -- the lowest point of the previous labour market downturn. 15- to 24-year olds in Quebec made the most gains last month with a 1.5 percentage point increase in their employment rate, while Alberta recorded the highest youth employment rate, which sits at 64.6%. Statistics Canada | Labour Force Survey

The BC government announced last Thursday that Canadian citizens can now take ESL courses for free at 17 public PSE institutions throughout the province. As stipulated by the Canada-BC Immigration Agreement, ESL courses are being provided tuition-free to new immigrants through the 17 PSE schools and WelcomeBC's English Language Services for Adults program. The provincial government is extending this tuition-free policy to Canadian citizens at public PSE schools to ensure they have access to the same opportunities as recent immigrants. BC News Release

A proponent of the Occupy London movement is calling on Western University to overturn a one-year ban imposed on him for participating in a campus demonstration. Mike Roy was one of about 2 dozen individuals who gathered at the university to protest an event organized by Israel On Campus. Roy says campus police unfairly targeted him, stating that no other protester received a ban notice. Israel on Campus had permission to hold their event, but the demonstrators were not cleared to stage a protest, says Western U's campus police director. He dismisses Roy's claim that he was unfairly targeted, stating that one other person was also banned for participating in the event. Roy has initiated a petition with more than 100 signatures from students, faculty, and community members. London Free Press

In light of class boycotts in Quebec, the Fédération des cégeps sees the next 2 weeks as a turning point "if we want to finish the school year in a reasonable period," says a spokeswoman. She says it seems unavoidable that the term will have to be extended at the CÉGEPs with student strikes, especially at the schools where boycotts have lasted at least 5 weeks. The logistical challenges in doing so are mainly linked to 2 obligations: CÉGEPs must provide at least 82 days of courses and evaluation per semester, and the 2-month holiday period for instructors must fall between June 15 and September 1. It's up to the colleges to reorganize their semester and academic calendar, says a spokeswoman for Quebec's education minister. "There is no cancellation of the semester," she says, adding that students need to understand there will be night classes and additional weeks of study. Montreal Gazette

Wi-Fi access at Concordia University has come a long way since it was first introduced, but the biggest increase in use since Wi-Fi has been available happened in 2011, following a major network expansion. More than 98,000 users accessed Concordia's wireless network last year. It's a new record for total users, with a surge of nearly 62% in the past 12 months. Last fall, campus Wi-Fi reached a peak of over 7,000 simultaneous users, whereas just the year before simultaneous connections never surpassed 5,000. The focus now is on increasing capacity and improving performance, says Concordia's director of infrastructure and operations. For the 2012-13 fiscal year, the university plans to add another 50 to 60 access points, says Concordia's CIO. Concordia News

Given skyrocketing housing prices in Vancouver, UBC has released potential housing options designed to help develop more affordable housing on its Vancouver campus. The options include the possibility of discounted property purchases and rentals to encourage faculty, staff, and students to reside on campus. A proposed partnership with BC Housing would make UBC the first North American university to offer non-profit rental housing to eligible employees or faculty with an annual income below $64,000. The effort will inform a housing action plan that seeks to improve UBC's ability to compete with top universities and employers for the best and brightest minds, both internationally and locally, while helping to create a more sustainable, vibrant residential community. UBC Reports

Lakehead University is in the initial stages of developing a centre focusing on mineral exploration and sustainable mining development. President Brian Stevenson says the centre would bring faculty together to research mining and its implications from various sources. The institution hopes to address mining issues specific to northwestern Ontario. Stevenson hopes to have a formal proposal for the mining centre ready by this fall. CBC

A new Senate committee report examining both financial and non-financial factors of PSE observes that it is not the cost that prevents students from attending PSE, but the challenges of simply completing secondary school. Family life, social conditions, and quality of K-12 education are all major factors in PSE participation, according to the report. While tuition fees do play a role in decisions to pursue higher education, the report finds that there is funding in place to support those in need -- but all too often those financial aids go unclaimed. While education is a provincial responsibility, the report outlines more than 20 recommendations for the federal government to encourage Canadians to attend PSE. These include working with provincial education ministers on efforts to reduce the drop-out rate in high school, conducting an immediate review of the effectiveness of all education tax credits in increasing PSE accessibility, and implementing a national PSE strategy, which would include the creation of an independent Canada Education and Training Transfer to ensure there is dedicated funding for PSE and training. Report | Postmedia News

University of Ottawa law professor Amir Attaran has filed a grievance against Diane Davidson, the university's VP of governance, after she agreed to release documents related to his research under Ontario's freedom of information law. "The defence of confidential information, within the limits prescribed by law, is a cornerstone of the academic freedom to conduct research," Attaran states in his grievance notice. "It is disappointing that Ms. Davidson has chosen not to protect that freedom to the utmost." The professor was the subject of a series of sweeping information requests filed in January, requests he says were politically motivated. Stating that uOttawa administrators had in the past protected him from requests for performance evaluations and expense reports, Attaran argues that the university has failed to take advantage of 2 provisions in the provincial access to information law. He says the law includes an "exclusion" that places all documents associated with a university professor's research outside the reach of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. He says the law also gives administrators the right to demand any examination of documents by the commissioner be done at the university. Ottawa Citizen

Backed by a $25-million investment from Benchmark Capital and a star-studded list of advisers (including former Harvard University president Larry Summers), the man behind the Minerva Project aims to create "the first elite American university to be launched in a century." Ben Nelson, the CEO of the photo-sharing site Snapfish, says Minerva plans to define "elite" differently from Ivy League and other highly selective institutions, at a lower price. Students will be admitted through a rigorous 2-step process based on academic credentials and an interview to test an applicant's drive, analytical skills, and goals. Factors that may help a student get admitted to a highly selective institution -- such as money -- will not be considered at Minerva, Nelson says. Geography will also not be an admissions factor, so he expects the vast majority of students will come from outside the US. Minerva aims to hire top professors to develop their own online lectures and course materials, and students will also sift through that material in 25-student interactive seminars led by instructors. A residential option will allow students to reside in dormitories in major cities worldwide, where they can experience the same kind of peer encounters that enhance the education at liberal arts and other residential institutions. Inside Higher Ed | Minerva Project

The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada released last week a report that contains 10 recommendations for transforming postgraduate medical education -- the second phase of Canadian medical education where learners with an MD degree train to become clinicians. Each recommendation is backed by a key transformation action and other strategies that will need a collective will to implement. The recommendations are: ensuring the right mix, distribution, and number of physicians to meet societal needs; cultivating social accountability through experience in diverse learning and work environments; creating positive and supportive learning and work environments; integrating competency-based curricula in postgraduate programs; ensuring effective integration and transitions along the educational continuum; implementing effective assessment systems; developing, supporting, and recognizing clinical teachers; fostering leadership development; establishing effective collaborative governance in postgraduate medical education; and aligning accreditation standards. AFMC News Release | Report

The Vancouver Sun reports that a former BC Liberal MLA now working as Simon Fraser University's director of government relations has used his SFU expense account to attend  Liberal events. Documents obtained by the paper show that in just over one month earlier this year, Hurd expensed $2,045 to attend 7 party fundraisers. An SFU spokesman says the university had no official policy but has allowed the practice for years. He says the institution will no longer allow such donations. "For many years we have attended events of both parties, NDP and Liberal, to further the university's interests," the spokesman says, adding that questions from the Sun have sparked an abrupt revision of policy. The BC Liberal Party's executive director says the party will return all funds to the SFU employee in 2012. BC's Elections Act does not specifically prohibit donations from public-sector organizations; however, the province says it clearly bars such activities. Advanced Education Minister Naomi Yamamoto calls the matter "serious" and says she will be talking to all provincial PSE institutions to ensure they have proper policies in place. A CBC investigation revealed last month that some Alberta PSE institutions also expensed attendance at political events for the province's Progressive Conservatives. Vancouver Sun

The University of Saskatchewan announced Tuesday that it will need to reduce its expenses over the next 4 years in light of budget pressures. At a public town hall meeting, uSask's provost and VP of finance and resources outlined how the 2.1% increase in the university's operating grant for 2012-13 affects financial projections for the future. uSask had requested a 5.8% increase in its grant. Before knowing what its grant would be, the institution projected a $10-million shortfall over the next planning cycle, which is 2012-16, says the provost. Now that uSask knows what the grant is, he says the projected gap is more likely $12 million to $15 million in 2012-13, and $20 million to $40 million per year until 2016. uSask News Release

Camosun College officials say the institution will have to cut more than 40 jobs this year in order to balance its budget. Camosun expects to eliminate most of the jobs through attrition and early retirements, but 15 to 20 employees could get layoff notices. The college plans to eliminate 6.6 administrative positions, 22.5 support staff, and 17 faculty members. The job cuts will be offset in part by the addition of 12.6 positions in new areas, such as a medical radiography program that received $3.4 million in start-up funding from the BC government. Camosun president Kathryn Laurin says the institution was facing a $2.5-million shortfall largely because the province provided no additional funding to address rising costs over the past 3 years. Camosun tried to offset the shortfall by raising money in other areas, but that revenue also dipped, Laurin says. "We're at a juncture now where we can no longer preserve and protect all of our program offerings and services." Victoria Times-Colonist

The Australian government has unveiled a new website its tertiary education minister says will "help drive universities to lift performance and quality." Through MyUniversity, users can compare Australia's 39 public universities on a variety of data, such as institutional fees, student satisfaction rates, student/staff ratios, and graduate employment outcomes. Students will also be able to look beyond the public institutions to private PSE providers to see what courses are available, including a fee schedule. A postgraduate study section will feature student numbers in master's and PhD fields, as well as scholarships and Commonwealth support. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that some universities have cautioned students not to make their choice of institution solely on information provided by the site. Sydney Morning Herald | MyUniversity

University of Toronto students have joined their counterparts at other Canadian campuses by producing a lip dub, which made its debut last Thursday. Featuring more than 1,500 students and volunteers, the 7-and-a-half-minute video was shot over 3 days last September, with a re-shoot in February because footage from the Mississauga campus did not meet organizers' standards. There are a number of cuts in the video; while that is not typical of lip dubs, it allowed producers to include all 3 of uToronto's campuses. President David Naylor makes a cameo appearance in the video, donning white sunglasses and dancing the robot alongside a group of cheerleaders. Featuring a variety of electronic dance music, the video has so far garnered nearly 60,000 views on YouTube. Toronto Star | U of T Lip Dub

A new report from the Human Resources Professionals Association and Deloitte examines key trends shaping the Canadian workplace and outlines 3 potential scenarios of what the Canadian economy and society could look like in 2025. The "Lost Decade" scenario is one in which Canada fails to make strategic decisions about education, employment, and immigration. The "Unsustainable Prosperity" scenario shows that the "education system fails to evolve to meet new labour market conditions, producing 'smart people' with unsellable skills." As the most desirable scenario, "The Northern Tiger" sees that "new globally competitive sectors, like green technology and ICT, are spawned by the strength of an integrated, technology-savvy, diverse and highly-engaged workforce." Stating that in recent decades Canada's education system has failed to meet the needs of our society, the report says tracking employment trends and aligning education programs to match demand is essential. HRPA News Release | Report

Several factors are driving a desire at Canadian universities to revise class scheduling: increasing enrolment; limited budgets; changing pedagogical methods; and new technologies. "The days of large lecture deliveries have changed," says a University of Manitoba official, whose institution now needs a greater number of smaller spaces and classrooms with technological capabilities. With new scheduling software and policy, as well as considerable focus on faculty buy-in, Carleton University boosted its classroom occupancy rate last fall to 91%, up from 46% before the double cohort of secondary school graduates hit Ontario's PSE system in 2003. A one-size-fits-all solution for scheduling does not exist, since an institution's individual situation affects its needs. Because Concordia University is an urban institution with a high proportion of working students who live off-campus, late afternoon and evening courses are in fairly high demand, and demand is low on Mondays and Fridays. "Wednesday early evening is when we find our facilities are really stretched," says Concordia's provost. On the plus side, as a downtown institution, it has the option of renting additional space rather than building it. University Affairs

York University announced Monday that it would no longer pursue a partnership with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) to establish a graduate program in international law. While York U believes the agreement held tremendous opportunity and promise for the institution, and that it had developed a framework that would have guaranteed academic freedom, it knows it needed broad support from the school, including the Osgoode Hall Law School, for the initiative to be successful. On Monday, the Osgoode Faculty Council voted 34 to 7 against a revised version of the agreement, with 8 abstentions, resulting in York U abandoning the partnership. Despite the institution's decision to withdraw from the deal, CIGI says it will continue to pursue a program of research into international law. Concerns about the influence the Waterloo-based think-tank might have over hiring and research had prompted a warning of censure from the Canadian Association of University Teachers. Y-File | Globe and Mail | National Post | Toronto Star | Waterloo Region Record

According to a new survey from the US-based Forum on Education Abroad, money is not the chief concern of study-abroad leaders. Respondents, who work in campus study-abroad offices or for program providers, cited students' ability to integrate into another culture as their top concern, followed by student preparation and helping students maximize their experience overseas. Program costs and the need for further financial support, which had ranked highest on previous surveys, were the fourth- and fifth-greatest issues. The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

Currently competing in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association, Algoma University has made a formal application to join Ontario University Athletics starting in 2013-14. Given that Algoma U has been an independent university since 2008, "it's time to adjust our varsity programming to reflect that fact," says president Richard Myers. "If we want people to think of us as a university, we should probably associate ourselves with our sister universities. The OCAA is an excellent organization, but playing in a league composed primarily of colleges sometimes leads to confusion about who we are and what we do, especially in Southern Ontario." A 5-person committee overseeing Algoma U's application will head to Sault Ste. Marie later this month for a site visit. Sault Star

In the fall of 2016, George Brown College will open its first student residence in downtown Toronto. An 8-storey building in the Pan Am Games Village will be constructed to the college's specifications as a modern 500-bed, accessible facility that will meet LEED Gold environmental standards. There will be 2-bedroom units with kitchenettes, washrooms, common rooms, and study spaces, with state-of-the-art telecommunications built in. The residence will also feature a security system with card access, social spaces, laundry facilities, and extensive bicycle storage. George Brown College News

Like the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, several other post-secondary organizations praise increased government investment in research and innovation as outlined in the latest federal budget. The Association of Canadian Community Colleges and Polytechnics Canada welcome the funding allocated to the Canada Foundation for Innovation's College-Industry Innovation Fund. ACCC says new investments to support First Nations on-reserve elementary and secondary education will ultimately increase participation rates in higher education. The Canadian Bureau for International Education welcomes Ottawa's continued commitment to international education as signaled in the new budget. The Canadian Federation of Students criticizes the budget for not containing any student aid measures to offset students' rising debt loads. "Funding aimed at bridging academic research and the private sector would have been more effectively spent with improved financial assistance for students," says the president of Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. ACCC News Release | Polytechnics Canada News Release | COU News Release | CREPUQ News Release (in French) | CFHSS News Release | CBIE News Release | CFS News Release | CASA News Release

NSCAD University has presented its "Framework for Sustainability" to Nova Scotia's advanced education department, detailing how it plans to balance its budget. Cost-saving measures include: tightening the timetable; administrative restructuring; an expense freeze; an increased rental footprint at the Granville campus; the introduction of some student fees; and job cuts through attrition and fewer part-time positions. NSCAD says it has made significant progress in terms of collaboration, which was a major theme of the Windsor report. Proposed collaborations include jointly offered core courses, electives, online classes, and full programs between NSCAD and PSE institutions including Dalhousie University, Saint Mary's University, University of King's College, and Nova Scotia Community College. Early indications are that NSCAD's enrolments for this fall are healthy, and the sustainability framework includes investments to boost recruitment efforts. The university aims to increase enrolment by 10% over the next 5 years. NSCAD News Release | Report | CBC

E-learning giant Blackboard has acquired Moodlerooms and NetSpot, a pair of companies that provide support for Moodle, the leading open-source alternative to Blackboard's proprietary online learning management software (LMS) platform. Blackboard says it will not replace any of the leadership personnel at the 2 companies, nor will it try to assimilate or rebrand them, as the firm as done in prior acquisitions. Blackboard has also unveiled an "Open Service Support Group" aimed at selling support services to PSE institutions that use free, open-source LMS systems.  Presswire News Release  |  Inside Higher Ed

A new report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research raises alarm over women’s declining representation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degrees from US community colleges. Women earned 33.8% of STEM degrees in 1997, but only 27.5% in 2007. Women in STEM fields earn one-third more than women in non-STEM fields, and jobs in STEM fields are expected to increase by 17% by 2018. The report urges colleges to encourage women, especially low-income women with children, to participate in STEM fields by providing scholarships, childcare, peer mentoring, and targeted marketing. The report concludes that doing so “can provide an important pathway to economic security for student parents and their families, while contributing to the future competitiveness of the US economy.”  IWPR News Release  |  The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

The Confederation of University Faculty Associations of BC (CUFA-BC) is criticizing the provincial government’s proposed Bill 18, which allows university and college boards of governors to request the removal of board members over conflicts of interest. Robert Clift of CUFA-BC says “Bill 18 is squarely aimed at bullying and intimidating the professors, students and staff members who serve on university and college boards.” Bill 18 would allow “any elected board member who dissents from [the] party line [to] be given the boot without being given a fair hearing and with no right of appeal.” The government has argued these provisions are necessary to prevent conflicts of interest on university and college boards. CUFA-BC has vowed to continue its opposition to the legislation.  CUFA-BC News Release

Last Wednesday, Humber College celebrated the grand opening of its new Design Centre for the School of Applied Technology, which will accommodate students in Architectural Technology, Design Foundation, Industrial Design, Interior Decorating and Interior Design.  Located on Humber’s North Campus, the Centre’s layout is similar to many design and architectural firms, with 7 large open studios, a computer lab and a resource room with the latest in design technology. The School’s Dean says their “collaborative learning approach creates synergies among our programs, faculties and students, creating an educational environment that is reflective of the way professional design firms operate.” The Centre is part of a campus expansion that will add 2,200 students to the North Campus by 2017.  Humber News Release

Line Beauchamp, the Quebec Minister for Education, offered to meet with students to discuss potential changes to loan and bursary programs – but not until students accept that tuition will increase by $325 per year for five years. Beauchamp argued that the leaders of the opposition parties support some sort of fee increase, and that the students’ position “does not reflect the position of the majority of the National Assembly, elected by the population.” The students rejected the offer, and argued that executive pay should be addressed in order to lower university costs.  Montreal Gazette

The first year of the British government's new fees and funding regime is expected to cost some post-1992 universities nearly 13% of their undergraduate student intake and up to 46% of their direct grant. According to new figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the total recurrent grant allocation for PSE falls 18.6% to £4.9 billion. This reflects the fact that 2012-13 is the first year universities will derive income from "new regime" undergraduate students, who will be charged up to £9,000 in tuition fees. Teaching grants will end for these students in all but high-cost subjects. The University of East London is hit by the biggest projected fall in full-time undergraduate numbers, with its 2012-13 intake down 12.6% (or 622 places) on 2011-12. Manchester Metropolitan University is projected to lose 11.1% of its intake (900 places), the biggest decline in terms of overall numbers. Times Higher Education

The federal government is proposing a major change to how foreign skilled workers' education credentials are assessed. Under the proposed new requirement, designated organizations would assess and verify the foreign education credentials of applicants wanting to immigrate as Federal Skilled Workers, before immigrants would arrive in Canada. A pre-arrival assessment would let applicants know how their education credentials compare to Canadian ones and it would give immigrants an idea of how Canadian employers are likely to value their education. The government says this would screen out individuals without proper education levels -- an important step in helping to address the issue of immigrants arriving and not being able to work in their field. CIC News Release

Mount Allison University has revisited the strategic statement it released in 2007, and identified priorities for the second half of the 10-year plan. The updated strategic statement is divided into 2 parts: the first identifies the 6 broad categories of the statement, and the second outlines an updated statement and "action plan" for each of the categories. Proposed actions include improving the strategic recruitment strategy to recruit 780 first-year students annually; developing a formal retention paradigm with appropriate metrics and targets; maintaining the appearance, safety, and functionality of the campus; aligning all budgeting and fundraising practices and policies with the strategic statement; and pursuing and implementing any and all possible governance accountability processes that will improve Mount Allison's performance in maintaining the quality of its programming and increasing its capacity for sustainability. Mount Allison News Release | Strategic Statement Update

Trent University president Steven Franklin says the 1.9% university funding increase, as outlined in Ontario's latest budget, does not match the rising costs at his institution. If Trent is not able to grow at a rate of 2% a year, it will have to cut expenditures in other ways. Franklin says an enrolment growth of 2% is the institution's goal, but it has not met that target in the last couple of years. "Growth is the primary goal," he says. "And we intend to do that in Peterborough and Oshawa." Franklin says there is growth potential at both campuses, with new programs at the Peterborough campus and the population growth in the Oshawa region, where Trent opened a new campus in 2010. Peterborough Examiner

For the first time in more than a decade, New Brunswick's budget speech did not mention universities and their students, which the New Brunswick Student Alliance says is concerning as students are starting to look for summer work and plan their finances for the year ahead. The NBSA requests that the government and the PSE ministry present the detailed department budget and all related information before the end of the academic term. The student group also wants to know more about potential student aid programs changes. In early January, department officials told student representatives that a program review was running behind schedule and that the information would be available shortly. The NBSA says the government has released no information to date. NBSA News Release

The College Board, the company behind the SAT and advanced placement exams, has introduced a website that centres on the qualitative elements of the college-search process. "Big Future" features a college-search function, information about majors and scholarships, and an "action plan" that guides users through the various phases of the admissions process. Visitors to the site can watch more than 100 short videos in which PSE students and admissions experts share their thoughts on a variety of topics, such as financial aid, campus visits, and student mobility. The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access) | Big Future

Simon Fraser University and The Prince's Foundation for Building Community have signed an MOU to develop a global knowledge network that advances sustainable urban development. The collaboration will see both parties develop an integrated curriculum by adapting and expanding existing learning resources for sustainable urbanism, urban design, and urban economic development. The parties will also explore ways to expand the university's development of online education resources, such as integrated distance education, in sustainable urbanism. The Prince of Wales created the foundation in 1987 with the goal of a future where everyone participates in making their communities more sustainable. SFU News Release

Loyalist College is running a new marketing campaign in support of its School of Media Studies, which is expanding to 13 full-time programs as of September 2012. The multi-media "Plan on It" campaign revolves around a microsite where prospective students can learn about Media Studies programs and the careers toward which they are geared. When an individual shares the microsite with friends on Facebook or Twitter, he or she has a chance to win an iPad 3. For people who visit the site and respond to the prompts, there are additional prizes, including an iPad 3, a MacBook Pro, and a number of tuition rebates. To help build interest, Loyalist is also rolling out traditional radio and print advertisements. Loyalist News Release | Plan on It

In an interview with Maclean's, University of California, Berkeley chancellor Robert Birgeneau discusses what he has borrowed from his time as president of the University of Toronto to address Berkeley's budget crisis, such as aggressive investment to generate additional income. Berkeley decided to significantly increase its number of out-of-state and international undergraduate students, who, under California law, must pay the real cost of education. Supporting the California approach, Birgeneau says such a model "can represent a major source of income" for flagship Canadian universities. With appropriate government investment, Birgeneau says, Canada's flagship institutions can compete head on with not just the top universities in the US, but also Cambridge and Oxford. He says there has been a progressive evolution in North American society to view PSE more as a private than a public good. The fact that Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum accused US President Barack Obama of being elitist for thinking that people should get a college education "shows how far we've evolved in a negative direction." Maclean's

According to its budget, tabled Tuesday, the New Brunswick government will invest approximately $105 million in 2012-13 to implement legislative and government commitments. Among them is a $1.2-million investment in 231 new seats at New Brunswick Community College and Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick. Other education-related investments include $2.5 million for inclusive education and $2.5 million for elementary literacy. NB News Release

As more students go to college equipped with smartphones and tablets, residential computing networks are trying to keep up with data demand. A new US survey suggests this trend can strain network resources, forcing some PSE institutions to upgrade their equipment. 68% of 255 campus technology professionals surveyed said they allowed students unlimited access to their residential networks, while just 19% said they limited the bandwidth available to mobile and network devices. Half of the respondents said they paid to supply bandwidth, but did not recover their investment. Respondents said their top concerns were the rising popularity of mobile devices, the growing thirst for bandwidth, and the demand for better wireless coverage. According to the report, several technology administrators surveyed suggested that students' activities on their devices -- such as watching steaming video -- matter more than the specific gadget they use. The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

Starting this May, Ryerson University expects to offer a new optional Digital Specialization Program, the first of its kind in Canada. The program provides the opportunity to acquire digital skills and receive academic credit for pursuit of students' entrepreneurial ideas in the fields of business and social innovation. One component of the program is the 12-week Digital Specialization Course, offered in the fall/winter semester. The second component -- the 12-week Digital Specialization Semester offered in spring/summer -- begins with a one-week XTREME Boot Camp where students work together as members of high-performance teams, moderated by expert mentors. Ryerson News Release | Digital Specialization @ Ryerson

Last Thursday, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the SIAST Wascana Parkway Centre in Regina to unveil renovations that enabled the institution to house recent expansions to nursing programs. Supported by a joint $5-million investment from the federal and provincial governments, the 25,800-square-foot project converted offices and meeting rooms into an anatomy and physiology lab, an open multipurpose area, and classrooms. SIAST News Release

The Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission has granted special status to Memorial University's Aboriginal Designated Seats Program, meaning that existing designated seats and the program itself are protected from any challenges. MUN's program is now the most comprehensive of its kind in Canada. While many universities have designated seats for Aboriginal students in a handful of programs, MUN reserves seats for such students in many programs institution-wide. As a proportion of its total population, NL has the largest Aboriginal population of any province east of Manitoba. MUN News

The 38 members of the newly formed CUPE unit representing Brock University's ESL instructors began strike action Monday morning. The CUPE unit says it is on strike because Brock refuses to ratify the tentative collective agreement it signed in February. Brock states that as it prepared to ratify the agreement, it came across an error in the text, which included "no contracting out" language as proposed by the union. Brock says at no time was it prepared to accept this language. Both parties met with a mediator on Sunday to address the error and finalize a collective agreement, but the talks were unsuccessful and the union opted to strike. The union says it is in the process of filing a complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board arguing that Brock has bargained in bad faith. Brock Statement | CUPE News Release | Niagara This Week

Postscript: Apr 5, 2012

Brock University reached a tentative agreement Tuesday night with the union representing ESL instructors who have been on strike since March 26. The union will remain on strike and maintain picket lines until the tentative agreement is ratified. Both parties have agreed to expedite the ratification process. Brock News

According to a new study, higher tuition fees for UK master's courses are deterring students from continuing their studies, particularly those from poorer backgrounds. Conducted by a PhD student at the London School of Economics, a fee analysis finds that the average cost of taught postgraduate study increased from approximately £3,200 in 2003-04 to £4,300 in 2009-10. The study observes that a 10% increase in postgraduate tuition fees is associated with a drop of between 1.7% and 4.5% in the probability of a student continuing their studies. The research states that undergraduates from poorer backgrounds are less likely to pursue postgraduate study than wealthier students, even after controlling for their prior academic performance. According to the study, students from the poorest socio-economic groups are between 1.8% and 2.4% less likely to continue their studies than their wealthier peers. Times Higher Education

A $2-million endowed donation from alumnus William Seath will now allow McGill University's engineering faculty to place greater emphasis on the "development" aspect of research and development. The new William and Rhea Seath Awards in Engineering Innovation will support and recognize annually 2 individuals in the faculty -- either undergrads, graduate students, or professors -- who are conducting groundbreaking research with the potential for entrepreneurship. Another portion of the donation will support a full-time Industrial Research Development and Engagement Officer in the faculty. McGill News Release

In advance of Ontario's 2012 budget, which will be tabled today, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations has released its plan for accessible, affordable, and high quality university education. In its brief, OCUFA argues that the provincial government must reject the "austerity agenda" that followed the release of the Drummond report and commit to creating a successful economy and vibrant society. The brief recommends a $1.3-billion increase in operating grants by 2020 to bring per-student net operating revenue in line with the rest of the country. The funding boost would go toward funding a tuition freeze and hiring 6,000 new full-time professors, resulting in improved affordability and quality. Also advocating for a restoration of research funding and new investments to renew aging campus infrastructure, the brief calls for an overall new investment of $1.54 billion in Ontario universities. OCUFA News | Budget Brief

With regard to Canada's youth employment rate, which is double the overall jobless rate, Youth Employment Services' president says the "situation is bad, because we need our young people in the workforce, we need their energy and new ideas and we need them to pay taxes." Organizations such as YES are pushing the government and the private sector to take more action by introducing more accessible co-op and professional job placements. Today's youth are in a uniquely difficult situation, says a TD economist. In a recent report, he found that increased competition leads PSE graduates to take jobs further away from the subjects of their degrees, or pulls them out of the job market altogether. While Canadian youth still fare better than many of their international peers, YES' president contends that the situation here is not being adequately addressed. There are more unemployed youth than the recorded figure, as a lot of young people aren't collecting Employment Insurance or welfare, she says. Only youth who collected are recorded in Canada's unemployment figures. CBC | TD report

4 former University College of the North midwifery students are suing the institution, alleging that UCN failed to hire sufficient instructors and provide adequate supervision, and neglected to ensure students attended the required number of births to complete their courses. The plaintiffs also claim they were not allowed to continue their studies after UCN relocated the midwifery degree program to Winnipeg in 2010. UCN states that "it was a term of the contracts" between the students and the institution that "the courses scheduled to be delivered in each term of the program were subject to change" without notice. The statement of defence also notes that UCN provided financial aid to the students to accommodate changes in the location of certain portions of the program. Although the program will have operated for 6 years by the fall, it has yet to see a student graduate, which is unlikely to occur until 2013. The program's director says UCN may not be in a position to admit new midwifery students until as late as 2014, in large part due to a shortage of midwives able to help students with practicums. Winnipeg Free Press

To help meet the demand for skilled nurses, the Vancouver Island Health Authority announced last week it is offering employment to all graduates of Vancouver Island registered nursing programs in 2012-13. Graduating registered nurses from North Island College, the University of Victoria, Vancouver Island University, and registered psychiatric nurses from Stenberg College will be offered temporary full-time positions in a wide range of locations and practice settings that need additional support. The health authority says the graduates' help will reinforce the work of its dedicated nursing staff and ensure experienced nurses are in place to move into the roles of retiring nurses. VIHA News Release

London Ontario Mayor Joe Fontana emphasized last week a key goal of his "education city" vision, to attract more international students to London, potentially as permanent residents. The education boost would be accompanied by an economic one, says Fontana, noting that each student would bring upwards of $50,000 in "economic value" to London. Fanshawe College's VP of student services sees plenty of potential to generate revenue for the city, and, more importantly, to provide students with opportunities to stay and work after graduation. Fanshawe currently has about 1,300 international students, accounting for approximately 8% of the college's enrolment. Fontana's "Education City" vision includes transforming City Hall and adjacent concert hall Centennial Hall into a new downtown Western U campus. University officials are close to submitting a downtown campus proposal. London Free Press (March 21) | London Free Press (March 22)

On Thursday, Wilfrid Laurier University closed a $58.9-million acquisition of a dozen student-housing apartment buildings adjacent to its Waterloo campus. 9 of the buildings are recently constructed 4- and 5-floor properties and 3 are renovated multi-tenant houses. Together, they have a combined capacity to accommodate approximately 785 students. The purchase will provide WLU with strategic property assets in the rapidly developing neighbourhoods next to the campus, and a stream of rental income. The institution has engaged a private property manager to administer the properties as off-campus housing. WLU News Release

Yukon College announced Thursday it will not accept new students for the Yukon Native Teacher Education Program for the 2012-13 school year. The institution launched a review of the 24-year-old program in December, and a report is due in June. Yukon College receives 20 to 25 applications for the program annually, with about 10 applicants meeting admissions qualifications. To date, no qualified applicants have applied for the 2012-13 school year. Current students will be able to complete the degree program as it is currently structured. There will be no layoffs or staff reassignments, and program funding will continue. The decision to suspend intake was made after consulting with stakeholders, including the territorial and First Nations governments, as well as the University of Regina, which grants the degree from the program. Yukon College News

In response to apparent misinformation about the accreditation status of its medical school, the University of Saskatchewan states that last July, it received a letter from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the Committee on the Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools indicating 11 instances of noncompliance with 10 of the 130 accreditation standards under which medical schools operate. The College of Medicine was given 6 months to submit an action plan, which it did in December. Last month, both committees informed the college that it had one year to put the plan in action. Throughout this period, the medical school has communicated fully with students as well as with faculty, staff, and administrators who are responsible for making the changes. The accreditation standards on which the school is working relate primarily to academic administration matters , such as how teaching duties are assigned, how marks are recorded in common databases, and whether students at different sites have access to similar study space. uSask Statement | Saskatoon Star-Phoenix

In a survey of 1,367 Ontario secondary students, nearly two-thirds of respondents picked health care when asked to choose which major government sector should remain a priority before any other, while nearly 23% chose education and 2.48% selected PSE and training. The majority of students surveyed rejected some Drummond report recommendations related to education. More than 62% rejected class size increases, nearly 60% opposed the cancellation of the province's tuition grant, and over 59% rejected removing a fifth year of high school for graduates. CIVIX News Release | Survey Results

The Canadian Association for Co-operative Education has accredited the University of Prince Edward Island's co-op programs in Business Administration and Computer Science. The 6-month accreditation process entailed an in-depth review of UPEI Co-operative Education policies and procedures by an external review team, which consists of practitioners from UBC, Dal, uWaterloo, UNB, and NIC. UPEI president Alaa Abd-El-Aziz says the accreditation is "an endorsement of UPEI’s commitment to high standards in academic programming and is great news for both our students and our partners in the employer community." UPEI News Release

A report tracking trends in tuition fees in the "G-40" nations that account for more than 90% of the world's PSE enrolment and research finds that, on average, university tuition fees increased around the world by 2.58% last year. However, because of significant inflation in many part of the world, the global tuition fee index actually dropped by 1.76%. Also examining student aid trends, the report observes that student aid rose significantly in Chile, Colombia, Singapore, South Africa, Indonesia, and Nigeria in 2011. Taking tuition fees and financial aid trends into account, the report concludes that overall PSE affordability increased last year in Colombia, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Sweden. Decreased affordability was observed in the Philippines, Spain, and the US. The report states that affordability declined somewhat in Canada, as large tuition fee increases were only partially offset by boosts to financial aid. News Release | Full Report

Last Friday, Kwantlen Polytechnic University celebrated the completed expansion of the Richmond campus library. Improvements to the facility provide more space for reading and research materials -- allowing them to be housed on campus -- and improve the learning environment for students. Kwantlen received a combined $1.2-million investment from the federal and BC governments to support the project. BC News Release | Kwantlen News Release

More than 200 York University professors have signed a letter petitioning the institution to suspend progress on an agreement with the Centre for International Governance Innovation to fund chairs in international law, which they argue gives CIGI "unprecedented influence over the University's academic affairs," until York U's senate can modify it to better protect academic autonomy. The university's provost calls the arrangement with the Waterloo-based think-tank "a model approach" as it "brings significant resources to the university and yet preserves university autonomy." He was expected to make the same argument when York U's faculty group presented its motion at yesterday's senate meeting. Globe and Mail | Toronto Star | National Post

In recent years, venture capitalists have invested millions in education-technology firms, trying to cash in on a market they view as ripe for a digital makeover. Data from the US-based National Venture Capital Association show that investments in ed-tech start-ups nationwide rose from $146 million in 2002 to $429 million last year. The boom really took off in 2009, when venture capitalists poured $150 million more into ed-tech companies than they did in the previous year, despite the market downturn. Michael Staton, founder of Inigral (with whom Academica Group has a strategic research partnership), says "something in the zeitgeist" is providing education entrepreneurs with access to funding, advice, and talent once reserved for other sectors. It's not just coming from for-profit organizations; last year, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded Inigral $2 million from a $4-million investment. Staton believes that an increasing acceptance of online learning, rather than any particular new technology, has allowed start-ups to earn support for new products. The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

The Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) has enhanced its Electronic Transcript Management System (eTMS) to make it easier for students to receive the transcripts they need when applying to college. First introduced in 2005, the eTMS allows former students to request a transcript from a secondary school they attended when completing their online application to college. With the new "Auto eTMS" solution, OCAS is able to automate the obtainment of transcript records directly from the source. The application service has already started developing a new "Total eTMS" solution that will allow it to manage transcript requests in real-time for current secondary school students, in addition those who have already graduated. OCAS News Release

One of 3 student representatives on UNB's 43-member board of governors, the student union president argues that with a disproportionate number of students on the board, it is more difficult to get student-oriented issues heard. While there hasn't been notable conflict this year, he notes that the adoption of the $150 "Currie Fee" last year was a point of contention between student representatives and the rest of the board. "More student voice around the table might have changed the dialogue a bit," he says. UNB president Eddy Campbell says the number of students on the board is in line with that at other universities' boards. "It's not about the numbers -- it's about the respect and the manner in which they represent the student body and the way in which they conduct themselves," Campbell says. "The folks that we have are used to making the student point of view very clear." The strict legislation applied to the board would make it difficult to add more student members, let alone any other positions. The Brunswickan (student newspaper)

The BC government is providing $1.7 million to help Emily Carr University of Art + Design develop a comprehensive business case for a new campus on Great Northern Way in Vancouver. The business plan will include an analysis of labour market demand for Emily Carr graduates; development of an indicative design for the project; detailed cost estimates; an examination of increased accessibility for students to support the growth of the design, media, and visual industry; and description of funding sources. The campus redevelopment project envisions a state-of-the-art facility with capacity for 1,800 students. BC News Release | Vancouver Sun

With just days until Ontario tables its budget, it's not an easy time to appear cap in hand before government -- but not impossible if you do it right, suggests Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario president Harvey Weingarten. When you meet with government officials, pitch your answer as a solution to a political problem, he says. Use politicians' language and write things in ways they understand. Be patient with government, as it can take several years for politicians to get something done, and that's not always a bad thing. "We should be fearful if government makes policy quickly; it’s either when there is insufficient consultation, or in the middle of election frenzy," Weingarten says. "Put some skin in the game," he states; what can set you apart from others "is that you have shown a sufficient commitment to something to have already allocated resources." Margin Notes (University Affairs blog) |  Toronto Star

Quebec's finance minister said Tuesday he is determined to introduce previously announced tuition fee increases of 75% over the next 5 years. "Some students are opposed to it and it's their right, but we've taken our decision and it's irrevocable," the minister said. "We've believe students need to pay their fair share," he said, adding that they are going to account for 17% of the cost of a higher education. The new budget provides for an extra $976 million for Quebec universities over the next 5 years. The province will add $493 million under that plan, with $141 million from other sources and $54 million in corporate funding. The tuition increase will account for $279 million of the total. The president of the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec says striking students are not returning to class and have plans for additional demonstrations and a campaign targeting Liberal MNAs. An hour-long student demonstration yesterday morning blocked an access ramp to the Champlain Bridge into Montreal. CTV reports that 94 students were fined for blocking the bridge. A large-scale demonstration is set to take place in Montreal tomorrow. Quebec Budget Plan | Montreal Gazette | CBC | CTV

While uprisings have toppled governments in some Arab nations and led to crackdowns in others, the Lebanese capital of Beirut has remained relatively calm, and is drawing more US students seeking a safer semester abroad. Approximately 700 US citizens and 2,000 Westerners now attend American University in Beirut (AUB), which has experienced a 50% increase in its Western population every year since 2007. Some 15 students in Egypt transferred to Lebanon last spring when violence erupted, says an AUB official. While the institution does not have an official position on the US travel warning in effect for Lebanon, the AUB official says she believes the benefits of studying in Lebanon outweigh the risks. Some students interviewed by Inside Higher Ed say they've had positive experiences studying in Lebanon, where they have felt safe. Inside Higher Ed

The number of Law School Admissions Tests administered this year has fallen by more than 16%, the largest drop in over a decade. In all, the number of LSAT takers has dropped by nearly 25% in the past 2 years. The decline reflects a spreading view that the US legal market is in terrible shape and will have a difficult time absorbing the approximately 45,000 law students who are expected to graduate in each of the next 3 years. Class-action lawsuits have been filed against more than a dozen law schools in recent months over allegedly deceptive job-placement rates, and more suits are expected. For some law schools, the dwindling number of LSAT takers represents a serious long-term issue. "What I’d anticipate is that you’ll see the biggest falloff in applications in the bottom end of the law school food chain," says one law professor. "Those schools are going to have significant difficulty because they are dependent on tuition to fund themselves and they’ll either have to cut class size to maintain standards, or accept students with lower credentials." New York Times

St. Thomas More College, federated with the University of Saskatchewan, is preparing to construct a 3-storey facility that will serve to improve the STM student experience and also help uSask address classroom shortages. The building, which will include classrooms, study space, offices, and research space, is largely oriented to students, says the college's CFO. STM students can take only about 40% to 50% of their classes at the college, while the rest are spread out across campus. STM aims to increase to about 75% the number of classes available in the new building. Another focus is to provide social and study space for students, which are lacking in the current facility. Construction of the estimated $8-million expansion is expected to start this June, with a completion date slated for August 2013. uSask On Campus News (page 5 of PDF)

2 University of Winnipeg department chairwomen are worried austerity measures will eliminate courses and threaten the integrity of the institution. The sociology department chair says 12 full courses will be cut for next year, which means there won't be enough courses left for students to pick from in order to graduate. The modern languages and literature department chair says the German-language program is in danger of closing in 2 years. She has initiated an e-mail campaign to get students and other professors to pressure president Lloyd Axworthy to free up funding. In an open letter to the media, Axworthy says uWinnipeg faces an annual funding hurdle, different from other Manitoba PSE institutions. While uManitoba and Brandon U receive $12,000 per student from the province, uWinnipeg receives just below $6,500 per student, which Axworthy calls "a historical imbalance that goes back decades and now exists for no reason." He concludes his letter stating that "it is my sincere hope that the broader community joins me in this request" for an equal funding formula, "so that collectively we can continue to nurture our leaders of tomorrow." Winnipeg Free Press | President's Letter

New US research observes that Millennials may not be the caring, socially conscious environmentalists some have characterized them to be. Comparing the traits of young people in high school and entering PSE today with those of baby boomers and Generation X'ers at the same age from 1966 to 2009, the study shows a rising trend of valuing money, image, and fame more than inherent principles like affiliation, community, and self-acceptance. The study's lead author says Millennials have been raised in a culture that places "more focus on the self and less focus on the group, society, and community." The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

In late May, a team of law firms intends to file class-action lawsuits against another 20 American law schools over allegedly deceptive job-placement rates. The team filed a dozen suits in February and has vowed to sue 20 to 25 law schools every few months. 3 additional suits were filed last August. The lawyers say several law schools have revised their employment figures since the initial lawsuits were filed. The new figures show much lower percentages of students securing full-time jobs and indicate that salary statistics are based on small percentages of students who reported their salaries, the lawyers say. "While being careful about what's being put out to applicants is important, I'd hate to see a law school have to put out a five-page disclaimer and require applicants to take a blood oath that you won't sue if you don't get a job," says a lawyer who has been offering advice to law schools. Given the wide range of reasons people attend law school and the types of careers they pursue, he predicts the plaintiffs will have a tough time proving their case. The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

University of Regina president Vianne Timmons has signed a co-operation agreement with a network of Indigenous universities in Mexico. The deal will promote the mobility of Aboriginal students at uRegina and Indigenous students from Mexico to exchange their culture and traditions. The agreement was signed during a recent trip to Mexico to discuss Indigenous PSE with the presidents of several Canadian and Mexican universities. The student exchange program will begin this summer. uRegina News Release

The union representing approximately 800 of Dalhousie University's support staff has filed a walkout notice with Nova Scotia's Labour and Advanced Education Department. The support staff will be in a legal strike position at 12:01 am Thursday. The union's president says a vote will take place Wednesday on whatever deal the union ends up with at conciliation. Dal's faculty association recently reached a tentative agreement with administration. The ratification vote on that agreement was set to continue yesterday. Chronicle Herald

Postscript: Mar 23, 2012

On Wednesday, Dalhousie University support staff voted 92% in favour of a 3-year collective agreement that was reached with administration Tuesday. If the deal had been rejected, the support staff would have been in a legal strike position yesterday.

The PEI government will cut funding to the University of Prince Edward Island and Holland College by 3%. The province notified both institutions of the cut well in advance of the upcoming budget. UPEI and Holland College officials say they are working on their budgets now, incorporating the funding cut. There is no word yet on whether the reduced provincial funding will impact tuition fees, programs, or services. CBC

The University of Toronto Scarborough's new AppStar contest gives UTSC students an opportunity to turn good ideas into great mobile applications, with a chance to win cash prizes. The app must be developed for iOS and/or Android, and it has to demonstrably benefit students. Additional resources will be available during the contest, such as workshops on project planning, developing, and testing for iOS and Android. The deadline for proposal submissions is April 30. UTSC News | AppStar Competition

The University of Ottawa's Counselling and Coaching Service and Health Promotion offices are collaborating on an animal therapy pilot program for students. The program allows students who may be experiencing stress and anxiety to spend time with Tundra, a certified therapy dog with her own Twitter handle: @TundraDawg. The initiative was spearheaded by a School of Human Kinetics professor with a strong interest in animal therapy. Meanwhile, uOttawa's Student Academic Success Service office has launched the Peer Counselling Program to address students' increased demand for personal counselling. The pilot program provides students in need with a much less formal approach, chiefly peer counselling led by other students who themselves have overcome psychological issues. uOttawa News Release

The New Brunswick Student Alliance has produced a video in which students and professionals state why it is important for the provincial government to invest in higher education. The video's cast, which includes a pair of former provincial cabinet ministers and UNB president Eddy Campbell, points to a skilled labour shortage, crumbling campus infrastructure, and the importance of students' contribution to research and innovation. Investing in PSE, says one student, would improve New Brunswick's image and attract knowledge from outside provincial borders. Campbell speaks to the benefits one reaps from PSE, such as better employability, higher wages, and higher job satisfaction. Pointing to New Brunswick's below-average PSE attainment rate and high tuition fees, the video ends with NBSA's president stating that an investment in PSE is what's best for the province. NBSA News Release | Video

The University of Lethbridge's Faculty of Health Sciences is the recipient of a $2-million endowment enabled by a $1-million donation from Spitz Sunflower Seeds founder Tom Droog, who received an honorary degree from uLethbridge in 2006. His gift will allow the institution to establish the Emmy Droog Chair in Complementary and Alternative Health Care -- the health sciences faculty's first endowed professorship. uLethbridge president Mike Mahon says the donation will be a unique complement to existing health sciences programs and will help the university to better serve its students and the community. uLethbridge News Release

Harry Bloy has resigned from his position as BC's minister of state for multiculturalism after leaking an e-mail to Eminata Group, the subject of a Vancouver Province news investigation. Bloy had come into possession of an e-mail the Province sent to the Ministry of Advanced Education seeking comment on Eminata founder Peter Chung. Bloy forwarded that message to Eminata, a provider of for-profit PSE in BC. Confirming Bloy's resignation during question period Thursday, Premier Christy Clark said that what he did was "not illegal, but wrong." NDP Leader Adrian Dix pressed the Liberal government in question period on Bloy's motivation to inform Eminata about the investigation, but the government was not forthcoming. NDP MLA John Horgan called on Advanced Education Minister Naomi Yamamoto to resign as well. Postmedia News reports that Chung is a frequent donor to the BC Liberals. Postmedia News

McGill University has redesigned and reorganized its homepage to help visitors to its website find what they are looking for more easily. The homepage is now organized into 3 distinct sections by user type, defaulting to an external page meant for the general public. Users can then choose to remain on that version of the page, or click on the "Students" or "Staff/Faculty" button and be directed to a homepage similar to the main external edition, but with content that matters most to them. In response to survey respondents' indication that they had a hard time finding certain tools on the website, the revised homepage now includes "Popular Pages" and "Popular Tools" tabs. The redesign was a joint effort between McGill's Communication Services and the Content and Collaboration Solutions unit. The latter unit's job was to refine the design so it looked attractive and functioned properly across platforms, browsers, and various mobile devices. McGill homepage | McGill Reporter

Saint Paul University, federated with the University of Ottawa, is under fire from its students after it asked the student association to remove a bowl of condoms from the main office. A letter from administration to the student group states that "it is evident that the distribution of condoms must cease and the use of the name 'university' needs to be completely abandoned from your sign, especially when it contravenes with the Statutes." SPU has a Catholic mandate, but students of all religions and ethnicities now study at the institution. The administration told the CBC that students are expected to abide by and uphold Catholic values. The student association believes administrators are putting ideology before practicality. Students also say SPU has complained about a pride centre they opened on campus. The student group and administration began what are expected to be several days of discussions Wednesday to find a solution to the issue. CBC

Yesterday the New Brunswick government launched the New Brunswick Credit Transfer Portal, an online tool to help students transfer their academic credits between provincial colleges and universities. The portal was created through the New Brunswick Council on Articulations and Transfer, an advisory group made up of government officials and academic institutions working to facilitate the transition from one institution to another. Interprovincial credit transfers will be gradually added to the portal. NB News Release | Credit Transfer Portal

Given the possibility that some BC students might not have traditional spring report cards in light of the province's teachers' strike, UBC's Vancouver campus senate approved Wednesday a proposal to allow the institution to consider final confirmed grades to date, including final Grade 11 and completed Grade 12 courses. Adopting this measure will allow UBC to make admissions offers to BC students by mid-April -- the same timeframe as in previous years. Grade 12 marks will be available from the education ministry in May, and, as has been the case in prior years, additional offers will be made at that time. The Okanagan campus senate approved this measure on February 29. UBC News Release

In response to public attention on York University's agreement with Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Patrick Monahan, York U's provost, issued a message Wednesday to provide background information and address some concerns about the agreement. Monahan points out that a new protocol signed March 9 makes explicit how the university's academic and administrative freedom will be fully protected. He states that final decisions regarding such matters as research chair appointments rest with York U. Monahan also addresses the attention focused on a provision that contemplates a review of the faculty shortlist with a committee whose members include some CIGI representatives. The provost states that in cases where there is any difference of opinion on the shortlist, the matter will be referred to an independent committee of scholars who are at arm's-length from CIGI, and whose views will be binding on the think-tank. York U, the University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University face censure from the Canadian Association of University Teachers over their agreements with CIGI. Y-File

A new British Council report states that by 2020, India will have replaced China as the country sending the most people to study in the US. The report estimates that 118,000 Indians will be enrolled in US institutions then, compared to 101,000 Chinese students. Although Chinese students represented one-third of the growth in students travelling abroad to study from 2002 to 2009, the reports states that pace will slow considerably. The report predicts the US will remain the top destination for international students, but Australia will encounter the fastest growth in the number of foreign students. However, given the rise of Asian destinations, the council cautions that predictions are far from certain. The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

The format of traditional lectures in large auditoriums for the 1,800 Queen's University students enrolled in Psychology 100 has been replaced with a blended learning model. Students attend one lecture per week in which professors explore a provocative question or discuss their own research. Students then apply the concepts they have learned online in small learning labs facilitated by fourth-year and master's students. "Rather than supplementing the traditional lecture format, we are transforming the way courses are designed and delivered based on what we know about student learning and engagement," says the Faculty of Arts and Science's associate dean (studies). The move to blended learning is a faculty-wide initiative that will eventually be adopted by other arts and science courses. Queen's News Centre

According to preliminary data from Statistics Canada, employment fell by 4,000 in universities and colleges during the fourth quarter of 2011, continuing a downward trend. Since its peak in the fourth quarter of 2010, employment in the PSE sector had dropped by 11,000. In its data check, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations notes that since 2010, the average number of people employed in the higher education sector fell by 14,000. Nearly all that decline took place in Ontario, where 12,000 jobs were lost -- a 7.5% reduction in the PSE workforce. Statistics Canada | OCUFA Data Check

The division among Quebec students on unlimited strikes is growing as those against class boycotts have been trying -- and not always with success -- to secure their right to an education. With her department striking since February, a UQAM law student who has been e-mailing the premier and education minister says "the Liberals aren't backing down (from tuition hikes) but they're not doing much to help students who don't support the strike and whose rights are being infringed upon." The education ministry has said that universities have an obligation to provide classes, but students say that obligation is not being respected. The Montreal Gazette reports that there appears to be little consensus among university administrations about what can and should be done about the matter. Students opposed to the strike are also turning to social media; students can follow @strikethestrike on Twitter, and there is a Facebook page devoted to Concordia Students Against a Strike. Meanwhile, Quebec's 2 largest labour unions announced Tuesday that they are throwing their support behind striking students. Montreal Gazette (anti-strike students) | Montreal Gazette (union support)

Amid health complaints and concerns about air quality at the University of Calgary's Craigie Hall, campus health and safety officials have conducted a series of tests to see if the 50-year-old building meets occupational health standards. Asbestos concerns were first raised in 2003 when the facility was renovated and several floors were under construction, exposed to falling ceiling tiles and dust. In 2004 uCalgary tested air quality and found everything to meet health and safety standards; however, complaints from faculty and staff have continued on and off. Third-party experts conducted comprehensive air quality and other environmental testing last week to ensure the facility meets occupation health standards. The CBC reports that an employee in the Spanish centre at Craigie Hall died in November of pulmonary fibrosis, a scarring of the lungs. Her husband says doctors did not determine what caused the disease, but he suspects it was her work environment. A uCalgary official says the institution has a comprehensive asbestos management program that clearly outlines procedures for managing activities that may include handling or distributing asbestos-containing materials. uCalgary Statement | Calgary Herald | CBC

For the 2013 edition of its Best Colleges rankings, US News & World Report will collect and publish data in 3 new areas: differential graduation rates on income and race; information on the affordability of colleges; and information about each institution's Internet connectivity. The publication will not use the additional information in the methodology for total scores. US News blog | Inside Higher Ed

Red Deer College unveiled Monday RDCmatch.com, where prospective students can complete a quiz that provides them with careers suited to their personalities (and program matches at the college) and enters them into a contest to win one of five $1,000 RDC tuition vouchers. Each of the 62 questions in the 3-part quiz gives participants 2 options -- a word, phrase, or statement -- and asks them to select the one that better describes them or they find more appealing. Personality results appear afterwords along with a set of career matches. The site includes links to RDC's Twitter feed and Facebook page, as well as to its main website. RDC News Release | RDCmatch.com

Alberta's auditor general states in a new report that the Alberta College of Art + Design, Grant MacEwan University, Northern Lakes College, NorQuest College, and Olds College each provided 2011 financial statements that had inaccuracies or were not timely. Some of the institutions continue to record a lack of financial controls that put them at risk of mismanaged funds, poor budgeting, and even fraud. The report's 15 recommendations range from enhancing "risk management systems" and "financial business processes" to properly securing computer servers and better managing donations and contracts. The auditor general says he feel confident the 5 institutions will fix their accounting issues within the year. Officials with these schools say they have made changes according to past concerns and have accepted the new recommendations. The report also cites NAIT, SAIT Polytechnic, and the Universities of Alberta and Lethbridge as having effective control environments. Grande Prairie Regional College has made significant improvements to its processes and internal controls over the past 2 years. Both Lethbridge College and Mount Royal University showed no significant problems. Auditor General of Alberta News Release | Calgary Herald | Edmonton Journal | Recommendations Summary | Full Report

Due to the BC teacher's strike and contract dispute, teachers have not been issuing normal report cards, but have been giving marks to Grade 12 students directly so they can apply to PSE institutions. Without official report cards, UBC plans to wait until May when it can confirm grades for BC students with the education ministry. University officials say the marks are essentially self-reported by students on their applications, which could lead to irregularities on the 12,000 applications UBC expects this year. Students relying on grades from their final year of high school would still be considered on the Grade 12 spring marks once UBC receives those from the ministry in early May. UBC's senate will decide today whether to accept official grades from Grade 11 in applications this year. The BC Teachers' Federation's president says teachers have followed through on a commitment to issue students grades for university applications, and UBC should be accepting them. CBC

As it investigates the source of a donor information leak, McGill University has written to the student-run Daily Publications Society (DPS), telling it to remove any link to McGillLeaks and to stop referencing the documents and data that were leaked. The letter said McGill would use "any available legal recourse to protect its rights and the rights of the third parties." The McGill Daily quickly removed the link, but it says it will continue coverage of McGillLeaks, while criticizing what it calls the university's "oppressive tactics." The DPS chairperson says the society "didn't steal the documents and we believe we were within our rights because the documents were already in the public domain." McGill's VP of external relations says having a live link to McGillLeaks "is not a matter of the exercise of freedom of expression, but it would help to disseminate information that invades the privacy of a great number of individuals -- without their consent -- and that contains information of strategic advantage to the university in matters of fundraising." Montreal Gazette

Anonymously produced for 2 years, "100 Reasons NOT to Go to Graduate School" has become a popular blog with graduate students looking to vent. With a focus on the humanities and the social sciences, the blog features many posts that speak to the social and psychological difficulties of graduate school. A recent entry on "the culture of fear" -- which asked: "Why are academics -- of all people -- afraid of writing (and speaking) honestly about their profession? Why do so many of those who do express themselves feel compelled to do so anonymously?" -- garnered many responses (many of them anonymous) about the power gaps in academia. There are widespread complaints about graduate school and the academic job market. While some critics of the blog find many of the reasons to be "negatively slanted and biased," the blog is getting praised in comments on many discussions regarding the academic job market. If one decides to enrol in graduate school anyway, the blog includes 3 pieces of advice: "stay out of debt," "go to a prestigious school," and "finish as quickly as possible." Inside Higher Ed | 100 Reasons NOT to Go to Graduate School

The University of Northern British Columbia is running a Facebook contest in which participants can suggest a new green initiative for the institution as part of its fifth annual Green Day celebration on March 20. "Empowering the UNBC population is appropriate as Canada's Green University," says president George Iwama. "(The contest) provides the opportunity to get involved in purposeful environmental change, and links our current and former student community with UNBC's mandate to 'walk the walk.'" Suggestions so far range from making all washing machines in residence cold-water only to incorporating tiles that convert kinetic energy from individuals' footsteps. After 2 weeks of online voting, the top 5 candidates will be announced on Green Day. Prizes include $1,000 from Integris Credit Union and green gift bundles from the UNBC Bookstore. The winners' suggestions have potential to be the university's next green project, as selected by the Green Day Committee. UNBC News Release | Facebook Contest

At the women's hockey summit over the weekend, some 50 coaches and sport administrators addressed why the majority of Canada's best players still attend US institutions. Although the CIS women's hockey system has made huge strides since 1997, much more is needed if Canadian universities want to retain the best homegrown talent here, says former national women's team head coach Melody Davidson. Not every CIS school has a full-time head coach, which, along with the lack of paid assistant coaches, is a concern. Visibility is key, stresses Davidson, whether that means logo identification, information about a university hockey program, or, crucially, facts about funding options of which many athletes and parents remain unaware. A University of Alberta coach says limited resources at Canadian institutions mean coaches have to be creative with strategies with respect to academic schedules and course loads. One mechanism is already in place, notes Davidson; the 5-year eligibility rule at CIS institutions enables athletes to manage their course load differently from their US counterparts, for whom the eligibility limit is 4 years. Edmonton Journal

In a speech Friday, Ontario Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Glen Murray called on the private sector to fund a larger share of higher-education costs. Other than a fleeting pledge to not fund the future "on the backs of students" (through tuition fee increases alone) and a quick call to use campuses more efficiently than "just 66 per cent of the year" (through a proposal to have courses run through the summer), Murray cast his eyes over the corporate world. Ontario taxpayers already pay "a lot of the freight" for PSE, said Murray, so new growth needs to come from the type of public-private partnerships common at US Ivy League institutions. Murray also noted that today's entrepreneurial students find corporate sponsors and investors prior to graduation, "so the wall is being erased between the classroom and the workplace. Some students are graduating with their diploma in one hand and their incorporation certificate in the other." The chair of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario says she finds such emphasis on private funding "concerning," and also warns that it is not easy to run classes all summer, as some students need that period to either make money or conduct research. Toronto Star

More desperate to secure larger sums of funding, Canadian universities are increasingly entering much more complicated donor relationships, resulting in the challenge of building proper governance structures that allow universities to accept funding from outside sources while also protecting their autonomy and integrity. The Canadian Association of University Teachers has spoken out against York University's new agreement with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) on an international law program, as well as the University of Toronto's partnership with gold-mining magnate Peter Munk on the Munk School of Global Affairs. "A third party, a donor, an interest group, has no business involved in discussions about academic affairs within the university," says CAUT executive director James Turk. "There is no place for that if a university is to have integrity." A CIGI VP says "academic freedom is as important a value to a think-tank as it is to a university. In order to ensure that everyone feels good about the collaboration, there have to be firewalls built in." Still, how each party qualifies these protections is at the centre of the growing debate. As universities become more responsive to market forces, "this has forced too many to accept donations without due diligence and, sometimes, even bend to donor directives," observes Ramesh Thakur, who says he lost his job as the inaugural director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs (whose partners are CIGI, the University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University) for that very reason. In an investigation into Thakur's firing, CAUT released a scathing report about the lack of governance structure at the Balsillie School. The 3 partners dismissed CAUT's findings. Still, they have since developed a "squeaky clean" governance structure that was unanimously approved by the board of governors of all the partners and the universities' senates. Financial Post

Employment among 15- to 24-year-olds fell for the fifth month in a row, down 27,000 last month, and their unemployment rate was 14.7%, reports Statistics Canada. Compared to February 2011, youth employment was down by 69,000 (-2.8%). With fewer young people participating in the labour market, their participation rate last month was 63.3%, down from the most recent peak of 68.1% recorded in September 2008. 15- to 24-year-olds in Newfoundland and Labrador made the most gains in February with a 2.0 percentage point increase in their employment rate, while Saskatchewan recorded the highest youth employment rate, which sits at 64.3%. Statistics Canada | Labour Force Survey

Funded through the Canada-BC Labour Market Agreement and overseen by the Industry Training Authority, the Women in Trades Training (WITT) initiative is running a media campaign this month to mark the milestone of 1,500 women participating in trades training programs across BC. Launched last week on International Women's Day, the campaign is designed to raise awareness around the benefits of the WITT initiative's programs and to help encourage employers to consider sponsoring a woman apprentice. The campaign highlights the story of a first-year plumber apprentice and mother of 5. Her story will be told through various print and video materials. A series of print ads featuring women apprentices will be published in community papers across BC. ITA News Release | Meet a Tradeswoman | Print Ad

In addition to extending for one year a 5% cap on overall tuition fee increases at colleges and universities, the Ontario government announced Thursday it will place a moratorium on raising or introducing flat and deferral fees for 2012-13. The government says this move will allow it to work with the PSE sector on a system-wide approach for institutional flat and deferral fees. The province says it will consult with institutions, organizations, and students on a new multi-year tuition policy over the next year to be set for fall 2013-14. While the Council of Ontario Universities welcomes the extended tuition framework, which it says will enable universities to protect the gains made through the provincial government's major investments in PSE, student groups express disappointment in the extension, arguing that it is a step back in making higher education accessible and affordable. Ontario News Release | COU News Release | CFS-O News Release | OUSA News Release | CSA News Release

The competition for seats at UBC's medical school is so overheated that, according to an internal memo, even prominent individuals are not above asking for special consideration for their children. In the memo, sent nearly a year ago, the admissions director at the time told the executive associate dean of education that he found it "troubling on many fronts" that "allowing submission of late documents has become a recurring theme this cycle." The partially redacted memo mentions a case in which a Victoria-based surgeon affiliated with UBC contacted the school to get it to accept late documents from his daughter. The medical school dean confirms the case of Vancouver Island Health Authority's CEO and his family calling UBC and asking a BC cabinet minister to advocate on the family's behalf in order to get the CEO's son, who was a student at an Ontario university, to apply as a BC resident (BC applicants have better odds of being considered and accepted by the school). In both cases, the students submitted applications but were not accepted. The former admissions director says his resignation last summer was partly due to alleged preferential treatment given to some applicants whose well-connected parents intervened on their behalf during the application process. The dean denies there was any advantage because of parental involvement, noting that applicants have an appeals process to use and they did. He says parental pressure is not totally unusual these days as parents are more "empowered" than ever as their children's advocates on university matters. Vancouver Sun

Quebec's education ministry is penalizing Concordia over excessive spending on severance packages for top administrators. In a letter to Concordia's board of governors chairman, Education Minister Line Beauchamp says she is fining Concordia $2 million. The letter says the university was warned and the straw that broke the camel's back was the hiring of former president Judith Woodsworth as a French instructor after she was dismissed. Concordia announced last week it would launch an external review into the departures of 5 top administrators, who received a combined $2.4-million in severance. CJAD 800 | Globe and Mail

Fuelled by interest among young females in one-year specialized master's degrees, graduate business schools that have struggled for years to attract women are observing a slow but steady increase in their numbers, reports the Graduate Management Admission Council. After 6 years of modest increases, women last year accounted for 41% of those taking the GMAT, up from 34% in 1983. Women represented nearly two-thirds of test takers in China, and 39% of the total in the US. Many female applicants are in their early 20s and drawn to one-year MBAs in areas such as accounting, finance, and management, whose attractions include a faster start on a professional education and the allowance for an easier work-life balance for women who are planning families. The fact that women in China far outnumber men in seeking graduate business degrees could be partly "a legacy of communism," says the council's director of research communications. "There isn't as much a perception of a glass ceiling that women in other countries may grapple with." The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required) | Women and Graduate Management Education (slides) | Women and Graduate Management Education (data sheet)

The presidents of Lakehead University and the University of Regina are co-leading a group of Canadian PSE institutions (including FNUC, Nipissing, uManitoba, uLethbridge, VIU, and NVIT) on a trip to Mexico City to discuss Indigenous higher education. Canadian and Mexican representatives will spend March 11 and 12 establishing partnerships and gaining a better understanding of the complexities regarding the issue. Accessibility being one of his top priorities, Lakehead president Brian Stevenson says his institution has been "successful in removing barriers to education, including economic, geographic and cultural. Our proven and successful model is based on active recruitment and strong transition support. We hope to share our successes and challenges on this trip." Enhancing the university experience of Aboriginal students is a key component of uRegina's strategic plan. Students of Aboriginal descent now represent nearly 10% of uRegina's undergraduate population. uRegina News Release | Lakehead News Release

Starting this fall, all first-year students enrolled in a full-time PSE program at Collège Boreal will receive an iPad, part of the Ontario-based college's efforts to maintain state-of-the-art technology infrastructure. "We firmly believe that by providing (students) with this new tool, our institution will contribute to enriching their learning experience," says Boréal president Denis Hubert-Dutrisac. "This is another way for Collège Boréal to prepare its students for the job market." Boréal is a new member of the iTunes U network, and is working with a pair of CÉGEPs on a project that would allow the sharing of expertise regarding the iPad's educational applications and foster the development of institutional projects using the tablet. In September 2010, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine was the first Canadian medical school to give its incoming class iPads. Boréal News Release

In a statement issued yesterday, Ontario Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Glen Murray said no changes are being considered that would require all provincial universities to set standard tuition fees for arts and sciences programs. The Toronto Star reported Thursday that the province was contemplating a set fee, which had some university presidents worrying about campus autonomy and loss of revenue by cutting fees to meet the set tuition, while others said they would welcome the increased revenue from raising fees to match the standard and the predictability of tuition. Murray said his government is extending for one year a 5% cap on overall tuition fee increases at PSE institutions, and will continue to provide its tuition grant. Minister's Statement | Toronto Star | Globe and Mail

The University of British Columbia is reviewing its security procedures following the theft of a laptop containing personal information on thousands of students and professors. The RCMP retrieved the laptop in February, 10 days after it was stolen from a car in Burnaby. The computer contained names, e-mail addresses, and student numbers for 50,000 individuals who attended UBC between 2007 and 2012. During the time the computer was missing, someone changed the username and accessed the Internet 15 times; however, the encrypted data was never touched or in danger. The RCMP has traced the stolen laptop to a Richmond man, but no charges have been pressed. The incident follows the theft of computer devices containing information on thousands of University of Victoria employees and the use of stolen Simon Fraser University student data to gain U-Passes. Meanwhile, McGill University is investigating the source of the leak of confidential donor information that was posted online. CBC

In a bid to increase its 4-year graduation rate, the University at Buffalo has created a pledge guaranteeing that students will complete their degree in no more than 4 years, joining several other US institutions that offer such pledges. Despite this trend, few students are taking advantage of guarantee programs. Winona State University dropped its program 2 years ago, but not because of low participation. "It's rare to find a student who wants to make a commitment to graduate in four years," says the Minnesota-based institution's admissions director. "They are working, looking for diversity of internships, travel-study programs, and sometimes, it has to do with the job climate. They think three or four more classes will give (them) a double major or enhance this extra skill." Meanwhile, Virginia Wesleyan College is seeing a significant increase in participation. Last fall, 350 out of 439 freshmen signed the grad pledge -- the most since the program began about a decade ago. "I think the economy has a lot to do with why students and parents want to make sure it doesn't take longer than it needs to," says the college's admissions dean. The University of Calgary offers a 4-year graduation guarantee. The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required)

On Tuesday, the University of Saskatchewan's board of governors approved a new integrated plan that will guide the institution's decision making over the next 4 years, a period the provost labels as "possibility and constraint." Titled "Promise and Potential," the plan aims to improve uSask's research performance, increase engagement with Aboriginal people, strengthen relationships with communities, and follow a more coordinated approach to the inclusion of Aboriginal cultures, language, and symbols on campus. Students will see expanding involvement in experiential learning, study-abroad opportunities, and research. uSask News Release | Promise and Potential

Holland College recently held a grand opening ceremony for its new Centre for Community Engagement, marking a significant milestone in the redevelopment of the Prince of Wales campus. The centre features a 9,400-square-foot gymnasium, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, a walking track, a fitness studio, meeting rooms, and classrooms. On top of providing a site for student engagement through varsity and recreational athletic and fitness activities, the centre also offers a range of services for Charlottetown residents to enable and encourage them to learn about what contributes to their health and well-being to help them make informed choices. Holland College

The Students' Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) is reviewing its election processes following robbery charges against its former president, who had recently resigned her position with SAMRU after the organization found "financial anomalies." SAMRU's VP external says student executives must be studying at Mount Royal and be in good standing with the registrar; however, there are no background checks for executives, who oversee a $7-million operating budget. "Our processes are working and they're very stringent," the VP says; for example, each outgoing cheque must be signed by 3 different SAMRU members. That's not the tack preferred by SAIT Polytechnic and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, whose student unions run criminal background checks on successful candidates. The former SAMRU president was not the only elected student official who has faced charges recently. A member of the University of Alberta's Business Students' Association was accused in January of embezzling more than $27,000. Calgary Herald

The BC SPCA is investigating the University of British Columbia over allegations that 14 macaque monkeys used in a brain research project are being subjected to cruel experiments. The SPCA is also probing claims that the monkeys are not under the scrutiny of the UBC Animal Care Committee and that 4 monkeys have been killed because they were severely disabled following experiments related to Parkinson's disease research. An SPCA official says the society will investigate concerns raised by Stop UBC Animal Research and a constable with expertise in animal research will visit the facility. In a step toward greater public transparency, UBC has a dedicated website where it discloses information on animal research. Vancouver Sun

New figures from UK National Statistics show that more than one-third of recent British graduates are working in lower-skilled jobs compared to approximately one-quarter a decade ago. Over the same period, the number of graduates in the workforce and no longer in education rose from 1,063,000 to 1,501,000. The data show the average hourly wage for graduates is £15.18, 70% higher than that of non-graduates. Arts graduates earn the least per hour on average (£12.06) while medical and dental school graduates earn the most (£21.29). The unemployment rate for those who graduated from university in the last 2 years is 18.9%, compared to 6.7% for graduates who left 2 to 4 years ago and 4.4% for those who graduated 4 to 6 years ago. The Association of Graduate Recruiters' chief executive advises graduates "to gain experience in the workplace and see it as a valuable stepping stone towards their longer term career goals." A recent government-commissioned report recommends internships for all British undergraduates to improve their employability. Times Higher Education

Medicine Hat College unveiled Friday a new program for the Brooks campus called "My First Year." Participating students will be enrolled in a wide range of arts and science courses that are transferable to Alberta universities. A partnership between MHC and local school boards, the program is meant to encourage a supportive learning environment for peers, and develop an experiential learning model that incorporates theory, field research, and community-based service learning, providing a nucleus for offering 10 first-year university transfer courses at the Brooks campus. Students in My First Year will receive a $500 bursary from the college, and are also eligible for other scholarships and bursaries available to all students. The program will start running this fall. MHC News | Medicine Hat News

"The demand for engineering graduates is far outstripping our ability to graduate them," says the University of Ontario Institute of Technology's provost, at a time when 20% to 30% of Ontario's engineers are on the brink of retirement. Training new electrical power engineers should be a top priority, says the provost, who is spearheading an Electrical Power Engineering Education Consortium to try to address a skilled labour shortage. "We want (engineering students) to be known for being entrepreneurial engineers with a social conscience," says York University's science and engineering dean. York U's new Lassonde School of Engineering will be interdisciplinary, drawing on the institution's strengths in law, business, and the humanities. Institutions are also working hard to bridge the gender gap in engineering school enrolment. York U is developing an ambitious gender-parity program, which the dean says will be achieved by showing women the diverse opportunities existing within the profession. Toronto Star

A new assessment of Conestoga College's impact on the local community and economy observes that the southwestern Ontario institution "is indispensable to local prosperity and the health and competitiveness of the labour force." Nearly half of the local adult population has enrolled in education or training programs at Conestoga, the report finds. The total number of graduates has risen by 52% since 2002, and 65% of alumni remain in the local community. Continuing education courses are a "powerful" contributor to Conestoga; between 1990 and 2010, there were 706,722 continuing education registrations by nearly 200,000 students. The report notes that Conestoga graduates pump more than $1 billion into the local economy annually. With a growth rate of 42% between 2005-06 and 2010-11, Conestoga is Ontario's fastest growing college, but further expansion is needed for the institution to meet the local economy's needs, the report states. Conestoga News Release | Waterloo Region Record | Report

Some Algonquin College faculty members are speaking out against their union's leaders who are in a war of words with college administration over the state of labour relations at the institution. "Our union can be very aggressive," says one member who spoke glowingly to the Ottawa Citizen about working at Algonquin. "It sounds like it's the faculty versus the management. It's not -- it's the union versus the management." Another professor says she has been "well taken care of" by Algonquin and feels that money spent settling grievances could -- and should -- be allocated elsewhere given the budget crunch at the institution. These professors asked for their names not to be published out of fears of retribution by the union, whose VP calls the worries a "red herring." He says the union cannot sanction or punish members who oppose its action. Ottawa Citizen

BC-based Douglas College has redesigned its website, which reflects the institution's new brand identity. The homepage features a rotating graphic banner linking to stories from the college community blog, including one about the use of Twitter in the classroom, as well as a link to feature stories. The homepage include links to current information sessions, applications services and other top resources, academic programming, notifications, news, and events. The site also features links to Douglas' various social media platforms. Douglas College website

A full-day conference at the University of Calgary's Haskayne School of Business on Friday showed how international students who typically return home soon after attaining their degree could help curb a growing labour shortage in Alberta. The conference's organizer says if given a job, most foreign students would stay in Canada, but many are unaware of changes to immigration laws and rules; for example, they can now obtain 3-year open working visas that can lead to permanent residency. "(Foreign students) are welcome in Canada," the organizer says. "And we have employers who are hungry to give them jobs." Alberta's advanced education minister told international students at the conference that retaining foreign students is critically important to the province, noting that opportunities there "are abundant...We're looking for talent across all disciplines." The president of uCalgary's Graduate Students' Association says the conference helped reassure international students that degrees earned at Canadian universities are valued. Haskayne News | Calgary Herald

Lakehead University's board of governors agreed Friday to reduce their numbers from 30 to 17, and to trim the number of committees from 11 to 6 through strategic consolidation. The move follows a year-long internal review of the board's structure. Lakehead says the changes will result in more engaged board members, more effective management of university affairs, improvement in board operating efficiencies, more meaningful and rewarding committee membership, and clearer role descriptions and expectations. Implementation of the changes will start this September. Lakehead News Release | Backgrounder

The University of Alberta has withdrawn financial support for its women's field hockey program, which the athletics director says costs the institution about $120,000 a year and does not have the broader community support in Edmonton to bring in extra funds through ticket sales, sponsorships, or sports camps. The decision to cut field hockey is primarily financial, the director says, but is underpinned by uAlberta's vision and philosophy of putting money into high-performance sports with community support. The 16-member team will be removed from competition in Canadian Interuniversity Sport and Canada West University Athletics Association. With just 4 women's field hockey teams in the western conference, the uAlberta team's coach says the decision will devastate the sport at the university level. "This is way bigger than just another school cutting a sports program," she says. "This is pretty much saying 'we are cutting field hockey out of the university system for females.'" uAlberta does not have a men's field hockey program. Edmonton Journal

A male University of Saskatchewan student has been charged with sexual assault after a woman said she was raped repeatedly on campus on New Year's Day. The 27-year-old student's arrest, made last Thursday at a university residence building, comes after the 20-year-old victim, who is not a university student, publicly criticized Saskatoon police for not working fast enough to press charges in her case. A police spokeswoman says police needed time to contact witnesses and they finally located one of them last Tuesday. The young woman says she was at a night club New Year's Eve where through a friend she met a group of people, of which one man brought her a drink that she since realized was spiked with some sort of drug. The group eventually wound up at one of the campus dormitories, and the woman says she was "violently sexually assaulted for hours." The arrested student was living in residence, but has been "removed from campus residences and his access to the campus has been restricted," says uSask's AVP of student affairs. Saskatoon Star-Phoenix

Dalhousie University's Faculty of Computer Science is organizing a Dal App Challenge, with $1,500 in prizes available to students in all faculties interested in designing and pitching -- either individually or in groups -- a mobile application that meets a perceived need on campus. The competition will be judged, Dragon's Den style, by Dal's provost and VP of finance and administration. The first- and second-place winners will be announced at an event on March 28, and the People's Choice Award will be determined by vote at the ceremony. Dal News | The Dal App Challenge

SAIT Polytechnic is building a satellite campus in downtown Calgary that will serve as a living classroom for students in the Baking and Pastry Arts and Professional Cooking programs. Scheduled to open this fall, the 10,000-square-foot campus will allow SAIT to enrol more students in these 2 wait-listed programs, 100% of whose graduates find work in their fields, SAIT data show. Students will get the chance to work directly with a customer base vital to the industry -- downtown clientele -- as they will be able to sell their products in a small market attached to the campus' kitchens. The downtown culinary campus will also offer continuing education classes and corporate team building exercises. SAIT News Release

New Brunswick Community College is shedding 31 positions as the college network begins to centralize its administration. NBCC and its francophone counterpart have been operating independently of the provincial government for nearly 2 years and the anglophone network is in the middle of implementing a 5-year plan. NBCC president Marilyn Luscombe says the aim is to move toward one central college office rather than spread the administration over the 6 campuses. HR and registrar positions, IT, finance, and student services are all being centralized. Although 31 positions have been cut, no one has been laid off. The realignment will not change the level of education students receive in the classroom, Luscombe says. CBC

North Island College practical nursing students are struggling to come up with more money following an increase of approximately $5,400 in tuition fees for their program. The addition of new courses in the program, combined with a higher fee per credit, means that students who started the program in January and those set to begin this September are facing tuition fees of nearly $9,300, up from just under $3,900 a year earlier, as well as an additional year of study. The students learned of the fee increase in late November, meaning some had just over a month to adjust their plans. The NIC student union chairperson says the tuition increase is in direct contravention of the BC government's 2% fee increase cap for existing courses and it is presenting a hardship for students. Due to recent changes in the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of BC's training requirements, NIC has replaced its one-year practical nursing certificate with a 2-year diploma. The college has essentially declared the program "new," the student leader says, and so it qualifies for an institutional bylaw amended last year to allow for a 25% fee increase on all new upper-level courses introduced after August 15, 2011. The program is not new, but rather improved, argues the student leader, who says a fee increase to reflect the additional courses required would be acceptable, but points out that NIC is also charging 65% more per credit, even on classes that were part of the original one-year program. The board has acknowledged the financial burden the increased fees place on students. In response to students' concerns, board members said NIC had hoped to provide students considerable advance notice about the fee for the diploma program, but the advanced education ministry did not rule on whether it would qualify as a new program until mid-November, and the board moved quickly to set the tuition for the new program and inform applicants about the fee. The ministry is ultimately responsible for the situation as it holds the purse strings and has not allocated more funding for the program, which it allowed to be classified as "new," says the student union chairperson. Comox Valley Echo

The Mount Royal University community is left stunned after Meghan Darcy Melnyk, a former students' association president, was accused of robbing a credit union branch last week. "It's obviously taken all of us by surprise," says Mount Royal president David Docherty. "It's clear that she's got larger issues she has to deal with and I really hope she does get the kind of help she needs." The robbery charges are the latest in the 27-year-old's criminal history, and come amid her sudden resignation as president in January. Police say Melnyk had outstanding warrants for fraud, uttering forged documents, and breach of probation when she was arrested. The fraud case entails a stolen purse and a fraudulent cheque. The students' association issued a news release on January 31 stating that Melnyk had left a week earlier following the first of 2 regular periodic reviews. The review "identified several potential anomalies and policy compliance issues for which Council was unable to receive a satisfactory explanation within a reasonable time frame." The association's VP external says a background check was not done before Melnyk was elected, and the association was not aware of her outstanding warrants. "I can't remember a situation like this ever happening in a Canadian university," says a Mount Royal professor who has met Melnyk. "I think the shock waves reverberate through the entire university and the student body. I'm sure (the students' association) is just scratching their heads." Calgary Herald

In a Pew Research Center survey about the future of the Internet, technology experts and stakeholders were fairly evenly split as to whether the impact of networked living on Millennials will turn out to be positive or negative by 2020. Approximately 55% of respondents agreed that in 8 years, Millennials will be nimble, quick-acting multitaskers who will do well in key respects, while about 42% agreed that today's youth will have a thirst for instant gratification, settle for quick choices, and lack patience. While 55% agreed with the positive statement, many who chose that perspective noted that it is more their hope than their best guess, and a number of respondents said the true outcome will be a combination of both scenarios. Since the survey asked for the selection of either the positive or the negative, with no middle-ground choice, the report states that the result is probably more like a 50-50 outcome than the 55-42 split. Overview | Full Report

This year marks the 125th anniversary of NSCAD University, which has created a website where visitors are encouraged to discover the stories behind the Halifax-based arts institution. The homepage emerges as a block of squares of various, vibrant colours, with the number "125" shaped in white. Inside the block are some pictures of members of the NSCAD community, which link to these individuals' profiles. The website includes even more stories from university community members, categorized under the themes of "global relevance," "breakthrough art," "business success," "engaged in community," and "a rich history." The site also features a letter from Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter on the impact of NSCAD. Celebrations kick off this month, which NSCAD is calling the "March of Anna," in honour of the institution's founder, Anna Leonowens, who is the "I" in The King and I. The first event will be a sing-along film screening of The King and I today at NSCAD's Bell Auditorium. NSCAD 125

The Ron Joyce Foundation announced Tuesday a $1.5-million gift in support of financial need bursaries for Mohawk College students -- the largest bursary donation in the college's history. Capped off with an additional $500,000 from a provincial matching program, the funding will allow Mohawk to provide nearly 20 full-tuition bursaries annually. The Ron Joyce Access Bursary is a key element of the college's Access Project, an initiative launched in collaboration with regional public, private and non-profit sector partners that aims to increase secondary school graduation and PSE participation rates among young people who currently do not see university, college, or apprenticeship in their future. Mohawk College News Release | Hamilton Spectator

In response to an Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities discussion paper, which has been posted on Scribd, Stephen Henighan, a professor of Hispanic studies at UoGuelph, observes in a Globe and Mail column that even without 3-year degree programs, of which the report suggests there should be more, "Ontario already has serious problems with the shrinking content of a university degree," arguing that university students today "graduate into the knowledge economy with less knowledge than their parents had." Comparing Ontario's education system to those in Europe, Quebec, and the rest of North America, Henighan states that 3-year degrees "would make Ontarians stand out as intellectually malnourished." The report fails to acknowledge that students are people who mature at their own rate, the professor writes. Trying courses and programs in different areas and the discovery of new passions and aptitudes spin out many students' degrees to 4.5 or 5 years, and such experimentation is "an indispensable step in becoming a mature adult who's not only productive but also human. That's something few people can achieve in three years." Globe and Mail | Scribd

A First Nations University of Canada student petitioning for the introduction of a mandatory indigenous studies course for all degree, diploma, and certificate programs at the University of Regina, of which FNUC is an affiliate, has reported instances of some of her petitions being defaced with profanity and swastikas. One petition came back with a threatening message that prompted the student to contact campus security out of concern not only for her safety but also for that of vocal supporters of her initiative, whose goal is to end racism. "We take this kind of thing extremely seriously and we report it to the Regina Police (Service) as well for it to be investigated," says uRegina's VP of administration. "This is one of the things that we find extremely sensitive around campus. Our goal is to eliminate it and make this as safe a campus as we can possibly have." The FNUC student will meet with the Dean council at uRegina next week to discuss her petition, and hopes to meet with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada in Ottawa to get its support. Regina Leader-Post

Huron University College announced yesterday its new presence on iTunes U, a specialized area of Apple's iTunes store that allows educational institutions to produce audio and visual content available for free download. Currently used primarily for public lectures and weekly Chapel services, Huron's iTunes U account allows the Western University affiliate to maintain its intimate environment with rigorous academics, while also showing a willingness to adopt original approaches to pedagogy. "Through iTunes U, Huron is able to broaden its reach in an inherently progressive way," says principal Stephen McClatchie. "Collections available on our iTunes U site will allow us to reach out to the broader community by providing access to the exciting research and teaching taking place at Huron." Huron News

OCAD University and the University of Winnipeg join a growing list of Canadian universities introducing business incubators with students in mind. OCAD U unveiled Tuesday its new Imagination Catalyst, a student and alumni-centred entrepreneurship and innovation incubator/accelerator designed to aggregate the institution's existing innovation, research, and commercialization activities. The Imagination Catalyst gears up the university's student innovation through 2 streams: by placing students and alumni and their inventions in receptor industries and by supporting the efforts of graduating students, recent graduates, and faculty members in developing new companies. Yesterday uWinnipeg announced the creation of UWIN Inc., a commercialization incubator that will allow for a more entrepreneurial approach to using campus resources. uWinnipeg president Lloyd Axworthy says UWIN Inc. will "spur new innovations and allow our faculty and students to engage in relevant, cutting edge research that has direct application in the real world. We know that increasingly students want to tackle the big issues of our time such as climate change, or cancer treatment, in a way that gets results." OCAD U News Release | uWinnipeg News Release

The University of Windsor announced this week a $3-million donation from the Odette family toward the expansion of the Odette School of Business, bringing the family's contribution to uWindsor to more than $10 million. The gift will fund the renovation of the 15,600 square feet in the Odette building currently occupied by the University Bookstore, whose new location is being explored. The renovations will provide space for classrooms, individual study areas, small meeting rooms, and several new centres for entrepreneurship and innovation. uWindsor Daily News

In an interview with Surrey Now, Joanne Curry, the executive director of Simon Fraser University's Surrey campus, says "it was a bit rocky in the beginning" when the Surrey campus was preparing to open its doors a decade ago. "We had to rely a lot on Simon Fraser University's name brand in the community to give comfort because there were some skeptics." Holding an open house today to celebrate its tenth anniversary, SFU Surrey has exceeded expectations in terms of growth, says Curry, who believes that developing technology-based programs that help to train a workforce for the future in the rapidly growing region has contributed to the campus' success. The university has plans for expansion, but those plans will depend on the availability of funding. "There's no question that we're going to at least double or triple in size and really innovate the programs but the question is when we can get started." Surrey Now | SFU Surrey 10th Year Anniversary Open House website

On Tuesday, Mohawk and Sheridan Colleges formalized an MOU -- the first of its kind in Ontario -- that will see the 2 institutions explore opportunities to co-locate programs at each other's campuses in their respective areas of academic strength. "Our partnership is a clear example of how differentiation can work within the Ontario college system," says Mohawk president Rob MacIsaac. "By concentrating in our areas of academic strength, we can offer students a wider selection of high quality, industry-connected programs closer to home." Sheridan president Jeff Zabudsky says the historic agreement "will expand the postsecondary options currently available to students in these regions, while also helping to ensure that a full suite of diploma, certificate and degree programs will continue to be accessible as Sheridan moves towards its vision of becoming an undergraduate teaching university." The first co-located program will be a 2-year Insurance Diploma offered by Mohawk at Sheridan's Hazel McCallion campus in Mississauga. Sheridan News Release | Hamilton Spectator | Mississauga News

According to a government-commissioned review of links between university and business, all British undergraduate students should be offered 10- to 12-week internships to improve their employability, and PhD and postdoctoral research students should be offered work experience placements of 8 to 12 weeks. The report recommends that universities should disclose the job destinations of recent full-time taught postgraduates, broken down by department, "as soon as possible." The review states that the creation of "distinctive" Key Information Sets (KIS) for postgraduates "should be a priority development" for the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce). KIS data for undergraduate students are being introduced in the fall and cover areas such as student satisfaction, employment and salary figures, accommodation costs, and fees. The report also calls for more sandwich courses, stating that the "evidence that a placement year improves employability opportunities is strong." The review recommends a maximum fee of £1,000 for the sandwich year, a suspension on student-loan interest during the period, and that Hefce encourage an increase in the number of sandwich programs "through changes to the student numbers controls that it operates." Times Higher Education

Evaluating a pilot program at Queen's University that pairs upper-year undergraduates who have completed a particular course with students currently enrolled, new research published by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario found that students who were female, of full-time status, Canadian-born, and in their first year of study were the most frequent participants of the Supported Learning Groups (SLG) sessions, believing that attending a session would help improve their grades and understanding of the course content, or keep up with course material. However, those students who could most benefit from the SLG sessions did not participate very often, or at all. The research found little evidence in many cases to suggest the sessions improved students' grades as the difference between participants' and non-participants' final marks were not statistically significant. Many students said the sessions did not have the desired effects on their academic performance. Still, the sessions showed positive effects on student engagement. On average, participants were more likely than non-participants to ask questions in class, draw on a range of concepts and ideas, discuss course concepts outside of the classroom, and include diverse perspectives in assignments and discussions. The researchers suggest that SLGs play an important supplementary role to traditional lectures, labs, and seminars, yet they cannot serve as stand-alone approaches to instruction. Research Summary | Full Report

"The St. John's campus is at capacity, in terms of space and infrastructure for academic and administrative, service delivery and research activities -- we have to own this problem," says Memorial University president Gary Kachanoski. While MUN continues to work with the Newfoundland and Labrador government to identify infrastructure priorities, Kachanoski says the St. John's campus space crunch must also be addressed directly by campus staff. The Vice-Presidents' Council will form a Capital Planning Committee to oversee development of space, infrastructure priorities, and a plan. Advisory committees will be struck to address issues such as optimization of current space, the use of available and affordable off-campus space where appropriate and effective, the development of a plan/vision for anchor facilities, and the development of Aboriginal space. MUN News

On Monday, a group of Concordia University students began a 5-day sleep-in in the atrium of a campus library in a bid to raise awareness of the tuition fee increase issue and a vote on March 7 to boycott classes for a week. If students support the boycott, another vote would take place after a week to extend it. Approximately 30 students were expected Monday night, and more as the week progresses. "This is not an angry form of protest," says the Concordia Student Union's president, who praises the institution for working with students rather than against them. "We have been co-operative and will help them set up in a secure fashion," says a Concordia official. Approximately 48,000 students in Quebec are on an unlimited strike to protest the fee increases, but so far Anglophone institutions have not joined the boycott. Meanwhile, Cégep de Saint-Laurent students, who were locked out last Friday, have voted overwhelmingly to continue their boycott of classes for at least another week. Though the campus is open, classes have been suspended, says the CÉGEP's director general. Montreal Gazette

On Monday, the House of Commons voted unanimously in favour of an NDP motion calling for funding that would put First Nations schools on par with provincial schools. The motion was named for Shannen Koostachin, who through an active community-based campaign brought much attention to the plight of schoolchildren in Attawapiskat, the reserve home to Koostachin, who died in a car accident in 2010 at the age of 15. Her best friend, 16-year-old Chelsea Edwards, is now working with opposition MPs and Aboriginal advocates to carry on Koostachin's work. Although the motion passed with the government's support, it is not binding. NDP MP Charlie Angus, whose riding includes Attawapiskat, hopes the Conservatives will make a concrete commitment to fund First Nations education in the forthcoming federal budget. The Assembly of First Nations estimates it would cost an extra $500 million annually to bring reserve schools up to provincial standards. Canadian Press | Canoe | CTV

According to the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, the Chinese capital plans to attract over 180,000 exchange students in 2020, an increase of 112% over the current figure. A plan recently issued by the commission aims to examine a new way to administer exchange students and provide better services for students wishing to study in Beijing in the coming years. As per the plan, the city will boost international enrolment in the next 9 years, promote co-operation between schools in Beijing and abroad, and offer more summer and winter educational programs for international students. Official data indicate that 81 universities in Beijing hosted exchange students from 184 nations last year. Xinhuanet

The Justice Institute of British Columbia is now eligible to administer funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Researchers at the institution can now apply for funding from the more than $300 million in grants and scholarships SSHRC awards annually. The SSHRC eligibility follows last year's approval for JIBC to apply for and receive funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. JIBC News Release

Mount Royal University recently announced that Nexen Inc. has pledged $1 million, over 5 years, to the newly named Nexen Scholars Program at the institution. The first of its kind in Canada -- and a signature program of Mount Royal's Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning -- the Nexen Scholars Program attracts faculty from across North America who are dedicated to building and sharing pedagogical knowledge, advancing PSE teaching, and enhancing student learning beyond the classroom. Nexen's donation supports the faculty's course-based research that leads to the development of new best practices for teaching and learning. Mount Royal News Release

Université Laval announced Friday a $1-million donation from businessman and philanthropist Pierre H. Lessard in support of the university's Faculty of Administrative Sciences. In recogntion of the alumnus' donation, uLaval will name the atrium in the Palasis-Prince building the Atrium Pierre-H.-Lessard. The gift will support the construction of the Centre FSA-Banque Nationale, which will integrate in one location services for management training and leadership, career management, collaborative research, and business development. uLaval News Release (in French)

The University of Ottawa's new $55-million centre for advanced photonics and environmental assessment, for which ground-breaking is slated to begin next month, is expected to attract students and researchers from across the globe and be operational by the end of 2013, says uOttawa president Allan Rock. This initiative, along with a forthcoming brain and mind institute and a planned School of Government, are not expected to significantly increase the size of the student body, which has grown rapidly in recent years to the point that Rock says the institution must begin curtailing its growth. Approximately 8,000 students graduate from uOttawa each year, but over the last 5 years the institution has simultaneously admitted an average of 9,250 to 9,500 new students -- a number that will be limited to 8,500 in future years, says Rock. Ottawa Business Journal

According to data from the UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency, 15,555 Americans were pursuing full degrees at British universities in 2010-11 -- up by 3.3% from the previous year. Postgraduate study by American students rose by 15.2% in the 2 years from 2008-09. The number of American students is slated to increase this year after applications from the US and Canada rose by nearly 10%, up to 5,259 applications for courses beginning in fall 2012. US students currently represent approximately 7% of the international student body in the UK. Times Higher Education

In its submission to the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance recommends that the employment earnings of full-time PSE students should be immediately exempt from the Ontario Works (OW) income calculations, without a 3-month waiting period. OUSA also calls for the elimination of the $100 boarder's fee for all PSE students who live with family members on OW or the Ontario Disabilities Support Program, irrespective of earnings. Another recommendation is to have eligibility for the student-loan Repayment Assistance Plan to be based on net income after social assistance deductions. OUSA also recommends that the province should broaden the definition of permanent disability used to assess eligibility for the Ontario Student Assistance Program and the Repayment Assistance Plan for Borrowers with a Permanent Disability to ensure it does not unjustly exclude people with mental illness. OUSA News | Submission

The Alberta government has approved the transfer of more than 600 acres of land in the Saline Creek area from Keyano College to a land trust for the institution. The land will be used for new residential and commercial development in Fort McMurray. Keyano estimates that the trust will generate between $80 million and $120 million in net revenue for the institution over an 8- to 10-year period. Alberta News Release | Keyano News Release

NSCAD University president David B. Smith has announced he will be stepping down from his post at the end of this school year, just as the art institution enters one of the more pivotal periods in its history. "I feel both privileged and honoured to have served my alma mater to the best of my abilities over the last six years, and I remain firmly committed to working with the Board to submit a solid sustainability plan to the Minister of Labour and Advanced Education in the coming weeks that will ensure the autonomy and vitality of NSCAD for the next 125 years," Smith says. A university spokesperson says Smith's decision "was unanticipated," but NSCAD has made "good progress" on the sustainability report, and "we expect to make the deadline." NSCAD's board chair notes that Smith's leadership ensured $8.4 million in private donations, the most funds raised in the institution's history. The board will strike a committee to appoint an interim president and search for Smith's permanent replacement. Message from the Chair | Globe and Mail

A University of Saskatchewan official says the institution lacks a formal policy about reporting violent incidents such as sexual assaults on campus, but a review of campus safety procedures will consider one. Some members of the university community have raised concerns about how uSask officials reported an alleged sexual assault of a 20-year-old woman at a student residence on New Year's Day. The institution informed students, staff, and faculty about the assault in an e-mail sent on February 17. Finding out about the incident at the same time as the rest of the campus, the student union says the assault should have been reported earlier. uSask considers the assault an isolated incident that posed no immediate threat to others. Details of the attack were sparse when it was reported to police, but new information and a request from the victim's family prompted uSask officials to issue the report, says the AVP of student affairs. Saskatoon Star-Phoenix

The Association of American Medical Colleges has approved sweeping revisions to the Medical College Admission Test that will require would-be doctors to demonstrate that they understand the psychological and social underpinnings of medicine, and not just the hard science. The revamped MCAT will include 2 new sections: one on the psychological, social, and biological foundations of behaviour, and the other on critical analysis and reasoning skills. It will also have 2 natural-science sections covering material learned in introductory biology, general and organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physics courses. The new exam eliminates a writing section that was not widely considered. Critics have argued that such a broadening of the scope of the MCAT would burden pre-medical students with more requirements and discourage many from applying, but the association sees it "as giving them freedom" to study what they are really interested in, says the association's president. The changes come into effect in 2015.  The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)

Polytechnics Canada calls for concerted action in the forthcoming federal budget to improve industry innovation, increase apprenticeship completion, and stimulate entrepreneurship. The organization notes that the College Community Innovation Program -- the only federal granting program that supports college applied research -- cannot meet the current demand from industry for such collaboration without the allocation of modest new funds.  Polytechnics Canada states that at no additional cost, Ottawa should end the university-only restriction on undergraduate industrial research awards, opening up eligibility to college undergraduates studying in over 140 bachelor's degrees in areas such as applied technology and applied science. The organization also calls on the government to end the requirement for apprenticeship students to declare any grants as taxable income, a move that in turn will improve the significant low completion rates for tradespeople.  Polytechnics Canada News Release 

On Wednesday, the federal government announced new funding for University of Waterloo programs that help science, technology and engineering graduates work for small companies or start their own. The UW graduate enterprise program, which helps Masters and PhD graduates find jobs with small or medium companies, received $1.4 million. The UW Commercialization Centre, which helps MA and PhD students create their own businesses, received $630,000. With additional sponsorship from the government of Ontario and uWaterloo, this will fund 20 Ontario Science and Engineers in Business Commercialization Fellowships, worth $60,000 each.  uWaterloo News Release  |  Waterloo Record

New research shows that British university students had fewer choices when selecting courses in 2012 than they did in 2006. According to the Universities and Colleges Union, there were 70,052 undergraduate courses in 2006, but only 51,116 in 2012. The reduction was most severe in England, at 31%, where students have faced dramatic increases in tuition, compared to a decline of only 3% in Scotland, where local students do not pay tuition. Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) course offerings declined by 14.6%, social sciences by 12.8% and arts and humanities by 14%.  BBC

An Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities policy paper, not yet made public but obtained by Canadian Press, advances a "3x3" framework that will see colleges and universities realize 3% savings in each of 3 years by offering one-third of their courses online, adding a summer term in a trimester system, and launching more accelerated 3-year degrees. (Apparently institutions will need to find the 3% budget reductions, whether they participate in the strategies or not.) The recommendations echo previous plans for an Ontario Online Institute, and the recommendations of the recent Drummond Report to address the province's deficit. CFS and CAUT are surprised that such a major overhaul would be proposed without consulting faculty or students, and reiterate their concerns about the quality of online education. Canadian Press  | Toronto Star

Many college administrators are wondering if the annual viewbook is worth the printing cost, as some data from the US suggests that it has less impact on college choice than previously assumed. Loyola University Chicago replaced its viewbook with 4 smaller brochures, on topics like affordability or academics. Viewbooks aren't going anywhere yet, predict many consultants, although they are changing. uDayton introduced a sleek, edgy viewbook in 2007, and has halved the number it ships. Now the institution is working on a new iPad product to replace the viewbook. (Academica Group has helped Canadian colleges and universities migrate their print materials to the iPad, Android and other online platforms: see our website for more information.)  The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required)

HEC Montréal has received a $2-million gift from the estate of Montreal business lawyer Peter R. D. MacKell, which the business school will use to create a major PhD scholarship program. The bequest will allow HEC Montréal to create an endowment fund and award four $25,000 scholarships annually to full-time doctoral students. At the donor's request, the fund will be named the Daniel Brosseau and Peter Letko Scholarship Fund. HEC Montréal News

Stopping at Royal Roads University last week as part of a cross-country tour of Canadian universities, 165 students from China's Concord College of Sino-Canada listened to Royal Roads president Allan Cahoon highlight the benefits of the specialized institution with the iconic castle as part of an ongoing campaign to attract international students. Over the next 5 years, the university wants 1,400 students studying at the campus, including hundreds of international students. As part of a strategy to accommodate these students, Royal Roads issued a request for expressions of interest last fall around a plan to build a series of residence facilities on the upper campus. The key terms of any partnership would be for the outside organization to come up with enough capital to construct 4-storey, 100-unit student residences. The Capital City Centre development at Colwood Corners will eventually offer incoming students a place to live, but Cahoon expects many international students will want to live on campus. Goldstream News Gazette

On Tuesday, Saskatchewan's innovation minister signed a multi-year agreement for Innovation Saskatchewan to provide funding for the new $30-million Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation, a research centre based at the University of Saskatchewan to support nuclear research, development, and innovation. "Building on the university's renowned history in nuclear medicine and accelerator technology, the CCNI will help Saskatchewan build and maintain a community of expertise to engage the broader community in evidence-based conversations about nuclear issues and inform policies on nuclear technologies for the benefit of society and the economy," says uSask's VP Research. Saskatchewan News Release

A judge has approved an order completely barring an apparently mentally-ill former University of Manitoba student from campus due to his long-term, "deliberately designed" harassment of staff members and students. Campus security officials believe the 47-year-old man poses an imminent safety threat and has demonstrated an "ongoing pattern of intimidating and frightening behaviour" that might escalate into violence. The man graduated from uManitoba's pharmacy faculty in 1997, but has not been an active student since. He most recently showed up on campus over 3 consecutive days and caused a ruckus. Winnipeg Sun

In the 2009-10 academic year, women accounted for close to two-thirds of 270,600 US students studying abroad, while the proportion of men going overseas has remained the same for over 2 decades. Some people attribute the trend to the predominance of women majoring in the fine arts, foreign languages, and other humanities heavily represented in study-abroad programs, while others note that more women than men are enrolled in PSE in the first place. Whatever the cause, the trend is a concern for many in the field, who believe that having an international experience is key to understanding and working with individuals from other cultures, a crucial skill set in an increasingly global and interconnected workplace. To ensure men are getting the message, a number of US institutions are expanding their study-abroad marketing with male students in mind. For example, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities advertises study-abroad programs in publications with a heavy male readership, such as the sports section of the college newspaper and the satirical tabloid The Onion. The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required)

A new Conference Board of Canada report observes that communities in northern Canada often lag behind the south with respect to educational outcomes, but they are leaders in developing innovative ways to improve educational programming and delivery. The report shows that initiatives such as a learner-centred approach incorporating technology to deliver curriculum, schools acting as community hubs, on the land programs, and partnerships between northern and southern institutions are having a positive impact on educational outcomes. The report recommends additional support for career preparation programs, adult learning centres, and educational bridging programs that would encourage northern youth to pursue higher education. Conference Board News Release

After more than a year of broad consultation and discussion, Saint Mary's University has adopted a new 5-year academic plan, which renews the previous 3-year academic plan and is intended as a statement of institutional priorities and a reflection of SMU's academic vision and role in meeting the evolving needs of society. The plan focuses on 6 areas of emphasis for SMU: enhancing student learning through excellence in teaching; student success; linking theory to practice; continued emphasis on research, creative activities, and graduate studies; the development of thematic clusters of teaching and research; and enhancing the institution's international diversity. SMU News Release

Georgian College's Automotive Business School of Canada, formerly known as the Canadian Automotive Institute, unveiled its new brand at the Toronto Auto Show on Friday. "The rebrand is about better representing students," says a second-year automotive marketing student. "This new brand illustrates our passion, dedication and drive. We are represented as professional individuals working toward taking over the industry, and that is what we intend to do." It was suggested during the rebranding process to change the name to Automotive Business School of Canada and establishing it as a business school to avoid the confusion some prospective students may have about it being a technical school rather than a business school. Georgian College News Release | Automotive Business School of Canada website

Members of the Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) have voted 83% in favour of strike action. The DFA declared conciliation a failure after Dal's administration gave it a 34-page "legal document" outlining details of what it would like on pensions. One demand the institution made was the removal of all mention of pensions in the collective agreement. The DFA's president says the demand is unacceptable because "if we were to do that, we would lose any protection our members have for their pension plans." DFA News Release | Chronicle Herald

Postscript: Mar 13, 2012

Following a weekend of conciliation, Dalhousie University announced Sunday afternoon that it reached a tentative agreement with its faculty association, meaning that classes would continue as scheduled Monday. The next step is for the board of governors and the faculty association to ratify the tentative agreement. Dal News

In a US survey of nearly 2,300 college-bound high school students on the use of mobile devices to search for colleges, 94% of respondents said they use a mobile device at least once a week. 52% said they have looked at a college website on a mobile device, mostly on those with smaller screens. Respondents cited academic program listings, cost/scholarship calculators, a calendar of important dates and deadlines, specific details about academic programs, an application process summary, and online application forms as the most valuable content for mobile experiences. 93% of students surveyed said they were able to find the information they needed while browsing on a mobile device. Nearly half said the mobile experience improved their opinion of the institution. Read the white paper

According to a new report from Media Awareness Network, while Canadian teachers believe that digital technologies can enrich students' learning, there are still significant obstacles to overcome in making this happen, one of them being students' lack of digital literacy skills. The report observes that school filters and policies that prohibit or restrict networked devices in the classroom take away the very opportunities youth need to develop digital literacy skills such as responsible use and good judgment. Despite being positive about integrating technology into the classroom, teachers interviewed for the report raised concerns about how personal gadgets such as smartphones can complicate the learning experience and negatively impact the teacher-student relationship. Media Awareness Network News Release | Read the report

A study co-led by Simon Fraser University tracking the retention rate of close to 3,000 US science and engineering male and female professors shows that both sexes were likely to leave their positions at the same high rate -- 50%. The research observes that men and women are retained and promoted at the same rate, although fewer women are entering these positions. Given current rates, it could take another century before a gender balance is attained. While no comparable research has been conducted involving Canadian universities, the SFU researcher says recent experience with gender discrepancy in the awarding of Canada Research Chairs and Canada Excellence Research Chairs "suggests that there is much work to do on th is side of the border as well." SFU News Release

A sexual assault has been reported at Carleton University, which is said to have occurred in a residence room Thursday night. The institution confirms both campus safety and Ottawa police know the identity of the male suspect. A campus-wide alert was not sent to students because of that and it was determined there was no risk to other students or staff on campus. CBC | Ottawa Citizen

Colleges Ontario welcomes the Drummond report's recommendations with respect to student mobility, but is concerned with the recommendation that colleges should not be granted any new degree programs. The organization believes the provincial government needs to conduct a thorough assessment of higher education before it takes any action. "Students need a range of opportunities to get the higher education they need for their particular career goals and, in a lot of cases, what you really need is one of the degree programs at the colleges," says a Colleges Ontario spokesman. Colleges Ontario News Release | Ottawa Citizen

Coined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976, the term "meme" has come to refer to online memes -- ideas that spread through populations via the Web. Campus-themed memes have gone viral at Canadian and American institutions. Many students have replicated the popular "Sh*t Girls Say" meme in reference to their own institution. (Variations in Canada include those at the University of Calgary, Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Ottawa). Others have posted variations on another meme in which a student or a professor juxtaposes the warped perceptions of his or her field from various perspectives, including his or her own, with the mundane reality. The CEO of note-sharing service NoteWagon has set up Facebook meme pages for a number of Canadian and American institutions. There is scant evidence of pushback from campus communications officials. The NoteWagon CEO, who is a former University of Waterloo student, says he was asked by SFU and University of Toronto officials to remove their logo from Facebook meme pages, which he did, but reports no stern notes from lawyers at any other institution. "The memes are funny and should be allowed their five minutes of viral fame," says the communications director at Santa Clara University, but one PSE marketing expert cautions institutional officials against trying to "get on the bandwagon and embrace memes, " as they "generally have a negative and snarky tone." Inside Higher Ed

Royal Roads University ranks first among Canadian public universities in the areas of "level of academic challenge" and "active and collaborative learning" in the 2011 National Survey of Student Engagement. 84% of respondents rated their experience at Royal Roads as either excellent or good -- an increase over the previous survey and twelfth overall in the pool of institutions. Royal Roads students also ranked the institution eleventh overall when asked if they would take their education again at the same university. Royal Roads News Release

Holland College is leading a fight against a 20-year-old rule that limits the number of international students who can dress for varsity sports teams, arguing that it hampers international recruitment. The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association caps the number of foreign students who can play on these teams to one in 6 players in order to maintain parity and guarantee spots for Canadians. International students make up 4% of Holland College's population, but that proportion is growing fast. Positive word of mouth is key in maintaining interest, says a Holland College official, and every student who goes elsewhere or has a subpar experience dulls that buzz. The college appealed to Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore last month to use his influence over Sports Canada, a major funding source for collegiate athletics, to spur change. The institution has yet to receive a reply, but Minister of State for Sport Bal Gosal told the Globe and Mail that colleges must make their own decisions, and he hopes "they will balance the interest of Canadian athletes with the goal of increasing international students." Globe and Mail

The Drummond Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services is long on cuts and short on insights, argues the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, which states that taken together, the commission's recommendations would continue the erosion of the quality of education at provincial PSE institutions. "By only fiddling around the margins, Drummond is proposing that higher education drive Ontario forward on a half-empty tank," says OCUFA president Constance Adamson. The Council of Ontario Universities appreciates the focus on PSE issues provided by the commission, welcoming particularly its support for sufficient tuition revenue so that universities can continue to maintain the quality of the student experience. The Canadian Federation of Students' Ontario chapter rejects many of the commission's recommendations, adding that it's "disappointed to see no recommendations that reflect the return to tax revenue that accompanies a higher-educated population." In anticipation of the Drummond report, the CFS-O released Wednesday a document outlining recommendations for the future of tuition fee policy in Ontario. One suggestion for the province is to allocate $1 billion over 4 years to develop a multi-year tuition fee framework that progressively reduces tuition by 30% over 4 years. OCUFA News Release | COU News Release | CFS-O News Release | CFS-O Report

Concerned that its graduates may face risks in some "restricted-access" Asian countries, Bethany Bible College has renamed itself Kingswood University in order to sustain its tradition of "bold evangelism" without explicit, titular reference to the Gospels. Mark Gorveatte, president of the Sussex, New Brunswick-based institution, says the new name recalls a seminal 1739 event in Wesleyan Church history in Kingswood, England, but also honours the New Brunswick county (Kings) where the institution is located, as well as one of the province's most important resources (wood). Gorveatte describes "Central Asia" as the region where Christian college credentials can raise alarms with local officials. "We've had graduates serving in humanitarian roles who've been questioned extensively -- they've not been restricted yet -- and it's our understanding they've been placed on watch lists because of having 'Bible College' in their diploma," he says. Kingswood U becomes New Brunswick's second religious university in recent years to rename itself. In 2009, Moncton-based Atlantic Baptist University announced it would become Crandall University to widen its appeal among prospective students. Postmedia News

Yesterday QS released its first-ever Best Student Cities ranking, in which Paris placed first among 50 international cities. Based on a dozen criteria, the ranking takes into account the quality and number of internationally ranked universities, alongside factors such as affordability, quality of living, and the reputation of local universities among employers. The Canadian cities to make the list are Montreal (10), Toronto (26), and Vancouver (31). Montreal has one of the highest scores for quality of living, alongside a favourable student mix and rankings score. QS News Release | QS Best Student Cities in the World 2012

The University of Windsor's senate has approved a new strategic research plan that will extend over a 5-year period ending in December 2016. The document states that uWindsor "will act to develop its research culture and increase the level of its research intensity while further integrating research as part of the student's learning experience." The document outlines 5 main objectives: build on established research strengths and pursue new strategic opportunities; attract, develop, and retain highly qualified faculty, students, post-doctoral fellows, and supporting staff; foster excellence, collaboration, and the integration of research with education and with societal needs; identify, strengthen, and prioritize uWindsor's existing and emerging areas of research excellence on an evolving basis; and sustain and further develop an infrastructure that supports the institution's strategic research and creative activities. uWindsor Daily News | Strategic Research Plan

Nova Scotia's energy ministry has approved an application by Cape Breton University's Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment to operate a wind farm. The project supports the centre's goal to find advanced and sustainable solutions for energy and environmental issues through research, innovation, and partnerships. To be located directly across from the university, the 5.4 MW CBU Wind Farm will provide the institution with increased resources to pursue its goal of obtaining electrical and heating self-sufficiency. CBU News | Cape Breton Post

To meet the challenges of increasing demand for PSE in the midst of constrained funding, Ontario's higher education system will need to become even more efficient, states the report from the Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services. The commission outlines 30 recommendations related to PSE, calling on the province to contain government funding and institutional expenses; use differentiation to improve PSE quality and achieve financial sustainability; encourage and reward quality; revise research funding structures; maintain the current overall cap on tuition fee increases, but simplify the framework; re-evaluate student financial assistance; and generate cost efficiencies through measures such as integrating administrative and back-office functions. With respect to financial assistance, the report recommends Ontario explore phasing out provincial tuition and education tax credits to invest in upfront grants. The commission urges government and PSE institutions to measure learning outcomes, as well as tie outcome quality indicators to funding as part of the mandate agreement with institutions. The report recommends ceasing funding for international marketing of Ontario universities and integrating it into existing trade mission activities. Read the report

Ryerson University announced Wednesday the launch of "Make Your Mark," the institution's largest fundraising initiative to date. Funds raised in the $200-million campaign will support teaching, innovation, and research ($45 million); academic programs, library, and technology ($40 million); student awards, bursaries, and scholarships ($55 million); and capital projects, such as the Peter Gilgan Athletic Centre, the Ryerson Image Centre, the Student Learning Centre, and the upcoming Sciences building ($60 million). Ryerson has raised $117 million so far. Ryerson News | Make Your Mark

The BC government announced last week the launch of the Aboriginal Teacher Education Award Program, a $2-million fund that will support Aboriginal students enrolled in a teacher education program at a public PSE institution in BC. Awards will be up to $5,000 annually for a maximum of 4 years. The bursary program is in addition to the $10-million endowment fund established in 2007 as part of BC's strategy to improve access to PSE for Aboriginal students. The fund is administered by the Irving K. Barber BC Scholarship Society, which works with the Victoria Foundation to provide scholarships and awards to BC students throughout the province and around the world. BC News Release

A Ryerson professor wants harsher punishment for a pair of Iranian academics who plagiarized his work. The professor was shocked to see a "carbon copy" of a research paper he wrote for a conference in 2004 republished 4 years later in the Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Applications. The professor reported the plagiarized work to the journal, whose editorial board told the Iranian professors they were banned from submitting work for 3 years, and that their paper had been "withdrawn." The punishment does not fit the crime, say a student and a colleague of the Ryerson professor. Toronto Star

A consortium of 9 Canadian universities and Indian partners, led by Carleton University, Ryerson University, and Simon Fraser University, is strengthening its position in India by opening 3 offices that provide space to focus on entrepreneurship and innovation. The office at Anna University's Centre for Urban Energy in Chennai is home to Ryerson's sister institute. This centre builds on the strong relationships that exist among the Canadian and Indian universities. Bilateral research and opportunities for students are key to addressing longer-term national priorities in both countries. The other Canadian institutions in the consortium are the Universities of Guelph, Waterloo, Ottawa, Laval, New Brunswick, and Manitoba. Carleton News Release

Barrie city council has approved a strategy to buy land for a university campus, even if the Ontario government has not decided it will go there. The strategy allows city officials to negotiate to buy 6 properties identified only in a confidential report, and to be able to sign conditional offers of purchase. Government sources told the Toronto Star in September that the Liberals' proposed undergraduate campuses would be satellites of existing institutions, with Barrie, Milton, and Brampton identified as sites to be picked, although Ontario has not confirmed these sites. Barrie has already committed $14 million to the downtown campus, which Laurentian University wants to open in September 2020. Barrie Examiner

The federal government has announced plans to increase the legal limit for outstanding Canada student loans from $15 billion to $19 billion. The move follows an actuarial report on the loans program released in 2010 that predicted the limit would be reached by January 2013. Ottawa says the regulatory amendment is necessary to respond to projected increases in PSE enrolment rates, as well as to ensure students continue to have access to federal loans for another 10 years. Canadian Association of University Teachers executive director James Turk says "the government should look for ways to improve the level of non-repayable assistance available to students." CAUT recommends "that the levels of grants for students be increased sufficiently, so that the $15 billion loan cap need not be raised." CAUT Bulletin

Nearly every European Union country has committed to reducing their expenditures on universities, reports Times Higher Education. Spain is cutting €485 million from education overall, and assistance to local authorities -- key supporters of universities -- will be reduced by just over €1 billion. Ireland's budget in December included a 2% reduction in core funding for PSE to secure savings of €23.6 million. In Italy, high-profiled budget cuts offer little hope for PSE investment in the country in 2012. With a 20% fall in PSE funding predicted by 2013 even before December's "Save Italy" budget cuts of €30 billion, most expect more pain to follow. Since the European Universities Association's most recent report in June, only Norway, Finland, and Germany have maintained their commitments to increase funding for PSE. France remains committed to plans to invest up to €30 billion to improve universities and research through its national loan system, but borrowing billions could be tricky in light of its own lingering debt problems. Times Higher Education

The University of British Columbia's Alma Mater Society plans to open a brewery on campus in August 2014. The student-owned brewery will supply UBC's 2 bars with its own homebrew and will also tap into the campus' various keggers. The AMS still plans to offer the standard brands, but will sell its own craft beer slightly cheaper, somewhere around $2.50 for a sleeve of beer, which is 14 ounces. The operation will be run by a professional brewmaster. The planned brewery is believed to be the only student-owned brewery in Canada. Niagara College opened a teaching brewery in April 2011. Toronto Star

The federal government announced Friday a $2.3-million investment for Conestoga College to help meet the needs of food and beverage manufacturers in southern Ontario through its Institute of Food Processing Technology. With this investment from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario's Prosperity Initiative, Conestoga will equip its institute with modern food processing lines that simulate real work environments. The hands-on training provided by the institute, using modern manufacturing equipment, will enhance the education experience of its students. FedDev Ontario News Release

Langley Township council is set to approve an expansion of Trinity Western University's campus and a housing development on land adjacent to the campus. The institution has plans for a "university district" including classroom space, student and faculty housing, and commercial and recreation uses on 23.4 acres of unused farm land directly across from the main campus entrance. An additional 48 acres north and west of the expansion site will be a mix of agriculture and environmental laboratory and parkland. TWU has been eyeing the properties for several years and has been in talks with the township for over 2 years about the potential expansion, says the university's associate provost. The campus is built on clay soil that cannot support highrise development, which has forced TWU to expand outward rather than upward, the official says. Vancouver Sun

A group of anti-asbestos activists and scientists is criticizing McGill University over its plans for an internal review of a major asbestos study that has been called into question. In a letter to McGill's dean of medicine, the group calls on the university to carry out a "thorough, independent and transparent investigation" of the original study, which it alleges is "flawed, lacks transparency and contains manipulated data." McGill announced last week it would review the study's findings following a CBC documentary about the institution's past ties to the asbestos industry. Dozens of Canadian and international scientists and prominent medical researchers have signed a letter calling on McGill to sever its ties to the asbestos industry. CBC | Montreal Gazette

The Rice University-based open-education platform Connexions announced last week a plan to provide free online publisher-quality textbooks for 5 of the most-attended college courses in the US. The OpenStax College textbook initiative will publish its first 2 books in physics and sociology next month, with 3 more titles in biology and in anatomy and physiology slated to go online this fall. "If we capture just 10 percent of the market with these first five textbooks, an estimated 1 million college students in the United States could save $90 million over the next five years," says Connexions' founder and director. The textbooks will be available for free online via computers, smartphones, and tablets. Connexions' print-on-demand feature will allow students to order low-cost print copies. Rice U News Release | Inside Higher Ed

York University's Schulich School of Business has placed 20th in the world and first in Canada in a global MBA survey by Expansión magazine, a Mexican-based business publication. This is the third consecutive year in which Schulich has made the top 20. Expansión uses a statistical-based methodology to rank business schools, with points awarded in areas such as international scope and orientation, average GMAT, post-MBA average salary percentage increase, and faculty research output. Schulich's dean says the Expansión ranking is important to the school because of Schulich's focus on the Latin American market and on Mexico in particular. Last November, Schulich opened a satellite centre in Mexico City that will help recruit students, provide career placement services to alumni, offer executive education programs, support the local alumni chapter, and manage local media relations. York U Schulich News Release

The federal government announced Thursday the renewal of an MOU related to the Canada-China Scholars' Exchange Program, whose eligibility criteria will be expanded to include opportunities for Canadian undergraduate students and mid-career professionals to gain academic and professional experience in China. The program is currently open to graduate students and faculty members. There are currently over 475 active partnership agreements between Canadian and Chinese universities, facilitating student and faculty mobility, research cooperation, and joint academic programming in a variety of fields. Canada News Centre | AUCC News Release

According to a new report commissioned by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, relatively few secondary school students with special needs go on to PSE. Using 2006 data from the Toronto District School Board for its study of Grade 11 and 12 special needs students, the report observes that special needs students rated their academic programs much less favourably, spent less time on homework, and had less social engagement. A higher proportion of these students dropped out of secondary school or went directly into the workforce. The report found that just 18% confirmed university acceptance compared to 58% of non-special needs students. By contrast, more special needs students confirmed college acceptance (23.9%) than did students without special needs (14.2%). The study includes input from an expert panel of representatives from Ontario's education ministry, school boards, PSE institutions, and academic community, who identified transition planning as an important issue. Panellists cited a need to reconcile the different meanings of "special needs" at the K-12 and PSE level, noting that difference in definitional requirements can lead to gaps in support services for students transitioning from secondary school to PSE. Research Summary | Full Report

Northwest Community College announced Thursday it will have to cut a total of 31.49 positions from staff, faculty, and management across the college region to balance its budget as mandated by BC's College and Institute Act. The college has a total of 673 employees who account for 276.28 full-time equivalents. Over the next 2 weeks, consultation committees composed of union leadership and administration will meet to consider alternatives to individual layoffs and examine possible options. NWCC News Release

Released earlier this month, the ninth edition of the Horizon Report identifies 6 technologies that are expected to become mainstream in learning-focused organizations. Each of the 6 technologies is assigned to one of 3 adoption horizons: one year or less, 2 to 3 years, and 4 to 5 years. For 2012, electronic tablet computing and mobile applications are identified in the one-year horizon; learning analytics and game-based learning in the 2- to 3-year horizon; and gesture-based computing and the Internet of Things in the 4- to 5-year horizon. The report identifies the Internet of Things as shorthand for network-aware smart objects that connect the physical world to the information world. A smart object has 4 key attributes: it is small, has a unique identifier, has a small store of data or information, and has a way to communicate that information to an external device on demand. EDUCAUSE News Release | 2012 Horizon Report

Sault College has been granted eligibility to administer funds offered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, giving the institution access to the increasing number of NSERC research funding programs, such as the College and Community Innovation program. Sault College president Ron Common says the NSERC eligibility will now enable the institution "to better promote research-based innovation, further develop partnerships and train our students to become the next generation of discoverers and innovators." Sault College News Release

Ryerson University has shut down one of its 2 campus bookstores to make way for more laboratory and classroom space needed in the psychology and urban planning departments. There is no permanent home yet for the displaced textbooks, and Ryerson president Sheldon Levy does not believe that anyone will want to construct another facility just for books in this digital age. "I sure wouldn't invest a lot of money into bricks and mortar for analog books," he told a student newspaper. Last term, a group of students studied how e-books were being used and how better they could be used. They observed student traffic flow through the 2 bookstores and the Bond Street location was not getting many customers mid-semester. Ryerson's director of business services disagrees with that assessment, stating that for the most part, the Bond Street location was "actually doing quite well." What the university needs, he says, is a new, larger campus store that would house the displaced books and other student necessities. The campus store does carry e-books, but they do not sell very well, he says. Toronto Star | The Eyeopener (student newspaper)

New figures from the Ontario Universities' Application Centre show that the number of applications high school students have submitted to Ontario universities sits at 395,962, up 2.4% from February 2011. The number of applicants totals 90,889, up from 89,181 recorded last February. This month's application and applicant figures are the highest recorded since the application boom in 2003, the year the Ontario Academic Credit year (Grade 13) was phased out. OUAC Undergraduate Application Statistics -- February 2012

A PEI Supreme Court judge has ordered the provincial human rights commission to re-consider parts of its ruling on mandatory retirement at the University of Prince Edward Island after it made several errors in its decision. In his decision on a judicial review of the commission's ruling that the university discriminated against 3 employees when it forced them to retire at age 65, the judge upheld most of the commission's ruling but agreed with UPEI that the employees had a duty to lessen their damages by looking for work. The judge upheld the commission's ruling on UPEI's other requests related to costs and did not award costs to either party because it was a divided ruling. Charlottetown Guardian

In a recent survey of 340 Yukon College students in credit programs, 96% of respondents agreed with the statement that "this is a good learning environment." 95% said they "agree" or "strongly agree" that "Yukon College is a good place for people like me." 98% of students surveyed "agree" or "strongly agree" that what they are learning in their courses is current and up-to-date. Most respondents said they are going to college right now because they are interested in their field of study (72%), want to get a better job (62%), want to have a better life (61%), and want to make more money (56%). 62% plan to graduate from Yukon College, while 25% intend to graduate from another institution after transferring there. Respondents reported that Yukon College's supportive and welcoming atmosphere is one of the institution's best features. When students were asked what the college needs to start doing better, one of the most frequent responses was for the institution to offer a wider variety of courses and programs, including more degrees and advanced programs, more transferable courses, and expansion of the trades, along with other possible areas for growth. Yukon College News Release

Algoma University's senate has approved a motion to simplify the process by which students with a college diploma have their credentials assessed when applying to the Sault Ste. Marie-based institution. In the past, college students would receive transfer credits based on an evaluation of individual course by course comparisons. The new policy provides direct entry into a degree program, with students with a 3.0 GPA or higher earning either 45 credits (for a 2-year diploma) or 60 credits (for a 3-year diploma) toward their degree. Algoma U News Release

61 presidents of colleges, institutes, and polytechnics descended on Parliament Hill this week to discuss Canada's advanced skills shortages with MPs and other government officials. Association of Canadian Community Colleges president James Knight says the dual pressures of the country's demographic deficit and increasing technological sophistication of the workplace means that in a decade, employers will be unable to fill the 1.5 million available jobs with qualified candidates. Immigration alone will not solve the skilled labour shortage, Knight cautions. "To meet these challenges, we'll have to engage our marginalized communities and find ways to partner with them...like improving the educational achievements of Aboriginals, disabled, poor immigrants." Knight would also like to see an increase in federal funds for applied research and development invested in higher education that goes toward colleges. Currently, just 1.25% of $2.9 billion in federal money reaches colleges, and Knight would like to see the figure rise to 5%. ACCC News Release | Globe and Mail

At a conference Tuesday on the Ontario government's plan to build 3 new undergraduate campuses, Academic Reform co-author Ian Clark argued that undergraduate universities that focus solely on teaching would create cosier classes, reduce salary costs, and boost student satisfaction. Moreover, Clark says professors at these new institutions should be required to teach twice as many courses as usual -- a full 80% of their time with the remainder left for research and administration. Doing so would cut the operating cost of educating a student from $14,300 to $9,800 at a campus of 10,000. Clark noted. Not everyone agrees the province needs any new campus at all. A York University economics professor called it a "major mistake to expand Ontario's university system now...we already have the system we need in place." The professor concludes the province already pays for PSE for over 75% of the population -- beyond even the government's own target of 70%. He suggested Ontario should instead bolster graduate education and research -- the opposite of what the authors of Academic Reform recommend. "We can debate what the new universities might look like, but unless I'm reading different newspapers than everyone else, there's no money to do this or really anything," said Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario president Harvey Weingarten at the conference. Toronto Star

A student occupation over funding for 2 campus organizations entered its second day yesterday at McGill University, with a tent set up, apparently overnight, outside the James Administration Building. The sit-in had started late Tuesday morning, when 2 dozen students sprang what they call a "surprise resignation party" on the sixth floor of the building. The protesters are seeking the ouster of McGill's deputy provost for student life and learning, as well as continued funding for the Quebec Public Interest Research Group and CKUT, the student-run radio station. Students want McGill to ratify a referendum held last fall regarding the place of the 2 groups on campus. The institution contends the wording of that referendum question was confusing, and it wants a second referendum to take place. In a statement Tuesday, McGill's provost said the students' "occupation of the premises may...be a violation of the law," and complaints about their actions will be filed against them and will be addressed in accordance with the code of student conduct. The Montreal Gazette reports that 22 protesters left the building's ground floor before noon Wednesday, while at least another 20 remained on the sixth floor. A Montreal police constable says there has been no request for municipal police to enter campus or otherwise become involved in the situation. "It's an internal problem" for the university, he says. McGill Statement (Tuesday) | McGill Statement (Wednesday) | Montreal Gazette | CBC

Postscript: Feb 14, 2012

A group of students who had occupied part of McGill University's administration building since last Tuesday ended their sit-in Sunday morning without incident. The 9 students left after McGill asked Montreal police to assist in the eviction just before 9 am. One protester says no meaningful negotiations took place while they were in the building, which was completely closed off to staff and other students for 3 days. McGill's VP of administration and finance says that "keeping the building open also posed the risk that the occupation would spread to the other offices." McGill Statement | Montreal Gazette

The 2011 3M National Teaching Fellows have launched a campaign to thank the teachers who inspired them in their careers. The advertising campaign began over the weekend with ads in the Globe and Mail, and the ads will also be published in University Affairs. "Our goal is to draw attention to the importance of undergraduate teaching and the impact that it can have on students, both individually and collectively," says the University of Guelph's provost, who has led the campaign. Other students and teachers can post their own messages to inspirational college and university teachers at thankyourteacher.ca. The campaign is supported by AUCC and the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. AUCC News Release | UoGuelph News Release | thankyourteacher.ca

Kwantlen Polytechnic University has decided to sell its 10-acre portion of Paterson Park in Ladner, BC. The university bought the land from the Delta Agricultural Society for $3.5 million in 1993 with the goal of building a campus, but the land has sat vacant ever since. Due to the declining number of graduating high school students in Delta, Kwantlen's board of governors and administration determined there was not sufficient demand to justify the development of a fifth campus. The decision was made to sell the land "so that it can be put to use by the new owner for the benefit of South Delta," says a Kwantlen spokesperson. South Delta Leader | Delta Optimist

More than 950 students began their studies at Niagara College last month -- a 12% increase over last year's winter enrolment. Among the students starting studies this term are 200 international students who are enrolled in diploma or degree studies, and over 100 who are enrolled in ESL classes. This brings the college's international enrolment to more than 1,200 students from 80 different nations. Niagara College's total enrolment, which includes full-time PSE, apprenticeship, and ESL programs, exceeds 9,000 students. Niagara College News Release

As outlined in its election platform, released Monday, Alberta's Liberal Party promises free higher education by 2025. The Liberals' first step would be to cap undergraduate tuition and provide PSE institutions with funding to decrease tuition by $250 annually. The party would create a Post-Secondary Education Fund, whose interest would further reduce tuition, ultimately bringing it to zero. The Liberals also pledge to forgive 5% or $1,000 of student debt each year a graduate works and files taxes in Alberta. Other promises include removing parental income from student loan criteria and expanding distance learning. Edmonton Journal | Alberta Liberal Party Election Platform

Nova Scotia Agricultural College's staff union says it needs to be involved in talks of a merger between the institution and Dalhousie University and that there should be guarantees for employees making the transition. The president of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union told members at a meeting Monday that the union remains committed to fighting for an arrangement that would preserve the benefits NSAC employees enjoy as civil servants even after they might become employees of Dal. The union wants to see all non-faculty members placed in a single bargaining unit instead of being disbursed in various units at Dal. A government spokeswoman says the merger agreement would be implemented through legislation, which "would provide for the transfer of unionized employees under the terms of their existing collective agreement and it will provide a right for the existing employees to continue to participate in the public service superannuation plan." Chronicle Herald | Truro Daily News

In a brazen effort to raise money, Dixie State College of Utah offered naming rights to individual washroom stalls in a musical theatre company's planned building. The institution wanted to help the company, which had moved on campus after being evicted from its previous stage, raised funds for a new home elsewhere. Dixie State is not the first cash-hungry PSE institution to seek money for washrooms. Harvard Law School recently opened the Falik Men's Room, named after an alumnus who received the honour after donating $100,000 to create a public interest fellowship in his father's honour. A venture capitalist paid to name a bathroom after himself in a University of Colorado at Boulder science building after MIT rejected his offer to endow a washroom, which officials told him would be inappropriate. Inside Higher Ed

Yesterday the University of Toronto Mississauga unveiled its redesigned website, whose homepage features a large, rotating graphic banner that links to Web pages about UTM's community involvement, alumni network, research, and recreational and educational fa