Today's Top Ten
August 17, 2018
“Free” tuition would be costly for Quebecers: Moreau and Ouellette
Although the idea of free tuition for Quebec students seems appealing, it would “be costly for Quebec taxpayers, would not necessarily lead to more students graduating and would also be unfair,” write Alexandre Moreau and Miguel Ouellette. The authors argue that there is no meaningful link between tuition rates and access to higher education, and that free tuition will not solve QC’s high dropout rate. The authors add that because university graduates earn more than non-graduates, free tuition would mean that the lower-earning non-graduates would have to subsidize tuition for future high-income earners. Montreal Gazette | Newswire
Former UManitoba med school dean loses license for “flagrantly unprofessional” sexual advances
Gary Allan Joseph Harding has been stripped of his medical license after being found guilty of sexually harassing two former medical students at the University of Manitoba, CBC reports. Harding has also been ordered to pay $125K in investigation costs and can only regain his medical license pending “rigorous and specific evaluation.” The article adds that Harding is permanently banned from overseeing or mentoring medical learners. In a psychiatric assessment, Harding stated that his conduct was “horrendous, unprofessional and even harassing.” CBC
ULaval spearheads partnership to facilitate new recruitment initiative
Université Laval, in partnership with the Université du Québec and le Pôle régional en enseignement supérieur de la Capitale-Nationale, has launched a recruitment initiative to increase domestic and international student enrolments, foster international student mobility, and retain and integrate talent in the region. A UQuébec release adds that the initiative will also facilitate internships and experiential learning. Quebec’s provincial government has provided $500K to support the partnership. UQuébec
CNC launches sonography program
The College of New Caledonia has announced a new, two-year sonography program developed in partnership with BCIT, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Northern Health, and Sonography Canada. “We are excited to bring diagnostic medical sonography to CNC as it demonstrates our commitment to increase our health science programming by adding another key professional to the healthcare team,” said Glenda Vardy Dell, CNC's Dean of the School of Health Science. A release states that CNC will accept eight students for the winter 2019 semester, with 16 seats available for future intakes. CNC
Boréal to meet decline in trades with free carpentry program for women
In response to a decline in trades in Ontario, College Boréal has announced that it will offer a free carpentry program for women in Sudbury. The 36-week program is offered entirely in French, and the students will have access to support services as well as financial aid. Students who complete the program will receive their carpentry level 1, mathematics level 1, health and safety at work, and plumbing-integration laboratory 1. The Sudbury Star states that the program is funded by the Government of Ontario. Sudbury Star
Ryerson launches unique cannabis business course
Ryerson University is launching a Business of Cannabis course that will reportedly be the first of its kind in Ontario. “We’re trying to give people interested in the business side of cannabis a leg up in the market,” said Ryerson instructor Brad Poulos. “We have world class entrepreneurship professors at Ryerson and they’ll be teaching the entrepreneurship portion of the course and then we’re relying on industry experts for subject matter expertise.” The course, which launches in Fall 2018, will teach students how to apply the basic principles of business to the cannabis industry. The Growth Op | City News
US colleges reach out to Saudi student ordered by home government to leave Canada
Some American universities are waiving application fees in an effort to attract Saudi Arabian students who have been ordered by their home government to leave Canada. “To us this is not a political thing; this is simply seeing students who are in a situation where they need to find a solution and find one quickly, and we’re trying to help them,” said Jay Ligon, Louisiana Tech's director of international student and scholars services. In 2017, there were 7,640 Saudi students studying in Canada, accounting for 2% of Canada's international student population. Inside Higher Ed
AB looks to prepare students to find high-quality jobs in a tech-driven economy
The Alberta government has appointed a new provincial panel to help better prepare students for a future that will be increasingly driven by technology, reports the Calgary Herald. The Talent Advisory Council on Technology has been tasked with coming up with recommendations to ensure Alberta’s education and training programs are producing employees that can obtain good, high-quality jobs in a changing economy. “This could mean the creation of new programs or the expansion of existing programs,” said government spokesperson Cheryl Oates. “Short-term skills training, diplomas, certificates, degrees and graduate degrees may all be impacted, if the need exists.” Calgary Herald
TRU creates new open education resources, BCcampus launches awareness campaign
Thompson Rivers University has announced that it will be producing 11 new open education resources. These resources will be stored on BCcampus, and will allow about 2,200 TRU students a year to save a total of approximately $250K. The notice follows BCcampus’ recently announced campaign #TextbookBrokeBC 2018, which seeks to help educators and students understand that high quality alternatives to textbooks are available and affordable. These alternatives include offering the opportunity to borrow books, the development of OERs through collaboration between students and professors, and Zed Cred or Z-Degree programs that have zero textbook costs. TRU | BCcampus
CAQ will boost vocational funding if elected: Legault
In the lead-up to the Quebec provincial election, François Legault, leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec, stated that he will increase vocational training throughout the province, reports Journal de Montréal. CAQ Spokesperson Jean-François Roberge stated that the CAQ does not intend to redirect degree programs toward vocational training, but instead provide training for those who would otherwise lack secondary or postsecondary education. Legault added that a CAQ government would revise the CEGEP funding formula and modify training programs to provide more options for internships, work-study programs, and part-time learning. Journal de Montréal(Fr)
