July 3, 2007
uCalgary’s Schulich School of Engineering will receive a $6 million boost to fund an endowed Chair to lead the development and implementation of applied learning initiatives, and to nurture innovation among the next generation of engineers. The Li Ka Shing Foundation is donating $3 million, and the university is matching it with another $3 million.
uCalgary News Release As we reported earlier in the year, the Musqueam Indian Band and the province of BC are in the midst of negotiations over possession of the UBC golf course lands, which have been operated as the University Golf Club for the past 78 years. Last week, the Musqueam band promised that the course would remain open for another 25 years, until 2033, if ceded to the band. The land is considered by the band as part of their traditional territory, but was sold to UBC by the province for $11 million.
The Globe & Mail The University of Western Ontario plans to grow its physical space by 25% over the next 9 years. The 2007 Campus Master Plan anticipates significant growth in graduate programs: a 50% increase in masters students, and 100% increase in doctoral students. Campus space per student has dropped by 28% since 1960.
Western News In the past 7 years, the number of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI students attending Memorial University in Newfoundland has increased ninefold. (In 2005, 836 students from the Maritime provinces were at Memorial.) Memorial says it is aggressively recruiting across the country and internationally. Tuition at Memorial has been frozen since 2003, offering students "more bang for their buck." MPHEC reports that tuition is becoming a critical factor for maritime students.
CBC A "vast" 674-hectare neighbourhood is proposed for development next to the UNBC campus in Prince George, BC. Most lands included within the plan are undeveloped, and are currently owned by 14 different entities, including private companies and individuals, the province, the City of Prince George, UNBC, BC Hydro and the BC Telephone Company. The "University Heights" plan was presented to the public late last week, and will be submitted to the City of Prince George shortly. The first phase of development is slated for Spring 2008.
Opinion 250 Sault Ste Marie's Algoma University College, which has announced its intention to become independent of Laurentian University, is preparing its new charter and considering the transition costs of independence. In particular, Algoma's most urgent requirements are the creation of an automated student record system, and replacing the loss of Laurentian’s electronic library resources. The Liberal government has said that it will introduce legislation in Fall 2007, after the upcoming election, to make Algoma an independent institution.
The Sault Star About 8 members of the George Brown College community were evacuated due to a classroom chemical spill last Thursday morning. More than 12 fire units responded to the incident, including a hazmat team. The spill itself was "the size of a cup of coffee," and is believed to have been ferric chloride, which is not life-threatening but may cause respiratory problems. The spill occurred when a bottle fell off a shelf during renovations, and was contained to a single room.
CityPulse 24 6 years after the University of Ontario Institute of Technology was created on the Durham College campus, the joint president has retired and been replaced by two separate presidents, and discussions have begun about establishing two separate boards of governors. (Currently the boards overlap and share a common chairman.) Some have expressed concern that this "growing apart" may mean a shift in vision and loss of efficiencies. UOIT's administration has also been discussing with the Ministry the possibility of "a name more reflective of what the school does," such as "Ontario University of Science & Technology."
Durham Region News Email communication should be avoided during crisis situations, according to a presenter at the National Association of College and University Attorneys. Emails sent during periods of crisis “always come back to haunt you.” Such messages often turn up during lawsuits and are difficult to defend, despite the informality of their composition. Advice: schedule via email, keep in touch via email, but do not use email to explore theories or findings.
The Chronicle of Higher Education (Subscription Required)
Ohio State University’s online campus map has been proposed as a best in class by a list of college and university webmasters. OSU offers a traditional “drawn” map that labels each building clearly. It also offers a “Google” version of the map that makes incredible use of Google map and API technology to produce the map found at
this link. In the upper right corner of the image, click “hybrid” and you will satellite footage of the campus overlaid with a Google-maintained street map. Users can choose what they would like to have displayed on the map, selecting from parking facilities to libraries, and from bus stops to wireless hotspots. All the graphics are done by Google API.
Campus Technology
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