August 17, 2007
An op-ed piece by Concordia U president Claude Lajeunesse in Sunday's
Montreal Gazette observes that tuition freezes have meant
multi-million dollar deficits despite "frugal" spending habits. Factoring inflation and cost-of-living, Concordia is short $14 million compared to its funding 10 years ago. "Universities do not operate in a vacuum," and greater investment is required by government, universities, industry, labour and students. Montreal Gazette As the new school year approaches, word of another possible university strike is in the air. Carleton University's professional, office, technical and support staff will be in a legal strike or lockout position as of September 5th, says CUPE, because the university has failed to make a "fair" settlement offer during conciliation talks. Key issues include wages, benefits, postings and employment security. Mediation talks are scheduled for August 30, and September 3-4.
CUPE News Release After the release of BC's
Campus 2020 report, which suggested 3
other university colleges be reclassified as regional universities, Capilano College launched an aggressive "Capilano all about U" campaign, to convince BC's premier and Advanced Education Minister to reconsider. The campaign has been joined by the premier's only sister, Catherine Vertesi, who is a VP at the college.
Campus 2020 recommended Capilano remain a college due to its proximity to UBC and SFU.
Straight News An emergency drill was held at a University of Western Ontario student residence on Wednesday, to test how quickly London and university police responded to a "shooting rampage." Officers were notified that a drill would occur, but did not know when or where it would happen. The success of the officers' response has not been released.
L ondon Free Press The University of Saskatchewan has announced plans for the most ambitious university-wide reunion in its 100-year history. There are currently more than 120,000 uSask alumni living around the world -- 27,000 of whom live in Saskatchewan. The reunion will include a golf tournament, a performance by popular alternative rockers "Three Days Grace," a tailgate party and homecoming football game, and a dinner dance.
uS ask News Release |
Saskatoon News The University of Manitoba's Asper School of Business has entered a partnership with the NASDAQ stock exchange, intellectual property law firm Ropes and Gray, and several major venture capital firms, as part of a new program that will target MBA students commercializing university technologies. Students at uManitoba will pitch their ideas to a panel of venture capitalists, along with students from uTexas, uOregon and Carnegie Mellon University.
uManitoba News Release Blended learning courses combine online and in-class delivery to ensure students do not miss the benefits of face-to-face learning. Centennial College in Scarborough will offer its first blended courses this September, in Retirement Community and Long-Term Care Management. Students in the program will meet with an instructor for 4 six-hour sessions throughout the term. The remainder of the course is delivered via email, online chats and Blackboard.
Toronto Star Subpoenas have been issued to providers of study-abroad college programs. The companies have been asked for information on their business practices and financial arrangements with schools. One non-profit provider says, "we have total confidence in our business and ethics, and plan to comply with the investigation." In the wake of Monday's
New York Times article on the topic, many companies mentioned by name are not responding to media inquiries.
The Chronicle of Higher Education (Subscription Required)
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eSchoolNews Linden Labs reports that more than 100 colleges and universities have established campuses in its online world, Second Life. Here at Academica, we know that Loyalist College and Mohawk College are building this summer, and Fanshawe College has reportedly purchased an island. But
Wired magazine, usually a champion of all things new and techy, is growing skeptical. The biggest problem is a lack of traffic, and possible technical limitations that limit scalability. SL is worth checking out, as a possible sneak peek at the Web 4.0 of the future, but it may just be a little ahead of its time.
Wired
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