August 28, 2007
Lethbridge College celebrated its 50th anniversary last Friday, and unveiled its colourful new brand identity with a splash. Academica Group developed the new brand strategy and visual identity creative, after extensive stakeholder consultations. LC's Steven Dyck explains that the
new brand "conveys the wider horizons we offer, the modern and relevant education we provide, our leading-edge work in sustainability and renewable resources, and also our welcoming, approachable and responsive campus culture." Media Release | Lethbridge College website UBC's Fall enrollment is strong despite a decrease in the number of BC secondary school graduates last year. Opposing recent trends in the province, UBC's Vancouver campus enrollment will remain steady, while the UBC Kelowna campus is expected to see a 17% increase over last year. Much of the increased interest surrounding UBC Okanagan has been generated by students from other provinces, as well as growing numbers of international student enrolments.
UBC NewsIn addition to recent
Top Ten coverage of Alberta and Saskatchewan student housing shortages, Victoria BC is feeling the crunch as well. With a vacancy rate of 0.8% in the city, students without a place for the upcoming term may be out of luck. Many students, aware of the difficulty of finding accommodations at the end of summer, have begun to search for rentals earlier, with June and July being peak months. The 2,800 listings in UVic's off-campus housing registry are mostly taken.
The Times-Colonist With about 2,500 students set to start this fall, Newfoundland's College of the North Atlantic Qatar campus has become Qatar's second-largest PSE institution -- second only to Qatar University. CNA Qatar offers more than 1,000 courses in a variety of disciplines, including Business Studies, Health Sciences, Engineering, and Information Technology. Enrollment is expected to reach 3,000 by year-end, and CNA Qatar's facilities can accommodate up to 4,000 students.
The Peninsula Qatar In a new partnership with Interac Online, UBC is apparently the first Canadian university to provide students with the option to pay their tuition fees directly from their bank accounts via the school website. A natural fit for the plugged-in student population, the new payment option provides students with increased convenience and security.
Canada NewsWire In an effort to meet rising student communications expectations, St. Francis Xavier University is implementing an innovative new tool to speed up response time to student inquiries. Inquiry cards completed with a special pen and paper allows prospect information to be instantly digitized, and an email to be sent out immediately, with information customized to their interests. Recruitment staff will follow up within a day, as opposed to weeks.
Halifax Daily News The
National Post observes that many Canadian students are finding themselves under heavy financial stress, taking on part-time jobs to pay the bills -- which can sometimes interfere with full course loads. A 2006 survey of graduating students found that 60% owed money upon graduation (up from 45% in 1990), and that the average debt had tripled to $23,047. Rising debt loads are blamed on an increase in student loan limits, high-cost credit cards, and miscalculated planning.
Montreal Gazette Fifty-two New Zealand students face court appearances this week after hours of rioting over the weekend in the southern city of Dunedin. Thousands of students rioted, burning cars, couches, and mattresses. The riot follows similar trouble on a much smaller scale that occurred in the previous year during the annual Undie500. A spokesman says the Canterbury University will not attempt to protect its students from the law.
New Zealand Herald Students preparing to leave home still want to bring the comforts of home with them. Laptops, printers, cameras, and iPods are among the gadgets that today's student apparently can't live without. A 2006 US study estimates that Americans spent $36.6 billion US on back-to-college preparations, of which $10.5 billion was spent on electronics. The biggest spenders in the study were first-year students.
Financial Post While current Facebook advertising is targeted to members by their age, gender and location, a new plan would push advertising based on much more detailed variables such as hobbies, musical tastes, hangouts, and favourite travel destinations. The question is whether users of the popular site will accept the changes, or rebel against the increased corporate presence and potential privacy issues. The report comes in the wake of user backlash against YouTube for testing a pilot program that encourages users to watch ads along with the site's regular content.
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