November 2, 2007
A new report from Statistics Canada finds that, in general, PSE grads earn more than those who do not pursue higher education, but also finds the reverse in some unique situations. PSE grads without work experience were found to make less than their peers without a degree or diploma to their name. Female 22-24 year olds were found to earn close to 28% less than males.
Ontario's universities (and colleges) are in the midst of an enrolment boom while most other provinces are seeing numbers drop lower and lower. Despite a $2.8 billion infusion over 5 years, it is claimed that more is needed to keep up with the rapid growth. If additional funding does not come forward, the universities feel they will be unable to "keep up with the Joneses" in other developed countries, in terms of producing cutting-edge research and skilled grads. Funding is currently considered the #1 issue for Ontario's universities.
The College Sustainability Report Card is in and the University of Alberta scraped by with a "C," says the student organization, Canadian University Press. The University is continuing to move forward with its green projects, and is stressing that support from the entire campus community is vital to their success. The report covered environmental initiatives at 200 schools in North America, and reported that uAlberta was lagging in reducing emissions and using more renewable energy. uAlberta has opened a new Recycling Transfer Centre that will reduce waste by 40%.
Capilano College's president, Greg Lee, says Canada needs a federal PSE ministry if higher education is to succeed as a sector. The lack of national data on students and student performance is the most visible side effect of the problem, but the lack of national coordination is also felt in many other areas such as the Canada Student Loans program, scholarship programs and federal research projects. Canada has no national goals regarding education and is unable to benchmark against other developed countries.
The University of Saskatchewan has appointed a special advisor on Aboriginal Initiatives. The advisor will identify, initiate and develop school-wide efforts that support the Conceptual Framework for Aboriginal Intiatives on- and off-campus -- Aboriginal inclusion and delivery of programs and services that support Aboriginals across the university.
Alberta's Education Minister has announced a new program that will help physically disabled students transition from high school to college or university. The program will help prepare students for post-secondary life with study and scheduling aids, and also orient students about resources available to them at various institutions.
The Mumps have headed West and after a recommendation by Chinook Health, Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge launched a Mumps immunization campaign alongside a provincial health and wellness strategy. There have been only 5 confirmed cases to date, all at either Lethbridge College or uLeth. The immunization is being offered to anyone born in or after 1970.
According to a new survey, full-time faculty at American universities are happier than most workers in the US. 300 faculty members were polled and more than half said they were very satisfied with their jobs. A further 43% reported they were somewhat satisfied. 39% of GenX employees felt they had too many administrative duties, and 30% of late boomers were frustrated by low pay.
This weekend, 500 school counsellors and education professionals will gather for the annual Ontario School Counsellors Association conference in Toronto. Academica Group is pleased to sponsor this year's conference, which will include workshops dealing with personal, social, academic and career-educational issues, as well as speakers from the
Toronto Star, Amnesty International and CBC's Cross Country Checkup. We are encouraging delegates to subscribe to
Academica's Top Ten, to help keep them informed about innovative programs and breaking PSE news in Canada.
Procter & Gamble has launched a new dot-com with the sole purpose of promoting its line of Febreze products to students through Facebook. WhatStinks.com links directly to a Febreze-sponsored Facebook group that includes "live from the street" student video interviews, discussion boards, a photo contest and other interactive features. So far, 511 students have joined the group -- including a few ranting about the environmental and health concerns of covering up odours with chemicals.
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