November 16, 2007
This week saw the official opening of the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. Ted & Loretta Rogers came to campus for the occasion. Their $15 million donation funded 52 new undergraduate and graduate student awards and scholarships. The government of Ontario also contributed $12.5 million, which helped fund the new building that is home to the program.
More than 27,000 international students from 150 countries are currently registered at BC's public colleges and universities -- about 30% of Canada's total international student population. While BC benefits from the students and a network of international employees, it feels that it gives back with a "top-notch" PSE system, high standard of living, multicultural society, and the province's natural beauty. BC has announced a $10 million endowment and another $1 million to fund 2 scholarships that will encourage the province's own students to head overseas to study.
The Canada Foundation for Innovation announced $28 million in research investment for Canada's universities yesterday. 193 researchers -- almost 75% of whom are Canadian -- will receive funding. 35 universities and colleges across Canada will benefit from state-of-the-art labs and equipment for 139 projects. Researchers at the University of Toronto received almost $5 million in funding, and McGill and Queen's University followed close behind with more than $3 million each.
The College of the North Atlantic has announced that it will establish the first centre for cultural tourism training and professional development in Atlantic Canada, thanks to $1.1 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments. The Bonavista Institute for Cultural Tourism will be located on CNA's Bonavista campus. Not only is cultural tourism important in Newfoundland & Labrador, but it is also seeing "tremendous" growth on a global scale.
The University of Manitoba has launched a new microsite that promises to "show rather than tell how the University is helping students." The "It's My Future" campaign shows the university shaping the lives of students and alumni, and the benefits it brings to the community and province. The microsite includes profiles and blogs for 17 students and alumni. (uManitoba email news release)
According to a recent report from Statistics Canada, enrolment in apprenticeship training programs rose 9.7% in 2005, representing the largest annual increase in ten years. The biggest surge was in construction trades, which rose 13.4%. The proportion of female students has doubled over 13 years, from less than 5% to 10%, thanks particularly to the food services trades, of which they constitute 64%. The growth in the trades was particularly strong in western Canada: 20% in BC and 12% in both Alberta and Yukon.
An estimated 15-20% of Ontario's high school students are choosing to take an optional fifth year of high school, or "victory lap." Sometimes it's to improve marks, take additional courses, or just to grow up or take more time to decide what to do next. When Ontario originally cut Grade 13 from the system, it was predicted that the number of 5-year students would drop from 20% to zero over time, but four years later this has yet to show signs of happening.
A new independent review of the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation finds it "soundly administered and benefiting young people pursuing post-secondary education." According to several review reports, CMSF allows 25% of student loan recipients to reduce their debt by 30%. The amount of student aid that does not have to be repaid has risen from 18% to 31% during the Foundation's term. The Auditor General found the Foundation "well managed" and the Treasury Board found it to be "achieving results and be efficient."
According to one fundraising director, Facebook and MySpace are making it easier to bring in donations for her institution. Whereas ten years ago direct mail and phone calls were used by giving campaigns, today call centres are paired with online alumni communities that "locate and engage" alumni. Gonzaga University in the US is using Facebook to contact young alumni about events, but also to inform employees and alumni about announcements and employment opportunities. It is estimated that in one particular effort, 50% of the alumni were reached by Facebook alone.
Nursing students at Tacoma Community College in Washington state are getting practical experience on virtual patients via Second Life. The class instructor uses his own avatar as an emergency room patient, and is treated virtually by the avatars of two students. The class put on a live demonstration to show off their skills for an online audience. The instructor reported symptoms and was then queried further by the students, hooked up to an IV and put on a blood-pressure cuff -- all with live streaming audio from all three participants.
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