March 14, 2008
George Brown College may have a new waterfront home to call its own, if negotiations are successful. The GBC lakefront campus dream would bring all nursing, gerontology, dental, hearing and personal support workers into a single home, rather than being scattered across several. "We're a landlocked institution that's doubled its students in the past 8 years, which is hugely exciting but we need to grow." Nothing is confirmed but Waterfront Toronto is rumoured to support the idea.
The Toronto StarYork Region Police have been called repeatedly to Seneca College's Markham campus to investigate four separate incidents of picketers apparently being hit by cars. "It is outrageous that people think that driving, sometimes at high speeds, through a picket line of people is acceptable in this province. Seneca needs to take immediate action to stop this violence." The driver that hit a picketer repeatedly on Monday has been charged.
Unite Here News ReleaseThe number of students enrolled at Nova Scotia's universities is down 2% from last year, according to the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission. The Association of Atlantic Universities has released early numbers that indicate that this year's numbers might be down by a similar amount. Ontario's double cohort has finished working its way through the system and private colleges, community colleges, as well as Alberta's high-paying work opportunities are making for tough competition.
The Chronicle HeraldA University of Toronto researcher has been awarded a $10 million research grant from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The Saudi Arabian graduate-level research university plans to open in September 2009. uToronto was one of 60 institutions around the world that was invited to nominate a candidate for the $10 million award.
uToronto News ReleaseA budget motion approved yesterday put to rest a controversial private member's bill that could have cost the government "billions" if it had passed. The bill would have allowed parents to deduct up to $5,000 per year per child in RESP contributions. The Liberal Party says that the issue should not have been brought back to the House of Commons, and has accused the government of "abusing its executive powers."
The Globe & Mail
The University of Regina is in a good position to become a global centre for testing wind-generated power. The campus is currently being surveyed for the best location for the first of many small wind turbines. The equipment is being supplied at cost by Shamrock Energy Systems, and will be installed by the University's faculty of engineering. The turbine will be both an educational tool as well as a source of 9,000 kilowatt-hours of energy annually.
The Carillon (student newspaper)
The 2007 National Physician Survey reported that 55% of new doctors under 35 years old were female. The deans of Canada's 2 largest medical schools are calling for an end to the "sexist blame game" that suggests an increase in female doctors will only fuel a doctor shortage, rather than help. Some have said that female doctors work fewer hours than older male physicians. Drs. Carol Herbert (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry) and Catharine Whiteside (uToronto's faculty of medicine) say the shortage should be attributed to enrolment cutbacks in the early 1990s.
The Toronto Star |
Interview with Dr. Whiteside |
Canadian Medical Association Journal
The University of Alberta and Lakeland College are launching a new program to train sign-language interpreters, in response to heavy demand. The program will begin in fall 2008, and will be the first of its kind in Alberta (and fifth in Canada). Demand for interpreters is driven by several factors, including an increase in the number of deaf students attending regular schools and universities.
The Globe & MailThe Douglas College students' union recently rejected a private proposal that would have offered free unlimited photocopying to students. The ad-supported copying system would have printed full-colour advertisements on the backs of each page. The union was concerned about the ethics of "subjecting students to such advertising," and other copyright concerns.
The Other Press (Student Newspaper)
A report by ABC News cites numerous experts who believe that American students are feeling "overwhelmingly" less safe on campus. Campus crime has increased, despite increased security measures and safety strategies. There were approximately 42,000 burglaries, 3,700 forcible sex offenses, and 48 murders reported on US college campuses in 2003 (the latest year for which statistics are available). 2 young female students were shot dead in separate violent incidents in Alabama and North Carolina in the past week alone.
ABC News
rtraction