August 18, 2008
Faculty at the University of Sudbury, a Catholic-based institution affiliated with Laurentian University, went on strike Monday. The professors entered a legal strike position last Thursday when talks between faculty and the university broke off. The major cause of the strike was an e-mail from the university president informing faculty they no longer had a collective agreement and were instructed to go to the registrar's office Monday to sign individual contracts. "This is completely unacceptable." The professors are seeking the same pay and working conditions as their Laurentian counterparts.
Northern Life |
Sudbury StarIn order to plug the "brain drain," McGill University has invested $12 million in 3 new and redesigned graduate funding initiatives, supported in part by
Campaign McGill. In 2007, the university established the McGill International Doctoral Awards to ensure international doctoral students pay the same tuition as their Canadian and Quebec counterparts. The new McGill Principal's Graduate Fellowships and Provost's Graduate Fellowships allow departments to recruit and retain the very best research graduate students through competitive funding packages.
McGill News ReleaseMcMaster University is spending $3 million to upgrade its security equipment and lockdown procedures in time for the upcoming school year. New warning systems include a pole-mounted siren and emergency news flashes on campus TV screens. McMaster is adding more emergency phones and installing new safety locks for classroom doors. Posters and printed material for students detail lockdown procedures. Campus security and counselling staff are being trained to recognize and deal with potential security threats. Hamilton Spectator At a Thunder Bay city council meeting last night, one councillor presented a memorandum calling for the municipal government to endorse Lakehead University's plans to create a
law school, as well as ask the Ontario government to reconsider its decision to
not provide funding for any new law schools. Councillors are encouraged to seek support from local politicians serving at the provincial and federal levels.
Thunder Bay Chronicle-JournalDespite a 1.5% increase in Calgary's vacancy rate over the last year, there are fewer student rental listings. The University of Calgary's student union reports just more than 200 listings on its off-campus housing website, compared to a peak of 550 last year. At SAIT, the student housing situation is much better compared to last year, when
residence construction delays affected as many as 100 students. However, high rents remain an issue for cash-strapped students.
Calgary HeraldGeorgian College has had an enrolment growth spurt, as officials say full-time enrolment at the Barrie campus has jumped more than 10% over last fall. 10,000 full-time students are expected to pack college halls come September. Georgian campuses received a collective 18,800 applications this year, compared to 17,600 for the 2007/2008 academic year. Georgian is offering 6 new programs this fall, including the highly-anticipated architectural technology program.
Barrie ExaminerCarleton University's Sprott School of Business has undergone a number of changes, and there's more in store. The MBA program now features an internship component, and 4 new management concentrations will be offered this fall. The new dean's plans include updating the undergraduate curriculum, raising Sprott's reputation in the local business community, and finding a new facility for the school. Sprott is also seeking accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Ottawa Business Journal The University of Victoria's Engineering/Computer Science Building has been awarded gold level status under the LEED green building rating program, making it the second on-campus building to receive such status (the first was the Medical Sciences Building). The university-owned Vancouver Island Technology Park is also rated gold. The 3 buildings are among the 7 LEED-certified buildings in Victoria. uVic aims to achieve gold status for 3 new facilities -- the
Social Sciences and Mathematics Building, the First Peoples House, and the Support Services Building.
uVic News ReleaseA Sunday Times investigation revealed a number of British universities are offering students cash, often without conditions of good grades or merit, to enrol in unpopular programs. Posing as an applicant, a female reporter was offered £1,000 to enter a physics program partly due to the under-representation of women in the program. Other reporters were offered cash to study courses just simply to fill up space. Although the cash awards are marketed as scholarships, they are put directly into students' bank accounts rather than credited towards tuition fees. The Sunday Times | The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required) A new study from Ohio State University found students who rated high on measures of courage, empathy and honesty were less likely to report past or intended cheating. Such students -- deemed "academic heroes" by researchers -- said they would feel more guilty about cheating than those who scored lower on the measures. These heroes were also less likely to believe their peers would cheat. Calling non-cheaters "academic heroes" is being met with some reservation, as it appears to minimize basic expectations of students.
OSU Research News |
Canadian Press
rtraction