October 7, 2008
The University of Calgary has written off nearly $17 million in an investment in US mortgage-backed securities affected by the credit crisis. The market turmoil in the US is one factor in uCalgary's projected budget shortfall this year. Part of the shortfall comes from the school's
expansion, and operating costs are going up. Some faculty predict staff and programming cuts. Thesis research grants have already been reduced, according to uCalgary's graduate student union president.
CBCBrandon University, whose faculty have been on
strike since last Monday, has released information about faculty salaries and how they compare with other post-secondary institutions in Manitoba and across Canada. Average salaries for Brandon U faculty, as based on Statistics Canada data from 2006-2007, are slightly higher than those found at the University of Winnipeg and slightly lower than those at the University of Manitoba. In terms of maximum salaries, Brandon U salaries for associate professors are the highest in the province.
Brandon U News Release |
FAQ on BU Academic SalariesCapilano University is moving closer to achieving its long-time goal of expanding its campus in the downtown core of Squamish with the acquisition of 4.64 acres of land formerly owned by BC Rail. The BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development funded the $1.4-million purchase of the land. The land, located near the Squamish estuary, would provide Capilano with a natural laboratory for student research.
BC News Release |
Capilano News Release Last Saturday, the City of Fredericton conducted a door-to-door survey of neighbourhood satisfaction among residents of the College Hill area. The survey is part of the ongoing work by the city's working committee on community/university relations. The survey is intended to better identify the demographics of the community and obtain a sense of interaction between neighbours. Information collected from the survey will help identify neighbourhood concerns and evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to tackle issues in the College Hill area.
Daily GleanerRenovations are underway at Fanshawe College-owned Cuddy Gardens. Located in Strathroy Ontario, the garden and a century-old property were
donated to Fanshawe by the Cuddy family last year. As the house will be used as an educational facility, the college is adding water and hydro to the property, as well as a new well for the garden's irrigation system. Other projects include planting a new border of evergreens and creating a second perennial border backed by a stone wall.
Fanshawe NewsLast Friday, Dalhousie University officially opened the Mark A. Hill Accessibility Centre. The centre offers services such as sign-language interpretation and customized social areas, study and exam rooms. A new scholarship was announced during Friday's ceremony. The Johnson Foundation Scholarship is dedicated to removing barriers to provide accessible education to students with disabilities.
Dal NewsThe University of Guelph opened its new Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre last Friday. The centre will allow researchers to turn agricultural products, such as wheat and corn, into bioproducts to replace non-renewable materials in many manufacturing sectors, consumer goods and services.
UoGuelph News ReleaseThis afternoon, Simon Fraser University will be staging a Philosphers' Café on global starvation at its Burnaby campus. SFU alumni Cary Folwer and Danny Catt will be hosting the forum, which will be available to a worldwide Internet audience. The café is open to the public and will be held at SFU's Interdisciplinary Research in the Mathematical and Computational Sciences Centre. The centre seats over 70 people in a multi-media environment that brings together Internet users to view video and participate in discussions with a live audience.
SFU News ReleaseHolland College and the University of Prince Edward Island are giving out complimentary season's passes to their regular season home games to every elementary and secondary students in the province. By giving Island youth the opportunity to attend varsity sports, the schools are building interest in sports and an active lifestyle. A Holland College athletics official hopes this initiative will inspire local youth to come watch the games, meet some student athletes, and "ultimately see a future in post-secondary education here on PEI."
Holland College News ReleaseAn institution's vision statement cannot be made into a tagline, observes the blog UBrander. Vision statements are used to inspire members of the university community and donors in joining the school in pursuing its new and future endeavours. Taglines, on the other hand, are meant to attract prospective students by setting a school apart from its competitors based on what it can deliver now. "You can't differentiate yourself by stating what you hope to be in the future."
UBrander
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