Top Ten
October 23, 2008
Globe and Mail releases Canadian University Report
The Globe and Mail released its 7th annual Canadian University Report yesterday. One key finding in the survey is that the nation's smallest universities received higher marks than their larger counterparts in terms of student satisfaction, class sizes, student-faculty interaction, and quality of education. The full results are available online with the Campus Navigator. The report includes articles on a number of topics, such as students' "green" initiatives, podcasting, fundraising, commercialization of research, and global rankings. There are also interviews with the presidents of uCalgary, Ryerson, and UNB. The subscriber editions of the report were cellobagged with copies of a DVD from UTours called "What Parents Need to Know." CTVglobemedia News Release | Canadian University Report 2009 | Campus NavigatorUniversity research essential during financial crisis
At the annual AUCC meeting this week in Ottawa, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told university leaders that university research is very important at a time of global economic instability. "This is a critical time in Canada in terms of making sure that in our public-policy decisions that we support universities and colleges." The minister's support was greeted enthusiastically by the leaders. Flaherty's comments come at a time when Ontario announced it will run a deficit this year and plans to defer some '"less urgent" education capital-improvement projects. Globe and MailConestoga purchases land for Cambridge expansion
On Wednesday, Conestoga College purchased 54 hectares of land for its $50-million expansion into Cambridge. The college paid the city $5.7 million for the land. In August, the Ontario government pledged $21 million for the Cambridge campus. The campus will allow Conestoga to expand its programs in welding robotics, civil engineering, and renewable energy programs. The first phase is expected to be complete by 2011. Kitchener-Waterloo RecordNiagara College breaks ground for $50-million development
Construction is underway for Niagara College's $50-million development at its Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake campuses. The project includes a Skilled Trades and Technology Centre, wine education centre, athletic centre, academic wing, and student centre. The Ontario government is investing $17 million into the project, while the remaining funds will come from the college and a community fundraising campaign. The project is scheduled to be complete by September 2010. St. Catharines StandarduCalgary launches sustainability campaign
The University of Calgary has launched a new Sustainability ON campaign to challenge members of the university community to do their part in reducing energy and water consumption, producing less waste, and increasing awareness. One of the university's initiatives is to convert its physical plant to co-generation, which generates heat and electric power simultaneously from the same energy source. Over the next few months, uCalgary will roll out 3 programs designed to reduce the campus' carbon footprint, waste generation, and water consumption. uCalgary News ReleaseHuron asks Why Follow the Crowd?
Huron University College, the founding college and now an affiliate of the University of Western Ontario, has launched a fairly aggressive campaign to raise awareness of its brand in the Toronto area and attract a wider applicant pool. Emphasizing the advantages of a smaller, premiere undergraduate experience over its much larger competitors, Huron asks applicants: "You never followed the crowd in high school, so why follow it now to university?"
The Fall 2008 Huron recruitment campaign includes Toronto Transit and internet advertising, back cover and double-page spreads in the ranking issues of the Globe & Mail University Report and the Maclean's Guide to Universities and ranking issue.
This is a good example of an alternative creative approach to sell the "small, not big" message that underlies the more adversarial "Collosal U" campaign launched by Algoma University this fall. Which do YOU prefer? Please comment below...
