October 31, 2008
Police in Newfoundland have charged an 18-year-old female student with 2 counts of uttering threats following 2 threats directed at Memorial University professors. One professor received an online threat
last week, while another received a similar threat in early October. The student has been released and is scheduled to appear in court on December 4.
St. John's Telegram A device developed at Simon Fraser University has been listed in
Time Magazine's "Best 50 Inventions of 2008." The Bionic Energy Harvester, which placed 33rd on the list, is a device that wraps around a person's knee and generates power through walking. Without affecting the wearer's stride, a pair of harvesters can extract up to 13 watts of power. One minute of walking can generate about 30 minutes of talking on a cell phone.
SFU News Release |
Best 50 Inventions of 2008In an effort to attract more out-of-province graduates, the Saskatchewan government announced last Thursday that it is expanding its
Graduate Retention Program to include post-secondary graduates within Canada and around the world, provided they move to Saskatchewan. The program, which was established in April, currently offers tuition rebates up to $20,000 over 7 years to graduates of approved programs who live in the province.
Saskatchewan News Release |
Regina Leader-PostLast Thursday, the Manitoba government announced the first new initiatives under its $1-million Bright Futures Fund, designed to encourage disadvantaged youth to stay in school and pursue PSE. Students participating in Bright Futures initiatives will also receive scholarships or an RESP grant toward the cost of PSE. The initiatives include a homework tutoring program, career exposure workshops, and summer learning programs.
Manitoba News Release Last Thursday, TVO announced the nominees in its Big Ideas Best Lecturer Competition. The network received an initial 285 individual student nominations for 160 professors, beating the previous record of 258 nominations. 125 professors from 24 schools remain in the competition. Schools with professors nominated for the first time this year include OCAD, Algonquin College, Mohawk College, Durham College, and Niagara College.
TVO News ReleaseThe Friends of the UNB Woodlot are protesting development on woodlands owned by the University of New Brunswick. The university is leasing some of the property for commercial development, but will preserve much of the land as natural green space. The group is launching a financial drive to sue UNB to try to protect the land and create a land trust. "Certainly UNB should not be a shopping experience."
UNB Woodlot Watch |
Daily GleanerThe University of Windsor is planning to establish Canada's first university-based research centre focused on the Carolinian forest and the Great Lakes. The school is looking to build the research station on land donated by the City of Leamington
last year. The station would include state-of-the-art research facilities with a genetics lab, physiology lab, and behaviour lab. The station would also need a dormitory for students and visiting researchers.
Windsor Star
Last Thursday, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada released a statement about the current economic crisis. The message says that member institutions are "committed to maintaining and enhancing our role as key contributors to Canadians' well-being and to supporting local industries and organizations in their efforts to weather these challenging times." The statement says that AUCC will work with all levels of government, private- and non-profit-sector partners, and local communities to ensure a swift return to a more stable economy.
AUCC News ReleaseThe University of Guelph has launched an initiative in which every university-owned vehicle will eventually be environmentally-friendly. The school requires that all newly purchased vehicles meet top standards for fuel efficiency. When buying a new vehicle, the transportation service department will use the emissions certification standards of Natural Resources Canada as its guide. The vehicles with the highest ratings will be UoGuelph's first choice when new vehicles are bought. The department has already purchased a Smart Car and 2 hybrid cars.
UoGuelph News ReleaseLate last month, the University of Toronto's interim vice-president and provost and vice-president (business affairs) released a statement about how the volatile financial markets are impacting the university. uToronto's endowment fund has experienced a decline, but is protected to some degree by a conservative investment strategy. The university is not currently able to assess how the economic decline will affect its ability to borrow in the future. In terms of impact on students, the statement says student aid will continue to be a fundraising priority.
uToronto News
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