Top Ten

Body of missing Fanshawe student found

On Friday, the body of a missing Fanshawe College student was found near railway tracks in the east end of London Ontario. 20-year-old Jesse Hare, who was studying multimedia at Fanshawe, was last seen leaving a house party after midnight last Wednesday. Police say there is no evidence of foul play or that Hare was hit by a train, and the cause of death has yet to be determined. London Free Press

Protest shuts down pro-life talk at SMU

A pro-life lecture scheduled at Saint Mary's University on Thursday was shut down following a protest from a pro-choice group, whose members chanted over the speaker's words and blocked his visual presentation. The women's centre at SMU may launch a human rights complaint against the university chaplain, through whom a group of pro-life students booked a room for the event. The pro-life group is considering lodging a complaint against the university administrator who stopped the lecture. Halifax Chronicle-Herald | YouTube

uVic students, staff may have been exposed to TB

Approximately 250 University of Victoria students and staff are being notified by the Vancouver Island Health Authority that they may have been exposed to pulmonary tuberculosis. The individuals may have come in contact with a student who tested positive for TB. Free clinics will be set up on Wednesday at the university to test for the disease. VIHA News Release

Golden handshakes at "cash-strapped" Montreal universities

The Montreal Gazette observes "astonishing" payouts and severance packages at supposedly "cash-strapped" Quebec universities, and blames a "corporate sector business model." Ann Dowsett Johnston, former editor of Maclean's university rankings, earned $761,000 in salary, perks and severance for just 19 months at McGill. 2 senior administrators at UQAM, which was left nearly bankrupt following failed real-estate projects, collected a combined $326,000 in severance. Concordia president Claude Lajeunesse reportedly picked up $1 million in severance. McGill support staff bargaining for wage increases are incredulous. Montreal Gazette

Colleges Ontario ad campaign targets parents' biases

Colleges Ontario launched a new advertising campaign yesterday aimed at parents' biases about college and university. TV ads feature young people saying "It's all about M.E." as they address unseen parents about their education goals. The multi-media campaign encourages parents and students to recognize that a college education may be the best option for youth to realize their career goals. The $2.5-million campaign will run throughout Ontario in February and March, and again in the fall. The ads follow Colleges Ontario's "Obay" campaign, launched last year. Colleges Ontario News Release | TV Spot | My Education

Enrolment boom at St. Clair College Thames campus

Enrolment at the Thames campus of St. Clair College is at a record high, with over 1,100 students attending the campus. The boost in enrolment is being credited to new academic offerings, fast-track programs, the Ontario government's Second Career program, and a new student residence. Chatham Daily News

Declining demographics spark aggressive recruitment at Atlantic universities

With their local pool of 18- to 24-year-olds shrinking, universities in Atlantic Canada have been stepping up their recruitment and retention initiatives. The latest University Affairs speaks with uMoncton's Denis Boucher, Acadia's Scott Roberts, UNB's Susan Mesheau, uWindsor's Clayton Smith, and Academica Group's Ken Steele (among others) about marketing innovation. "We have to continually market to retain our students, because every day they make a decision to stay or to go." University Affairs

uOttawa makes statement on Rancourt dismissal recommendation

Last Friday, the University of Ottawa released a statement confirming that university administration has recommended to the board of governors to fire Denis Rancourt, a tenured professor who has been suspended and barred from a campus over a grading dispute. The statement says the administration had concerns that Rancourt's actions would impact the credibility of students' academic achievement and their ability to apply for scholarships or graduate school. The statement confirms a number of faculty colleagues have raised concerns about Rancourt's conduct. uOttawa News Release

Education spending necessary to BC economic stimulus

85% of British Columbians believe education spending should be a priority in the province's forthcoming budget, according to a recent poll conducted for the BC Coalition for Public Education. 70% of those polled cited tuition and other education costs as the single biggest factor in preventing BC residents from attending PSE. The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC says the public PSE system needs another $200-million to catch up with the rate of inflation, and to cover several expenses. Simon Fraser University was the site of a rally this weekend to protest underfunding of BC universities. BCCPE News Release | Vancouver Province | Burnaby Now | Poll results

Dal law students prefer JD over LLB

The majority of Dalhousie University law students who participated in a plebiscite last week voted in favour of switching their degree from the British designation bachelor of laws to the American Juris Doctor. A Dalhousie Law Students' Society representative says the vote shows it's time for the change, which has been happening at several other Canadian law schools. In 2007, a Queen's University professor suggested the school offer a JD, which drew criticism from alumni. Dal News | Halifax Chronicle-Herald