Top Ten

February 20, 2009

Dal opens Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Facility

Last Thursday, Dalhousie University unveiled its new Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Facility at the National Research Council Institute for Marine Biosciences. The $4-million facility boasts the world's most sensitive MRI machine, whose abilities will allow researchers developing new drugs to determine how the compounds they create interact with substances in the body. Halifax Chronicle-Herald | CBC

Report recommends Carleton house outdoor stadium

A report commissioned for the City of Ottawa identified Carleton University as one of 2 sites most optimal for a multi-purpose outdoor stadium. The top 23 sites recommended in the report were judged on development costs, impact on neighbours, transportation and access, and planning and infrastructure. Following public consultation, the city is expected to make a decision about a stadium site in late April. Ottawa Sun

$2 million for NSCC Centre for the Built Environment

Nova Scotia Power Inc is donating $1.5 million over 5 years to Nova Scotia Community College for the school's Centre for the Built Environment, currently under construction at the Waterfront campus. Slated to open in 2010, the centre will be home to a number of programs within the college's School of Trades and Technology, and will allow students and researchers to study the facility's own use of geo-thermal, solar, and wind power. NSCC News Release

Tamil Tigers rally at York

On Friday, the National Post uploaded photos on its website depicting an overtly pro-Tamil Tigers student rally that took place at York University last Tuesday afternoon. Canada lists the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist organization. With the pictures showing that no effort was made to hide the nature of the rally, "it raises questions about York and its apparent willingness to harbour bigotry and political extremism," writes the Post's Kelly McParland. National Post

UoGuelph criticized for rejecting Arboretum memorial request

The University of Guelph has been receiving negative phone calls and letters calling staff "spineless cowards" for turning down a request from a retired firefighter to establish a monument at the school's Arboretum to honour Aqsa Parvez, a 16-year-old Mississauga girl whose death in December 2007 was originally speculated to have been an honour killing. UoGuelph declined to establish the monument because the blog of an American journalist who helped raise funds for the memorial is "politically charged" and voices strong anti-Islamic views, and the university was leery that a memorial could be viewed as an endorsement. Guelph Mercury

Maritime university participation rates distorted by students from away

The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission recently released a set of 10 measures of university participation in the region. The measures -- based on factors such as students' geographic origin, age, and gender -- explores the Maritimes' historically high university participation rate in comparison to the Canadian average. The measures reveal that the influx of student from outside the region contributes to the high rate, and that university enrolment of Maritimers has plateaued in the past few years. MPHEC News Release | MPHEC Data

Postscript: Jun 30, 2009
Last Wednesday, the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission released a paper drawing on an examination on 10 measures regarding university participation in the region. The report notes that Maritime universities attract high number of students from within and outside the region, and a high proportion of Maritime youth between the ages of 18 and 24 go to university in the region or elsewhere in Canada. The paper states that the geographic origin of students needs to be taken into account in policy discussion on university participation, particularly in the Maritimes. MPHEC News Release | Read the full report

Supreme Court upholds petroleum R&D funding

Last Thursday, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear a case brought by Hibernia Management and Development and Petro-Canada about the 2 oil companies being required to spend millions of dollars from offshore oil revenue on research and development, most of which is conducted at Memorial University. The companies objected to the regulations set out by the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, and argued that the board did not have jurisdiction in the matter. CBC

More Quebec students eligible for student loan interest refund

Late last month, the Quebec Superior Court ordered the province to reimburse 15,000 former students who were left out of a settlement reached last May when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Quebec government charged too much interest to 80,000 students receiving provincial loans before April 30, 1998. The province originally denied the additional students the refund because they had resumed their studies after the cutoff date. CBC

UBC to slash student intramural and recreation fees

Starting this fall, the University of British Columbia will implement significant student fee reductions to intramural and recreation activities at its Vancouver campus. For example, a one-semester pass to the BirdCoop Fitness Centre, currently priced at $148, will cost $25. The drop in fees stems from a student-led lobbying campaign, and is being realized through continuing financial support from the Alma Mater Society, as well as increased net revenues from the university's Athletics and Recreation business operations. UBC News Release

Study finds podcast lectures improve grades

New research from the State University of New York in Fredonia concluded that students who download a podcast lecture earn substantially higher test results than those who attend a large lecture in person. Students who attended a lecture from an introductory psychology course received an average 62% on the exam, while those who listened to the podcast one or more times and took notes earned an average 77%. The lead research says podcasted lectures allow students to replay difficult parts of a lecture and thus take better notes. New Scientist

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