April 27, 2009
Darren Davis, an education student at the University of Western Ontario, drowned in Nicaragua last Wednesday while on a UWO service-learning experience. The 37-year-old was an A student who was liked and respected by students in his practice teaching sessions. Because Davis completed the requirements, he will receive his diploma posthumously in June.
Western NewsOn Saturday, a University of New Brunswick student on exchange from Egypt was found dead in his room at the McLeod House residence. Police say the unidentified 21-year-old died from an unspecified complication of diabetes.
Times and TranscriptWith the Alberta government confirming projected zero increases in PSE operating grants starting next year, shortfalls at the University of Calgary are forecast to climb from $17 million in 2010 to $47 million in 2012. To erase those deficits, the university must either cut spending or find other sources of revenue. uCalgary must spend $8 million of this year's budget to eliminate the 2008-09 deficit brought on by
investment losses. In addition to a virtual hiring freeze in several departments, at least 8 support-staff positions have been
cut. Faculty deans have been told to avoid increases in this year's budget.
Calgary HeraldClasses resumed at the Université du Québec à Montréal yesterday as 91% of professors who had been on
strike since March 16 voted in favour of a new deal on Friday. The new contract includes an 11% pay hike over 4 years, and UQAM will hire 145 professors over 5 years. Because of the strike, the semester will likely extend several weeks and more classes will be held on weekends.
Montreal Gazette |
CBCThe Lakehead University Faculty Association plans to fight a 4-day shutdown just before this Christmas, which will mean a loss of pay for most university employees, because the move would violate the collective agreement the association has with Lakehead. In a memo sent to employees last week, the university says the shutdown is meant to "generate bottom-line savings." The faculty association's chief negotiator calls the proposed shutdown a "major embarrassment." The association claims the university's long-term debt of $103 million is too high and is questioning recent decisions by Lakehead management.
Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal In a bid to strengthen Atlantic Baptist University's position as a leader in English PSE in Metro Moncton, the New Brunswick government has reversed its decision to
exempt ABU graduates from qualifying for the student debt gap program, in which the province forgives student loans above $26,000. The program was originally available to graduates of publicly-funded universities only. The province is also prepared to commit $6 million to ABU's
$24-million expansion project should the federal government also provide funding for the project.
Times and TranscriptAs stated in its 2009-10 budget and strategic plan, Fanshawe College is responding to community retraining and Second Career needs through compressed delivery and continuous intake programs. To meet increased demand for services and programs, the college has 2 major capital projects in London that are shovel-ready pending government funding: an Applied Transportation Technology centre and a classroom building. Fanshawe will undertake master planning exercises at its Simcoe, Woodstock, and St. Thomas campuses to identify future needs aligned with the business and programming plans of each campus.
Fanshawe News ReleaseAccording to a new Harris Decima poll, 67% of Canadians are concerned about research funding cuts, and of those 50% stated they were "very concerned." 66% said scientific communities should set research priorities, compared to 34% who chose the federal government. 44% said they trust university and college researchers in the current debate over research funding.
CAUT News |
Read the poll resultsCarleton University has been forced to put plans to begin constructing the
Canal Building on hold after the 90-day tender expired last Tuesday. The university has yet to hear from either the Ontario or federal governments about its share of infrastructure funding. Should Carleton get funding, it will have to renegotiate the contract. Meanwhile, the tender is still out for the
River Building.
Ottawa CitizenEarlier this month, the academic governing council of Grant MacEwan College voted to propose a name change to
MacEwan University. Amin Malak, who teaches English at the college, suggests the school adopt the University of Edmonton as its name. Edmonton is one of the few major cities in Canada without a post-secondary institution named after it. The name uEdmonton would make the school easy for prospective students to locate geographically. The future university can still honour the college's namesake by naming a campus or a research chair after Dr. Grant MacEwan.
Edmonton Journal
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