October 22, 2009
Yesterday the
Globe and Mail released its 8th annual Canadian University Report. One key finding in the survey is that students representing smaller campuses in the country report better student-faculty interaction than the larger schools. In terms of overall student satisfaction, UWO received an "A" among large universities; UoGuelph earned an "A+" among medium-sized institutions; UFV, Nipissing, and StFX all scored "A" grades in the small universities category; and Bishop's U, Redeemer, The King's University College (Edmonton), and TWU represented most satisfied for very small universities. The report includes articles on a variety of topics, including the
use of social networks in admissions,
learning technology, and
today's generation of first-year students. There is also an interview with
uOttawa president Allan Rock, and features on
UoGuelph, the
Alma Mater Society at Queen's, and the
"ultimate college town" -- Halifax.
CTVglobemedia News Release |
Canadian University Report 2010 |
Campus NavigatorAccording to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, there are an additional 38,000 full-time students enrolled in universities across the country this year compared to last fall. There are approximately 870,000 full-time students enrolled in universities -- 733,500 in undergraduate programs and 136,500 in graduate programs -- an increase of 29,000 and 9,000 students, respectively. This fall, Canadian universities attracted an additional 7,000 full-time international students.
AUCC News ReleaseGeorgian and Centennial Colleges are holding groundbreaking ceremonies today for new facilities. Georgian will kick off construction of its $65-million
Centre for Health and Wellness. Set to open in September 2011, the 165,000-square-foot building will accommodate 3,000 students, allowing the school to double its current Health and Wellness enrolment. Centennial will break ground for its $46-million Library and Academic Facility. The 103,500-square-foot building will feature a full-service library, 22 additional classrooms, lab space, a living bio-wall, and a large lecture theatre.
Bracebridge Examiner |
Centennial Media AdvisoryLast Thursday, architects working on the new $9.8-million trades training facility at BC-based College of New Caledonia's North Cariboo Community campus unveiled their blueprints to government officials. Slated for completion in February 2011, the facility will include a total area of more than 2,600 square metres of instructional shops, classrooms, and lab and office spaces. The building will accommodate a number of trades and technology programs, including carpentry, mechanics, and plumbing.
BC News ReleaseThe British Columbia Institute of Technology recently received over $7 million in provincial and federal funding for new innovation and commercialization services to be delivered by the institution. A $3-million federal investment will help create the Centre for Applied Research and Innovation, designed to assist the commercialization of innovative products from BC's entrepreneurs and small businesses. The BC government is pledging $1.5 million in capital and $2.69 million in research funding to ensure BCIT continues to help educate and discover technological- and business-related solutions for industry.
BCIT News ReleaseLast Wednesday, Alberta-based Northern Lakes College celebrated the opening of a new residence in Slave Lake, part of a push to educate more local people for employment in the oilsands. The $4.9-million, 52-bed townhouse-style residence will be particularly useful for apprenticeship students, who have difficulty finding short-term accommodation during 8- to 12-week courses.
Northern Lakes College News Release |
Edmonton Journal St. Clair College is asking the County of Essex to contribute $2 million to a proposed $14-million fitness and health complex at the school's main South Windsor campus. College president John Strasser says the City of Windsor will also get a grant request shortly, but the amount has not yet been determined. Last October, St. Clair launched a
$23-million capital campaign in support of the planned HealthPlex facilities at the Windsor and Chatham campuses. The goal is to have the facilities open by September 2012.
Windsor Star The University of Western Ontario has introduced a redesigned alumni-oriented website. The new-look site lists information on alumni vacations, programs for senior alumni, and events for future alumni. "Alumni Western" features profiles on notable alumni, institutional news, and alumni publications. The site also includes links UWO's Facebook page, Flickr gallery, Twitter account, and YouTube channel.
Alumni WesternA new report from the C.D. Howe Institute concludes that high-school dropout rates in Canada are, in many cases, high, and are costly to society. The problem is particularly acute among Aboriginal individuals and francophone Quebecers. The report found Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, and Alberta have higher dropout rates among youth aged 20 to 24 than do Quebec francophones. The major factor underlying the high dropout rates in the Prairies is the concentration of Aboriginal people and their low high-school completion rate. A range of potential interventions outlined in the report include campaigns to shift cultural attitudes towards education, investment in early childhood and early primary school programing, and major institutional reform of on-reserve school administration.
C.D. Howe Institute News Release |
Read the full reportIn a new survey of senior officials at 182 American public and private non-profit colleges, 45% of respondents reported that their school did not know whether their online programs were making or losing money. 45% said they reorganized management of online programs in the last 2 years, with 52% expecting to reshuffle in the next 2 years. While a strong majority of those surveyed said they believed the quality of online education was comparable to face-to-face instruction, about half report that at their institutions, professors are in charge of determining whether that is the case. Asked to identify factors hindering the growth of online programs, respondents cited faculty resistance, lack of key resources, program accreditation, and federal regulations as the top roadblocks.
Inside Higher Ed |
Campus Computing Project
rtraction