Top Ten
January 26, 2010
uWindsor considers partnership with private PSE to recruit, teach foreign students
We mentioned in Monday's Top Ten that Dalhousie University is pursuing a partnership with a for-profit education company to recruit and teach international students. The Windsor Star reports that the University of Windsor is considering a similar agreement with Australian-based Study Group International. If the partnership is approved, the company would recruit foreign students and provide them with first-year instruction at a centre on uWindsor's campus. If the students pass, the university would automatically accept them into second year. A spokesman with the Canadian Association of University Teachers calls the outsourcing trend among universities "disturbing," stating that in the end "it will tarnish their brand name." Windsor StarOttawa distributes $17 million for research projects in Nova Scotia
The federal government announced Monday $16.7 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund to support 7 R&D projects in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Agricultural College will receive $2.4 million over 5 years for research into the prevention of needle loss in balsam fir Christmas trees. The Brain Repair Centre at Dalhousie University will receive $1.8 million over 5 years for research into cognitive impairment. ACOA News ReleaseQueen's students propose fee to bolster university operating budget
2 Queen's University undergraduate students are proposing a $70 optional fee to go towards the school's operating budget in light of the university's projected $8.3-million operating deficit for 2009-10. One of the students, a trustee with the Alma Mater Society, believes contributing to the operating budget would make a difference in the quality of education at Queen's. Based on the students' calculations, Queen's would accumulate more than $1 million in 3 years if half of its undergraduate students paid the fee. The fee's proponents are holding off on proposing the issue in an upcoming student referendum, as a small survey suggested students are not all that aware about the proposal. Queen's Journal (student newspaper)E-mail phishing attacks at York, Concordia
York and Concordia Universities have alerted their respective campus communities of recent phishing scams. In both cases, fraudulent messages have been sent to university e-mail accounts asking recipients to reply with personal information. York reports a small number of people have responded to these messages, resulting in their e-mail accounts being taken over and used to send spam e-mail. Both York and Concordia stress that they will never send notifications asking for passwords or personal information. Y-File | Concordia NewsBrock opens new extension of education faculty building
Last Thursday, Brock University officially opened the 20,000-square-foot extension of Robert S. K. Welch Hall, which has been home to the institution's education faculty for the past 40 years. The $8.5-million addition includes 2 faculty meeting rooms, a teaching assistants' office, a graduate student computer lab/suite, and 62 faculty offices. Brock News ReleaseAboriginal Student Centre opens at UBC-O
Last Friday, the University of British Columbia--Okanagan celebrated the official opening of the new Aboriginal Student Centre. Located within UBC-O's university centre complex, the 256-square-metre facility features a cultural commons area and student lounge. The centre will host student gatherings, meetings, cultural activities and celebrations, and foster interaction with Aboriginal elders. The BC government is investing $13.6 million to create gathering places that reflect Aboriginal culture at the province's public post-secondary institutions. BC News ReleaseSLC seeks municipal support for Cornwall campus revitalization project
Officials at St. Lawrence College have asked the City of Cornwall to contribute $1 million towards the $14.5-million revitalization project at the college's Cornwall campus. The school and its foundation hope to raise $4.5 million for the project, which received $10 million in government funding. In their pitch to city council Monday night, St. Lawrence officials said the project will result in state-of-the-art learning environments and ensure student success in the future. They also pointed to the "priceless" economic impact of the Cornwall campus -- its staff and students generate an estimated $22 million in annual economic spin-offs. Cornwall Standard-Freeholder
Postscript: Feb 25, 2010
On Monday, the City of Cornwall approved St. Lawrence's request for $1 million in municipal funding to support the $14.5-million revitalization of the college's Cornwall campus. The money will be funded from the tax base over a 10-year period, with $100,000 being contributed annually. A local counties council recently turned down a similar funding request. Cornwall Standard-Freeholder
