September 9, 2010
Yesterday researchers released the results of their 3-year study, a world first, into the 2006 Dawson College shooting. Nearly 1,000 students and staff attending or working at Dawson at the time of the incident participated in the study. 30% of respondents experienced a psychological disorder, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, alcohol dependence, and social phobia. Those with pre-existing mental disorders experienced difficulty up to 18 months following the shooting. Overall, 13% of the college's population sought professional help following the incident, while another 14% accessed mental health information online. Researchers also released detailed reports that review the medical response; make recommendations to educational institutions, hospitals, social services, and the government; and propose a multimodal intervention program to be implemented should a similar incident occur in the future.
MUHC News ReleaseIf New Brunswick's Liberal government is re-elected this month, it intends to lower the student debt cap from $26,000 to $24,000, Premier Shawn Graham announced Wednesday. The party also plans to increase the tuition tax rebate program from $20,000 to $25,000. The Liberals' other PSE-related promises include creating a new Graduate Placement Program to identify opportunities for students to work in NB after graduation; developing an e-post-secondary strategy to connect universities, colleges, high schools, students, and research centres; and continuing to improve PSE accessibility for Aboriginal students and persons with disabilities.
NB Liberal News Release |
Times & TranscriptThe number of Indian students issued visas to study in Canada has seen a sharp increase in the recent past, Citizen and Immigration Canada (CIC) reports. By the end of this year, it is estimated that the number of student visas the federal government issues to Indian students will have tripled over 2008 levels. This is in part attributed to the
Canada-in-India Student Partners Program CIC launched in co-operation with ACCC.
CIC News ReleaseFirst-year enrolment at Georgian College is now projected to increase more than 6% over last year. For the first time, over 5,000 new students have registered for first-year classes in diploma and degree programs at Georgian and its University Partnership Centre (UPC). Overall, total full-time enrolment has risen by 9% to over 10,000 students at all campuses and in all years of programs. This enrolment record is part of a decade-long trend that has seen combined college and UPC enrolment at Georgian increase 65% from 2000 to 2009.
Georgian News ReleaseConestoga College's 4-year mechanical systems engineering degree program has been accredited by Engineers Canada following a review by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. Conestoga is the first college in Ontario and the second institute of technology in Canada, following
BCIT, to have its engineering degree program accredited. The full accreditation confirms the acceptance of Conestoga's program within the professional community of employers and partners.
Conestoga News Release |
Waterloo Region RecordLast Friday, Winnipeg-based Canadian Mennonite University celebrated the opening of its new science laboratory, which received funding from the federal and Manitoba governments under the Knowledge Infrastructure Program. With the 1,200-square-foot teaching lab, preparatory lab, and improved storage facilities, CMU will be able to grow its course offerings and teach advanced-level science courses with lab components in biochemistry, organic chemistry, cell biology, microbiology, genetics, and physics.
Manitoba News ReleaseAt a pep rally Tuesday as part of UBC's orientation activities, the institution played a video showcasing what it means to be a UBC student. The production is a dialogue between incoming and senior students. The video begins with first-years students describing who they are, with reference to
Beloit College's Mindset List for the Class of 2014. Although they are just starting out, the students state, they know they are part of something big, because they are part of a family of peacemakers, beat shakers, and challenge takers. "You are UBC," the senior students tell the new class, wishing the incoming students will soon call UBC their home, a place where they can meet and exceed the challenges of our time.
Watch the videoAlgonquin College, the Université de Moncton, and York University's fine arts faculty have recently developed mobile-friendly versions of their websites. Algonquin's mobile site allows students to access their e-mail and timetables, includes campus maps and emergency contact info, and provides access to the college's social media channels. On uMoncton's mobile site, users can access the telephone directory, news, event listings, videos, and Twitter. York U's FA4U (Fine Arts for You) features a student guide, information about life in Toronto, and a student-produced video showing fine arts students "in action" in the faculty's studios, stages, and labs.
Algonquin College News Release |
uMoncton News (in French) |
Y-FileFor one week, starting Monday, students, faculty, and staff at Pennsylvania's Harrisburg University of Science and Technology will not be able to access social media tools from computers using the campus network. The institution will also disable the wiki and chat features in its learning management system. The intent of the experiment is to evaluate the extent to which social media are integrated into the professional and personal lives of people on campus, and to contemplate what has been gained and what has been sacrificed. Students will be asked to write essays reflecting on their time during the social-media blackout. There is some doubt as to how much Harrisburg U can learn in just one week. A TWU philosophy professor challenges his students to
abstain from traditional and social media for a whole semester for extra credit.
Inside Higher EdAccording to a UBC study, students who commit academic misconduct often have personality disorders that make them manipulative, arrogant, callous, and difficult to handle. Published this month by the American Psychology Association, the research found students who admitted to cheating ranked high on tests that identified 3 personality disorders referred to as the "dark triad": psychopathy, Machiavellianism (manipulativeness), and narcissism. The study concludes that secondary and post-secondary schools have to find creative ways of discouraging cheaters because many are not afraid of punishment, are amoral, and have a strong sense of entitlement.
APA News Release |
Vancouver Sun |
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