Top Ten
September 15, 2010
A new online video game that replicates the 2006 Dawson College shooting invites users to "storm Dawson College with your favourite rifle, and kill those students and kill any cops you can." The game has upset many Dawson students, with one calling it insensitive to survivors. A Dawson spokesperson refers to the game as a "misguided attempt at entertainment at the expense of people who were killed, hurt, and scarred psychologically." The game's creator, who goes by the online name "Virtuaman," told the CBC he was sorry he offended anybody, stating he only wanted to raise awareness about the reality of school shootings. News of the game's existence follows the release of the final report on the aftermath of the shooting. CBC | Montreal Gazette The federal government is stepping up its efforts to recruit qualified Chinese students to Canada through the expansion of the Student Partners Program (SPP), a joint initiative of Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges. First implemented in India, the SPP aims to increase the approval rate of study permit applications at 20 participating colleges. In the program's first year, the number of Indian students studying in Canada rose from just over 11,000 in 2008 to nearly 19,000 in 2009. China is the top source country for students studying in Canada, with nearly 50,000 Chinese students residing here last year. CIC News Release According to a new report, applications to American graduate schools rose after the economy tanked. Between fall 2008 and fall 2009, applications to grad schools in the US increased by 8.3%. Among those seeking entrance to grad school in 2009, the most popular fields were business, engineering, and the social and behavioural sciences. The area with the fastest growth in interest was health sciences, in which applications grew by 14.6%. For the first time, women accounted for a majority of PhDs awarded in the 2008-09 school year. From 2008 to 2009, men's enrolment in grad school increased by 6.7%, while women's enrolment rose by 4.7%. The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access) | Read the report The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario announced Monday a new program designed to strengthen southern Ontario's economy by bringing promising technology to market. Providing $75 million over 4 years, the Technology Development Program aims to encourage research and private sector organizations, PSE institutions, and non-profit organizations to collaborate to advance new and emerging technologies that have the potential to significantly expand the region's economy. FedDev Ontario News Release Yesterday Brescia University College unveiled its new 5-year strategic plan, which centres around 4 vision elements: to increase Brescia's student-centred focus; to become Canada's pre-eminent leadership destination for women; to build its strong community ties; and to enhance its innovation in research, teaching, and learning. Objectives include increasing student retention and satisfaction, increasing alumnae engagement and participation, and enhancing Brescia's research culture. Read the strategic plan The Université de Sherbrooke held a groundbreaking ceremony last Thursday for its new humanities and social sciences research facility, which received $8.1 million in funding from the federal and Quebec governments. To be built at uSherbrooke's main campus, the building will bring together researchers in the faculties of education and of humanities and social sciences. The facility, slated for completion in March 2011, will become the first edifice in Sherbrooke to receive LEED certification. uSherbrooke News Release (in French) Olds College reports that 670 first-year students are enrolled this fall, an increase of 8.8% over last year. With slight year-to-year fluctuations, first-year enrolment has risen steadily since 2003, when 563 students began September classes. Over the past 3 years, total fall enrolment at the Alberta-based institution has risen by 7.2%. Popular programs this year include land agent, veterinarian medical receptionist, business administration, fashion marketing, and turfgrass management. Olds College News Red Deer College is contemplating establishing an athletic sustainability fund to ensure college sports will not get cut in the event of a funding crunch. RDC president Joel Ward is proposing a fund, similar to those at American post-secondary institutions, that would be created through donations and endowments. The college dropped its hockey team in 2004 when it did not have the money for a full-time coach and extra funds to build a solid talent base. Ward says having an athletic sustainability fund could bring the hockey team back and ensure other sports get the funding they need. Red Deer Advocate The Ontario government announced Monday changes to the Ontario Opportunities Provincial Nominee Program to make it easier for international students graduating from master's degree programs in the province to become permanent residents. Such students can now apply for permanent residency without a job offer. Since April, the program has allowed international graduates of doctoral programs at eligible Ontario universities to apply for permanent residency without an offer of employment. Ontario News Release CollegeOnly is a new website where students can post messages and pictures away from the prying eyes of parents and instructors. The site, developed by a recent Princeton University graduate, is currently available to students at Cornell, Princeton, and Yale Universities, and there are plans to expand CollegeOnly to several other campuses. Another privacy-focused social network is in development. A group of New York University students are working on Diaspora, a site that intends to give its users more control over what they share. Unlike CollegeOnly, Diaspora will not be exclusive to college students. The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access)
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