Top Ten
October 1, 2010
Yukon's education minister is facing scrutiny over comments he made last week in which he blamed Yukon College for a funding shortfall to construct a new campus. In response to the opposition Liberals' accusation that the territory made the education department cut $150,000 from its operations and management budget to pay for the college's new Pelly Crossing campus, which has come in thousands of dollars over budget, the minister denied any cuts were made, and said it was Yukon College's fault that it has to put up the extra funds. The construction estimate the college provided was too low, the minister stated in the legislature. However, a college spokeswoman told the CBC that the territorial government handled the tender and estimate process for the new campus. CBC A group of 15 Thompson, Manitoba residents are threatening legal action against the construction of a new $82-million University College of the North campus, whose development includes a student family housing complex. The group claims Thompson city council ignored planning rules and procedures and that it is turning over to UCN significant community recreational space for multi-bedroom family housing, which the residents say is not considered a usual part of a university campus in Canada. The group wants the student housing built somewhere else in the city, and that the on-campus, volunteer-operated recreational facilities be preserved. Winnipeg Free Press Since fall 2007, (when Academica Group worked with the College on recruitment marketing plans), Sault College in Sault Ste Marie Ontario has seen its full-time student enrolment increase by 22%. This fall, full-time student enrolment reached 2,386 students, the highest head-count the institution has seen in the last few years. Of these students, 700 have come from outside Sault Ste. Marie. When accounting for apprentice and part-time students, enrolment at Sault College tops 4,100. Sault College News Release On Friday, Assiniboine Community College celebrated the official opening of its $46-million Len Evans Centre for Trades and Technology, named after the long-time Brandon MLA. Designed to the LEED Gold building standard, the facility will accommodate over 1,400 students, including more than 700 new apprenticeship spaces. All of the college's existing trade certificate and diploma programs have moved to the new location, along with apprenticeship offerings. Manitoba News Release In a policy paper, the Council of Ontario Universities outlines the vision it believes the proposed Ontario Online Institute can make a reality within 5 years. Benefits to the province and students, COU states, include expanded access to higher education, reduced need to build new classroom facilities to accommodate all growth in enrolments, the flexibility to balance studies with work and family priorities, and the option to choose from a range of instructional formats. COU notes there are 3 necessary conditions for this 5-year time frame to be met: the Institute cannot be a new degree-granting entity; implementation should proceed in stages; and the province must make adequate funding available to support the launch of the Institute and its operations over the long term. Read the policy paper At a meeting late last month, North Island College's board of governors approved the institution's 2011-15 strategic plan. Called Participation, Partnerships and Pathways, the plan outlines 6 strategic directions to help NIC achieve its vision of "being a premier community and destination college, in a spectacular West-Coast environment, that inspires and prepares students for success in a rapidly changing world." The strategic directions include developing responsive curriculum and services; supporting student success; increasing participation through active community partnership; expanding opportunities through regional and international partnership; promoting awareness of the value of education; and enhancing employee engagement. Comox Valley Record Ontario's minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities and Quebec's ministers of Education and of Employment and Social Solidarity have written to federal Industry Minister Tony Clement expressing their concerns over the federal government's decision to replace the mandatory long-form census with a new voluntary National Household Survey. "Reliable data is essential in evaluating programs and shaping policy to ensure that we have the best possible postsecondary education and training systems and, ultimately, that all individuals have the opportunity to succeed in the knowledge-based economy." The ministers urge Clement to reverse the census decision as soon as possible. Toronto Sun In a new video from the University of the Fraser Valley, the institution's fake doctor, a paleostrophysiologist, points out that a brain with UFV is scientifically proven to outperform a brain without UFV 11 times out of 10. Students already taking UFV ask, shouldn't everyone be on UFV? No, the fake doctor stresses, stating that UFV should not be taken by individuals with adverse reaction to quality education, awesome things, small groups of really interesting people, and excellence in general. Potential side effects when taking UFV may include fun times, increased intelligence, the ability to think critically, job marketability, and sudden fits of awesomeness. UFV is for ME! Mount Allison University has launched a new Web-based recruiting tool called Datatel Recruiter to help the institution build and maintain relationships with prospective students. Mount Allison is the first Canadian university to adopt this technology. The software enables prospective students to better control the information they share with Mount Allison and to better identify areas of interest, allowing admissions counsellors to stay connected and quickly respond to individual students' inquiries, needs, and requests. Mount Allison News Last week, Georgian College launched a new-look website. The top half of the homepage features a rotating graphic banner promoting the college's music playlist, several programs, the library, and the University Partnership Centre. The website includes links to Georgian's new virtual tour and to its social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Georgian College website
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