Top Ten
March 3, 2011
BC to lift moratorium on new degree proposals
The BC ministries responsible for higher education will lift the moratorium that was put in place last year on the granting of new degrees. When the initiative was announced, the province said it wanted to make sure institutions were offering programs that were regionally coordinated and linked to future labour-market demands. In its submission to an independent review of the degree assessment process, the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC (FSPE) called on the government to open the process to include more faculty input. FSPE also cautioned the province not to embrace the US-style accreditation system that some in BC's business community are advocating. The final report from the review is expected to be tabled in April. FSPE News
uWinnipeg faculty association members set strike deadline
In a vote this week, most of the 350 members of the University of Winnipeg Faculty Association (UWFA) voted in favour of setting a strike deadline of 12:01 am, Wednesday, March 9. The vote passed with 90% support, says UWFA's president. The institution and the UWFA bargaining group, which represents professors, librarians, coaches, and counsellors, returned to the bargaining table yesterday. Faculty have been without a contract since last March. Winnipeg Free Press | CBC
TRU proposes pay premiums for law professors
In order to draw law professors to Kamloops, Thompson Rivers University administration has asked the faculty association to approve a plan to pay at least some of the professors more than those in other faculties. "In order to provide a quality student experience we need to hire quality law faculty, and these faculty are highly sought after," the university says in a statement. "We have done market research on the current salary levels for law faculty across the country and TRU is proposing competitive market salaries." A TRU spokesman says he is confident the requests and talks will not compromise the law school's scheduled opening this September. Kamloops Daily News
Move of Boréal's Toronto branches may be delayed
Late last year, Collège Boréal announced plans to open a new, larger building in September 2012 to consolidate students from its 2 Toronto-area campuses, but it now appears that deadline will not be met. A Boréal official says an enrolment increase in the last year at the college's Toronto locations means an eventual move is even more necessary. In response to the growing student population, Boréal is planning a space that will include a school daycare centre, as well as new programs in health services, social services, and trades. For now, Boréal is staying in its East York location, which it shares with Centennial College. Toronto Observer
CNC board approves new strategic plan
Last Friday, College of New Caledonia's board of governors approved a new strategic plan that defines the BC-based institution's priorities, goals, and guiding principles over the next 5 years. The plan outlines 6 overall priority themes and 18 goals, including increasing Aboriginal student access, enrolment, and completion rates; expanding and enhancing instructional delivery methods using online, videoconferencing, and other educational technologies; and expanding international education programs and opportunities. CNC News Release
StatsCan fact sheet looks at female-male patterns among PhD students, university faculty
In a new fact sheet, Statistics Canada reports that between 1993-94 and 2008-09, the number of women enrolled in doctoral programs had more than doubled, and in 2008-09 women accounted for 47% of total enrolments. Although women still accounted for less than half (44%) of all graduates from PhD programs by 2008, the gender gap had narrowed considerably compared to 1993. While their female peers may have a much stronger presence in education, male graduates continue to represent the majority -- three-quarters or more -- of earned doctorates in 2 fields of study: mathematics, computer, and information science; and architecture, engineering, and related technologies. In 2008-09, the fact sheet states, women accounted for a third of all full-time university teaching staff with doctorates. Read the fact sheet
Globe runs special feature on colleges and institutes
Last Wednesday's Globe and Mail included a supplement on Canadian colleges and institutes, reporting on calls on government to rethink the college funding model in order to address the skills crisis, and on how colleges are key to the country's competitive advantage. The supplement profiles Seneca College's long-standing partnership with Mozilla Corporation, Centennial's Signature Learning Experience, and Mohawk College's iDeaWorks, a research and education initiative designed to produce "future-ready" graduates. NAIT, George Brown College, Bow Valley College, Marie-Victorin College, SIAST, St. Lawrence College, Camosun, Humber, and Sheridan are also featured. Read the supplement
ACCC makes recommendations to Expert Review Panel on R&D
In its submission to the federal government's review of federal support to research and development, the Association of Canadian Community Colleges suggests NSERC's College and Community Innovation Program should be further leveraged through an investment in the Technology Access Centres. Another recommendation is to have tri-council scholarships open to college and institute students, a move which would respond to the government's commitment to expose more students to private sector challenges and stimulate students' interest to do research. Currently, the federal government invests less than 1% of its R&D budget in colleges and institutes to assist business, and ACCC would like to see that figure rise to 5%. Read the submission
OISE announces winners in first round of "I am an OISE teacher" video contest
Last month, the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) held an awards gala where a panel judged the submissions of 19 students who participated in the "I am an OISE Teacher" video contest, which gave students the opportunity to "speak" to the next generation of teacher candidates about their experiences in becoming a teacher. Of the nominees, 6 were named grand prize winners. In the next round of competition, the "OISE People's Choice Awards," viewers can vote for their favourite video by indicating a "like" on OISE's YouTube channel. The top 3 "liked" videos will receive a cash prize. The voting will remain open until April 7. OISE News | YouTube
King's launches mobile site
University of Western Ontario affiliate King's University College has developed a mobile version of its website. Among the features available are bus schedules, event listings, campus maps, and library catalogue searches. The mobile site includes links the institution's Facebook and Twitter accounts. In 2009, King's launched a mobile website for student recruitment. King's News | King's mobile site
