Top Ten
March 17, 2011
Merger study prompts further review of CTRC, St. Peter's College governance
Saskatchewan's advanced education minister Rob Norris has requested the boards of both Carlton Trail Regional College (CTRC) and St. Peter's College immediately place the current CEO on administrative leave pending the outcome of a review of the institutions' governance and leadership, about which concerns were prompted by some of the information collected during an independent study that concludes CTRC and St. Peter's College are not ready for a merger. According to the report, some key elements to support the merger, including a governance structure providing oversight and accountability for public funds, are currently missing. Saskatchewan News Release
OUSA report calls for fairness and improved support for foreign students
In a report released yesterday outlining the benefits of greater internationalization, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance calls on post-secondary schools and government to offer international students a more supportive learning environment at a fair cost. Recommendations include government regulation of tuition fee increases beyond the first year so that foreign students know the full cost of their education before enrolling; a tuition set-aside program for foreign students to fund need-based assistance currently available at less than half of Ontario universities; and providing incentives for institutions to expand the range and quality of support programs for international students. OUSA News Release | Read the report
Teacher education applications decline in Ontario
According to Ontario Universities' Application Centre figures for March, 11,048 individuals have made 33,336 applications to teacher education programs in the province, down from 11,903 applicants and 35,542 applications recorded in March 2010. Among the 13 universities receiving applications to teacher education programs, all but one institution have seen a drop in applications this March compared to last year, while applications to Brock University are up 40.8%. According to application statistics for March 2002-2011, the number of applications to teacher education programs in Ontario has declined every year since 2007. Teaching Education Application Statistics -- March 2011
uCalgary eyes redevelopment of McMahon Stadium site
The University of Calgary has put out a request for proposals for the redevelopment of the McMahon Stadium site, which the institution has owned since 1985. The McMahon Stadium Society has a long list of necessary stadium upgrades and improvement that need to start within the next few years, and uCalgary says leveraging the adjacent land could help fund those upgrades. Possible development ideas that could be explored for "underutilized" land around the stadium include retail, commercial, and residential uses. Any redevelopment plan would ensure that both the uCalgary Dino's football program and the Calgary Stampeders continue to operate at the stadium. UToday | Calgary Herald
Ottawa "starving management education," says Rotman dean
In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Roger Martin, dean of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, says "Canadian business schools have to do so much with so little, which is the story in the Canadian university system, in part." When the economy recovered in the mid- to late-1990s, the federal government reinvested in education in the only way it can directly, through research chairs and the like, but Ottawa "totally bypassed business education," Martin states. "Extremely stretched and massively underfunded" compared to the top business schools worldwide, Canadian schools are doing their best to keep up and develop world-class programs, but basically only 3 business schools in the country are "globally consequential," Martin says. Globe and Mail
uSask students rally for Aboriginal student centre
About 50 students, faculty, and concerned citizens rallied at the University of Saskatchewan Wednesday to support a proposal for a new Aboriginal student centre, a $15-million project that has struggled to secure funding. uSask students -- Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal -- say it's time to get serious about funding the Gordon Oakes-Red Bear Student Centre, which aims to centralize Aboriginal student services on campus in one location. uSask has looked at funding opportunities with First Nations and the province, but no deals materialized. A centre committee is now hoping to attract corporate donors. Saskatoon Star-Phoenix
Law school applications drop in US
Applications to American law schools are down sharply this year as prospective students become increasingly aware of the grim job market for lawyers and the challenges they would face in paying off loans. According to the Law School Admission Council Inc., the number of law-school applicants this year is down 11.5% from a year ago. This figure, which is a tally of applications for the fall 2011 class, is the lowest since 2001 at this point in the process. One law dean, whose school has seen a decline in applications of more than 11% this year, says it is a good thing prospective students are more "clear eyed" about the risks and rewards of a law degree. "The froth of the application pool" -- those who saw law school as a safe bet -- "is pretty well gone," the dean says. Wall Street Journal
Overseas fee income rises for English universities
According to a new study by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, income from tuition fees paid by overseas students increased by 17.8% last year. By the end of the 2009-10 school year, fees from non-European Union students accounted for 9.6% of total income, the highest level to date. The report notes that most institutions expect overseas fee income to rise, with 21 universities considering an increase of more than 25% this year. Total income for universities was 22.2 billion, representing a 5.7% increase over the previous year. The main reason for this is identified as the "significant" rise in tuition fee income from domestic and international students. Times Higher Education
Employment among Canadian youth rises in February
According to the latest Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada, the number of employed 15- to 24-year-olds increased by 16,000 last month, all in part-time work. The youth unemployment rate edged down to 14.3%. Over the last 12 months, employment for 15- to 24-year-olds has risen by 1.1% (+26,000). Youth in PEI made the most gains in February with a 1.5 percentage point increase in their employment rate, and Alberta and Manitoba recorded the highest youth employment rate, which sits at 60.9% in both provinces. Statistics Canada | Labour Force Survey
