Top Ten
May 31, 2011
Queen's responds to coroner's recommendations related to student deaths
Queen's University is responding to the regional supervising coroner's recommendations that the institution review and make changes to the non-academic student discipline system, alcohol policies and alcohol in residences, and work to change the "culture of drinking on campus" following the deaths of 2 first-year students last fall. Queen's principal Daniel Woolf says work is already underway in several key areas as part of the institution's student health and wellness model, which launched earlier this year and builds on existing initiatives. Queen's News Centre | Kingston Whig-Standard
Ontario developing policy to govern approval of new satellite campuses
As outlined in its new 5-year plan for the province's higher education sector, the Ontario government will develop a formal policy that will give it the authority to determine where new satellite campuses are located. The policy will establish a competitive bid process that will allow PSE institutions to submit proposals for specific satellite-campus locations that the Ontario government will specify. The move is an effort to avoid uneven clusters of higher learning in parts of the province that leave other areas starved for PSE programs. Wilfrid Laurier University president Max Blouw says he hopes the government will agree Milton needs a university campus so the institution can bid on the contract. A government spokesperson would say only that the Milton proposal "will be subject to the new process, which means the government determines where satellite campuses need to go." WLU News | Toronto Star
Man arrested in anti-female incidents at uWaterloo
Waterloo Regional Police have charged a 34-year-old former University of Waterloo student in connection with a series of anti-female posters and e-mails that have plagued the institutional community since February. uWaterloo launched an investigation after an e-mail claiming to be from president Feridun Hamdullahpur was circulated with a message that showed a nuclear bomb and Marie Curie, and implied that women should not hold positions of power. The institution had earlier received complaints about anti-female posters put over student election campaign signs of female candidates. Police say the criminal investigation continues and may lead to further charges. uWaterloo Daily Bulletin | Waterloo Region Record
Seneca considers moving flight school to Oshawa
Seneca College is searching for a new home for its aviation school, and the plan is to land in Oshawa. Seneca officials have asked the City of Oshawa to put 3 lots at the Oshawa Municipal Airport on hold for the potential development of a $20-million facility. The college's aviation program is currently based at Buttonville Airport, which is expected to close in the next 3 to 5 years following a decision to sell and develop the site. Seneca staff have been exploring relocation options in Toronto, Peterborough, Markham, Brampton, and Oshawa, with an eye to move by 2014. A Seneca official says Oshawa is a good fit because of its proximity to the college's other campuses and potential partnerships with Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Durham Region News
Ottawa distributes more than $8 million in Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants
On Monday the federal government announced the recipients of the Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants, a brand new initiative under the College and Community Innovation Program. A total of 35 colleges will share more than $8 million in these grants, which support the purchase of research equipment and installations to foster and enhance the ability of colleges to conduct applied research. NSERC News Release
Sault College receives municipal support for Student Health and Wellness Centre
The City of Sault Ste Marie has approved a $1-million capital contribution toward Sault College's campus redevelopment initiatives. To be distributed over a 4-year period, the funding will directly contribute to the construction of a new Student Health and Wellness Centre. Sault College students are contributing $3 million toward the project, and the institution is running a philanthropic campaign to raise the remaining funds needed to build the facility. Sault College News Release
uToronto completes first phase of Robarts Library revitalization
The redevelopment of the University of Toronto's Robarts Library entered its second phase last week with the official opening of the library's new North and South Porticos. The porticos feature state-of-the-art touch screens that allow anyone entering the library to navigate the space using maps of each floor's layout and help users determine where study space is available. The first phase of the revitalization project included renovations to the map and data library, Media Commons, and the apex areas on the top 5 floors of the building. The next phase of the project is slated to begin once funding is in place. uToronto News
Alberta launches Serving Communities Internship Program
On Monday the Alberta government announced its new Serving Communities Internship Program, which will award Alberta PSE students a $1,000 bursary for completing an internship with one of the province's non-profit/voluntary organizations. The idea for the internship program was sparked by the Alberta Students' Executive Council, which saw it as a constructive way to help students with the costs of their education. The 3-year pilot project will begin in September. Alberta News Release | Edmonton Journal
US colleges respond to needs of today's foreign students
International students at US colleges today are younger and from more countries than ever. Many have the means to pay for an American college degree, but a growing share are studying on scholarships sponsored by their home governments. In response to this changing profile, many US institutions are taking a closer look at their foreign student-services -- rethinking orientation for international students, sometimes stretching it into a semester-long introductory course in American college culture; making use of social media so students can start their adjustment before they even leave their home nations, and enlisting upperclassmen from overseas and study-abroad veterans to serve as liaisons; and hiring counsellors with specific cultural or linguistic expertise. The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required)
Safety standards for international students in development in Australia
Australian universities will need to provide housing guarantees to foreign students when the Australian Human Rights Commission releases its minimum standards for student safety later this year. A draft of the standards outlines measures to protect the country's 470,000 international students from inadequate housing, work exploitation, and violence. The commission also recommends public transport concessions for all students, regardless of their citizenship or mode of study. Sydney Morning Herald
