Top Ten
November 2, 2011
Men stabbed outside McMaster pub not co-operating with police
3 young men who were stabbed in an altercation outside a pub at McMaster University early Saturday morning are not co-operating with Hamilton police, reports the Hamilton Spectator. The 3 men -- two 18-year-olds and one 19-year-old -- are from out of town, and all have been released from hospital after being treated for stab wounds to their torso. Police say it's not clear, due to the lack of co-operation, what caused the altercation and whether it started at the pub, which was hosting an event where patrons could buy tickets to attend the party. McMaster is conducting its own investigation, as it does with all serious security matters, says a university spokesperson. Hamilton Spectator
MUN kicks off $50-million fundraising campaign
On Tuesday, Memorial University launched a new $50-million private sector fundraising campaign. Having already raised $36.5 million, the "Dare To" campaign focuses on student financial support, academic excellence, and physical infrastructure. So far, MUN students, faculty, and staff have contributed more than $1.2 million to the campaign. The fundraising initiative is the first MUN has launched since the Opportunity Fund began collecting money in 1997, raising a total of $50 million. MUN News Release | CBC | Campaign website
UBC launches student engineering design centre with $2.5-million donation
At its Vancouver campus yesterday, the University of British Columbia opened its Wayne and William White Engineering Design Centre, which will enhance collaboration and hands-on innovation among students in 11 engineering disciplines. The centre was made possible with a $2.5-million donation from Wayne and William White, twin brothers who graduated from UBC in 1967 with Bachelor of Applied Science degrees. The $8.5-million centre is the first and only building on campus designed to connect students from all of the university's engineering programs in order to foster interdisciplinary teamwork, increasingly the norm in the industry. UBC News Release
Mohawk College names business school to recognize partnership with local marine company
Hamilton's McKeil Marine is making the largest donation in company history to support Mohawk College's Fennell campus renewal project. In addition to the firm's $750,000 contribution to the project, McKeil Marine Chairman and CEO Blair McKeil and his wife Kathy hosted an event in October that inspired family and friends to contribute $250,000 to student scholarships and bursaries. Blair is mentoring students by serving as Mohawk's first entrepreneur-in-residence, while Kathy is organizing an entrepreneurship speakers' series. In recognition of these investments, Mohawk will announce today the naming of the McKeil School of Business. With 2,600 students in 20 programs, the school is the first to be named for a Mohawk benefactor. Mohawk College News Release
OUSA report examines expenditure changes at Ontario universities
In a new report analyzing Ontario university expenditures from 2004-05 to 2009-10, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance identifies salaries, benefits, merit-based and graduate scholarships, demand for support services, indirect costs of research, and new capital projects as the system's primary cost drivers. The report observes that over 70% of the increase in funding from 2004-05 went to salary, pension, and benefit costs largely for existing full-time faculty members and administrators, as well as increased use of sessional instructors. OUSA states that goals such as more, well-maintained infrastructure and greater numbers of well-trained, fairly-compensated faculty should be supported with greater public investment, but for such investment to have true impact, the university sector will have to optimize resources. The report says that "in a context where Canada‘s post-secondary expenditure leads the world, yet still struggles to invest adequately in quality for students, more should be done to bring inflating costs under control and ensure quality is maintained." OUSA News Release | Read the report
Sask. Party promises food security institute for uSask
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall announced Tuesday that if re-elected next week, a Saskatchewan Party government would work right away to establish a Global Institute for Food Security at the University of Saskatchewan. Wall says the party has committed $1 million in the next provincial budget to launch the institute, which he says would also build on the existing bonds between Saskatchewan's post-secondary schools and developing nations. Saskatchewan Party News
LSUC task force considering reforms in light of "articling crisis"
In what's been dubbed an "articling crisis," 12% of Ontario law school graduates were not able to secure articling jobs this year, according to data from the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC), which has struck a task force that is pondering a range of reforms. While some blame law firms for the issue, accusing them of cutting back on hiring in the face of economic uncertainty, LSUC figures show there has also been a steady rise in the number of law graduates, as law schools have boosted their enrolments. The number of law students successfully getting articling positions has grown each year since 2007, but it has not kept up with demand. The LSUC task force will present a "full range" of options in a December report. The task force head says all committee members believe articling, or some equivalent, is necessary to ensure lawyers have the required practical training. Globe and Mail
NSCC Marconi campus celebrates new trades wing
Last Friday, Nova Scotia Community College's Marconi campus officially opened its new $7-million trades wing. The 26,840-square-foot wing houses 5 programs: automotive service & repair; heavy duty equipment/truck and transport repair; metal fabrication; motorcycle & power products repair; and welding. The Nova Scotia government contributed $6 million to the project, and the federal government invested $1 million through Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation. NSCC News Release
Navitas gaining ground in North America
International student pathway programs such as Australian-based Navitas have won fans among US college officials seeking to globalize their operations on tight budgets. Founded in 1994, Navitas began the first pathway program in North America in 2006 at Simon Fraser University. It entered the US market in 2009 when Navitas officials realized the economic downturn had opened a niche at institutions struggling with budget cuts. The company hopes to quadruple by next September the number of international students it places at the 5 US campuses where it has locations. Critics say Navitas' taking a cut of the tuition recruited students pay can create an incentive to pursue students who may not be up to the rigours of their new institution. Navitas bars its recruiters from accepting money from potential students. Its official says the firm's reputation rests on ensuring its recruited students succeed. Boston Globe
Google launches eBookstore in Canada
Google announced Tuesday the launch of the Google eBookstore in Canada, which will allow Canadian users to download digital books that can be read on tablets, e-readers, and personal computers. The company also plans to give independent Canadian book sellers the opportunity to sell books online. Google says the Canadian eBookstore will boast a library of "thousands" of digital books for sale, as well as over 2 million public domain books available for free. The University of Calgary and Wilfrid Laurier University have announced that their bookstores are now selling Google eBooks. Financial Post | WLU News | uCalgary News
