Top Ten
January 12, 2012
Suspect sought after reported voyeurism at York U
Toronto police are investigating reports of a man lurking in women's washrooms at York University in 2 separate incidents earlier this week. Police say 2 women entered a washroom in Curtis Lecture Hall Monday evening and noticed a man in an adjacent stall reach below the stall, carrying a mobile phone in his hand. On Wednesday evening, a third woman in a different washroom in the same building reported a man looking at her over the stall before fleeing the scene. Because of closed-circuit television cameras around campus, York U was able to capture images of the suspect and has released them to the public with the help of police. The suspect is described as a brown male, age 20 to 25, 5'8'' to 5'9" with a thin face, chinstrap beard, and dark hair. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a grey sweater, grey sneakers, and a grey toque. Toronto Police Service News Release | National Post | Toronto Star | Canadian Press
UVic president commissions security review following theft of employee info
University of Victoria president David Turpin is commissioning a review of Saturday's security breach at the institution involving the theft of personal information of close to 12,000 current and former employees. The review will be conducted by an external party. UVic will also cooperate fully with the investigation into the security breach by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC (OIPC). The university will provide OIPC a draft terms of reference for its review and will share its findings with the office. UVic News Release
Quebec students to hold another rally against planned tuition fee increase
Quebec university students are planning a second day of protest on March 22 against the provincial government's planned increase of tuition fees. The Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec will meet later this month to consider the possibility of a strike with its 15 member associations. A day of protest in November brought together approximately 30,000 students who marched peacefully through downtown Montreal. The Quebec government has adopted a tuition-fee increase that calls for a hike of $325 annually for 5 years, which would bring tuition fees to $3,793 in 2017 from the current $2,168. Montreal Gazette
Ontario College of Trades chair critical of apprenticeship system
The new chair of the Ontario College of Trades argues that the province's current apprenticeship system has failed Ontario youth. "It’s completely mismanaged, overstaffed, overspent and tapped all the resources possible to deliver an apprenticeship system that has failed Ontario’s youth," says the chair, who notes that the college taking the responsibility of trades training from the province and becoming a self-governing body will be a boost for the trades. The college is currently developing a marketing and communications plan to promote the trades to young people and that plan will go forward to the board this year. Daily Commercial News
Douglas College unveils new brand
On its "inside douglas" blog, BC-based Douglas College gives an overview of its new brand identity. The institution played with the typography and with shifting and shaping the letters in its new logo, resulting in the word "Douglas" being partially deconstructed. One might see any number of shapes and meanings in the logo, the college says; one will certainly see "DO," and perhaps the "OUA" forming a stylized figure -- a student. The "DO" in the word "Douglas" factors into the college's key brand message: "DO what you love." The institution's new promotional campaign, now rolling out in various media around BC's Lower Mainland, is based on the idea of "DO what you love. Be good at it." inside douglas
Alberta considers changing weight to diploma exams
Alberta Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk says changes could be coming to the way Grade 12 diploma exams are weighted. Alberta is the only province with the exams, which count for 50% of a graduating student's final grade. Some critics say the system leaves Alberta students as a disadvantage as they apply for university admission and scholarships. Lukaszuk says the diploma exam provides a good reflection of students' abilities, but he confirms the government is considering adjusting the weight carried by the exam. "We may end up shifting the balance because I will be making decisions on that in very short order. But the commitment to making sure the final mark the student receives is fully reflective of their level of attainment remains," the minister says. CBC
UPEI cancels Egypt job placements for nursing students
4 University of Prince Edward Island nursing students are disappointed that the institution has cancelled their job placements in Egypt because it is not safe. The students were chosen to travel to Egypt next month as part of their fourth-year job placement, but now the Canadian government is recommending against unnecessary travel to Egypt because of the political situation there. The nursing department's relationship with Egypt started with the help of UPEI's new president, Alaa S. Abd-El-Aziz, who is from that country. The trip would have been UPEI's first nursing placement there. This will not be the last opportunity for nursing students to practice in Egypt, says UPEI's dean of nursing, who is already planning placements there next winter. CBC
ACOA makes new investment in EduNova
The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency announced Wednesday a $185,000 investment to continue and expand EduNova. With the funding, EduNova will continue to promote Nova Scotia's educational and training amenities to the world. Work focuses on international market development and research, familiarization tours, and the Student Pathways initiative, which helps international students in their transition to the province. The funding follows ACOA's $215,000 investment in 2011 to support a series of activities aimed at increasing Nova Scotia's international-student recruitment. ACOA News Release | Chronicle Herald
Google Street View opens McMaster campus to virtual tourists
McMaster University is among the first PSE institutions in Canada to have its campus walkways mapped by Google's Street View project, which provides 360-degree, street-level photographic imagery from roads and paths all around the world. Google staff were at McMaster last July with a car and tricycle specially modified with a camera system that allows them to take 360-degree pictures. A McMaster official says Google first approached the institution because of the "natural beauty" of its walkways and pedestrian-friendly campus. Street View is a "great opportunity for us to showcase McMaster and Hamilton to the world," the official says. McMaster Daily News | Hamilton Spectator
Branch campus projects shift to Asia
According to a new report from the UK-based Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, the number of overseas branch campuses established by universities has reached 200 with another 37 in the works, as activity migrates from the Gulf region to Asia. UK universities are at the forefront of growth, nearly doubling their number of branch campuses in the past 2 years to 25. US institutions still account for the greatest number of branch campuses (78). While the United Arab Emirates continues to host the most number of campuses (37), the report states there are no new branches planned there. For universities, the benefits of branch campuses include "greater access to an expanding student market, especially in Asia where demand...is expected to continue to outstrip supply for another 20 years," says the report. For many governments, particularly in Africa and Asia, hosting campuses is "preferable to the outward migration of young people." Times Higher Education
