Top Ten
January 18, 2012
Olds College receives donation of 100 vintage vehicles
Calgary-area businessman and rancher J. C. (Jack) Anderson will donate the proceeds from the sale of his collection of 100 vintage cars and trucks -- worth well over $2 million -- to Olds College. The institution will auction off the collection by September 2013, the year of the college's centenary. Anderson will allow Olds College to decide how best to use the proceeds from the auction, but it is likely that the institution's next capital building campaign and year-long centennial celebration will be beneficiaries. Anderson made a previous donation of $1 million to the college in 2007. Olds College News Release | Calgary Herald
"Modest" budget cuts won't affect students, says uAlberta president
University of Alberta president Indira Samarasekera says budget cuts at the institution are "modest" and will not have a negative impact on students, who today are reaping the benefits of generous 6% increases in provincial grants in the mid-2000s, which allowed the university to hire more faculty after the cutbacks of the Ralph Klein era reduced the number of professors. With more faculty members, improvements to technology, and new facilities on campus, the quality of the learning experience for students is much better than it was in 2005, Samarasekera says. With no increase in provincial grants for the past 2 years, uAlberta has faced 2% budget cuts each year and faces a third tight year unless this year's provincial budget brings an increase in the operating grant. Samarasekera says it is too early to comment on the provincial budget, but she has high hopes for Alison Redford, Alberta's new premier. Edmonton Journal
Student suing TRU not eligible to hold elected positions, says institution
According to court documents, a Thompson Rivers University student who is suing the institution for mistreatment and who earlier this month was elected to the university's senate and board of governors is not legally entitled to hold those positions and might be expelled. In an application filed with the BC Supreme Court, the student is seeking an order preventing TRU from disenrolling him, an order stopping the university from removing him from the board and senate, and the right to take classes "on consignment, without having to pay first." The student received an e-mail from TRU last week that stated he owed the university nearly $540. The e-mail said the student had until January 20 to cover outstanding debts or face being "disenrolled." An e-mail included in court documents outlines TRU's rules on student representation on the senate and board, which stipulate that a student "must be in good standing" with the institution to be eligible for nomination. Students with outstanding debts to TRU are not considered by the institution to be in good standing. Kamloops This Week
CBC publishes salaries of NS university presidents
By the end of September, Nova Scotia universities will be required to disclose the salary of anyone who makes more than $100,000 annually. The provincial government hopes this will improve accountability at a time when budgets are being cut. CBC News asked all 11 universities in Nova Scotia for their president's salary, not including benefits, for 2011-12, as well as the percentage increase over last year. According to the list, Dalhousie University president Tom Traves is the highest-paid university president in the province, earning $393,264. CBC
Canadore to end collection of Student Centre Building fee
On Tuesday, Canadore College's board of governors voted against renewing the $280 per year Student Centre Building fee for the 2012-13 academic year. The fee is the most costly of all ancillary fees charged to Canadore students, equivalent to 11.5% of the average annual tuition fee. Nearly $2 million has been collected to date. The board does not consider the latest proposal for the financing and construction of a new centre to be viable. In the absence of a feasible plan, continuing to collect the fee is not in the best interest of students, Canadore says. Canadore News Release
New brand for Sault College alumni association
Sault College is raising the profile of its alumni by launching a newly formed alumni association, complete with a new logo and brand identity. "As the Alumni Association gets underway, with a mission 'to inform, encourage, unite and serve current and future Sault College graduates,' the new logo will bring distinguished visual representation to the group," says a development and alumni officer. The logo is inspired by the contemporary emblem of the institution. "The initial concept behind this logo was to convey movement -- to show the alumni as an active part of the college and community -- and to suggest that this is the next step following graduation," says a third-year graphic design student who helped develop the new logo. The new brand will help guide an active recruitment campaign to re-engage former Sault College students. Sault College News Release
uWaterloo launches virtual tour
With the help of co-op students, the University of Waterloo's Marketing and Undergraduate Recruitment office has developed a new virtual tour to help users familiarize themselves with campus. Incorporating Google maps, the tour allows users to "visit" each of uWaterloo's 7 campuses while learning about the academic, recreational, and social opportunities available at each location. uWaterloo Daily Bulletin | uWaterloo virtual campus tour
UoGuelph to welcome community leaders "back to class" to showcase undergraduate teaching, learning
On January 25, Guelph's business, community, and government leaders will head "Back to Class" as part of an initiative to showcase innovative undergraduate teaching and learning at Ontario universities. The group will attend a lecture, visit a design studio, participate in a first-year seminar, and learn about undergraduate research that evolved from classroom projects. "Back to Class" is a project of the Council of Ontario Universities to reinforce universities' commitment to quality undergraduate teaching and learning and to student success. UoGuelph is the first institution to participate, and similar events will be held on campuses across the province. UoGuelph News Release
US community colleges urged to take innovative measures to serve immigrant students
A new report from the New York-based Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education (CCCIE) says community colleges must develop innovative and customized approaches to serve a rising number of immigrant students. The report states that immigrants and their children are expected to account for all work-force growth over the next 20 years, and by 2030 nearly 20% of workers in the US will be immigrants. The CCCIE studied the experience of its 23 member institutions and identified 11 key factors in their educational practices to help community colleges better meet the needs of immigrant students, who face a number of challenges such as learning a new language and acclimating to a new culture. The factors identified include reaching out to the students and creating a welcoming campus, redesigning ESL programs, and focusing on immigrant education outcomes, evaluation, and sharing data. The Chronicle of Higher Education (free access) | Read the report
Average salaries rise for 2011 graduates, US survey finds
According to a survey by the US-based National Association of Colleges and Employers, the overall average salary for Class of 2011 graduates is up to $41,701, which is 2.3% higher than the Class of 2010 average of $40,766. Graduates in the fields of business, communications, computer science, education, engineering, health sciences, humanities and social sciences, and math and sciences each saw increases in average salaries of at least 1.1%. Computer science majors saw the biggest increase in their average salaries, rising 4.1% to $60,594. Engineering graduates have the highest average salary at $61,872, up 3.8% from $60,971 in 2010. NACE Salary Survey
