Top Ten
August 15, 2012
Electrical injury forces closure of SIAST campus
Normal operations of the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology's Wascana campus in Regina were suspended Tuesday after a 29-year-old man sustained an electrical injury while working on the campus Monday night. It is believed equipment in the area he was working produced an electrical arc, which happens when a sustained electrical current passes from one solid electrical conductor to another. Basic education and ESL day courses were relocated to the Parkway Centre at the campus, as was a Canadian Securities exam set for Tuesday evening. The campus was closed again yesterday. Saskatchewan's Ministry of Central Services says there will be an investigation into the incident. The ministry has been upgrading power in the building where the incident took place and brought in contractors to complete the work. Regina Leader-Post
Student confrontations in Montreal possible Friday
The stage is set for confrontations to reignite tomorrow, with students at 2 Montreal CÉGEPs voting not to return to school, and the Quebec government ordering CÉGEPs to resume classes this week. The student group CLASSE and students from other PSE institutions have promised to support the battle, blocking access to campuses despite Bill 78. Montreal police have said they will apply the special law, which could result in fines of $1,000 to $5,000 for individuals and up to $125,000 for student organizations, only if requested to by school officials. Police will intervene immediately if they witness criminal acts. Fédération des cégeps president Jean Beauchesne says CÉGEPs always have an obligation by law to offer courses to their students, and that they are also waiting to see how things play out this week. Montreal Gazette
New space brings new programs, opportunities for WTC students
Students attending Winnipeg Technical College this fall will reap the benefits of larger spaces, new technology, and an improved quality of student life due to major renovations at WTC's Henlow campus and the construction of a new campus on Fultz Boulevard. The new campus gives the college approximately 50,000 square feet of additional space, allowing the institution to launch new programs, such as the Network Security Diploma program, which WTC offers in partnership with the University of Winnipeg. The Fultz campus will serve as the new home to WTC's Carpentry, Industrial Electronics, Electrical Applications, and Technical Drafting programs. The college's new Student Success Centre offers a café-style environment where students can relax and socialize on couches, complete assignments at computer bays, and receive academic and employment assistance. WTC News
Ryerson Image Centre set to open next month
On September 29, Ryerson University will hold the public grand opening of the Ryerson Image Centre (RIC), part of the university's major city-building initiative in Toronto's downtown core. The gallery is located in the new Image Arts Building, which is a rare example of a facility that is digitally programmable, making the building itself a work of art as artists and the public can program the illuminated glass walls transforming Toronto's night time skyline. "The Ryerson Image Centre is an international academic facility for teaching, research and exhibitions, but it is also a terrific opportunity to make so many of Ryerson's holdings -- amazing images and works of art -- accessible to the public," says Ryerson president Sheldon Levy. "We are thrilled to be opening this new gallery in the heart of our campus, in the heart of our city." Ryerson Image Centre News Release
NWCC Prince Rupert campus discontinues Electrical Apprenticeship program
Northwest Community College's Prince Rupert campus will no longer offer the Electrical Apprenticeship program due to a steady decrease in enrolment over the past few years. All levels of the program will now be taking place in Terrace in an effort to keep the program available in northwestern BC. The program cut has worried many in the community, including Prince Rupert's mayor, who addressed his concerns over the loss of the program at the last city council meeting. The city council is looking to set up a meeting with NWCC representatives to discuss the move. The Northern View
Seneca's Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program a pathway for college grads to earn a degree
By recognizing prior education, Seneca College's new Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program offers a unique entryway back to school for those seeking a bachelor's degree. It can allow college graduates, especially those in programs that may not have as many credential options as do others, to build on their diplomas to earn a degree. For example, a graduate of an Ontario college 2-year diploma program with a 3.0 GPA would enter the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies program with 45 credits toward a degree, or the equivalent of 1.5 years of study. Starting in September, students in the program will receive a solid grounding in communication, humanities, math, science and social science subjects and career-related courses. The program includes a co-op component and a strong emphasis on research. Seneca News Release
New videos facilitate "borderless enrolment" for York U fine arts students
To help students select the right first-year courses, York University's Faculty of Fine Arts has created an online enrolment program for incoming first-year students. A faculty team produced a series of program-specific tutorial videos, as well as general videos on important topics such as orientation and navigating the university website. Links to videos were part of the enrolment package e-mailed to incoming students when they accepted their offer of admission. The "borderless enrolment" program has received very positive reviews from enrolling students and their parents. Enrolments are nearly complete and much further ahead compared to this time last year. Y-File
uToronto top Canadian institution in Shanghai Jiao Tong ranking
The University of Toronto is listed as top Canadian university in Shanghai Jiao Tong University's 2012 Academic Ranking of World Universities. uToronto placed 27th overall. Also among the top 100 are UBC (39), McGill University (63), and McMaster University (92). A total of 22 Canadian universities made it in the top 500. Universities are ranked by several indicators of academic and research performance, including alumni and staff winning Nobel prizes, highly cited researchers, and the per capita academic performance of a university. Academic Ranking of World Universities 2012
US Supreme Court flooded with briefs supporting race-conscious admissions
On Monday the Obama administration joined a long list of PSE associations, civil-rights groups, and other organizations in urging the US Supreme Court to uphold race-conscious admission policies in a case involving the University of Texas at Austin. As of late Monday, the deadline for such filings, the court had received over 50 amicus curiae -- or "friend of the court" -- briefs backing the university's consideration of race in undergraduate admission decisions. Some of the briefs defending race-conscious admissions argue that this isn't just about PSE, that many colleges cannot achieve diversity without considering race, and that courts should not tell colleges how to admit students. The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required) | Inside Higher Ed
PSE grads lead US labour growth recovery, study finds
According to a new study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, nearly half of the jobs lost in the economic downturn that began in December 2007 have been recovered and virtually all of those jobs required some form of PSE. The wage advantage for workers with a bachelor's degree or better over secondary school has remained high and has held mostly stable at 97%. The study reports that in 2012, 7% of graduates with a bachelor's degree or better are still unemployed, compared to 24% of recent high school graduates. Jobs that require bachelor's degrees have been the big winner, growing by 2.2 million jobs since the downturn began. Those jobs that required some college or an associate's degree fell by 1.8 million in the recession but have regained 1.6 million of those jobs lost since the recovery started in 2010. At the same time, 5.8 million jobs for those with a high school education or less have been lost since the downturn began. Georgetown News Release | Report
