Top Ten
August 27, 2012
Demonstrators disrupt classes at uMontréal, UQAM
Loud disruptions by protesters accompanied the resumption of classes at the Université de Montréal and the Université du Québec à Montréal yesterday morning. Riot police were at uMontréal, where some protesters had locked themselves in a building. The Montreal Police Service tweeted that it had warned the demonstrators to vacate the premises. Police in vehicles were also patrolling around, but not fully deployed at, UQAM. There, dozens of protesters, masking their faces with bandanas, filed through classrooms banging on pots, while others staged sit-ins in front of classroom doorways. One professor responded by locking the doors to keep out demonstrators and posting a security guard outside the classroom. Tens of other classes were cancelled by 9:30 am ET yesterday. Earlier in the morning, a contingent of college and university professors unveiled a banner at UQAM supporting the student movement. Montreal Gazette | CBC
WLU approves new multi-campus governance model
Wilfrid Laurier University's senate and board of governors have approved a report from the Presidential Task Force on Multi-Campus Governance that outlines a new multi-campus governance model for the institution. A key recommendation in the report is the principle that WLU governance will be aligned by academic discipline or administrative function. Functional leaders will be accountable for their activities across all campuses, and location-specific coordinating bodies will make sure that services and programs are delivered effectively at each campus. WLU News
Jet donated to SAIT
Students training in SAIT Polytechnic's Aero Industry programs will have a new jet to learn on this coming academic year. Landsman Properties Ltd. has donated a 1984 Bombardier Challenger CL601 to SAIT for use in the institute's aircraft maintenance, avionics, and structures programs. Valued at $2.9 million, the jet will provide on-the-ground training for more than 200 students each year. In addition to the jet, Landsman Properties Ltd. has also donated associated ground support equipment and spare parts. SAIT News
BCCAT names Douglas College a receiving institution
The British Columbia Council on Admissions & Transfer (BCCAT) has named Douglas College a receiving institution, highlighting a change in how PSE students are moving between institutions. Douglas College's status has changed from sending institution to both sending and receiving institution in BCCAT's BC Transfer Guide. The college is a now a receiver for Langara College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Capilano University, Simon Fraser University, and other institutions will be added to the list in the months ahead. Douglas College News
Enrolment on target at Lethbridge PSE institutions
The University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College are reporting that enrolment numbers are on par with last year. While final numbers are not yet available at the schools, registrars believe more than 12,000 full-time equivalent students will attend the first day of class on September 5. The 5-year average for fall enrolment at uLethbridge is 8,183, while Lethbridge College has approximately 4,100 FTE students. Education, nursing, and new media continue to be the most popular fields at the university, while the biggest programs at the college are media and design, criminal justice, environmental science, engineering, and nursing. Lethbridge College has nearly 250 international students, composing a larger number of the population than ever. uLethbridge has seen an increase in international graduate applications and, additionally, more than 70% of the university's student population comes from outside of Lethbridge. Lethbridge Herald
uAlberta program gives international students a head start
New international undergraduate students at the University of Alberta are learning the ins-and-outs of university life at the institution through a preparation program called U of A+. 68 first-year students from more than 11 nations are participating in U of A+, a series of classes, workshops, and one-on-one training designed to give first-year international students the skills they will need to succeed throughout university. This is the second year the program has been offered, now 2 weeks instead of just one. uAlberta News
UBCO's new management dean to expand international connections
Set to take up his new position as dean of the Faculty of Management at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus in October, Roger Sugden is the founding coordinator of a European Commission initiative that led to a multinational joint venture among business schools in England, the US, and Italy. He sees similar potential for UBCO to expand its local and international connections. That said, Sugden says his first priority is to listen to his new colleagues to find ways to boost the reputation of a relatively new faculty. "I am not going in there with a blueprint," Sugden says. "What I am looking to do is open up the conversations and to explore ways of contributing to a vibrant campus and a vibrant region and, therefore, to the world more widely." Globe and Mail
More European PSE institutions tracking students' and graduates' progress
An increasing number of European universities are tracking the progress of their students and graduates for a variety of purposes. Their initiatives remain largely uncoordinated, however, and the potential of the vast amounts of information they are collecting is not being fully exploited. These are among the findings of the Trackit project, a 2-year study that analyzed the approaches PSE institutions and governments in 31 European nations have used to follow people's progress during their time in university and beyond. Despite the absence of a coordinated continental effort and the lack of even a commonly agreed idea of what specifically tracking entails, the study has shown that most countries seem to be developing tracking programs. At least some PSE institutions in all but one of the 31 countries studied are doing some tracking, using the results for a range of purposes, such as the reform of study programs, student counselling, career advice, and quality assurance. In 23 of the nations studied, tracking is done on a regular basis at the national level, with the resulting information used for national statistics and analysis and policy planning, as well as in budget-allocation decisions by government agencies. The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required)
US study explores impact of sport success on college application decisions
A banner year in NCAA men's basketball or football is followed by a flood of prospective students, observes a US study that looked into where students chose to send their SAT scores. Researchers found that universities received about 10% more scores from prospective students following a champion season. Initially, these increases are driven by certain types of students: out-of-staters, males, black students, and those who played sports in secondary school. But teams who advance to the title game bring enough exposure to their institution to attract more applicants from all demographic backgrounds. "Males seem to have the tournament on their radar early on, but if your team gets to the championship, males and females are influenced about equally," says one of the researchers. BYU News Release
5 US universities promoted on Pop-Tarts
Kellogg Co. has chosen 5 US universities to debut new limited-edition college brand Pop-Tarts. The logos from the Universities of Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and North Carolina will be superimposed on the frosted Pop-Tarts, all of which will have a strawberry filling. "Unfortunately, we did not get to pick the filling," says a University of Michigan official (the institution's colours are maize and blue). "We're happy to be part of it. It's a neat and interesting way to get your brand out to your fans." The limited-edition Pop-Tarts will be on store shelves early next month, and will be sold only in the 5 states where the universities are located. The logo-bearing treats also can be ordered online. Detroit News
