Top Ten
October 2, 2015
25 Canadian universities make THE’s World University Rankings 2015–16
Times Higher Education has released its 2015–16 World University Rankings of the top 800 universities, and 25 Canadian schools have made the cut. In the top 100, the University of Toronto rose slightly to 19th, UBC dropped slightly to 34th, McGill University rose slightly to 39th, and McMaster University held steady at 94th. This year, the rankings revised their methodology, expanding the number of languages and countries covered. The California Institute of Technology retained the top spot, a position it has held since 2012. The University of Oxford and Stanford University rounded out the top three. Full Rankings | CTV News | Globe and Mail | Ottawa Citizen
Queen’s School of Business set to receive $50 M, double endowment
Queen’s University’s School of Business has announced that it will receive a $50 M donation, reportedly the largest gift ever given to a business school in Canada. The donation was made by Toronto entrepreneur Stephen Smith, who said that the goal of his gift was to help the business school become the best of its kind in Canada. The gift will be disbursed over the next few years and is expected to double the size of the school’s current endowment. School of Business Dean David Saunders said that the donation, “gives us a real opportunity to become the best business school, period, in the country and to be among the best in the world.” Globe and Mail
Lethbridge College opens first phase of new trades and technologies facility
Lethbridge College officially opened the first phase of its new trades and technologies facility on Wednesday. The 41,000-square-foot building marks the first completed milestone of a three-year construction project. The entire building is expected to be completed in 2017 and to become the province's largest trades and technology training facility south of Calgary. The completed portion of the building currently houses part of the Crooks School of Transportation, including the Automotive Service Technician, Parts Technician, and Agricultural and Heavy Equipment Technician programs. Lethbridge | Global News | Lethbridge Herald
UoGuelph’s agricultural college establishes new professorship with $1 M donation
The University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) has received $1 M in donations that it will put toward the creation of a Professorship in Regional Economic Development for Southwestern Ontario. Half of the donation comes from Libro Credit Union, with the other half coming from two alumni donations. “This is an important strategic step to enhancing regional development rooted in leadership and innovation,” said OAC Associate Dean (External Relations) Rene Van Acker. “It’s an ideal partnership to grow long-term prosperity for the region.” UoGuelph
uCalgary to hire 100 new tenure-track professors
The University of Calgary has announced that it plans to spend $26 M to hire as many as 100 new tenure-track professors in the next two-to-five years. uCalgary President Elizabeth Cannon credited years of responsible budgeting for the university’s capacity to make this new investment, saying, "we're in pretty good shape over the next few years and certainly we have been very financially prudent at the University of Calgary. … We've put some money away to be able to have strategic investments and that's why today we were able to announce the hiring of 100 new faculty." However, she added that this new injection of faculty will not immediately translate into increased enrolment at the university, which will depend on the operational funding that the province’s new NDP government will apportion to the school in its late-October budget. Calgary Herald | Metro | Calgary Sun
UNB, uBishop’s launch new websites
The University of New Brunswick and Bishop’s University have both launched new websites as part of their efforts to strengthen their institutions’ brand awareness in Canada and beyond. UNB launched its new website in tandem with a “bold new look” for the school’s branding. The school began its rebranding effort in 2011, surveying and interviewing over 10,000 people, including alumni, faculty, staff, students, prospective students, guidance counsellors, and parents. uBishop’s launched its new website as part of its enhanced student recruitment and communication strategy. The site has been developed to serve the needs of prospective students, their parents, current students, alumni, donors, faculty, and staff. UNB | uBishop’s
International experience becoming essential for MBA programs
International business experience is quickly becoming an essential part of an MBA graduate’s CV, reports Canadian Business. As a result, more of the country’s MBA programs are adding international exchanges and fellowships to their curricula. Some major business schools that have recently added these components are the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University, the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto, and the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba. Canadian Business
Sharp rise in teaching professorships could threaten universities’ mission
Many Canadian universities have seen a sharp rise in the number of teaching-stream professors, according to data from more than 40 institutions analyzed by the Globe and Mail. The rise results in part from full-time tenure-track hiring not keeping pace with growing enrolment: while enrolment is up 40% over the last decade, the number of full-time profs increased 30%. Yet some argue that separating teaching and researching fundamentally shifts the mission of the university. “The difference between universities and other educational institutions is that we are not just disseminators of knowledge, we are creators of knowledge,” said McGill University Provost Chris Manfredi. Globe and Mail
Admissions directors facing stronger, multiplying pressures
The pressures faced by university admissions directors are not only intensifying, but multiplying, reports Inside Higher Ed. The news outlet's 2015 survey has found that for years now, many US colleges have struggled to fill their classes. Yet it also shows that new sources of tension are emerging as admission officers face new pressures to admit more applicants, tackle issues of student loan debt, and base decisions on current legal battles regarding the consideration of race in admissions. The survey found that 51% of admissions directors said they were “very concerned” about meeting their enrolment goals, while 58% said they did not meet these goals for the 2015–16 academic year. Inside Higher Ed
The significance of true political engagement on a college campus
It is not easy for millennials to develop a true sense of involvement in the US political process on today’s campuses, writes Sean McCoy for The Atlantic. He adds, however, that he was able to experience a brief glimpse of meaningful campus-based politics when he attended a talk by presidential underdog, Governor Martin O’Malley. The talk took place at Pitzer College, a small PSE institute located in Claremont, California. McCoy recounts how the audience of only a few hundred students was galvanized by O’Malley’s presence and by his willingness to address their questions thoughtfully. McCoy writes that this sort of engagement with a presidential candidate can only ultimately happen with those polling in the low single digits, but adds that it is still nice to experience a spirited campus-based political dialogue. The Atlantic
