Top Ten
July 6, 2016
AB sunshine list reveals gulf between top and bottom of PSE, says Edmonton Journal contributor
The recent release of Alberta’s “sunshine list” helps show the inequality between the top and bottom earners in the province’s postsecondary system, writes Paula Simmons for the Edmonton Journal. Simmons refers specifically to the growing salaries of top PSE executives and the part-time sessional faculty who make as little as one-fifteenth of a top PSE executive’s yearly salary while teaching five courses a year. MacEwan University President David Atkinson tells Simmons that universities use sessional instructors to respond quickly, flexibly, and inexpensively to sudden changes in enrolment trends. Yet Atkinson also sees problems with the model, adding that sessional professors “are probably among our best teachers. … They didn’t get a PhD to teach a year at a time or a course at a time, but we have no capacity to hire them.” Edmonton Journal
Web design 101: What makes a university website egregious?
“So why are university websites often terrible?—or to rephrase that, why are these sites apparently impossible to construct in ways that work for their users?” asks Melonie Fullick of University Affairs. The author highlights some of the most common issues with institutional websites, “aside from sheer ugliness,” that persist no matter how much the public seems to complain about them. These issues include unclear navigation links, the high number of clicks it takes to reach important information, and “link loops” that repeatedly direct users back to a small number of main pages. Fullick concludes that “it’s possible that in trying to cater to so many audiences at once, the universities fail to please anyone. It’s also possible they’re just not taking into account user feedback or even providing channels for that feedback to happen.” University Affairs
UManitoba President discusses financial pressures, faculty mergers
The University of Manitoba will face significant challenges in its efforts to address an $11M budget shortfall in the coming school year, reports the Winnipeg Free Press. UManitoba President David Barnard tells the Free Press that these challenges have stemmed in part from the province’s tuition cap and the uncertainty over how the new provincial government will act on the previous government’s pledge of $150M to the school. Yet beyond these pressures, Barnard notes that “across the continent, there are funding pressures everywhere,” and indicates that in some cases, UManitoba might need to leave jobs unfilled to help address these pressures. The Free Press article further discusses UManitoba’s plans to combine a number of its faculties and undergo a visionary regeneration strategy. Winnipeg Free Press
WLU, custodial union disagree with strike deadline looming
Wilfrid Laurier University and the custodial union CUPE Local 926 are still in mediated talks as a July 10th strike deadline approaches. The Record reports that the main source of contention in the discussions is a proposal to contract out work to third-party, non-union custodial workers. In a media release, CUPE Local 926 has accused WLU of demanding “that employees accept concessions that would effectively give the university ‘carte blanche’ to contract out custodial work, turning stable, secure work into precarious work that pays poverty wages.” “The universities are not flush with cash. We're struggling trying to keep our costs down,” said WLU Vice-president of finance and administration, Jim Butler, who explained that the proposal would save WLU $300K a year. The Record | CTV News | CUPE 926 | WLU
KPU begins construction on new school of design
Kwantlen Polytechnic University has begun construction on its new 6,000 Chip and Shannon Wilson School of Design. The school will be able to accommodate an additional 140 full-time seats for a total of 681 student spaces, and will be equipped with a variety of new facilities and galleries to provide students with the skills needed to succeed in the performance, technical apparel, and product design sectors. “With this remarkable facility, the exceptional talent, innovation and creativity already coming out of KPU’s Chip and Shannon Wilson School of Design is going to have immeasurably greater impact on local, provincial and global design industries,” said KPU President Alan Davis. BC
KPU begins construction on new school of design
Kwantlen Polytechnic University has begun construction on its new 6,000 Chip and Shannon Wilson School of Design. The school will be able to accommodate an additional 140 full-time seats for a total of 681 student spaces, and will be equipped with a variety of new facilities and galleries to provide students with the skills needed to succeed in the performance, technical apparel, and product design sectors. “With this remarkable facility, the exceptional talent, innovation and creativity already coming out of KPU’s Chip and Shannon Wilson School of Design is going to have immeasurably greater impact on local, provincial and global design industries,” said KPU President Alan Davis. BC
Algoma pursues new strategy to replace departing Saudi students
An anticipated decline in Saudi enrolments has led to a shift in Algoma University’s recruitment strategy, reports Sudbury.com. More than 300 Saudi students in total have attended Algoma through the country’s King Abdullah scholarships, yet this program is now being retooled to only support students attending 200 of the world’s top-ranked universities. Algoma officials have said that they plan to offset the lost enrolment numbers through an enhanced focus on recruiting in overseas recruitment, along with a targeted effort to attract students from surrounding Anishinaabe communities and the GTA. Sudbury.com concludes with a series of experts from Algoma’s current plan for student recruitment. Sudbury.com
Ottawa student entrepreneurs still waiting for pledged ON funding
Ottawa students looking to earn money for PSE tuition through entrepreneurial ventures are struggling to keep their businesses afloat as they wait for money pledged through Ontario’s Summer Company program, reports CBC. According to a spokesperson from Invest Ottawa, a local administrator for the program, none of the nearly 50 area students approved for funding has received any money to date. The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Growth has stated that the delays in funding delivery are due to data transmission issues, yet one student entrepreneur interviewed by CBC says he is skeptical of the response, adding that “there is all this bureaucracy standing between us and our dreams.” CBC
SIIT receives $500K from Boeing
The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies has received an investment of $500K US from Boeing to support its mission of providing skills training for Aboriginal students. The Saskatoon-based institution focuses on training students to maintain, repair, and overhaul aircraft. It will receive Boeing’s contribution through Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits framework. SIIT President Riel Bellegarde noted that “with technology being the new platform on which we communicate and connect, Boeing’s investment in SIIT’s information technology infrastructure improvements is ultimately of great benefit to our learners.” NationTalk
YorkU accounting students enjoy new pathways to professional designation
Students at York University's Schulich School of Business will have access to a new accreditation pathway thanks to a partnership with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. The pathway will enable students specializing in accounting to directly enter Professional Level exams for the ACCA designation upon graduation. ACCA members and affiliates with an undergraduate degree may also receive advanced standing in a Schulich MBA or Master of Accounting degree. “Partnering with organizations such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants is just one of the ways that Schulich prepares our students for successful careers with truly global credentials,” said Schulich Dean Dezsö J Horváth. ACCA
Growth of French student enrolments levels off in QC
The growth in French postsecondary students studying in Quebec appears to have halted, reports the Montreal Gazette. Since 2015, students from France enrolled in bachelor’s programs in Quebec have had to pay the same tuition as other out-of-province students, a shift that has led tuition fees to increase from $2K to nearly $7K per year for full-time programs. An informational table provided by the province’s Ministry of Higher Education reveals that in 2015, there were 10,272 French students enrolled in the first fall semester, compared to 10,104 in 2014. The Gazette notes, however, that the lack of a significant decline in enrolment following such a major tuition shift demonstrates that QC’s schools still hold significant appeal for students from France. Montreal Gazette
