Top Ten
November 3, 2016
TWU scores legal victory in quest to open law school
The Appeals Court of British Columbia has ruled against an attempt by the BC Law Society to deny accreditation to graduates of Trinity Western University’s proposed law school, reports the Canadian Press. The ongoing legal dispute has centred on TWU’s community covenant, which bans students from having sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage. The BC Law Society had argued that the covenant discriminates against LGBTQ students, yet the Appeals Court described the decision to deny accreditation as “unreasonable,” adding that “while we accept that approval of (Trinity Western’s) law school has, in principle, a detrimental impact on LGBTQ equality rights, because the number of law school places would not be equally open to all students, the impact on applications made . . . by LGBTQ students would be insignificant in real terms.” Toronto Star (CP) | CBC
Canada has a “recipe for success” in industry/PSE partnerships, writes Globe contributor
“It [is] clear to me that Canada is poised to teach the world a thing or two about partnerships,” writes Eric Bosco for the Globe and Mail. The author argues that while other countries have found it frustrating to foster collaboration between business and academia, Canada has found a “recipe for success” that can make it a world leader in this regard. Bosco offers several examples of successful partnerships between industry and the academy, and notes that these relationships are very durable once established. Bosco concludes that over time, Canadians will only continue to see increasing returns from the attention and resources their country has put into these productive partnerships. Globe and Mail
Students’ union asks BrandonU for mandatory Indigenous class
Brandon University might soon join the group of Canadian institutions mandating that undergraduate students take at least one course on Indigenous history and culture, reports CBC. The university’s student union has called upon faculty and administrators to bring in the requirement after consulting with students who say they want to see a greater emphasis on Indigenous education at the school. Steven Robinson, a senior administrator at BrandonU, has said that the school is looking at a variety of options, which include the introduction of mandatory courses. He also suggested that "rather than introducing new courses or mandating existing courses for everybody, you [could] find ways of getting Indigenous content into each course that is already being taught." A committee of administrators, faculty and students has reportedly been convened and will begin meeting in December 2016. CBC
CFS holds national day of action to support free PSE
Students from across Canada participated yesterday in a collective day of action as part of the Canadian Federation of Students’ campaign for free postsecondary education. Titled “All Out,” the movement saw thousands of students and over 90 labour partners hold rallies and events from coast to coast in an effort to gain greater visibility for the goal of free postsecondary education. Canadian Federation of Students Newfoundland Chairperson Alex Noel told CBC that the ultimate goal of the effort is to ensure “that post-secondary education is universally accessible to all students. Regardless of their socioeconomic background and regardless of how much money they have in their bank account.” CBC (NL) | CBC (PEI) | NationTalk | CFS-ON
US students want schools to use personal data to improve PSE experience, says study
77% of US college students believe that schools should do more to improve the college experience by using students’ personal information, according to a new report. The survey-based research found that in general, students are willing to share “vast amounts of personal data” with their schools with the expectation that schools will use this data to benefit them. Among the survey's respondents, 98% said they wanted their personal information to be used to improve academic processes; 95% said they expect the personal data to help improve student life, and 82% of students said they believe the personal information schools collect will transform the college experience within the next 10 years. Campus Technology
RMC to undergo “sweeping review” in response to concerns of suicide, sexual misconduct
Commanders from the Senior Canadian Armed Forces have ordered a complete review of the Royal Military College of Canada following a number of suspected suicides and allegations of sexual misconduct, reports the Canadian Press. An eight-member team drawn from current and former military officers has reportedly been assembled to perform a thorough review of the college’s processes and practices, placing a heavy emphasis on assessing the mental state of the college’s approximately 1,000 full- and part-time student cadets. “It’s unusual,” says Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, the military’s second-highest-ranking officer. “But with that unusualness comes an indication of how seriously the chief of defence staff and the entire senior leadership are taking this issue.” Toronto Star (CP)
Carleton renames building Richcraft Hall to honour $3M Singhal family donation
Carleton University has officially renamed its River Building as Richcraft Hall to honour a $3M donation from the Singhal family and their company Richcraft Homes. The family’s donation will reportedly be placed in an endowment fund aimed at both sustainability and Carleton’s ability to pursue its institutional mission. In addition to the naming of Richcraft Hall, a 400-seat theatre on the second floor of the building will now be known as the Singhal Family Theatre. “Through development and community investment, Richcraft has worked to make Ottawa a better place to live, work and play,” said Christopher Carruthers, chair of Carleton’s Board of Governors. “Now they are making a further investment—their first gift to university education, and one that will make our city a better place in which to learn.” Carleton
UNBC building StatsCan Research Data Centre
The University of Northern British Columbia is building a Statistics Canada Research Data Centre, according to the Prince George Citizen, and will soon be able to provide local researchers access to a large amount of information. “The data sets are fabulous. As a researcher you can't ask for better... They're beautifully designed and set up, the sample is good... (It's a) good representative sample of Canadians,” says UNBC academic director Cindy Hardy. Users of the data centre must be trained, have approved projects, and have sworn an oath of secrecy before they can access the room. The article notes that the centre will help produce more research about the north, and will particularly help meet the needs of Northern Health analysts. Prince George Citizen
Durham names Centre for Food after W Galen Weston
Durham College has officially named its Centre for Food after W Galen Weston in recognition of a $1M grant from the W Garfield Weston Foundation. The grant will be used to create $100K-worth of scholarships and bursaries, develop new research and testing programs related to food product development and food processing studies, and purchase equipment that will benefit research programs related to agriculture and agri-food products. “On behalf of the college, in particular the hundreds of students studying in our CFF programs, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the W Garfield Weston Foundation for its generosity,” said Durham President Don Lovisa. “The Weston family has long supported the field-to-fork concept and we are extremely proud to have [W Galen Weston's] name linked permanently to the CFF.” Durham
Lethbridge College announces successful $27.8M fundraising campaign at 60th anniversary
At its 60th anniversary celebration, Lethbridge College announced that it has exceeded its private donations goal for the Possibilities are Endless campaign by more than 10 per cent, resulting in $27.8M in private donations for college building projects, student awards, and new programming. The campaign, which was launched in 2013, had a goal of $100M in capital projects and initiatives that included $25M in private donations. In particular, Lethbridge reports that these donations will continue to benefit projects such as the renovating the college’s aging trades and technology facilities, supporting the Kodiak House residence, increasing access to student awards, focusing on emerging priorities in programming, and renewing of the library and learning commons. Lethbridge College | Lethbridge Herald (1) | Lethbridge Herald (2)
