Top Ten
February 28, 2017
Two McGill student executives resign over separate controversies
Two executives from the Students’ Society of McGill University have reportedly resigned over allegations of Anti-Semitism and sexual misconduct, respectively. The Montreal Gazette reports that Faculty of Arts representative Igor Sadikov has resigned after facing backlash for his recent “Punch a Zionist” tweet. “This is an important victory for Jewish and pro-Israel students and for tolerance in general at McGill,” said Michael Mostyn, chief executive officer of B’nai Brith Canada. Sadikov will reportedly remain as a member of the legislative council, but will face impeachment next month. SSMU Vice-President (External Affairs) David Aird has also resigned following sexual misconduct allegations that a group of students had posted online. Allegations against Aird have reportedly been circulating since before he was elected in June 2016, and the students who posted the allegations online have reportedly expressed frustration with the SSMU for not addressing the allegations sooner. Montreal Gazette (Sadikov) | Montreal Gazette (Aird) | SSMU
New NB bursary program aims to keep province competitive, says minister
A new bursary program will help “make sure that New Brunswickers are choosing New Brunswick to come and study instead of maybe going elsewhere,” according to the province’s Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Don Arseneault. Under the new program, a bursary will be offered based on the size and income of a student's family. The NB government has also announced that it will cover the costs of health care for international students. Arseneault said the province wants to mirror what some neighbouring provinces, such as Nova Scotia, now offer. “We are not competing with the guy across the street anymore or the province next door, it's all around the world,” he said. About 9,000 students may be eligible for aid under the new program, which starts on August 1st, 2017. CBC
Humber, BCIT partner to expand virtual healthcare education tool
Humber College and the British Columbia Institute of Technology have announced that they will partner to share and expand a first-of-its-kind healthcare-education tool. The agreement will give students from both schools access to the virtual town of Stillwell, where they will follow individual patients throughout their daily lives and address a series of critical incidents as they occur. “What’s remarkable about the characters from Stillwell, is that we’ll be able to integrate them into our state-of-the-art simulation dolls,” says James Rout, Associate Vice President, Education Support and Innovation at BCIT. “This means that when students come to our simulation labs, their robots patient dolls will also have names, backgrounds, and fulsome medical histories—just like they would see in a real hospital.” BCIT
Queen’s to build Beaty Water Research Centre with $5M gift
Queen’s University will house a state-of-the-art water research centre, thanks to a $5M donation from geologist and resource company entrepreneur Ross J Beaty and his wife, Trisha. The donation will fund the establishment of the new Beaty Water Research Centre, which will bring together approximately 50 faculty and graduate students from a variety of fields. “The real world doesn’t have silos and pigeonholes,” said Beaty. “The real world is a very complex interdisciplinary thing, particularly when you are studying something environmental, like water, which is obviously a very, very complex thing that requires study from many, many different fields.” Queen’s Professor Pascale Champagne, the Canada Research Chair in Bioresources Engineering, noted that the new centre would bring together students and faculty to conduct research on campus and under one roof. The Whig | Queen's
NSCC looks to build app aimed at supporting international students
Nova Scotia Community College has indicated its interest in developing a mobile app that will help students from around the world find the information and guidance necessary to enroll and thrive at the school, reports the Chronicle Herald. The school has reportedly issued a Request for Information for an app developer to begin work on the project. “It’s a lot of work when you’re moving to a new country,” says Ashley Pinsent-Tobin, Manager of International Learning (Inbound). “The more information we can provide students (the more it) makes the transition to study here easier and makes them more successful when they’re here.” The Chronicle Herald reports that the proposed app could assist students with issues related to study permits, electronic travel authorization, tuition fee dates, questions about health insurance, and SIN numbers. Chronicle Herald
Holland receives $4.6M for infrastructure upgrades
Holland College has received a combined investment of $4.6M from the Government of Canada and Province of Prince Edward Island for improving and upgrading the facilities at its 84-year-old campus. In particular, the investment will see the college’s research and training space at the Prince of Wales campus in Charlottetown upgraded in order to improve specialized research and training space, improve facilities, and introduce more efficient electrical and mechanical systems. “Holland College appreciates the continued support of our federal and provincial partners,” stated Holland Director, Facilities Management Justin Dunn. “This funding will enable Holland College to perform critical upgrades to the Charlottetown Centre, which will enhance our teaching and learning environments significantly, and improve the building’s energy efficiency.” Canada
SK appeal court upholds eviction of SaskPolytech students' group
Saskatchewan’s highest court has upheld Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s right to evict a students’ group from one of its Regina-based buildings, reports CBC. The group in question—Students' Association, Saskatchewan Polytechnic Regina Inc—vacated the building last summer, but appealed to the courts to overturn the eviction. The group was reportedly evicted because it and the school could not come to an agreement over the association’s stewardship of a student health and dental plan. SaskPolytech states that it asked for a new deal because the previous arrangement “did not meet the appropriate threshold for due diligence.” A students' group at the polytechnic's campus in Moose Jaw also vacated its offices last summer after failing to reach a new deal with the school. Currently, student matters in both Regina and Moose Jaw are being handled by the former Prince Albert and Saskatoon students' associations, which have now been combined into a single association. CBC
BVC opens School of Creative Technologies
Bow Valley College has announced the launch of its School of Creative Technologies, which will aim to address industry and community demand for graduates with more flexible technology and design training. A BVC release states that the School has been designed to develop programming that inspires interest in technology and design careers among non-traditional audiences. The School currently offers BVC’s Interior Decorating Diploma and is accepting applications for September enrolment in Kitchen and Bath Design, Digital Marketing, and Software Development. “By creating an interdisciplinary learning environment where technology and design professionals work and learn together, the School of Creative Technologies is poised to equip even more Albertans with the skills they need to build successful careers,” said BVC President Laura Jo Gunter. BVC
UBC, University of Washington, Microsoft establish joint centre to address urban challenges
The University of British Columbia, University of Washington, and Microsoft have announced the establishment of the Cascadia Urban Analytics Cooperative in order to help cities and communities address urban challenges using data. “Thanks to this generous gift from Microsoft, our two universities are poised to help transform the Cascadia region into a technological hub comparable to Silicon Valley and Boston,” said UBC President Santa Ono, referencing Microsoft’s $1M gift to the project. “This new partnership transcends borders and strives to unleash our collective brain power, to bring about economic growth that enriches the lives of Canadians and Americans as well as urban communities throughout the world.” UBC
GBC introduces new pathway for fashion students to study in UK
George Brown College has announced that graduates of two diploma programs at the college’s School of Fashion Studies will now be able to apply their credits to a degree program in the UK. Graduates who complete GBC’s Fashion Management or Fashion Business Industry programs with a GPA of 3.5 or higher will be able to enter year two of the BA (Hons) Fashion Buying and Merchandising program at the London College of Fashion at the University of the Arts London. “This is a great opportunity for Fashion Management and Fashion Business Industry graduates to receive credit for their courses and complete a degree in fashion with a highly respected institution in one of the world’s fashion capitals,” commented GBC School of Fashion Studies Chair Marilyn McNeil-Morin. GBC
