Top Ten
April 7, 2017
U of T student files human rights application against school over sexual assault investigation
A University of Toronto student has filed a human rights application against both U of T and Trinity College over the schools’ alleged failure to adequately investigate a sexual assault complaint. Tamsyn Riddle tells CBC that after she filed her complaint with the school, she was told not to go to the media because it might expose her to death threats as a “feminist.” Riddle adds that the ensuing investigation by the school lasted 17 months and resulted in no sanctions against the alleged assailant. Riddle's lawyer, Emily Shepard, adds that the application's main purpose is to get “some form of policy and procedure in place that would protect other students from the kind of experience that [Riddle] had.” U of T executive director of personal safety, high risk and sexual violence prevention and support, Terry McQuaid, tells the CBC that the school has already developed a standalone sexual assault policy and has opened sexual assault and violence centres at each of the school’s three campuses. CBC | Toronto Star
40% of St Clair positions could become vacant in next 24 months: president
St Clair College President Patti France says that roughly 40% of the school’s workforce will become eligible for retirement by 2019, adding that the college currently has no plans of cutting any of the positions. CBC reports that France made these comments during a presentation earlier this week, and that the potential openings include faculty jobs as well as administration and support staff positions. “Sometimes if we may add to the complement back in, but we may do it slightly different or tweak the job,” France explained. “We always take the opportunity if there's a vacancy to look at the job and see if it needs to be changed at all, or if if there needs to be a different focus in a different area.” CBC
MacEwan launches Canada’s first university-run record label
MacEwan University has created its own record label in what the school is calling a Canadian first. While MacEwan is not the first school to create a record label, it is reportedly the first to operate one. MacEwan Recording Professor Paul Johnston says that the new label—called Bent River Records—will operate on a per-project basis, and that all of the intellectual property published under the label will remain with the artists. “There's kind of a responsibility for universities to step it up and create more opportunities for people,” Johnston. “I just see more mentorship for the students [and] more interaction with the actual industry.” CBC
Universities accepting, adapting to the new normal of helicopter parents
“According to student affairs advisers, the issue of helicopter parenting at the postsecondary level is not up for debate in the same way it was 10 or 15 years ago,” writes Theresa Tayler. “Parents are involved, period; there’s no stopping them, whether it be supporting their children financially, emotionally or academically.” Tayler notes that it has become a matter of necessity, not just courtesy, for university staff to include mothers and fathers as direct stakeholders in their children’s education. The article goes on to highlight how a number of Canadian universities are working to keep parents up to speed on their children’s situation while they are attending university. University Affairs
UOttawa’s Telfer School of Management EMBA ranked top in world by CEO Magazine
CEO Magazine has released its global ranking of the world’s top Executive MBA programs, and three Canadian schools have made the top 50. The Telfer School of Management’s Executive MBA program at the University of Ottawa was ranked first in the world by the publication. The EMBA programs at HEC Montréal and the University of Alberta were ranked #11 and #36, respectively. HEC Montréal and UAlberta also appeared in the publication’s top tier for MBA rankings in North America. CEO Magazine | UOttawa | HEC Montréal
MRU formally opens psychological innovation facility
Mount Royal University has formally opened its new $1.4M Centre for Psychological Innovation. The centre features a variety of new facilities, including a virtual reality lab, two eye-tracker suites, and several one-way glass observation rooms. “Technology allows us to measure aspects of daily life in an academically rigorous setting,” said Anthony Chaston, Assistant Chair of the Department of Psychology. “Our research doesn’t stay in the lab. It leads to outcomes that make life better for people. It also inspires others to build on our work.” The centre is described as a distinctly collaborative space that allows individuals from a variety of academic career stages to share their insights. MRU
Holland residences approved by Charlottetown planning board
The Charlottetown Planning Board has approved the recommendation to rezone several buildings in the city into student residences for Holland College. As a result, Holland will be building a four-story student residence with off-site parking. “We simply took information received at that public meeting and reviewed the information and the Planning Board made a recommendation that evening to council to approve the project,” said Chairman Greg Rivard. CBC reports that several residents and business owners are against the residence plan. Holland representatives have reportedly said that residents will have two months to relocate after the school purchases the buildings. CBC
UNB elder speaks on resistance, resiliency in anticipation of serving as Canada 150 ambassador
While many First Nations people are reportedly boycotting Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation celebrations this year, University of New Brunswick elder in residence Imelda Perley has agreed to take on the role of ambassador for the event. Perley tells CBC that when she first received an invitation to serve as ambassador, she suspected that the invitation was a calculated effort to offset the impact of #Resistance150, a social media campaign that aims to highlight how Indigenous peoples have resisted government policies since the time of European settlement. Perley adds, however, that “as long as I can promote the resilience of my people as opposed to the resistance of my people, … I would be willing to showcase our resiliency.” CBC
How young universities can compete with established rivals
“Starting a university from scratch might seem like a foolhardy exercise in hubris to many academics,” writes Jack Grove for Times Higher Education, but the author adds that across the world, a new class of universities is finding new ways to lure top students away from more established institutions. Grove argues that many established universities are either unable or unwilling to expand in any significant way, leaving a growing number of excellent students in need of somewhere else to enrol. New schools are helping to capture these students through a number of approaches, which include the introduction of more hybrid learning models that blend in-person and online course delivery. The Université de Québec à Montréal was the only Canadian school to appear in the top 100 of THE’s young university world ranking, placing 97th overall. Times Higher Education | Rankings
Humber College-NIIT Canada named official real estate education provider for ON
Humber College’s Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning and NIIT Canada will be the future provider of registration education for aspiring real estate salespersons and brokers in Ontario. Canadian Insider reports that the groups were selected by the Real Estate Council of Ontario to design, develop, administer, and deliver a new program to provide registration education for the sector. “Humber has a strong industry reputation for credential testing and delivery of professional designation programs,” said Alister Mathieson, vice-president, Advancement and External Affairs, Humber. “Further, Humber is closely connected with our local and provincial communities, and the opportunity to deliver specialized education and skills to real estate salespersons and brokers will help contribute to Ontario's economy as newly trained professionals enter the workforce.” Canadian Insider
