Top Ten
May 23, 2017
Former McGill institute board member alleges that Andrew Potter was asked to resign
It was at the request of McGill University that Andrew Potter resigned from his post as director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, according to former institute board member Ken Whyte, who himself resigned last week on the grounds that he was “tired of defending McGill’s decision.” The Montreal Gazette reports that until now, the university has maintained that Andrew Potter willfully resigned his position after publishing a controversial article in Maclean’s accusing Quebec culture of “spiritual malaise.” Whyte maintains that he and other stakeholders suggested lesser sanctions against Potter before adding that “all of those options went for naught.” Whyte also stated on Twitter that he had heard from three university officials that all three levels of government had pressured McGill on the matter, a claim that the university has denied. Montreal Gazette | Globe and Mail
QC higher education minister calls for better governance of CEGEPs
Six months after a very critical report was delivered by Quebec’s Auditor General, CEGEP leaders and administrators will be offered training on good governance practices with the assistance of QC Higher Education Minister Hélène David. Auditor General Guylaine Leclerc's comments last autumn cited cost overruns, delays in contracts, and the doubtful repayment of certain expenditure accounts in criticizing the management of the province’s CEGEPs. The training day to which the directors are invited will take place in Montreal this Thursday. David has also instructed her deputy minister to draft an action plan to strengthen governance in CEGEPs and to improve the oversight mechanisms exercised by her department. La Presse
Maclean’s releases ranking of schools with best "work party balance"
Using a measurement of what it calls “work party balance,” Maclean’s has released a ranking of Canadian universities where students spend the most time both working and partying. Queen’s University took the top spot in the country, ranking second nationally in hours of study and third in hours of partying. According to the publication, “no other school came close to achieving that level of balance in their studies and partying.” The other top five schools—in order—were McGill University, Mount Allison University, Western University, and Dalhousie University. Maclean’s
Don’t be neurotic: UK students’ message to professors
Neurotic, disagreeable, closed off: these are some of the top qualities that students do not want to see in their professors, according to a new UK study. The survey of more than 260 students from three London universities also found that conscientiousness was the most desired trait in lecturers, followed by agreeableness, extroversion, and openness. “Neuroticism [emotional instability] was unanimously reported to be the least preferred trait in lecturers,” the research concluded. “Indeed, emotional stability in lecturers is highly prized by students. They want them to be resilient, able to cope with stress and stable as opposed to being moody.” Inside Higher Ed
MUN medicine program faces possible accreditation withdrawal after review raises concerns
CBC reports that Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Faculty of Medicine received a notice of intent to withdraw accreditation from its internal medicine program from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada following a review conducted in Fall 2016. “We have 24 months to enhance the program and address the weaknesses, so we are confident that we'll be able to ensure that we get our program meeting all the standards for royal college accreditation,” said Dean of Medicine Margaret Steele, who added that losing accreditation is “not an option” for the school. “Currently the residents in the program are still being sufficiently and proficiently trained in internal medicine,” said Aarun Singh Leekha, president of the Professional Association of Residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. “They are not concerned that there's any negative outcome following the intent to withdraw.” CBC
ACC restores ESL classes after receiving increased federal funding
Assiniboine Community College has restored a number of its ESL classes after receiving an amendment to its federal funding. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada have provided the school an additional $107K, which will allow ACC to continue its previous class schedule until the end of June and allow for the accommodation of 150 to 180 students per week instead of 80. “One of the things that IRCC had committed to was working with us to continue to understand what the demand was,” said ACC President Mark Frison. “They have stayed in close contact throughout all of this. Our language training folks and their officials have always been in close contact to make sure they’re understanding, and their commitment to do that has been helpful.” Brandon Sun (Subscription Required)
UWindsor undertakes national advertising campaign
The University of Windsor has begun running full-page, full-colour advertisements in national newspapers and other media outlets in an effort to increase its profile among Canadians, reports CBC. The stated goal of the campaign is to attract fundraising dollars from alumni and other possible donors, but UWindsor says that it also wants the campaign to support its recruitment and enrolment efforts. “It's the first time we've done a broad, really comprehensive [campaign],” says university president Alan Wildeman, who adds that the campaign looks beyond just the student demographic to build UWindsor’s profile. “If you're a parent, a decision-maker helping a young person decide where to go, I think you want to know that the university they're looking at has some really exciting things going on.” CBC
Yale dean who wrote “reprehensible” Yelp reviews forced to take leave
A Yale University dean has been placed on leave after the university discovered that she had been writing “reprehensible” reviews on Yelp, including some in which she refers to restaurant customers as “white trash” and movie theatre workers as “barely educated morons.” The National Post reports that Pierson College Dean June Chu issued a public apology after reviews from her Yelp account began circulating at Yale. Pierson Head Stephen Davis sent an email last Thursday informing members of the residential college that Chu had been placed on leave because her published comments were “deeply harmful to the community fabric.” “Let me be clear,” Davis wrote. “No one, especially those in trusted positions of educating young people, should denigrate or stereotype others, and that extends to any form of discrimination based on class, race, religion, age, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.” National Post
Holland, Collège de l'Île, STU to raise tuition
A trio of east coast institutions announced last week that they will raise tuition fees for the upcoming academic year. Holland College announced on Thursday that it would raise tuition 2%, while Collège de l'Île said that it will adjust its fees to bring them more in line with Holland’s prices as part of a growing partnership between the two schools. St Thomas University is also increasing its tuition in the coming fall, a decision that the school says is part of a five-year agreement with the New Brunswick government to raise what have historically been “significantly lower” tuition fees than the provincial average. Fees at STU will rise by $367 per year for each domestic student taking a full-time course load, and $756 for full-time international students. CBC (PEI) | Holland | Charlottetown Guardian | CBC (STU)
Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue receives nearly $1M to support research, innovation
Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue has learned that it will receive over $470K in federal funding, which will be combined with a $590K contribution from the school and its partners for an investment of nearly $1M in the school’s research and innovation activities. The CEGEP will use the funds to relocate its mineral technology department in order to increase lab space and improve research infrastructure at its industrial waste technology facility, which a federal release describes as a “technology transfer centre.” “This investment in infrastructure will help the industrial waste technology centre to maintain its position as a leader in mine waste treatment and will contribute to the development of strategic metals recycling,” said the CEGEP’s Director General Sylvain Blais. Canada
