Top Ten
July 24, 2017
Personnel association president hopes 78 departures will help USask avoid pink slips
Administrative and Supervisory Personnel Association President Peter Krebs says he hopes that a higher than expected number of applications for voluntary buyout packages at the University of Saskatchewan will prevent any staff from being laid off. The university has not yet outlined its cost-cutting targets in response to the SK government’s 2017-18 austerity budget, yet it is reportedly pleased with the number of buyout applications it has received so far. That said, it is still too early to tell if layoffs will be necessary, says USask head of human resources Cheryl Carver. Carver adds that while about 350 members of the union are eligible for the early retirement package, the number of applications will not be known until the July 31st deadline. Saskatoon StarPhoenix
OCUFA submits recommendations for improving ON Fair Workplaces legislation
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations reports that it has submitted a list of formal recommendations on how Ontario can improve its Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act. An OCUFA release states that the recommendations focus on delivering fairness for contract faculty who teach a growing number of courses at Ontario universities while lacking job security, receiving low pay, and often not having access to benefits. The recommendations stress that all workers should receive equal pay and have equal access to benefits, regardless of their employment status as contract, part-time, casual, or temporary. They also insist that the government prohibit schools from using sequential or discontinuous contracts to prevent the achievement of workplace rights, among other recommendations. OCUFA
UA profiles eight iconic Canadian university buildings
The campuses of Canadian universities are filled with so many beautiful buildings that it is difficult to pick favourites among them, writes Léo Charbonneau for University Affairs. For this reason, the author limits his list of eight iconic campus buildings to those with modern styles, with the oldest of the buildings dating from the 1930s. The author goes on to describe the historical and architectural merits of buildings from OCADU, First Nations University of Canada, Université de Montréal, Trent University, University of British Columbia, Ryerson University, Simon Fraser University, and University of Lethbridge. University Affairs
Librarians would need to be at the core of an online-first academic library: opinion
The first step in imagining an online-first academic library is making sure that academic librarians are the first priority, writes Joshua Kim. “As information has become ever more ubiquitous,” Kim adds, “the value of skilled and experienced information specialists has only increased.” Another key step, the author argues, would be to make academic librarians a core component in the delivery of online education, adding that “academic librarians are particularly critical in developing the resources that are used in the courses, as online learning involves a range of curricular assets (from text to media).” Kim concludes by imagining what it might be like to create a new subgroup of academic librarians specialized in blended, low-residency, and online education projects. Inside Higher Ed
COU examines economic impact of ON universities
The Council of Ontario Universities has released a report on the economic impact of Ontario universities. The report, titled Driving a Prosperous Future: Economic Analysis of the Lasting Impact of Ontario Universities, found that the province’s 21 universities made a total impact of $115.8B on the province’s GDP. This impact includes $48.7B that is attributable to human capital development; $42.4B through spending by universities, students, and visitors; and $24.7B through research and development. “By working together, we can build a brighter future,” says COU President David Lindsay. “not just for the students we teach and the communities we serve, but to unlock the full potential of Ontario’s future and all who live here.” COU
COU examines economic impact of ON universities
The Council of Ontario Universities has released a report on the economic impact of Ontario universities. The report, titled Driving a Prosperous Future: Economic Analysis of the Lasting Impact of Ontario Universities, found that the province’s 21 universities made a total impact of $115.8B on the province’s GDP. This impact includes $48.7B that is attributable to human capital development; $42.4B through spending by universities, students, and visitors; and $24.7B through research and development. “By working together, we can build a brighter future,” says COU President David Lindsay. “not just for the students we teach and the communities we serve, but to unlock the full potential of Ontario’s future and all who live here.” COU
Keyano launches new community-based bridging program at two sites Fort McMurray
Keyano College’s Aboriginal Education and Regional Stewardship team will provide new community-based programs at two sites to help bridge educational gaps for people who have less than Grade 10 academic skills. The program is funded through a Community Adult Learning Program Grant (CALP) from Alberta Advanced Education, and will see a focus on meeting the literacy and essential skills needs of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners at one site, while the other site will be focused on material for non-ESL learners. Keyano states that graduates of its Language Instruction to Newcomers (LINC) program will have the opportunity to develop the academic skills needed to transition to college upgrading or other high school equivalency courses. Keyano
Brief lockdown at Langara ends in robbery arrest
An alleged robbery at Langara College last Thursday evening resulted in a brief lockdown at the Vancouver college. Witnesses described seeing heavily armed police officers surrounding the campus after a student reported that they had been the victim of an armed robbery. Vancouver Police said the campus was put on lockdown for about half an hour at around 9 pm PT after hearing that the perpetrator was carrying a gun. Vancouver Police Const. Jason Robillard said patrol officers were able to arrest the suspect, and that they believed the man was carrying a BB gun. The incident was resolved shortly before 10 pm PT, and classrooms were reopened shortly after. CBC
Finding new MBA delivery methods highlighted as a top challenge by business school leaders
Appealing to a new generation of students and introducing innovative delivery methods is the biggest challenge facing MBA programs, according to a recent survey of business school representatives. The PIE News reports that a survey of 173 business school representatives from around the world found that developing innovative delivery methods for younger students was the greatest challenge, particularly for schools in the Americas. The survey found that just over a third (36%) of business schools said they use blended learning methods, with four in ten respondents saying the MBA used blended learning techniques more than any other program. The PIE News
Organizations partner on launch of Truth and Reconciliation Web Archive
The University of Winnipeg Archives, the University of Manitoba, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) are working together to increase public access to records documenting the history of Residential Schools in Canada. To this end, the organizations have jointly launched the Truth and Reconciliation Web Archive, which includes websites, news articles, government documents, commentaries, and more. “Many of the records documenting the work of the TRC and the public’s response to its Calls to Action are websites that are at great risk of disappearing without notice,” said Brett Lougheed, UWinnipeg Archivist and Digital Curator. “This resource will preserve these sites before they disappear and provide a central location to access them now and in the future.” UWinnipeg
CUPE 2081 upset over Camosun contracting out rainbow painting
Camosun College recently added a rainbow painting at design to the Interurban and Lansdowne campuses using a contracted company, a decision that upset local CUPE 2081. While Nexus Newspaper explains that Camosun “is not required through its collective agreement with CUPE 2081 to tell the union when it is contracting out” and that it “reserves the right to contract out when there are not qualified in-house workers,” CUPE local 2081 President Keith Todd argues that there are unionized college workers in facilities who regularly take part in painting work on-campus. Camosun Associate Director of Facilities Brian Calvert apologized for the miscommunication and added that Todd was “absolutely right” that the college should give the union more notice in the future. Nexus Newspaper
