Top Ten
August 9, 2017
SN Polytechnic receives prestigious WINHEC accreditation
Six Nations Polytechnic has received WINHEC Accreditation for a period of ten years. The accreditation is granted to an institution or program that is framed by the philosophy of the community it serves; is soundly and intelligently conceived; integrates Indigenous culture, language, and worldviews into its programming; and accomplishes its work in a manner that merits confidence by the Indigenous constituencies being served. “This accreditation is recognized by Indigenous people from around the world and is seen as a very powerful unification of Indigenous educators,” said SN Polytechnic Board Chair Kevin Martin. “I feel that it acknowledges what Six Nations Polytechnic has accomplished to date, and confirms that our peers agree that SNP has met a high standard of Indigenous education.” Brantford Expositor | Sachem | SN Polytechnic
MUN Genesis Centre hosts Startup Visa Program for international entrepreneurs
Memorial University’s Genesis Centre has announced that it is the first designated business incubator/accelerator in Newfoundland and Labrador under the federal Startup Visa Program for international entrepreneurs. Startup Visa will allow immigrant entrepreneurs to apply for venture capital funds, angel investor groups, or business accelerators/incubators funding; and can help facilitate and advance the entrepreneur's permanent residency status. A release states that Genesis partnered with groups such as the Canadian Acceleration and Business Incubation Association, the Government of Canada, Refugee and Immigrant Advisory Council, and the Association for New Canadians. WireService
ON colleges make early offer of settlement to college faculty
Ontario colleges have made an early offer of settlement that would extend the existing collective agreement for its academic employees. The four-year extension to the contract includes a 7.5% salary increase, a new maximum salary for college professors, expanded catastrophic drug coverage, positive changes to pregnancy and parental leave, and more. “The offer is in line with recent public sector extension settlements for college support staff employees, the Ontario Public Service, teachers, and education workers,” said Sonia Del Missier, Chair of the Colleges' Bargaining Team. “The colleges considered it only fair to provide the same opportunity to its faculty as other public sector unions have received.” Newswire
Consider your aspirations when deciding where to publish
When considering where to publish an essay or research report, Karen Kelsky of Chronicle Vitae advises new and aspiring academics to include their hoped-for career in the decision. Kelsky writes that an ABD pursuing positions at top-tier institutions should not “dilute [their] top-program ‘brand’ (pardon the neoliberal-ese) with a lower-tier publication.” On the other hand, someone who is applying to or who is on the tenure track at a second-tier or teaching-oriented institution would be fine to include “reputable, peer-reviewed, mid-tier journals” on their CV. Furthermore, Kelsky notes that including mid-tier journals can be a tactical move for these candidates, as only having high-tier journal publications can relay the message that the applicant will use the institution as a “stepping-stone” to a top-tier institution. Chronicle Vitae
Aurora College to undergo broad review
CBC reports that Aurora College will be embarking on a broad review, which the article states “seems a lot like the one done four years ago.” The article compares the proposed review to a review conducted by former Education Department deputy minister Mark Cleveland, and highlights the concerns of former board vice-chair Mary Beckett. “[The review] is quite fundamentally different in the sense that it's supposed to look at the reason for the college and how best it can position itself going forward,” said NWT Education Department Assistant Deputy Minister Andy Bevan. “What we're hoping to get out of the report, or foundational review, is what other options are out there, what other jurisdictions are doing.” CBC
Advocates, critics debate role of PSE, police in sexual assault reports in light of ON legislation
September will mark the beginning of the first full academic year since Ontario made it mandatory for its postsecondary schools to have protocols in place for dealing with allegations of sexual assault, reports The Star. The article covers the opinions of many advocates and critics, who felt that the provincial legislation “a good start,” but disagreed over whether or not postsecondary institutions should be handling sexual assault reports. “In order to protect their own integrity and liability, I think it’s incumbent upon (universities) to contact the appropriate authority,” said Toronto lawyer Joseph Neuberger. ON Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development Deb Matthews stated that she was confident that schools were capable of putting the best possible policies in place. The Star
BC improves access to ABE, ELL programs
The British Columbia government is eliminating tuition fees on Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English Language Learning (ELL) programs, which will increase access to education and skill upgrading for tens of thousands of people. Under a 2015 policy, the provincial government imposed tuition fees on ABE and ELL programs and saw enrolment drop by 35% from 2013-14 to 2016-17. “Our province can't afford to lose students who are keen to learn or advance their skills training in the post-secondary sector because of financial barriers,” said BC Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training Minister Melanie Mark. “I'm proud we're taking this action to expand opportunities for ABE and ELL students to thrive in the workforce and achieve academic success.” BC
UOIT ELC opens doors to Mexican scholarship recipients
Earlier this summer, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s English Language Centre provided 30 recipients of the Proyecta 10,000 scholarship program with four weeks of intensive English language instruction. Proyecta 10,000 is an initiative of the Mexican government that aims to send 10,000 undergraduate students, teachers, and researchers to study English as a Second Language in Canada by 2018. Participants took part in activities such as workshops, a canoe trip, and a Soccer for Language game that featured guest speakers from the UOIT-Baagwating Indigenous Student Centre on the Indigenous origins of soccer and lacrosse. UOIT
UBC acquires 19th Century travel diary
The University of British Columbia is now the owner of a travel diary from the 19th century, written by Susannah Weynton, wife of the captain of a Hudson's Bay Company supply ship. The diary includes documentation of the sights, geography, Indigenous peoples, and more that Weynton witnessed during the four months she spent in British Columbia. “It's quite different because it is a different perspective. She's a woman — so many of the passages are about her and her experiences,” UBC Librarian Melody Burton told The Early Edition guest host Stephen Quinn. The book was acquired for $88K through a private sale from Weynton’s descendants, with partial funding from grants to repatriate Canadian artefacts. CBC | UBC
Road to an innovative economy is paved with research investments
“Our government has been staking much on an “innovation economy” … So how do we get there?” ask Paul Armstrong and Carol Herbert for the Globe and Mail. “Follow the government’s own evidence and part of the answer is clear: invest in research.” Armstrong and Herbert reflect on the recommendations made in the Naylor report, as well as research conducted by groups such as the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, to determine where investments are needed. In particular, they advise coordinating CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC, and CFI; restoring 70/30 per cent funding distribution in favour of independent investigator-led research; and focusing on the training and recruitment of young researchers. Globe and Mail
