Top Ten
February 20, 2018
NS launches program providing job opportunities for new Master's, PhD graduates
Nova Scotia has launched the Innovate to Opportunity program, a provincial initiative hat will help recent graduates with advanced degrees start careers with NS businesses. The program provides three-year funding for small- and medium-sized enterprises to hire recent Master’s and PhD graduates. “These graduates are at the pinnacle of their education and offer fresh ideas and new ways of thinking,” said Rimot Chief Technology Officer James Craig. “This program will help us put jobs in place for new grads that we may have not been able to afford before, and give us the opportunity to develop and retain new talent.” NS
UNB Saint John envisions doubling enrolment to 4,000
The University of New Brunswick Saint John President Eddy Campbell wants to double his school's enrolment to 4,000 students reports CBC. “If people come and they start saying they want to double the size of the enterprise, and it's not yet clear where all the needed resources are going to come from, that will arouse a certain amount of, ‘Well, how is this going to work?’” said Campbell. “That's exactly the response I do want. I want people to think really hard, 'Where are we going to get the new resources?” CBC reports that where the new students will come from is not fully specified, but that the institution may seek international students and will primarily focus on its graduate programs. CBC
ULaval students forced to take online courses to complete program
With expanded distance programming and a lack of on-site programming, many first-year students at Université Laval are being enrolled in mandatory online courses, reports the Journal de Montréal. The student association responsible for public communications students at ULaval explained that this mandatory requirement was dissatisfying to many students. The article explains that ULaval offers the most online courses in the province, and that the number of registrations for distance courses has tripled over the last ten ears. Laval vice-recteur adjoint aux études et aux affaires étudiantes Claude Savard explained that students who have to take several online courses in first year are the exception rather than the norm. Journal de Montréal
SPU unveils new Student Life Centre
Saint Paul University has unveiled its new Student Life Centre. “On behalf of the Saint Paul University Students' Association (SPUSA), I am proud to see the Student Life Centre come to life,” said SPUSA President Maria Princène Dagba. “The spaces are friendly, pleasant and respond well to the needs of students, whether to study or relax. This is a tremendous achievement for our community and I would especially like to thank the University students who took an active part in it with their financial contributions.” The centre was built with leadership gifts of $3.3M from the Oblate Fund of Saint Paul University Inc and the SPUSA. SPU
NOSM, Matawa, Eabametoong create unique First Nations residency stream
Matawa First Nations Management, Eabametoong First Nation, and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine have created a unique two-year family medicine residency stream. The program will see the three groups collaborate on the selection process, after which selected residents will work in the community of the Eabametoong First Nation. “The Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s Remote First Nations Residency Program will focus on experiences needed to provide culturally appropriate, skilled, comprehensive family medicine care in a remote First Nation community,” said NOSM Vice Dean, Academic Catherine Cervin. NationTalk
Dal decision to limit job search to racially visible, Indigenous candidates sparks critique, praise
“If we are to implement affirmative action, let it be done in a candid spirit,” writes Jonathan Kay of Dalhousie University’s recent announcement that it will restrict an administrative job search to “racially visible persons and Aboriginal peoples.” While Kay agrees that affirmative action can be justified in some instances, he insists that doing so involves compromising on the goal of finding the best candidate for the job. Writing for the Toronto Star, Shree Paradkar defends Dal’s decision and argues that the idea of merit can only be invoked if people believe that all members of all groups are on a level playing field. “Seeking applicants who are not white is the equivalent of traffic management officials looking at a highway full of trucks and opening up a lane for the cars that are bunched up at the back,” writes the author. National Post | Toronto Star
Lakehead launches Environmental Sustainability certificate program
Lakehead University has announced a new certificate program that will prepare students to address the complex and interconnected environmental challenges facing society today. A university release states that the new Certificate in Environmental Sustainability is a five-course, one-year, online program for professionals and practitioners alike who want to enhance their skills, knowledge base, and expertise in the field of environmental sustainability. “The program prepares graduates for a diverse and growing field in both the public and private sector, where they will enjoy many opportunities to research and come up with scientifically-based solutions for environmental issues,” says Sree Kurissery, Chair of the Department of Sustainability Sciences at Lakehead Orillia. Lakehead
Program that uses loyalty points to pay off tuition crosses $1M mark
Students and families have used loyalty points from programs such as Aeroplan to cover up to $1M in tuition costs and student loan repayments. The benefits have reportedly been spread across 100 Canadian universities and colleges. “The company took three years to reach the $500,000 mark, and just one year to process the next $500,000,” said Suzanne Tyson, founder & CEO of HigherEdPoints Inc. “It’s an exciting tipping point for us.’’ Through the company’s website, HigherEdPoints.com, students, family, members and others can convert points to offset costs at schools across the country. HigherEdPoints
BC Human Rights Tribunal agrees to hear complaint lodged against UBC over sexual assault protocols
The BC Human Rights Tribunal has agreed to hear a complaint about the length of time it took the University of British Columbia to handle a sexual assault complaint by a former student. A decision posted by the tribunal states that it is in the public interest to examine how UBC dealt with an alleged assault report made by Stephanie Hale against a fellow student in 2013. Hale says that she alerted several different officials that she was sexually assaulted at a university after-party. She adds that when she made the allegation to school officials, she was never directed to visit an advocacy centre or told to visit campus security. UBC
Northern receives nearly $1M to reduce carbon emissions
The Ontario Government has announced that it will provide Northern College with $969K to undertake heating plant upgrades at the school's four campuses in Timmins, Kirkland Lake, Haileybury, and Moosonee. “Not only will this funding contribute in a tangible way to reducing our carbon footprint, but concurrently it also allows Northern College to replace critical aging infrastructure,” said Northern President Fred Gibbons. In November 2017, Ontario issued a call for proposals from publicly-assisted colleges and universities for innovative approaches to increase campus sustainability. Northern
