Top Ten
April 12, 2018
SK cuts support for students by $12M
Saskatchewan’s provincial government will cut funding for postsecondary students by $12M, according to CBC. $8M of the cut will reportedly come from the suspension of the Advantage Grant for Education Savings. The drop in support follows the University of Saskatchewan’s decision to hike tuition by 4.8%. Meanwhile, University of Regina President Vianne Timmons told CBC that the university will have to make internal cuts following “dramatic” losses in funding last year. She noted that the university will not make a decision about its tuition fees until it tables its budget in May. CBC | Saskatoon Star Phoenix
Osgoode introduces new Indigenous and Aboriginal Law requirement
York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School will reportedly introduce an Indigenous and Aboriginal Law Requirement in September 2018. YorkU states that the requirement fulfills one of five priorities toward reconciliation outlined in Osgoode’s 2017-2020 Strategic Plan, while also meeting the TRC’s Call to Action #28, which advises Canadian law schools to require all students “to take a course in Aboriginal people and law.” The new requirement means that all students will gain familiarity with Indigenous law, which stems from communities; Aboriginal law, which is non-Indigenous law that pertains to Indigenous people; and codes of professional and intercultural conduct for serving Indigenous clients. YorkU
U of T’s School of Public Policy and Governance, Munk School of Global Affairs merge into new School
The University of Toronto has announced that the School of Public Policy and Governance and the Munk School of Global Affairs will merge into the new Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. U of T’s Faculty of Arts and Science reportedly implemented a year-long consultation process to determine whether the two schools should merge. Dean of Arts and Science David Cameron stated that the merger was not a cost-cutting measure. Rather, events such as the ongoing refugee crisis, NAFTA negotiations, and Brexit reportedly suggested “an academic rationale” behind the consolidation. U of T
UWindsor bike share project an “abysmal failure”: Bike Windsor Essex Director
The University of Windsor recovered just $1.2K from a $156K bike share project implemented in 2016, the Windsor Star reports. To make matters worse, 33 of 40 bikes reportedly disappeared during the project’s first year. According to the Windsor Star, the program was thwarted by a faulty GPS system, coupled with a policy that forbade users from taking bikes off campus. Lori Newton, executive director of Bike Windsor Essex, called the project an “abysmal failure.” “It would be a very poor model for us to look at and pull from, to suggest that a citywide bike share wouldn’t be a success,” Newton added. Windsor Star
Northern Lakes partners with local school divisions to offer dual credit program
Northern Lakes College announced that it has partnered with five local school divisions to provide dual credit opportunities for secondary students. “By expanding the number of learner pathways, we anticipate that high school students will be able to enhance their learning and work towards completing their high school diploma while gaining advancement towards a NLC post-secondary credential,” stated Northern Lakes Dean of Student Services Cyndy Lorincz. According to a Northern Lakes news release, the dual credit is designed to ease the transition from secondary school to either postsecondary or apprenticeship programs. Programs eligible for the dual-credit reportedly include Education Assistant, Surveying, and Health Care Aide. Grand Prairie Daily Herald Tribune
Northern Lakes partners with local school divisions to offer dual credit program
Northern Lakes College announced that it has partnered with five local school divisions to provide dual credit opportunities for secondary students. “By expanding the number of learner pathways, we anticipate that high school students will be able to enhance their learning and work towards completing their high school diploma while gaining advancement towards a NLC post-secondary credential,” stated Northern Lakes Dean of Student Services Cyndy Lorincz. According to a Northern Lakes news release, the dual credit is designed to ease the transition from secondary school to either postsecondary or apprenticeship programs. Programs eligible for the dual-credit reportedly include Education Assistant, Surveying, and Health Care Aide. Grand Prairie Daily Herald Tribune
Pig inspires $650K fundraiser at UoGuelph
CBC reports that Esther, a 295-kilogram pig, has inspired a $650K fundraiser for a CT Scanner at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College. The fundraiser was inspired by Esther’s own health issues, which led owners Steven Jenkins and Derek Walter to discover that there was no scanner in Canada large enough to accommodate her. So far, Jenkins and Walter have raised $73K. "As a health-care centre whose goal is to help animals of all shapes and sizes, we're grateful Steve and Derek want to help change that — for Esther and for all large animals," said Ontario Veterinary College Dean Jeffrey Wichtel. Jenkins added that Esther “is feeling better after the health scare.” CBC | UoGuelph
New peer program on sexual violence to be run by, for MacEwan undergraduates
MacEwan University is recruiting undergraduates for the MacEwan Anti-Violence Education Network, a new peer-program that addresses sexual violence. According to the Edmonton Star, selected students will undergo 40 hours of training on consent, sexual violence, and relationships. Jason Garcia, VP of Student Life of the Students’ Association of MacEwan, stated that students “are the most convincing to attract our peers to speak about the sensitive issue of sexual violence. With instructors you feel like you are getting a lecture, but when it’s your peers, this is life experience.” The Star adds that MacEwan also hosted a research panel discussion on sexual violence in January that featured undergraduates. Edmonton Star
KPU receives $500K from BC for energy training equipment
Trades and technology students at Kwantlen Polytechnic University will soon be working with new industry-grade equipment thanks to $500K from the British Columbia government. A KPU release notes that the school has used the funds to purchase thermal and geothermal energy training system machines, which will be used by students in the welding and electrical programs and KPU’s Mechatronics and Advance Manufacturing Technology diploma program. “This funding will help provide industry-grade or even better than industry-grade equipment to our students so that when our students graduate in two years, they’ll be able to fill the high-demand in B.C. for skilled tradespeople,” said KPU Dean of the Faculty of Trades and Technology David Florkowski. KPU
Why all faculty should embrace post-tenure review: opinion
Tenured faculty should embrace post-tenure review as a crucial way to hold themselves accountable to their school and peers, writes Michael Nelson. The author notes that as many states and schools have eliminated a mandatory retirement age for professors, it is important that late-career professors are still held to the same productivity standards as their younger peers. Nelson also notes that checking in with a department chair can offer a more realistic view of one’s output than one might have on one’s own. Inside Higher Ed
UQAM partners with Montreal to offer more green spaces downtown
The Université du Québec à Montréal is partnering with the City of Montréal to offer more green spaces in the downtown core as part of its new Accés jardins program. The Montreal Gazette reports that the city will be redeveloping a number of downtown areas in addition to spaces on the UQAM campus. The university is reportedly the first to have signed an agreement with the city to make five open areas and gardens accessible to the public for a period of 25 years. Montreal Gazette | UQAM
