Top Ten
July 20, 2018
Canada connects 3,725 students with green jobs
The Government of Canada has reportedly connected 3,725 students to green jobs through the Green Jobs in Green Spaces program. Through opportunities offered by several organizations, students will be able to broaden their environmental understanding, take part in internships to help achieve nature conservation objectives, and gain experience in green sectors across Canada. These paid opportunities are being rolled out through the summer and fall of 2018 and the summer of 2019. “Our Green Jobs in Green Spaces program is giving students great opportunities for paid, meaningful work experience in green sectors like parks, conservation, and research, from coast to coast,” said the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour. Newswire
NB government invests $2.28M for upgrades at UNB biomedical facility
New Brunswick’s provincial government has announced that it will invest $2.28M to support an expansion of the University of New Brunswick’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering. According to a UNB release, the funds will go toward the development of a specialized rehabilitation research space and the purchase of equipment. “Our government’s investment in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering is for the construction and support of a facility focused on adaptive solutions using mixed rehabilitation engineering strategies,” stated Deputy Premier Stephen Horsman. UNB
USask, Kahkewistahaw sign MOU for teacher program
The University of Saskatchewan’s College of Education and Kahkewistahaw First Nation have signed an MOU focused on the Indian Teacher Education Program. Under the agreement, ITEP will offer a four-year Bachelor of Education degree program in the community, providing postsecondary training for Kahkewistahaw members and surrounding communities. "[Indigenous] people are brilliant, they are amazing, and they are smart," said ITEP director Chris Scribe, "[but] sometimes we feel like we don't belong." Scribe added that ITEP serves to make education accessible to more Indigenous learners. Nation Talk | CBC
Despite lack of supporting evidence, students self-medicate with cannabis: study
A new study from the University of Calgary has found that students use cannabis to treat a range of ailments, from pain to anxiety, reports CBC. 38% of the study’s respondents stated that they have replaced their prescription medications with cannabis, CBC adds. "That really told us that our students are engaged in the conversation," said Jacqueline Smith, an assistant professor of Nursing at UCalgary who is leading the study. "And now that's it legalized, there's a perceived lower risk now and they're willing to talk about it.” Smith also expressed concern about the lack of scientific studies that might verify the medicinal benefits of cannabis. CBC
Students stop BCIT voyeur
Students at the British Columbia Institute of Technology helped in the apprehension of a man who was allegedly taking cellphone photographs of women in a campus washroom, reports CBC. The RCMP stated that the man was first confronted by a woman whom he pushed over in an attempt to flee, but other students stopped and detained the man until police arrived. "This should not ever happen here on campus. We have so many security measures in place," said BCIT Student Association President Timothy David. According to CBC, this is not the first incident of voyeurism at BCIT—three years ago, Chieh-Sen Yang was arrested and charged for taking cell phone pictures in a men’s washroom. CBC
Attracting international talent, improving knowledge exchange
“The ‘talent economy,’ consisting of highly skilled personnel from the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, is the linchpin of a productive society and economy,” write Catarina Ferreira and Cornelya Klütsch. The authors note that Canada currently faces a number of challenges with respect to sustaining and growing a well-rounded STEM talent pool, partially due to “a strong financial disinvestment in science over the last decade and to an aging population.” In response to these challenges, the authors offer a series of tips for how Canada can create opportunities for an inclusive and diverse talent pool while breaking through institutional barriers and bureaucracy. University Affairs
Academics responsible to intervene in politics when research supports action
Jessica F Green argues that academics have a responsibility to make explicit political interventions when their research supports it. Green notes that traditionally, academics have been seen as “honest brokers,” offering a range of opinions that can help frame an issue for decision-makers. Yet “by not expressing views about what should be done, we are passing the buck,” writes Green. “By merely providing options, we absolve ourselves of wrestling with more difficult political and ethical questions.” Doing so will require academics not only to be more open about their political commitments, but also require them to theorize transformative political change rather than incremental policy adjustments. Chronicle of Higher Education
U of T OISE librarian creates online resource for Indigenous educational content
Desmond Wong, a librarian at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), has compiled a list of 50 Indigenous education resources in response to the cancellation of the TRC’s curriculum writing sessions for K-12 education, reports CBC. "I compiled these items so that teachers would have something that they could look to that are largely created by Indigenous educators, artists, and authors to bring those authentic world views into their classrooms," Wong stated. CBC adds that the resources include books, Indigenous language materials, and TRC materials for educators. CBC
Who should track PhD career outcomes?
A major historical association in the United States has published a comprehensive dataset that tracks the career outcomes of 8,500 historians who earned PhDs between 2004 and 2013. The data comes at a time when humanities PhD programs are under criticism for burdening students with crushing debts and poor job prospects, writes Vimal Patel. Despite this criticism, the author finds that the outcomes for PhDs both within and outside the academy look promising. The article then considers whether universities, individual faculties, or disciplinary associations should collect and distribute career outcomes data for PhDs. Chronicle of Higher Education (Subscription required)
JIBC receives grant from Chilliwack Foundation supporting paramedic students
A grant from the Chilliwack Foundation has funded Advanced Intravenous (IV) Arms, portable radios, and a specialist moulage kit for paramedics-in-training at the Justice Institute of British Columbia. “Medical simulations allow students to learn and practise key skills and are an essential part of JIBC’s experiential learning model. Thanks to this gift, our students are learning in a more realistic environment, enabling them to be better equipped for their future careers,” stated Kathy Harms, Director of the Health Sciences Division. A JIBC release states that its Chilliwack campus also includes a learning lab and on-site training ambulances. JIBC
