Top Ten
September 15, 2018
Canada Research Chairs program achieves historic milestone
Minister of Science and Sport Kirsty Duncan has announced that the Canada Research Chairs Program's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan reached a record high as women accounted for 43% of the program’s nominees. "When our labs and classrooms reflect the Canada we see today, all Canadians benefit. I am immensely proud of this historic achievement and commend our institutions for their hard work. This is a big step forward for Canada in attracting diverse talent, including more women and other underrepresented groups," Duncan stated. A SSHRC release states that the federal government has invested an additional $210M to support diversity and early career researchers. Newswire
AlgomaU, NALMA signs partnership agreement
Algoma University has signed a partnership agreement with the National Aboriginal Lands Managers Association, reports Soo Today. According to the agreement, AlgomaU will act as the Eastern Canada site for delivery of the NALMA Professional Lands Management Certification Program Level 1. “We are honoured to have been selected to deliver this programming and we are looking forward to welcoming students from across Canada to our campus,” said Nairne Cameron, Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Geology. Soo Today adds that the Akii (Land) & Environmental Stewardship Certificate helps land managers and professionals develop skills in land stewardship when working with Indigenous communities. Soo Today
MacEwan applies restorative justice to plagiarism
Vue Weekly says that MacEwan University will apply restorative justice to plagiarism cases. MacEwan is the third school in Alberta, after the University of Alberta and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, to deploy restorative justice on campus. “There was some dissatisfaction with how some of our decisions were affecting students,” stated Paul Sopcak, MacEwan’s Academic Integrity Coordinator. “For international students, sometimes, the consequences seemed especially harsh.” Vue Weekly adds that NAIT’s restorative approach requires an acknowledgement of wrongdoing on the student’s part. Deb Erkes, Director of UAlberta’s Student Conduct and Accountability Office, told Vue Weekly that while the university has adopted the language of restorative justice, it continues to deploy punitive measures for misconduct. Vue Weekly
OCADU to offer classes at former King George school
OCAD University will offer classes and workshops in a new community hub planned for Hamilton, reports CBC. The City of Hamilton has announced that it will spend $1M to establish the hub in a historic 106-year-old former school. “We are excited … to support Hamilton's creative cultural industries, inspiring youth and providing continuing education opportunities,” stated OCADU President Sara Diamond. The hub will also include a public library, Early Years Learning Centres, arts and culture organizations, and workshops and continuing education through OCADU. CBC
Milton approves plans for campus
Milton councillors have approved plans for the Milton Educational Village, which is to include a university campus in the town’s southwest, reports the Milton Canadian Champion. The councillors also extended a Memorandum of Understanding first signed in 2008 between Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College for the development of the campus. The Champion says that the partnership has started and stopped over the last ten years because of complications with provincial funding. “Milton’s preliminary land use concept and framework will guide this vision and support Laurier and Conestoga in establishing an innovative academic centre of excellence within the MEV,” stated Jill Hogan, Milton’s Director of Policy Planning and Urban Design. Inside Halton
Canadian PSE celebrates LGBTQ+ inclusive initiatives
Canadian universities and colleges are celebrating a number of new LGBTQ+ inclusive initiatives and infrastructure. Lethbridge College celebrated the opening of a new Pride Lounge early last week that is intended to provide a safe and accessible meeting space for LGBTQ+ students on campus. Brandon University has opened its first multiple-occupancy gender-neutral washroom on campus in the Students’ Union Centre. “We’re just trying to make it as safe as possible for our students and kind of push BU to be as inclusive for everyone as possible,” said BUSU vice-president internal Emily Simon. In Ontario, Fleming College unveiled its first permanent rainbow crosswalk in time for the start of the Fall 2018 semester. Brandon Sun (Brandon) | Lethbridge Herald (Lethbridge) | Fleming
UBC to build new residences
In a bid to meet overwhelming demand for on-campus residences, UBC will build a new, 1,000 bed complex, reports Daily Hive. “The new UBC Student Residence on Student Union Boulevard represents a tremendous opportunity to meet the significant demand for more student and university housing on campus,” said David Kiloh, Director of Facilities & Building Services for UBC Student Housing and Hospitality Services. According to Daily Hive, UBC currently has 13 student residences with over 12,000 beds, but nearly 6,000 students remained on a waiting-list in the 2016/17 academic year. Construction is slated to begin in the spring of 2019. Daily Hive
Lethbridge unveils new brand
Lethbridge College has unveiled its new brand, anchored by the slogan, “What happens next, matters most.” Brian Freeman, Lethbridge’s Manager of Marketing and Web Services, told Lethbridge News Now that Lethbridge worked with an outside agency to articulate the brand and the slogan. “We came down to five simple words that meant so much. But it was through research, research, research of our own internal people telling us what we knew, but just couldn’t articulate until we went through the process,” he said. Lethbridge President and CEO Paula Burns added that the re-brand also involved extensive engagement with the community. Lethbridge News Now
Student group calls on profs to consider free textbooks
The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance has relaunched a campaign that urges professors to provide free textbook options for students, CBC reports. "We saw students were spending about an average of $500 on textbooks," said Shannon Kelly, VP of Finance for OUSA. "Some students had to pick and choose between what textbooks they felt that they actually needed and could afford." Matt Gerrits, VP of Education with the Federation of Students at the University of Waterloo, added that professors also need to acknowledge that free textbooks are not necessarily unreliable. The group first launched the campaign in January. CBC
PQ proposes French-language course, exam requirement for Anglo-students
Parti Quebecois has proposed the introduction of a new requirement for Anglophone students to attend a session at a Francophone CEGEP and pass a French exam in order to obtain their college diploma. PQ leader Jean- François Lisée explained that the proposal aims to curb the decline of French in Quebec, arguing that it is now impossible to get a job in Montréal without a demonstrable knowledge of English. Journal de Montréal adds that students attending QC universities would not be subject to the evaluation, but would be required to take introductory French courses. Journal de Montréal
