Top Ten
September 24, 2018
NVIT opens new centre for sustainability
The Nicola Valley Institute of Technology has officially opened the Centre of Excellence in Sustainability. A release states that the facility will house NVIT’s environmental resource technology and culinary programs. “The Centre of Excellence in Sustainability is truly intergenerational, with spaces that bring together children, elders, community members, and students who will learn the skills they need to be part of a vibrant B.C. economy,” stated Melanie Mark, British Columbia’s Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. According to the release, the facility received funding from the federal and provincial governments and Western Economic Diversification Canada. BC
UNB Institute, NB Trauma Program integrate trauma care data into research data repository
The University of New Brunswick’s New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training has partnered with the New Brunswick Trauma Program to create a research data repository and provide education about preventing and caring for traumatic injury. “We have known for decades that improving injury prevention and treatment requires the analysis of multiagency injury research registers that truly represent the person, the incident, treatment and outcomes,” said NB Trauma Program research sub-committee chair James French. “This is a unique and exciting opportunity that will put New Brunswick at the forefront of injury control research. UNB
Precarity and scarcity are at the root of anxiety and “safetyism” on campus: Warner
In a review of Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff’s The Coddling of the American Mind, John Warner suggests that economic scarcity and precarity underlie the climate of anxiety, depression, and “safetyism” that has come to dominate US campuses. While Haidt and Lukianoff express genuine concern for students’ well-being, Warner adds, they too-readily celebrate values such as critical thought, democracy, and open debate while overlooking the material drivers that influence how those values are disseminated in a post-2008 economic landscape. Warner also finds that Haidt and Lukianoff’s recommendations to alleviate safetyism and anxiety on campus are aimed toward families of privilege. Inside Higher Ed
Dal officially opens physiotherapy clinic
Dalhousie University has officially opened its new physiotherapy clinic. According to a release, the clinic links patient care with experiential learning for students who will work under the supervision of licensed physiotherapists. The clinic also connects patient care with clinical research, Dal adds. “I think the Dalhousie Physiotherapy Clinic really marks a milestone for the University,” stated Alice Aiken, Dal VP of Research and Innovation. “Now, we have the capacity to give our students and the community the best possible care, while providing innovative learning, and clinical placement opportunities for students.” Dal
BC funds French teacher education seats at SFU, UBC
The Government of British Columbia announced funding for additional French teacher education seats for the 2019-2020 school year. Simon Fraser University will receive funding for an additional 17 seats, and the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus will receive an additional 20 seats. “We estimate we are short somewhere between 100 and 150 French teachers in communities all around the province right now,” said Glyn Lewis, executive director of the B.C.-Yukon Branch of Canadian Parents for French. “Unfortunately, we haven't been graduating or retaining enough French teachers to keep up with the demand. We applaud the B.C. Ministry of Education for rolling out concrete initiatives to help meet our short-term and long-term needs.” CBC
USask employees directed to hold strike vote
CUPE 1975, which represents 1,900 employees at the University of Saskatchewan, has directed its bargaining committee to hold a strike vote, reports the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. The local represents IT workers, truck drivers, parking enforcement officers, and other on-campus employees, and has been without a collective agreement since 2015. A CUPE release states that the pension plan remains the primary point of contention. USask argued that a “fair and reasonable monetary package” was offered earlier this month, which, “along with progress made with other non-monetary terms and conditions during this round of bargaining, provide for an enhanced collective agreement for our employees.” Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Ryerson partners with Nishnawbe Aski Nation for northern housing strategy
Ryerson University’s Together Design Lab has partnered with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation in Northern Ontario on a three-year project that aims to provide better housing for Indigenous communities. According to a Ryerson release, the NAN Housing Strategy will create occupant-focused housing assessments, determine localized housing needs, and develop housing action plans and solutions at the community and regional levels. "The community of Nibinamik First Nation has been waiting so long to have new housing," stated band Manager Walter Oskineegish. "We now have a housing policy and a housing authority that looks after the policy." Ryerson
US institutions’ advancement teams not keeping up with increasingly diverse donor pool
Post-secondary institutions in the United States are bracing for fundraising challenges as their development staff diversity fails to keep pace with a new generation of philanthropists who are looking to support students with similar backgrounds or experiences. One expert noted that 20% of senior fundraisers in the US plan to retire in the next four years. The expert added that only 11% of front-line fund-raisers or gift officers are people of colour, while 12% overall are from diverse backgrounds. “College fundraising is not keeping pace with changing student demographics,” says expert Liz Rothenberg. “There's a lot of worry, especially if you consider that the U.S. will be a majority-minority country in 2045.” Inside Higher Ed
UoGuelph launches pilot project to monitor bee health
As part of a new pilot project called "[email protected]," the University of Guelph is setting up bee hotels in schools throughout Toronto and Waterloo to monitor the health of pollinators, reports the Guelph Mercury. The Mercury states that the “hotels” are tube-like structures in which female bees store their larvae. The program will allow scientists to compare how the units work in different environments while students in the selected schools learn about pollination and plant-insect interactions. Dirk Steinke, who started the program, stated that he would like to expand the project if it is successful. Guelph Mercury
Multiple measurements predict college success
A new report from an American research centre has found that course-level placement and completion rates improve if colleges use multiple measurements in their admissions processes. The study examined measurements such as high school grade point average, performance on state exams, and/or high school class rank. Inside Higher Ed also notes that the research identified impacts related to gender and racial equity. “We’ve got enough evidence now for people to move in the direction of using multiple measurements,” said Elisabeth Barnett, a co-author of the report. “One thing becoming clearer is that high school GPA is an especially good measurement.” Inside Higher Ed
