Top Ten
October 17, 2018
Canadian institutions announce smoking policies as Canada legalizes marijuana
Post-secondary institutions throughout Canada have revised their campus smoking policies in light of national marijuana legalization on October 17th. Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology have implemented interim bans on all substances, “including cannabis, tobacco, and shisha.” Recreational cannabis will not be permitted at Wilfrid Laurier University, although the university will make exceptions for medical use. Likewise, students at Lakehead University and Confederation College will not be permitted to smoke or vape on campus, but Lakehead will let students consume edible marijuana products in their dorm rooms. Loyalist College states that it will be 100% smoke-free in January 2019. MacEwan University, meanwhile, will permit cannabis in designated smoking areas. Durham | CBC (WLU) | CBC (Lakehead/Confederation) | Loyalist | MacEwan
Citing “deep interpersonal conflicts,” McGill appoints physics prof to run Islamic Studies Institute
CBC reports that McGill University has appointed a physics professor to temporarily run the Islamic Studies Institute after Ahmed Fekry Ibrahim, a professor in the program, filed a $600K lawsuit against a student and fellow faculty member. The suit alleges that the student, Sarah Abdelshamy, and assistant professor Pasha Khan sought to destroy Ibrahim’s reputation after he engaged in a consensual relationship with another student. A statement from the McGill World Islamic and Middle East Studies Students Association says that Khan and program director Michelle Hartman have since been removed from their posts. In an emailed statement, McGill wrote that the university appointed the physics professor to secure against any potential conflicts of interest. CBC
Canadian campuses leading the entrepreneurial charge: Adem, Lennox
As society wrestles with questions around the future of work, answers are being found in the incubators, accelerators, and other entrepreneurial spaces housed on Canadian campuses, write Mitacs CEO Alejandro Adem and Startup Canada CEO Victoria Lennox. Adem and Lennox note that Canada has the highest rate of early stage entrepreneurship among all developed countries, a fact that they note is reflected in the range and vibrancy of entrepreneurial offerings at post-secondary institutions. “Canada’s postsecondary institutions have been impressively entrepreneurial in building these entrepreneurship ecosystems,” the authors write. “It’s now time for decision makers to recognize the role they can play in building Canada’s future.” Globe and Mail
Alumnus donates $7M to Ivey Business School
Western University’s Ivey Business School has received $7M from John Wood. The donation will fund the new John F Wood Centre for Innovation in Business Learning, as well as a Chair of the same name. The Centre and the Chair will create new approaches to teaching and learning in business, develop innovative curricula, explore the relationship between technology and in-person learning, collaborate with all programs at Ivey, and conduct significant outreach activities to non-Ivey audiences. WesternU
UQAT introduces unique human resources management program
The Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue has announced a new Bachelor’s Degree program in Business Administration that focuses on Human Resources Management and Occupational Health and Safety. UQAT states that the program is unique in Quebec and is offered fully remotely. Students will better understand the internal and external environments of an organization, gain practical knowledge related to labour relations legislation and collective bargaining processes, and learn how to develop a preventative approach to Occupational Health and Safety. Program Director Bryan Boudreau-Trudel explained that the program was developed in response to strong demand for training in these areas from both the industry and prospective students. UQAT
Humber partners with Rockwell Automation to address Industry 4.0 skills gap
Humber College has inked a five-year partnership with Rockwell Automation to facilitate training in the advanced manufacturing sector. A Humber release states that Rockwell Automation will also participate in Humber’s Industry 4.0 consortium. As part of the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation, the consortium will focus on integrating improved learning pathways and opportunities for students, adds Humber. “Partnering with Rockwell Automation allows us to strengthen our industry connections and find new ways to prepare our students for the careers of tomorrow,” said Humber President Chris Whitaker. The partnership will also include an initial investment of $250K in new equipment from Rockwell Automation, as well as an additional $25K in the third and fifth years of the agreement. Humber
RRU opens outdoor classroom
Royal Roads University has officially opened the Terry Power Strategic and Advanced International Studies Outdoor Classroom, named after a business professor who donated $100K toward the initiative. According to a Royal Roads release, the space can accommodate 50 students. “Students always refer to Dr. Power as one of their favourite instructors,” said Bill Holmes, Dean of the Faculty of Management. “Now he has given us this gift of a garden-like classroom as a place to reflect, to energize, to remember and for that we thank him.” Power stated that the space, free of PowerPoints and podiums, leaves “plenty of room for critical thinking and rich discussion.” Royal Roads
Study sheds light on how college students read the news
A new study out of the US examines how college students engage with news. The study, which included nearly 6000 student at 11 institutions, used pre-survey focus groups, open-ended responses, telephone interviews, and Twitter feeds from 700 students who volunteered their handles. According to Barbara Fister, who has penned an op-ed about the study, the authors found that “students are not indifferent to news, nor are they gullible.” A majority of the respondents stated that journalism is an essential component of democracy and that they feel they have a civic duty to be informed. Contrary to popular stereotypes, the study also found that students will not share a news source without checking its validity. Inside Higher Ed | News Study (Project Information Literacy)
URegina withdraws controversial tenure proposal, affirms commitment to academic freedom
The University of Regina has withdrawn a proposal that would allegedly make it easier to revoke and deny tenure, CBC reports. The Canadian Association of University Teachers stated that the measures, which were put forward as part of collective bargaining negotiations with the URegina Faculty Association, would put academic freedom at risk. URegina Provost and VP Academic Thomas Chase said in a written statement that the proposal was intended as part of an effort to “generate keen discussion at the bargaining table." According to Chase, URFA “didn't want to have that discussion” so the tenure proposals were removed from the draft. CBC
AU, AFOA partner to provide Indigenous students with access to Bachelor of Commerce program
Athabasca University's Faculty of Business and the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Alberta have partnered to help Indigenous students access AU's Bachelor of Commerce undergraduate programming. Indigenous learners will access courses online as well as learning through face-to-face time with AU professors and AFOA mentorship support. The learners will move through AU as a cohort and will receive support that incorporates their needs and culture. “This partnership between AFOA and AU is all about reducing barriers to entry, to enabling learners to reach their fullest potentials, and perhaps to recovering those dreams of furthering education that some may have felt were lost to them,” stated Faculty of Business Dean Deborah Hurst. AU
