Top Ten
November 16, 2018
PhD programs will need to rethink core attributes to thrive in the 21st century: CAGS report
“The purpose, meaning, and scope of the PhD are changing in response to profound changes in both the academy and society,” according to the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies. To this end, CAGS has released two new documents, one focusing on the PhD dissertation and one focusing on comprehensive examinations. The reports highlight how the growing engagement between university researchers and other societal sectors will require PhD graduates to acquire new competencies for the 21st century. This repositioning of the PhD, the reports argue, will require universities to recast two major components of a PhD education, the dissertation and comprehensive exams, to better reflect changing needs. CAGS | Report (Dissertation) | Report (Comprehensive Examinations) (National)
UWinnipeg, WSD, Indspire partner to develop more Indigenous teachers, community leaders
The Winnipeg School Division, the University of Winnipeg Faculty of Education, and Indspire have celebrated the launch of the Build From Within-Ozhitoon Onji Peenjiiee teacher development program. The program will see students study an education assistant diploma program while in Grade 11 and 12, enabling them to graduate with a high school diploma and an education assistant diploma program certificate. "After graduating high school and with their EADP certificate,” explained Program Manager Shane Bostrom, “the Build From Within students begin paid employment with Winnipeg School Division as half-time educational assistants while they begin their journey to complete their bachelor of arts and bachelor of education degrees.” The $5M, seven-year program is reportedly the first of its kind in Canada, and will begin its pilot cohort in February 2019. CBC | Winnipeg Free Press (MB)
UQAM RPC-PREV receives $1.5M to combat extremist violence
The Government of Canada has provided $1.5M over four years to the Réseau des praticiens canadiens en prévention de la radicalisation et de l’extrémisme violent, an extremist prevention network attached to the Université du Quebec à Montréal. UQAM Psychology Professor Ghayda Hassan, who will direct RPC-PREV, stated that radicalization and social polarization impact all spheres of Canadian society and require a systemic response. RPC-PREV will use the funds to improve anti-radicalization initiatives by strengthening practices, improving capacity, and bolstering cross-country partnerships among front-line responders. UQAM (QC)
Cambrian to launch two new programs
Cambrian College will launch two new programs in January 2019: a Mechanical Technician – Manufacturing/Machining program and an Applied Learning Disability Studies program. A Cambrian release states that students in the Mechanical Technician program will use industry-standard equipment and computer-assisted design techniques to design and build machines and components for the manufacturing process. The Applied Learning Disabilities Studies program is offered online and provides students with a combined concentration in Learning Strategies and Assistive Technology. “Our goal is to be a go-to college, not just for Greater Sudbury and northeastern Ontario, but Ontario and beyond,” said Cambrian President Bill Best. Cambrian (Sudbury, ON)
Langara signs Okanagan Charter, launches Mental Health Framework
Langara College has announced that it is the first college in British Columbia to sign on to the Okanagan Charter. The charter calls on postsecondary schools to embed health into all aspects of campus culture for students, staff, and faculty. “It’s exciting to see institutions across Canada such as Langara making mental health and wellbeing a priority for their communities,” said Canadian Health Promoting Campuses Network Chair Matt Dolf. “It reflects the College’s proactive approach in creating a healthy environment for students, staff, and faculty, and its willingness to lead by example.” Langara (Vancouver, BC)
Education does not guarantee upward mobility: Volante, Jerrim
While education matters, it is not necessarily enough to change socioeconomic inequities in many countries, write Louis Volante and John Jerrim. Citing a 2015 study, the authors find that differences in “intergenerational mobility,” or improvements in social status for children of uneducated parents who pursue higher education, are particularly acute between continental Europe and several other countries. While a family’s class background has little influence on employment outcomes for educated children in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands; it significantly impacts children in France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom. Volante and Jerrim add that although Canada performs reasonably well in intergenerational mobility, it suffers a “noticeable gap” between Indigenous and non-Indigenous education outcomes. National Post (CP) (National)
Glenbow Libraries and Archives moves to UCalgary
The University of Calgary and Glenbow’s Libraries and Archives have announced a partnership that will culminate in the Glenbow Western Research Centre at the University of Calgary. A UCalgary release states that the Centre will provide students and researchers with access to archival materials pertinent to local, regional and provincial history; social studies; cultural and social history; religious studies; geography; political science; military history and artifacts; and agriculture. “We are excited about this collaboration and the prominence the university is placing on these important research materials,” stated Glenbow Board Chair Irfhan Rawji. “The university will be able to ensure greater public and academic access than Glenbow is currently able to provide.” UCalgary (AB)
Ste-Foy suspends athletes after anti-Muslim video shared on Twitter
CEGEP de Ste-Foy has suspended four players from its women’s basketball team after a video that shows team members making derogatory comments about Muslims surfaced online, reports the Montreal Gazette. Claude Boutin, Ste-Foy’s Head of Student Life and Spokesperson, told the Gazette that, in addition to the suspension, the players will be required to perform community service. “This will be a learning opportunity. The young people involved very much regret their actions. I don’t think they realized the impact of their words,” said Boutin. Montreal Gazette (Quebec City, QC)
St Clair unveils eSports administration program
St Clair College has unveiled its two-year eSports Administration and Entrepreneurship diploma program, reports the Windsor Star. According to the Star, the program will prepare students for careers in sponsorship management, graphic design, social media management, video editing, content production, content marketing, coaching, and directorships of gaming. “The video game industry is booming with more products and tournaments popping up around the world,” said John Fairley, St Clair’s VP of Communications and Community Relations. The Star adds that 2.3 billion gamers worldwide spend $137.9B on electronic games each year, and that the eSports industry is expected to distribute over $300M in tournament prizes in 2018. The program will launch in 2019. Windsor Star (Windsor, ON)
CHUM to offer first French-language school of AI in medical sector
The Centre hospitalier de l’université de Montréal has announced that it will house the first French-language school to focus on the social, legal, and ethical implications of AI in the health sector, reports the Montreal Gazette. Vincent Oliva, Chief of the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at CHUM, told the Gazette that AI is used for a variety of operating room procedures, but that its growing ubiquity presents an array of ethical and legal questions. “If we have some errors that are made by artificial intelligence, we have to be sure that it’s something that we can detect,” added CHUM Executive Director Fabrice Brunet. “We have to be sure that we understand what it is that artificial intelligence is doing.” Montreal Gazette (QC)
