Top Ten
January 4, 2019
Students critique Carleton’s new free speech policy
Some students at Carleton University are criticizing the institution’s newfree speech policy, reports CBC. Kieran Moloney, President of the Carleton Campus Conservatives, said that the policy lacks adequate mechanisms for complaints and enforcement. Moloney also took exception to a line that gives Carleton the “right to reasonably regulate the use of facilities and the time, place and manner of speech.” According to the university, the line refers only to accommodating requests related to free speech with regards to time and space. “We have always behaved in good faith in this area. Even before this policy, we had multiple policies that existed that regulated all these issues,” said University Senate Clerk Betina Appel Kuzmarov. CBC (ON)
Durham receives $1M from W. Garfield Weston Foundation
Durham College has received a $1M donation from the W Garfield Weston Foundation. A Durham release states that the funds will support the construction of a post-harvest and storage facility, greenhouse expansion, the implementation of container farming, and experiential learning opportunities at the W Galen Weston Centre for Food. “This grant will allow for more food production, new opportunities to teach non-traditional farming and, most importantly, more chances for students to gain critical skills that will put them in demand upon graduation,” said Weston Foundation Director Eliza Mitchell. Durham (ON)
Repairing the connection between imagination and public life: Clifton
“The times make it clear: we are facing a deep crisis of imagination in public life,” writes Jennifer Clifton. The author contends that this failure of imagination is part and parcel of a failure to think about the experiences of others, in addition to thinking about how we relate to those experiences. Clifton further argues that rather than providing an antidote to this failure of imagination, English classrooms have in many ways reinforced it. The author concludes by providing a list of ways that writing can be used to think beyond one’s current limitations. Inside Higher Ed (International)
BC announces 24/7 mental health service for students
The Government of British Columbia has announced plans for a 24/7 mental health resource for post-secondary students, reports the Vancouver Sun. In addition to virtual counselling sessions, the program will feature phone, chat, text, and email support. “Whether mild or severe, mental-health concerns are very real among post-secondary students who have been calling for action to this important issue on- and off-campus. That’s why our government is working to develop a mental-health service that is available to students around the clock, province-wide,” said BC Minister Melanie Mark. The Sun adds that $1.5M has been approved for the initiative. Vancouver Sun (BC)
UWaterloo, Salient Energy reach settlement in patent dispute
After several months of negotiation, the University of Waterloo and Salient Energy have settled a dispute over ownership of patent rights on mutually agreeable terms. Salient Energy co-founder Brian Adams was a student of UWaterloo who was working in the Nazar Research Group, a UWaterloo lab, when he discovered a new material that could be used to create a rechargeable zinc ion battery. CBC reports that Salient Energy assigned its patent rights to the university and is no longer a joint owner of the intellectual property, while the university has granted the company the worldwide licenses to use the technology. CBC |UWaterloo (ON)
TRU determines that Indigenous students need more gathering space
A two-year research initiative at Thompson Rivers University called the Coyote Project has concluded that Indigenous students need a larger gathering space on campus. “For a lot of [the students] it came down to a sense of belonging here,” said researcher Kelsey Arnouse. “Lots of them weren't from Kamloops, they weren't from the Kamloops area, so they were away from home and it was important to them that they had a home away from home.” CBC adds that while TRU does provide a space for Indigenous students called Cplul'kw'ten, or the Gathering Place, many of the students interviewed by the Coyote Project said that it is not large enough to accommodate everybody who would like to access it. CBC
Business school leaders say that education model must adapt to industry
As workplaces seek employees who can swiftly adapt to changing industries, disruptive technologies, and epochal crises such as climate change, many Canadian business school leaders argue that business education must embrace new models of learning. Darren Dahl, a Senior Associate Dean at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, told CBC that intangibles like creativity and agility have replaced so-called “hard skills” as the foundation of business basics. The Globe and Mail, meanwhile, cites a study in which one-quarter of its respondents feel that business schools are too theoretical. The study also found that week-long executive retreats and in-class lectures are giving way to online learning and one- or two-day classroom intensives. CBC |Globe and Mail (National)
Lakehead looks to recruit beyond Northern Ontario as local student-aged populations decline
Officials at Lakehead University tell CBC that regional declines in student-aged populations mean that the university will have to focus its recruitment initiatives on areas like the GTA and farther abroad. According to a 2017 report by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, Toronto will experience a short-term dip in 18-20 year-olds before a projected recovery, but “the student pool in northern Ontario will not recover.” James Aldridge, a Vice-Provost at Lakehead, stated that the university bolstered its international recruiting efforts in 2010. CBC adds that the uptick in international students will also require universities to increase supports for academics, housing, and employment. CBC (ON)
How student activists can tackle the challenges of post-secondary change
The biggest obstacle that student activists face when trying to sustain momentum for their causes is the rhythm of post-secondary life itself, writes Emma Whitford. The author notes that students come to school in the fall with more free time and energy to organize, protest, and advocate, yet “built-in holiday breaks, busy finals schedule and months-long summer leaves” leave little uninterrupted time for organizing. Whitford interviews a number of stakeholders on how students and organizations can address this challenge, as well as other difficulties such as creating and maintaining long-term change at an institution. Inside Higher Ed (International)
NIC introduces Likʷala /Kwak’wala and Nuu-chah-nulth language courses
North Island College has announced that it is offering introductory language courses in Likʷala /Kwak’wala and Nuu-chah-nulth at its Campbell River and Comox Valley campuses. A release explains that the Kwak’wala course, which is offered at both locations, includes listening and speaking with a focus on basic conversation, structure, and pronunciation. Introduction to Nuu-Chah-nulth, which will be offered at Comox Valley, enables students to develop listening techniques that compare and contrast Nuu-chah-nulth and English sound patterns and pronunciation. “These courses support adult learners in obtaining relevant credits to achieve their Dogwood diploma,” said NIC Adult Basic Education instructor Sara Child. “But, more importantly, they help our students and communities by supporting the revitalization of our precious languages.” Nation Talk (BC)
