Top Ten
May 21, 2019
International student arrested, facing deportation for working too many hours
Jobandeep Sandhu, an international student in Ontario, was recently arrested by an Ontario Provincial Police officer for working too many hours, reports Global News. Sandhu had recently started working 35-40 hours a week as a truck driver to help pay his tuition, but his student visa only permitted him to work for 20. Sandhu’s lawyers said that police will typically report suspected immigration breaches to the Canadian Border Services Agency, but notes that the arrest was unusual. Sandhu has applied for a temporary resident permit with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. He was told that he will have to return to India no later than May 31st if his application is denied. Global News (ON)
Fraudster targets UCalgary science journal
Arctic, a journal out of the University of Calgary, has been targeted by a cybercriminal who creates fake versions of scientific publications in order to scam money from researchers looking to publish their work, reports CBC. UCalgary officials are saying little about the case beyond the fact that they sent the operator of the fake website a cease-and-desist order in 2017. Mehrad Jalalian, an expert on fraudulent websites that claim to be scientific journals, explained that scammers collect fees from researchers after agreeing to publish their work. Those fees are processed as bitcoins, which essentially makes the money untraceable. CBC adds that the fake websites mimicking the real journals are also indexed on databases such as Web of Science. CBC (AB)
SAT designers expand use of "Adversity Index" to account for student environment
In a move that could inspire a similar trend in other countries, the US-based College Board has expanded its use of an “adversity index” designed to place students' SAT scores in the context of their socioeconomic advantages or disadvantages. Scott Jaschik reports that the Board has been testing this tool for several years and that thus far, it has been used by roughly 50 colleges and universities. Last Thursday, the Board said that the index would be expanded to about 150 colleges later this year, and made available to all colleges in 2020. Jaschik adds that the change comes at a time when the SAT has been criticized for years because wealthier students tend to score higher than those from less advantaged backgrounds. Inside Higher Ed (International)
Boréal collaborates with five universities for French-language programming
Collège Boréal has established partnerships with Laurentian University, Glendon College, Saint Paul University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Moncton to offer French-language programs at its Toronto campus, reports CBC. According to Boréal President Daniel Giroux, students and graduates who wanted to continue studying in French after graduating from Boréal did not have many options for French-language degrees. "A lot of times what's happening is when those programs are not available en Francais, they will proceed with Anglophone programs," said Giroux, adding that the partnerships are not connected to the proposed Francophone university that the provincial government stalled in 2018. CBC (ON)
Selkirk’s new Web Development Program to keep talent close to home
Selkirk College will launch a Web Development Program this fall. A release states that students of the program will develop skills for front- and back-end applications while solving problems individually and collaboratively. Bradley Higham, founder of an internet marketing company in the region of Nelson, BC expressed his belief that the program will support the local tech economy. "It’s been challenging to find qualified individuals locally, which has forced us to hire outside the region. Many youth in the Kootenays would love the chance to work close to home, but feel limited in their employment options," he said. Selkirk adds that it has also revamped its Digital Arts and New Media Program to more closely meet the changing needs of the digital media industry. Selkirk (BC)
UQAM Foundation withdraws from fossil fuel investments
The UQAM Foundation has stated that it is among the first university foundations in Canada to no longer hold any investments in fossil fuels. According to Foundation Executive Director Pierre Bélanger, investment in fossil fuels had become a concern for some stakeholders. UQAM adds that the relatively small size of the Foundation’s investment—about $3M—ensured that the process went quickly. Bélanger added that donors have become increasingly conscious of ethical investing. UQAM (QC)
TÉLUQ launches new reforestation, industrial forestry network
Télé-université (TÉLUQ) has announced that it will set up a new network focused on reforestation and industrial forestry called Réseau Reboisement Ligniculture Québec (2RLQ). The network has received funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) and will be led by scientific director Professor Nicolas Bélanger and NRC research scientist Nelson Thiffault. 20 researchers from seven universities in Québec - TÉLUQ, UQAM, Montreal, UQO, Laval, UQAT and UQAR – and two government research centres will be involved in the network. TÉLUQ (QC)
Johnson: Why are students reading less, and understanding less of what they read?
"Students these days are not as capable as students were in previous generations as critical readers," says recently retired professor David Jolliffe, and while it might be tempting to dismiss such a statement as anecdotal, a growing body of studies support his claim. Steven Johnson reports that for years now, studies have demonstrated declines in the amount of reading students do either for pleasure or for school, combined with declines in their comprehension of the material they encounter. One of the explanations for this decline is the amount of demands on students’ time, while another is an observed increase in students’ strategic ability to obtain the grades they want with less work. Chronicle (International)
Loyalist receives accounting accreditations, Indigenous certification for financial management
Loyalist College has received accreditation from Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA) under the CPA National Accreditation Standards to deliver the Advanced Certificate in Accounting and Finance (ACAF) program and applied courses. "Collaborating with CPA and AFOA Canada gives our students – and the College – a competitive advantage," said Ann Drennan, Loyalist College Senior VP Academic & Chief Learning Officer. "Loyalist is the only fully accredited Ontario college outside of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Additionally, Métis, Inuit and First Nations students are now able to pursue AFOA Canada’s Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager designation." Loyalist (ON)
PEI’s Spotlight School of Arts joins College of Piping
The Spotlight School of Arts in Prince Edward Island will become part of the College of Piping this fall, CBC reports. Reasha Walsh, Founder and Executive Director of Spotlight, said that the College’s new 300-seat theatre will provide an ideal space for its theatre program. "It's rare that a theatre program gets to take lessons and actually rehearse and practise right on a theatre stage," added Walsh. CBC states that the college also provided a space for the arts school when the latter lost its own space. Spotlight was founded in 2010, and Walsh turned it into a non-profit in 2017 after it continued to grow. CBC (PEI)
