Top Ten
October 3, 2019
Race, outdated procedures contributed to UOttawa carding incident: report
An independent report investigating a carding incident at the University of Ottawa has found that “race,” and “outdated operational procedures and inadequate training” played a role in the detainment of UOttawa student Jamal Boyce on June 12, 2019, reports CBC. UOttawa President Jacques Frémont took full responsibility for the incident, issued a public apology, and announced changes in security officer training and procedures in the wake of the event. In September, another UOttawa student was subjected to carding when a security guard blocked the entrance and demanded identification at a university residence where the student works. A statement by UOttawa noted that the security guard worked for a private firm and would no longer be allowed on campus. CBC | Ottawa Citizen (ON)
“We’re far behind,” Canadian off-campus housing lags despite increasing demand
A report by the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) reveals that Canada is 10 to 15 years behind the US and the UK in developing off-campus rental housing for the country’s growing student population. “When you look [at the data] three per cent of Canadian university students live in purpose-built off-campus student housing compared to 10-12% in the U.S. and Britain respectively,” said REIN VP of research and events Jennifer Hunt. “We’re far behind,” says Hunt. “Developers and institutional investors can really focus and maximize and leverage a supply shortage and a growing demand.” Vancouver Sun (National)
Fanshawe’s $3M request for Innovation Village Project will have to wait until City’s “budget time”
Fanshawe College has asked the City of London for $3M to fund its Innovation Village project at a recent strategic priorities and policy committee meeting. The proposal included dozens of letters showing support of the potential municipal investment. However, Fanshawe’s President of the Faculty Union OPSEU Local 110 Darryl Bedford raised concerns in a separate letter questioning how the college would staff and fund the building once completed, as well as suggesting other priorities that the city should consider like implementing a public-sector job strategy. Yesterday, London Mayor Ed Holder announced that a closer look at Fanshawe’s request will have to wait unit “budget time,” reported Global News. Global News | Global News (ON)
Hip-hop and sports cultures in classrooms may serve racialized students better than safe spaces: Patel
“Given how white the academy is, what new designs might we propose to shift away from this whiteness?” asks Eboo Patel. Trying to think outside the “safe space” model prominent within academia, the author argues that in order to find ideas that will help racialized students succeed, educators might look to two areas of life “dominated by black and brown people – hip-hop and sports.” At the center of these two activities is a “battle ethos” which Patel believes could help racialized students work toward high achievement in the academy and beyond. Inside Higher Ed (Inernational)
Brock addresses sexual violence through “decolonizing intersectional lens” in new certificate program
Brock University has announced a new extra-curricular program to help students attain a better understanding of the impacts of sexual violence and their own role in its prevention. The Sexual Violence Support Certificate program will address issues related to sexual violence such as trauma, self-care, restorative justice, consent, disclosure, and LGBTQ+ and Indigenous perspectives. “This is an important opportunity to learn new language, gain new tools and inform oneself of new concepts,” says Brock’s Sexual Violence Support and Education Co-ordinator Larisa Fry. “Each of these workshops have been designed with a decolonizing intersectional lens in the hope that we can bring forward voices people would not normally hear.” Brock (ON)
CNA, Metro Business Opportunities partner to create entrepreneurial student program
The College of the North Atlantic has partnered with Metro Business Opportunities Corporation (MBO) to create Business Students for Social Goals, a new project that aims to introduce students to the concept of social enterprise. Organized as a 12-week student project, the program will enable students to work with entrepreneurs to develop a promotional and strategic plan. “The college, through its School of Business and Information Technology, embraces community partnerships that enable students to connect with local organizations and apply the skills they have learned to real-life scenarios,” said CNA Dean of the School of Business and Information Technology Stephen Warren. “In this case, they are learning how they can play a vital role in the development of social enterprise and community growth.” CNA (NL)
Three tips to gauge engagement on social media: Lehmann
“Whether we are participating on social media on behalf of our institutions or ourselves, we probably have experienced composing [a] post [...] only to have it ignored,” writes Donna Lehmann. Social media engagement varies greatly between channels, the author explains, thus making it important to understand the differences between social media platforms that can cause the same post to flourish in one space and languish in another. The author provides three insights: Facebook is for fans; Twitter is for reach; and Instagram rules engagement, good and bad. “While compelling content is the start, keep in mind that it’s not a one-size-fits-all strategy,” the author concludes. Inside Higher Ed (International)
UCalgary receives $3.24M donation from Parex Resources to fund six research fellowship positions
The University of Calgary’s Faculty of Science has received a $3.24M donation from Parex Resources. The donation will be used to establish five Parex Resources Innovation Fellowships and one Parex Resources Visiting Innovation Fellowship. The positions will allow researchers to conduct research and community partnerships that fuel start-ups and technology. Founding CEO of Parex Resources and UCalgary alumnus, Wayne Foo, says the donation “is intended to foster leaders and researchers who are incubating excellent, innovative ideas. We want to remove barriers for them — barriers of time, finances and teaching loads — to give them the freedom to push toward commercialization in a new economy.” UCalgary (AB)
Concordia, Princeton receive $2M to study toddler development in bilingual homes
Concordia University researchers and their partners at Princeton University have received $2M in funding for a longitudinal study that investigates how toddlers’ exposure to two languages affects their development as they age. The study will follow two groups of 50 children, one growing up in French-English households in Montreal, the other in Spanish-English households in New Jersey. Lead researchers Krista Byers-Heinlein from Concordia and Casey Lew-Williams from Princeton states that they hope the study will help “understand more about growing up bilingual, the different paths toward bilingualism, and ultimately the best ways to promote positive developmental outcomes for children exposed to two languages,” reports Concordia. Concordia (QC)
Tips for effectively engaging with students as a mid-level faculty administrator
“The positions of associate dean, dean and department chair arrive with the often unadvertised job of hands-on contact with a wide variety of student concerns and issues,” writes Crystal G Herman. Writing from experience, the author offers five lessons she learned in her role as Associate Dean: reach out to and learn from your fellow faculty and staff members’ experiences; remember that students’ interactions with mid-level faculty administrators are typically stressful; try to find common ground with students; know your institution’s system to aid unfamiliar students; and identify recurring problems amongst students and take action to address systematic issues. Inside Higher Ed (International)
