Top Ten
June 11, 2020
Seven Canadian universities make QS World Rankings 2021
QS Top Universities has released the QS World University Rankings® 2021 and seven Canadian universities have made the top 200. The QS rankings charts the top 1,000 universities out of 5,500 universities from around the world. Institutions were evaluated according to six metrics: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio, and international student ratio. The institutions that charted in the top 200 include the University of Toronto (25), McGill University (31), the University of British Columbia (45), the Université de Montréal (118), the University of Alberta (119), McMaster University (144), and the University of Waterloo (166). QS Top Universities (International)
BHER, Riipen receive $2.6M to create 12,000 WIL experiences by 2022
The Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) has partnered with Riipen to deliver 12,000 work-integrated learning experiences across Canada by March 2022. The partnership, made possible by a $2.6M investment from the Government of Canada, will focus on delivering a minimum of 10% of WIL placements created through the program to under-represented students and students living in rural and remote areas. “Riipen's model allows us to work towards closing gaps within the WIL ecosystem, such as expanding in rural areas and among small to medium-sized companies,” said BHER Chief Executive Officer Valerie Walker. “With this partnership, BHER and Riipen are taking a critical step forward together towards accessible and inclusive work-integrated learning in Canada.” BHER (National)
RDC receives accreditation for Electrical Engineering Technology program
Red Deer College’s Electrical Engineering Technology program has received accreditation from Technology Accreditation Canada (TAC). The accreditation acknowledges that the two-year program meets the standards of both TAC and The Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET), the provincial body. It will create new opportunities for the college’s students and graduates. “We are delighted RDC has joined the ranks of TAC-accredited institutions,” said ASET CEO Barry Cavanaugh. “ASET proudly counts many RDC graduates among the ranks of our certified technicians and technologists.” RDC is also currently pursuing TAC accreditation for the college’s Mechanical Engineering Technology program. RDC (AB)
PEI reboots COVID-19 special situations fund to support international students, non-profits
The Government of Prince Edward Island has announced that the province’s special situations fund would be rebooted to provide more support to international students and non-profit organizations. The fund was created early in the pandemic to offer support to individuals who were ineligible for other federal income relief support, but was closed in early June. The province is now reopening the fund to offer more than $500K in financial support to the 1,500 international students currently residing on the island. “We quickly realized that, as a government, we can’t – and don’t – know every situation Islanders are facing,” said PEI Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy Steven Myers. “The special situations fund was then created as a way to help us fill any gaps.” Journal Pioneer (PEI)
TRU launches international credential transfer, micro-credit transfer toward university qualifications
Thompson River University has announced the launch of an international credential transfer that is based on open educational resources. TRU described the program as a first of its kind offering in North America and announced that it is “among the first in the world” to recognize micro-credit transfer toward a university-level qualification. These initiatives will allow students around the world to complete micro-courses and get university credit from a respected institution. “We believe in the reduction of barriers and we believe in the right of people to have access to post-secondary education,” said associate vice-president of TRU Open Learning Don Porier. “For TRU, this not only demonstrates a commitment to our mandate around open access, but to communities worldwide and our belief in the power of co-operation and collaboration to meet very big challenges.” TRU (BC)
Dal launches international restorative justice lab
Dalhousie University, with the support of the Donald R Sobey Foundation, has launched an international lab focused on restorative justice. The Restorative Research, Innovation & Education Lab, described by the university as a “first ever,” will aim to accelerate the growth and development of restorative justice to transform the justice system in Canada, as well as support the development of restorative cities around the world and respond to institutional abuses and failures. “In this moment in our history, as we confront the pandemics of COVID-19 and anti-Black racism, we can see clearly that our current ways of doing things are not working,” said Dal Professor Jennifer Llewelyn. “The urgency of a new and different way of imagining and doing justice — doing right by each other — cannot be allowed to pass by this time.” Dal (NS)
MB board strikes down specialized education discrimination complaint
The Manitoba Human Rights Board of Adjudication has struck down a complaint from a student who argued that the province discriminated against them by not providing full funding toward their university tuition. Cody Zimmer alleged he was discriminated against on the basis of being deaf when he did not receive enough funding from the province's marketAbilities program for his tuition to Gallaudet University, a fully bilingual American Sign Language university in Washington, DC. Zimmer received $11,800 from marketAbilities, but yearly tuition at Gallaudet costs upwards of $50K. Adjudicator Lawrence Pinsky said that "a deaf person's experience in the fully immersive Gallaudet environment is wholly different and significantly better than the education available in the interpreted/mediated environment available at the U of M." However, Pinksy stated that there was not enough evidence brought forth to prove discrimination. CBC | Winnipeg Free Press (MB)
U of T launches course in diplomacy for public health professionals
The University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health has launched a course in global health diplomacy that is described by the school as the first in Canada. The Executive Course on Global Health Diplomacy will be offered online in partnership with the Office of International Affairs for the Health Portfolio and the Graduate Institute of Geneva from November 2020 to May 2021, and in-person June 7 to June 9, 2021. “If you look at the Canadian approach, you either have people with technical knowledge of health or you have people with overall policy skills,” says course co-founder Garry Aslanyan. “Training public health providers to understand the sensitivities and the political realities faced by diplomats or finance and trade ministers will help them give better, more successful advice to those officials.” U of T (ON)
Brandon will not propose pay cuts as part of upcoming budget
Brandon University has announced that staff will not see pay decreases despite cuts to provincial cutting and hardships created by the pandemic. Brandon President David Docherty also told staff that they will not be asked to take days off without pay, although the proposed budget will still need to go through several stages before it reaches the school’s board of governors. Infrastructure projects planned by the university, such as the proposed downtown campus, are a separate financial issue for which he said the university is not setting aside any funds. "We’re making progress on that, but I can’t really comment at the moment," said Docherty. Brandon Sun (MB)
UAlberta prof files grievance over firing from administrative position
The University of Alberta’s faculty association has filed a grievance on behalf of a professor who believes that they lost an administrative role because of complaints regarding their views on gender. Associate Professor Kathleen Lowrey says that she was told that her views on feminism made students feel unsafe and this was driving students away from choosing anthropology as a major. The dismissal letter Lowrey received did not specify the reasons for the decision. While Lowrey argues that her termination from the position is an issue of academic freedom, other advocates argue that the denial of a group of people protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is potential grounds for dismissal. National Post | Edmonton Journal (1) | Edmonton Journal (2) (AB)
