September 8, 2020
The University of Victoria has received $13M from the Province of British Columbia and $5M from the Law Foundation of BC to build Canada’s first National Centre for Indigenous Laws (NCIL). UVic President Jamie Cassels says that the NCIL “will be home to the first Indigenous law program in the world to combine the intensive study of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous law, and will help Canada build a new nation-to-nation relationship based on the recognition–and renaissance–of Indigenous legal traditions.” UVic states that the building will meet the highest environmental standards and will use Coast Salish designs, signage, and public art. Indigenous law program co-founder and director Val Napoleon explained that the building “represents a sanctuary where our laws, which enable us to be peoples, will be safe, and where both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students will learn about those laws, creating the foundation to a multi-juridical Canada.”
UVic |
CBC |
Times Colonist (BC)
The University of Waterloo has announced that it will become one of the first 5G smart campuses in Canada as part of an existing partnership with Rogers Communications. The launch “leverages the university’s global leadership in computing, engineering and co-operative education” and will focus on research and testing of networks, infrastructure, and technologies. Rogers plans to introduce a new recruitment program including a hackathon and scholarships and will also engage and hire UWaterloo co-op students and recent graduates. “As home to the first 5G smart campus in central Canada, Waterloo’s extensive research expertise will allow us to support Rogers in this initiative and continue to lead the way to an innovative future for Canada,” said UWaterloo vice-president, research and international, Charmaine Dean.
UWaterloo (ON)
Royal Roads University has announced the launch of a Global Learning and Language Centre. The centre brings together and expands its previous language services - the International Study Centre and the International Contract Training Unit – to streamline its services and supports for students. The new centre will provide learning opportunities to students in Canada and around the world. “It takes courage to learn a new language and, in the future, to consider studying far away from home,” said Royal Roads President Philip Steenkamp.
Royal Roads (BC)
Georgian College is launching a new artificial intelligence (AI) graduate certificate program starting in January 2021. The Artificial Intelligence – Architecture, Design and Implementation program consists of 14 courses that will focus on training students in theoretical and applied skills. With this knowledge, students will be able to pursue careers in AI system design, programming, implementing, and machine learning analysis. Georgian says that this program aims to prepare students for a wide range of opportunities in the quickly growing AI field. “There is an immense demand for highly skilled graduates in the field of AI as it’s a key disruptive technology driving the digital economy,” says Bill Angelakos, Georgian Dean of Technology and Visual Arts.
Georgian (ON)
The change from structured, in-person classes to unstructured, remote classes means that students will need to learn new ways of thinking to tackle the challenges associated with online classes. University of Alberta Faculty of Education Professor Greg Thomas says that students will need to learn how to monitor their learning and ask for help when they need it, as well as become more conscious of their study habits and learning. Teachers also have a role to play, says Thomas. “They can reflect on how they learned and how they handle their workloads,” says Thomas. “Students love to learn about this from their teachers and it makes them more human.”
UAlberta (AB)
Algoma University has partnered with Mitacs to give undergraduate students dynamic internship opportunities with not-for-profit organizations.
Soo Today says that this partnership will give students access to high-quality experiential learning within local northern communities, which will strengthen Northern Ontario’s economy and help communities retain talent. One of the programs in the partnership will allow students to work with faculty members to gain hands-on research experience. “This important partnership between Algoma University and Mitacs will equip students with local hands-on learning opportunities, helping to address the need for local talent to live and work in the communities where they learn,” says ON Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano.
Soo Today (ON)
Acadia University’s Department of Athletics has announced that it will be offering its students an opportunity to engage in sport and fitness during a COVID-19 altered setting on campus. The Alternate Sport Model will utilize the skills of Acadia Athletics’ coaches and student-athletes to offer sport and fitness opportunities to both the campus and Wolfville community. The department has also recently announced the launch of the Acadia Sports Academy, which will provide training opportunities for athletes in the community, leadership development for varsity-athletes, and field experience.
Acadia |
Acadia (NS)
Okanagan College has launched a new counselling initiative to help students adjust to postsecondary life in the time of COVID. GROW @ OC is an online drop-in group offered through the college’s Counselling Services where students can learn skills for success and feel connected to the community. “One of the silver linings of going online as an institution is the opportunity we have been provided to bring students together across all of our campuses and to create community in unique ways that we haven’t before,” said Samantha Johnson, counsellor at Okanagan’s Salmon Arm campus and Revelstoke Centre. GROW @ OC will be offering six drop-in workshops from September to November 2020.
Okanagan (BC)
University of Windsor and Queen’s University revising their campus apps to introduce new COVID-19 safety features and protect their campus communities. The UWindsor’s Safe Lancer app and Queen’s SeQure app now feature daily health assessment tools for students and staff entering buildings on campus. The information will also be used for contact tracing if necessary. “Though most students and employees will continue to learn and work remotely this fall, Queen’s is working to ensure that those who will be on campus are safe, informed and have the right tools,” said Mark Green, Queen’s provost and vice-principal (academic).
The Whig |
UWindsor (ON)
The Université de Montréal is exploring the possibility of offering a decentralized doctoral program in veterinary medicine in Rimouski to address the shortage of veterinary doctors in the region. The university is partnering with Université du Québec à Rimouski on the program, which Theoret says will enable the university to develop new elective courses in veterinary medicine and open up new possibilities for collaborations between researchers. “Quebec’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, produced a report on veterinary services in the province’s bio-food sector,” explained UdeM veterinary medicine dean Christine Theoret. “It looked at various subsectors … and revealed that... very few new graduates [were] choosing this type of practice.”
UdeMontreal (QC)
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