September 22, 2020
Four institutions in Ontario have established an agreement that will allow students to complete an Indigenous-focused diploma and honours bachelor’s degree in a four-year span. The pathway will enable students from Mohawk College and Lambton College to continue their studies at Wilfrid Laurier University and McMaster University in their respective Indigenous Studies programs. The program will create a “deeper understanding of Indigenous histories and interconnectivity among Indigenous communities” and will also give students the opportunity to “explore Indigenous identity through teachings and relationships.” The partnership is partially funded by the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT).
WLU (ON)
Gabriel Dumont Institute has received $3.2M in funding from the Government of Saskatchewan, enabling the college to deliver a variety of education and skills training programs. The institution, which delivers programs and services for Métis students across the province, will use the funding to deliver programs such as Adult Basic Education (ABE), Essential Skills for the Workplace (ESWP), and Skills Training Allocation. “The funding we receive from the provincial government allows us to bring community-based, cultural relevant certificate training to the Métis community throughout Saskatchewan,” Gabriel Dumont Technical Institute Director Brett Vandale said. “The training provides our community members with the skills and certification necessary to access the labour market within Saskatchewan.”
SK (SK)
Universities in New Brunswick and Ontario are reviewing disciplinary policies for students break COVID-19 rules. In NB, Mount Allison University has added a COVID-19 conduct panel to deal with violations of health and safety measures on and off campus; St Thomas University has reviewed its student code of conduct, which will apply to students on and off campus; and the University of New Brunswick’s code of conduct has been updated to include compliance with campus COVID-19 safety measures. In Kingston, ON institutions have also stated that they will use their codes of conduct to punish students who violate COVID-19 rules. Queen’s University and St Lawrence College will impose sanctions on students who disregard COVID-19 regulations, including up to expulsion for repeat offenders.
CBC |
Global News (NB, ON)
A study of tuition fees published by Statistics Canada has found that graduate and undergraduate tuition fees for degree programs for the 2020/2021 academic year have increased. Compared to last year, Canadian undergraduate students will pay 1.8% more in tuition, while graduate students will pay 1.6% more. While undergraduate tuition stayed about the same in Ontario (+0.1%), it increased in Prince Edward Island (1.9%), Saskatchewan (5.7%), and Alberta (7.1%). Graduate tuition stayed the same in NL and SK, decreased in AB by 0.4%, and increased in the rest of the provinces. StatCan says that students are concerned about their ability to pay for tuition and their ability to find employment after graduation.
StatCan (National)
The University of Lethbridge has created a new work-integrated learning, experiential learning, and career services centre called Career Bridge: Centre for Work-Integrated Learning and Career Development. This centre is focused on increasing opportunities and helping students develop a My Experience Transcript (MET), which complements academic transcripts by tracking curricular and co-curricular accomplishments. “By housing WIL programs and service-based career development under one roof, we are better able to position students to integrate theory with practice and to work collaboratively with our industry partners, local business and not-for-profit organizations to achieve their goals while supporting a thriving community,” said ULethbridge Program Coordinator Stacey Gaudette-Sharp.
ULethbridge (AB)
University of Toronto Faculty of Law Dean Edward Iacobucci has come under fire and the International Human Rights Program (IHRP) faculty advisory board have resigned following controversy over the hiring of a new IHRP director. Iacobucci has been accused of rescinding an offer of directorship to prominent international academic Valentina Azarova following alleged interference from a sitting judge who is a major donor to the faculty. U of T Vice-president of Human Resources and Equity Kelly Hannah-Moffat stated that “no offer of employment was made to any candidate, and therefore, no offer was revoked.” Hannah-Moffat added that the search was cancelled and that no offers were made due to constraints around cross-border hiring.
Globe and Mail (Subscription Required) |
The Star (ON)
Community members at Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Toronto Mississauga, Centennial College, Queen's University, and Mount Royal University have tested positive for COVID-19. Four off-campus students at WLU have tested positive for COVID-19 and are in isolation. UTM announced that it would be closing its student centre for the next two weeks after confirming that two people with COVID-19 had entered it. An off-campus student at Centennial who had not attended class on campus tested positive for COVID-19, and is self-isolating along with their roommates. A community member at Queen's tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating, as an MRU community member who had been on campus.
CBC (WLU) |
The Star (UTM) |
Queen's |
Centennial |
MRU (ON, AB)
University Canada West and the Digital Marketing Institute (DMI) have partnered to enable students to receive an associate level certification from DMI after completing an MBA degree. Students can also choose to take three elective courses, which will prepare them to take DMI’s Pearson VUE test to become certified as a Digital Marketing Professional. UCW says that they are the first university Canada to offer MBA students the opportunity to get this additional credential. “We are thrilled to be partnering with DMI to make their digital marketing expertise available to our future business leaders,” said UCW President Brock Dykeman.
UCW (BC)
HEC Montréal has partnered with two African institutions to grant dual degrees to Bachelor of Business Administration students. Students from the Institut supérieur de la communication, des affaires et du management in Madagascar and the American International School of Brazzaville in the Congo will be able to complete one preparatory year of studies at their institution, before completing the final three years of their program at HEC Montréal. Students will receive a diploma from both the partner school they attended and HEC Montréal. “The program was developed in close co-operation with the 2 schools, to give these future managers the opportunity to gain rewarding international experience,” said Agnès Darmaillacq, Director of HEC’s International Activities and Student Mobility Department.
HEC Montréal (QC)
Following the switch to online and concerns about enrolment for the 2020-21 school year, some institutions have reported increases in their enrolment overall or in particular programs. At the University of Lethbridge, the Fall 2020 semester saw a 0.4% increase over Fall 2019, with the largest increase noticed among graduate students. At Memorial University, international student numbers have dropped, but the institution as a whole has reached a record number of students on its first day of classes. MUN states that they saw particular growth among former students who were partway through a degree program. Yukon University reported that they saw increased interest in nursing and health care programming spurred by the pandemic. Simon Fraser University has reported that their career courses saw a boost in enrolment this year.
ULethbridge |
MUN |
CBC (Yukon U) |
SFU (National)
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