December 3, 2020
The AI Pathways Partnership (AIPP), a consortium comprised of Norquest College, Athabasca University, Concordia University of Edmonton, and Bow Valley Collage, will be offering Alberta students opportunities to gain training in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) through a collaboration with Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute. AIPP, which is funded through Western Economic Diversification Canada, will help learners at the high school, postsecondary, or graduate levels connect with career-focused education. Programs will include technical, business, and professional interpersonal skills. “This collaboration between Western Economic Diversification Canada and the AI Pathways Partnership will lead to dynamic new learning opportunities for students entering this field, while also creating a pipeline of highly qualified personnel to further bolster this emerging high-tech sector,” said Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada.
NorQuest (AB)
Concordia University has opened the Applied Science Hub on its Loyola Campus. The $62M LEED-certified facility is designed to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and research. The Applied Science Hub houses the Centre for NanoScience Research and District 3’s new BioHub. It will support the university’s Chemical and Materials Engineering department with more lab and office space. “The Applied Science Hub will be a major nexus of transdisciplinary collaboration, where industry actors, startups and entrepreneurs partner with our graduate students and faculty on next-generation research,” said Concordia President Graham Carr. “This is a decisive moment for Concordia as a research university engaged in innovative work for the benefit of society.”
Concordia (QC)
Lambton College and the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park have solidified their long-term partnership with the signing of a MOU. The MOU outlines collaborative initiatives to support local and regional industry and the recruitment of new businesses to the area. Lambton and the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park will also meet labour market skill gaps through new training programs and initiatives. “The relationship between Lambton College and the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park has been critical to the growth of research and innovation activities in our community and the recent development of the Memorandum of Understanding will provide clear pathways moving forward to support the community's efforts to drive innovation, fill skill shortage gaps and attract new companies and industry to Sarnia-Lambton,” said Mehdi Sheikhzadeh, Lambton’s VP Research & Innovation.
Lambton (ON)
Good teaching is emotional work, requiring faculty members to have reserves of patience and ingenuity that are all-too-often depleted, even in normal times, writes Denise K Magner, "but teaching in a pandemic ... means that many academics are feeling even more sapped than usual." Magner has outlined several tips for faculty who are coping with and recouping from burnout. Reflecting on an article from David Gooblar, Magner encourages instructors to remember to take time off to reduce the negative impact of having an "always-on" mindset, to cultivate perspective and interests outside of the teaching profession, and to get an adequate amount of sleep instead of trying to fit extra hours of class-prep time into the night.
Chronicle (International)
The British Columbia Institute of Technology, EC-Council Canada, and Circadence have partnered in response to the global need for cybersecurity talent. The partnership will provide discounted EC-Council learning resources and automatic eligibility for the certification exam. It will also provide free registration to global hacking competitions, connection with the cybersecurity professional and learner community, and access to Circadence cyber-ranges. “This partnership with Circadence and EC-Council Canada creates the applied learning environment for students to learn from industry experts and to begin solving real-world problems before they graduate,” said Steve Wilson, Director, BCIT Centre for Digital Transformation. “These applied, industry-focused training opportunities are critical to building Canada’s cybersecurity talent.”
BCIT (BC)
Dalhousie University is offering a certificate in academic leadership called the Academic Leadership Certificate under its Executive Education portfolio. The 20-week online certificate will prepare participants to navigate changes and be ready for the future of higher education. Courses in the program include Strategic Leadership & Self Management, Collaboration & Leading Teams, and Leading Change in Complexity. “The Academic Leadership Certificate program can help prepare participants to be effective academic leaders,” said Vivian Howard, Associate VP Academic at Dal. “Participants will gain the skills to work collaboratively to address complex real-world issues and devise innovative and effective solutions.”
Dal (NS)
Manitoba has launched new initiatives to train and recruit staff in the disability services sector in response to significant staffing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this effort, MB is partnering with Red River College to develop a free one-week program that will teach participants about the fundamentals of disability support work. “This course and the additional micro-credentials that we have developed over the last two months continue to serve as rapid response tools that boost capacity in a number of important sectors, and keep Manitobans safe and supported as we respond to the ongoing challenges of the pandemic,” said RRC President Fred Meier. Additionally, MB will partner with Manitoba Possible and its online employment platform ‘envoyy,’ which is designed to connect eligible service providers with available positions.
MB (MB)
Camosun College students are now able to receive same-day access to services such as counselling. A new delivery model developed by Camosun over the summer allows students to make same-day appointments with a counsellor and to flexibly book follow-up appointments. “We want to help people stay as well as they can during the dark days of winter,” says Liisa Robinson, a student counsellor with student affairs. “A counselling appointment may help you find that, even in times when a lot is out of control, there are many parts of our health that we can influence for the better.”
Camosun (BC)
Wilfrid Laurier University alumni Robert and Judith Astley have committed to match donations up to $375K for the Carruthers Practice Studios. The studios are named after Glen Carruthers, who recently retired after spending 10 years as the dean of the Faculty of Music. The funds will support the Making Space for Music campaign, which aims to raise $15M for the expansion and renovation of the Waterloo campus Faculty of Music Building. As part of this, WLU will build practice studios and rehearsal rooms that feature floor-to-ceiling windows and excellent acoustics.
WLU (ON)
Maclean’s highlights the ongoing work of the Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC) to create a digital credential wallet to allow learners to store and share their certifications and transcripts. The digital wallet will reduce credential fraud, while making it quick and simple for students to access and share their credentials. 19 Canadian postsecondary institutions are participating in pilot projects with different parts of the technology, and in June 2021 all ARUCC member universities will be able to join the project.
Maclean’s (National)
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