March 25, 2021
Labour Education Applied Research North (LEARN) has published the results of a study on micro-credentials conducted by Academica Group. LEARN is a joint initiative between the Northern Alberta Development Council and five postsecondary institutions: Athabasca University, Grande Prairie Regional College, Keyano College, Northern Lakes College, and Portage College. The report explores policies, strategies, and trends related to micro-credentials with a focus on Northern Alberta. The study broadly found that there is a need to develop a common definition, as well as a framework for outcomes, assessments, and quality assurance in order to deliver micro-credentials effectively.
NADC |
Report (PDF) (AB)
Carleton University has partnered with the Bruyère Research Institute to establish a health tech partnership. The three-year initiative will see Carleton and the Bruyère Research Institute collaborating on research focused on remote and virtual care and on applications in biomedical engineering, software, sensors, and simulators. “Together we can make a real impact on the health and wellness of Canadians,” said Rafik Goubran, Carleton’s VP (Research and International). “Our goal is to accelerate promising research, generate new opportunities for collaboration, provide experiential learning opportunities for students, and engage industry, government and community partners. In this way, we can co-create novel solutions to improve the quality of health-care delivery.” Carleton also recently announced a Certificate in IP (Intellectual Property) Strategy to help support start-ups in developing IP strategies.
Carleton (1) |
Carleton (2) (ON)
Microsoft Canada has announced that it has added eight postsecondary institutions to the Canada Skills Program. The program will support at least 2,000 additional students by providing them with in-demand tech certifications alongside their postsecondary credentials. The program has been expanded to New Brunswick Community College, Georgian College, Collège La Cité, McMaster University, DeGroote School of Business, University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies, University of Waterloo, LaSalle College Vancouver, and Red River College. Students in the program gain access to training to achieve data analytics, AI, cloud, and Microsoft certifications with the goal of boosting the economy by preparing students for jobs in tech.
Newswire (National)
Holland College has announced that it will be launching two post-graduate certificate programs in Project Management and in Data Analytics. Both programs are designed to help students who have a degree from a postsecondary institution to augment their skills to prepare for the workforce. The Data Analytics program will allow students to develop the analytics skills that will help them understand business performances, predict future performance, and develop interventions. The Project Management program will train students in the skills, tools, and techniques they need to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, and control projects in a wide variety of industries.
Holland College (PE)
Leaders of the Parti Québécois, Bloc Québécois, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are responding to the
comments posted on social media by University of Ottawa professor Amir Attaran. “It’s been going on for five months,” said PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon in the
Montreal Gazette . “We are not dealing anymore with freedom of expression now. We’re dealing with heinous and discriminatory speech.”
Times Colonist says that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier François Legault have called for the comments to stop, and Legault has called for the university to condemn the comments. While the university has reportedly distanced itself from the comments, UOttawa President Jacques Frémont wrote that “freedom of expression ... is not a buffet where one can pick and choose what kind of speech is deemed acceptable or not.” Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet has called for UOttawa students to reconsider their studies if they are exposed to “Quebec-bashing” from Attaran.
Montreal Gazette |
Times Colonist (CP) |
Journal de Montréal (QC)
Graduate students and scholars who are early in their careers need to receive fair compensation for their academic work, writes Brian DeGrazia. The author explains that while work in areas like editing, translation, indexing, and research are valuable resume builders, completing work in these areas is often seen as a privilege, resulting in this work being paid less than market value. DeGrazia describes some best practices for those who are hiring for a position, which include offering a fair rate of pay, seeking funding to cover costs, and using proposals and contracts to clarify the work and pay. The article also details best practices for those who are being hired, including questioning if the work is worth taking on, considering the work alongside other opportunities, evaluating the proposal, and signing a contract or agreement.
Inside Higher Ed (International)
HEC Montréal has announced that its future downtown building, which is currently under construction, will be named after Hélène Desmarais in recognition of her contributions. The article explains that the name will honour Desmarais’s on-going commitment to HEC and will recognize a $7M donation from the Paul and Hélène Desmarais family. The donation will provide 60% of the funds for the construction of the building, which HEC anticipates completing in Fall 2022. The article says that this is the first time in the institution’s history that it has named one of its buildings.
HEC (QC)
The University of Manitoba has announced that its board of governors have voted to increase tuition by an average of 3.75% next school year.
Winnipeg Free Press says that the tuition hike came after a provincial funding cut of $5.9M and is estimated to generate $14.9M in tuition revenue. UManitoba’s new spending plan also includes investments in student support and learning, and includes $1M in assistance to support the “highest need” students; $1.2M to bolster online teaching; $250K to develop an equity, diversity, and inclusion strategy; and $850K on libraries.
CBC |
Winnipeg Free Press (MB)
Brescia University College has announced that it has gained Blue Community certification through an initiative to ban sales of bottled water on campus. Through the initiative, Brescia has committed to recognizing water as a basic human right while taking steps to reduce its environmental footprint through pledging to ban sales of bottled water as of September 2021. “By taking this step, Brescia is showing leadership in the protection of water here in Canada and the promotion of the human right to water everywhere,” said Brescia Chancellor Maude Barlow. “We at Brescia are encouraging other post-secondary institutions to join us in and take the pledge to become a Blue Community.” Brescia says it is the second university in Canada and the first in Ontario to gain the certification.
Brescia (ON)
Parkland College and ATAP Infrastructure Management Ltd have partnered to provide training for water and wastewater operators. The Parkland and ATAP will provide Class 1 Water and Wastewater Operator training in courses. ATAP will contribute its established curriculum, instructors, and engineering knowledge, while Parkland will provide the learning management system, instructional design experience, and IT support. Courses will be taught through a blended delivery model that allows students flexibility in the scheduling and location of their training. “This agreement is a great opportunity for the College and the communities we serve,” said Parkland President Dr Mark Hoddenbagh. “Blended Learning will make it easier for communities and municipalities to access this important training and benefit from ATAP’s expertise.”
Parkland (SK)
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