August 13, 2021
Through a fund for minority language postsecondary education, the Government of Canada’s Ministry of Official Languages has reportedly offered to pay 95% of the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean’s costs for the next year. The Ministry would provide 75% in the following year and 50% for the third year. The Government of Alberta would be required to apply for the funding, reports the
Edmonton Journal, but AB did not “immediately commit” to it on Wednesday. Taylor Hides, press secretary to the Minister of Advanced Education, said that AB will review the funding program and “make a decision in the best interest of Albertans.” “The premier has a decision to make. He either accepts this generous funding agreement or he reveals his intention to dismantle Campus Saint-Jean,” said federal NDP MP for Edmonton-Strathcona Heather McPherson.
Edmonton Journal |
Radio Canada (AB)
The University of Toronto, University of Guelph, Queen’s University, and St Lawrence College have each announced that they will require those who attend campus to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Students, staff, and faculty will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 – in part or in full depending on the institution. At U of T and Queen’s, those who are not vaccinated or who prefer not to provide their status will be expected to undergo regular COVID-19 testing. Most institutions pointed out that those who are unable to be vaccinated under grounds recognized by the Ontario Human Rights Code will be able to request accommodations. “The public health evidence is clear: Vaccination provides the best protection from COVID-19,” said Salvatore Spadafora, special adviser to U of T’s president on COVID-19.
UToronto |
Global News (Queen’s, SLC) |
CBC (UoGuelph) (ON)
The University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada will receive $8.7M in funding from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The funding will support Ocean Networks Canada in collecting data to share with Canadian and international scientists and governments. The data – which can be accessed by anyone in the world – provides insight on topics such as whale and organism health, earthquake and tsunami mitigation, and temperature and water level trends. “Ocean intelligence is a bridge to action and change,” said Oceans Network Canada President Kate Moran. “As sea levels rise, this puts the technology in the hands of communities in their own front yards.”
Times Colonist (BC)
Carleton University is launching the Kinàmàgawin Indigenous Learning Certificate program, which will teach Carleton community members about allyship and Indigenous educational experiences. The program will include two annual workshops and will cover four topics: Anti-Indigenous Racism in Canada, Institutional Anti-Indigenous Racism and Education, Indigenous Student Experiences and the Centre for Indigenous Initiatives, and Practicing Allyship and Righting Relations. “These workshops will allow non-Indigenous allies to become equipped with proper tools to help Indigenous Peoples,” said Lane Bourbonniere, Carleton Indigenous Curriculum Learning Specialist. “[T]hey will also help Carleton address critical issues in a good way.”
Carleton (ON)
As COVID-19 continues to cause uncertainty about the Fall semester, Matthew R Johnson encourages instructors to review their syllabi and consider how they could be changed to make the school year easier for students. Johnson encourages instructors to be flexible in their handling of attendance, group work, late assignments, student workload, and camera and grading policies. The author explains that instructors should consider designing their syllabi with a welcoming tone and include information on where students can find support. “A little flexibility will go a long way in relieving both students’ stress and your own, and may provide significant boosts to their confidence and learning,” writes Johnson.
The Chronicle of Higher Ed (Paywall) (Editorial)
The University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business has partnered with Chitkara University in India to provide a new pathway for Indian students who plan to study at UWindsor. The program will allow students studying in areas such as accounting, human resources, finance, and supply chain and business analytics to complete their first two years at Chitkara University and transition into UWindsor for their last two years of study. Students will graduate with a UWindsor Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree and will be able to apply for a Canadian work permit. “International education brings important benefits that lead to a successful and secure future for all involved,” said UWindsor AVP of Enrolment Chris Busch.
UWindsor (ON)
Vancouver Community College has committed to the 50-30 Challenge, which prioritizes diversity within VCC’s leadership and Board of Directors. The 50-30 Challenge asks participants to voluntarily take actions towards gender parity and significant representation (30%) of underrepresented groups on Canadian boards and senior management. “Initiatives like the 50-30 Challenge are a way for organizations, like VCC, to evaluate their position and be intentional around creating diverse representation in leadership,” said Jane Shin, VCC VP Students & Community Development. “It is a point of pride for us that our leadership reflects our community.”
VCC (BC)
Students in Newfoundland and Labrador and PEI are experiencing difficulties securing housing for the Fall semester.
Saltwire reports that students in NL are unable to find accommodations, since Memorial residences and other apartment buildings within the city are full. Postsecondary students in PEI are also struggling to find housing. Laura O’Laney, the assistant manager of residence life at the University of Prince Edward Island, said that fewer residence beds were available this year due to the pandemic and that the residence wait list was “pretty substantial” with hundreds of names on it. CBC says that Holland College is in a similar position with a long wait list for on-campus accommodations.
Saltwire |
CBC (NL | PEI)
After participating in online classes due to the pandemic, students studying at the University of Leicester’s Canadian Law program are concerned that their education will not be recognized by the Canadian National Committee on Accreditation (NCA). The NCA has reportedly said that ULeicester’s use of online classes does not meet NCA’s in-class requirements, and remains adamant that law students must receive one full year of in-person learning to have their degrees accredited. Students who are about to enter the second year of the two-year program will not have their degrees recognized in Canada. “We really can’t do anything,” said law student Lorene Richardson. “We have to either defer, or pretty much drop out of the program and try to figure out if we’re going to different university.”
CBC (International)
The University of Guelph has announced that it will be permanently establishing the Nokom’s House research laboratory in its Arboretum. Nokom’s house, named after the Ojibway word that means “my grandmother,” will be a space in which people will learn, gather, create, and participate in ceremony. It will be led by three UoGuelph professors alongside the guidance of Indigenous community members and Elders, and will be a shared research lab for student, community, and individual use. “It is such an important time for us to be doing this, given the political climate and increasing social awareness around the atrocities of Indian residential schools,” said Dr Sheri Longboat, Haudenosaunee Mohawk and UoGuelph Professor. “An Indigenous research lab led by Indigenous women to make or reclaim space in the academy, is truly powerful.”
UoGuelph (ON)
rtraction