September 24, 2021
Camosun College and MacEwan University are celebrating their 50-year anniversaries this month. Camosun celebrated its anniversary by unveiling the Cycle of Knowledge House Post. The house post, which was created by alumnus and W̱SÁNEĆ artist Douglas (Bear) Horne, will welcome those coming to campus and reflect Camosun’s connection to Indigenous communities. MacEwan is preparing for a year of celebration to celebrate its 50-year anniversary. On a dedicated website, MacEwan is launching a digital timeline that will highlight stories, events, and initiatives. MacEwan will also be opening and sealing time capsules, building photo mosaics, hosting events, and launching a 10-year strategic vision.
Times Colonist (Camosun) |
Nation Talk (Camosun) |
MacEwan (AB | BC)
Over 30,000 students in Québec have announced that they will be on strike today as part of a demonstration against climate change and the “troisième lien” project in the capital. The march is part of an international protest, in which thousands of K-12 and postsecondary students will demand concrete actions to fight climate change.
Journal de Montréal reports that student associations from institutions such as Université Laval, Cégep Garneau, Cégep Limoilou, and Cégep de Sainte-Foy will be on strike. Students at Sainte-Foy were granted a course waiver.
Journal de Montréal |
New in 24 (QC)
Statistics Canada has released a new report on overqualification among bachelor’s degree graduates from 2012-2013. The report found that 16.7% of bachelor degree graduates under the age of 35 held jobs that required a high school diploma, a percentage that has stayed stable. However, men tended to have a higher overqualification rate than women (17.7% vs 15.2%), demonstrating a reversal of the qualification gap since 2001. The study also found that for men, fields such as architecture, engineering, mathematics had lower overqualification rates, while for women, health fields and education had lower overqualification. Women of a visible minority were at higher risk of overqualification than non-minority Canadian-born women.
StatCan |
StatCan (Report) (National)
In a new article about BIPOC student support professionals Ken Chatoor and Victoria Barclay of HEQCO call for institutions to provide these professionals with similar supports and resources to the ones they provide students. Chatoor and Barclay cite the work of institutions such as the University of Waterloo, Fleming College, and Humber College, which have task forces or similar groups that respond to racism; Western University, which has invested in EDI initiatives; and the University of Ottawa, which mandates racial biases training. The authors recommend that institutions ensure that BIPOC student support professionals are actively involved in funding and program development decisions, and that mental health services are made available to staff. They further encourage institutions to ally with BIPOC communities and collect standardized data on race.
HEQCO (ON)
Okanagan College is launching a new program that will provide Licensed Practical Nurses with advanced orthopaedic knowledge. The LPN Orthopaedic Certificate program will cover topics such as anatomy and physiology, orthopaedic pathology, and casting skills, and will prepare nurses to work alongside physicians and nurse practitioners to care for patients who have musculoskeletal system conditions or injuries. Students will cover theory online and complete their practicum at an approved location in their local health authority or community. The certificate is reportedly the first of its kind in British Columbia.
Okanagan (BC)
Leaders of several postsecondary institutions in Ontario and their respective communities are calling on students to avoid large, unsafe gatherings over what is typically the homecoming weekend. Western University, the University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University are among hte institutions that have partnered with their local city council, public health units, or emergency services to ensure a coordinated response to student gatherings over the weekend. The institutions shared that students may face hefty fines, charges, and/or consequences under institutional codes of conduct such as expulsion if they participate in large, unsanctioned gatherings. Some universities have indicated that they will be hosting virtual celebrations for homecoming over the weekend instead of in-person festivities.
UoGuelph (Guelph) |
Western (London) |
CBC (Waterloo) (ON)
Conestoga College’s School of Applied Computer Science & Information Technology has announced that it is launching two graduate certificate programs in IT. The Reporting Systems and Database Development program will prepare students to use database technologies and data warehouses to find trends, risks, and opportunities. The Virtualization and Cloud Computing program will teach students how to modernize information technology strategies. Both programs take two semesters to complete, and include hands-on and experiential learning.
Conestoga (ON)
Art students at postsecondary institutions across Canada are getting a chance to display and promote their artwork, thanks to collaborations with local organizations and communities. Emily Carr University of Art + Design and WALRUS boutique collaborated as part of a course called Design + Make to allow students to create products that fit the WALRUS aesthetic. Students designed a variety of projects including a candleholder, decorative lighting element, a transformable lunch bag, and coasters. In Toronto, the BigArtTO initiative has resumed, and OCAD University students will have their art projected on local buildings during the event. OCAD U is also presenting additional activations during the fall, with art projected on different areas of the city. Meanwhile, in Saskatoon, Shared Spaces – a project of the University of Saskatchewan’s Art Galleries and Collection – is helping to host the Nuit Blanche Eve event. The event will feature 16 augmented reality artworks that have been created by USask students.
ECUAD |
OCAD U |
CTV News (USask) (BC | SK | ON)
Briercrest College and St Clair College have both reported COVID-19 outbreaks. Briercrest, which had eight students test positive on September 7th and was confirmed as an outbreak site on September 13th, has confirmed 71 COVID-19 cases as of the time of writing. 62 cases are active. All faculty, students, and staff were required to receive a COVID-19 test, and masks are now mandatory in indoor public spaces on campus. St Clair is also experiencing an outbreak in one program. Those identified as close contacts have been notified and instructed to self-monitor or self-isolate.
CTV News (Briercrest) |
St Clair (SK | ON)
Students with disabilities are expressing concern about a loss of online learning options and changes to learning supports. At the University of Alberta, students are concerned about changes made for financial reasons that will end note-taking services and see professors supervising students who need accommodations. University of Alberta Students' Union Vice-President Academic Abner Monteiro explained that the sudden changes would increase professor workloads and may lead to neurodiverse students incorrectly being flagged for academic violations. At the University of Victoria, Access4All members are campaigning for students with disabilities to be able to continue online learning options since they are more accessible and have been proven possible through the pandemic.
CBC (UAlberta) |
Times Colonist (UVic) (AB | BC)
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