November 30, 2021
McGill University has received $13M in donations from alumnus Gerald Rimer and the Rimer family to renovate McGill’s Leacock Building and build the Institute for Indigenous Research and Knowledges (IIRK). $10M from Gerald Rimmer will support construction, modernization, and new technological infrastructure on the Leacock Building. The renovations are scheduled to be completed in 2027. $3M from the Rimer family will be used to support the establishment of the IIRK, which will support the preservation and growth of Indigenous languages and cultures. “Together, these donations will help transform one of the most well-known buildings on our downtown campus and will also strengthen McGill’s role in support of Indigenous language revitalization efforts,” said McGill Principal Suzanne Fortier.
McGill (QC)
The University of Saskatchewan and the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN-S) government have signed a MOU to ensure that applicants to Métis-based opportunities at USask are verified through the MN-S Citizenship Registry. The agreement follows calls for change after concerns about misappropriation of Indigenous identity in academic communities. “This is an important moment for the Métis of Saskatchewan,” said MN-S President Glen McCallum. “This agreement recognizes that only the Métis government of Saskatchewan and its citizens can define who we are through our laws and ways. This lets us work together with the university in a good way.”
News Wire |
Prince Albert Daily Herald (SK)
Fanshawe College and ILAC International College have formed a partnership focused on providing Fanshawe programs to international students at facilities in Toronto. The programs will be offered starting in Spring 2022, with students able to access classes in downtown Toronto close to student placement opportunities. Students will be able to graduate with Fanshawe credentials and will have access to the same student services and quality assurance as they would on Fanshawe campuses. “Fanshawe is excited to be partnering with such an experienced college as ILAC,” said Fanshawe President Peter Devlin. “We look forward to broadening the reach of Fanshawe’s high-quality programs to students who will contribute to Ontario’s and Canada’s labour market.”
Fanshawe (ON)
The University of Prince Edward Island has announced that it is developing a new faculty for Indigenous studies that will launch next year. The faculty will offer mandatory Indigenous history classes for all UPEI students and a four-year applied studies program. The development was spearheaded by UPEI’s Indigenous circle of faculty members, and takes into account feedback from PEI’s Indigenous community. “Using traditional and contemporary Indigenous knowledge, we will develop generations of successful, respected, influential community members contributing to a better society and world,” said UPEI Interim dean Gary Evans.
CBC (PEI)
Some universities in western Canada are experiencing a helium shortage after a US supplier said that it could not guarantee shipments of helium due to plant issues. Helium is used in scientific research and is essential to maintaining instrumentation, and CBC reports that a lack of helium could lead to the loss of instrumentation and the associated research. Helium shipments could not be expected until January 2022. “We have to kind of go into a caution mode where we try to strategize how to use what we have and to maintain the longevity as much as possible,” said University of Alberta associate professor of chemistry Vlad Michaelis.
CBC (National)
Lakehead University has announced that it has launched a tuition waiver for individuals who have spent time in the foster care system. The new program will cover tuition and program fees for current and former youth in care who are pursuing an undergraduate degree at Lakehead. The program will initially support two full-time students – one at the Thunder Bay campus and one at the Orilla campus – and will increase capacity to accept a maximum of eight students annually. “We want our students to succeed and feel supported during their time at Lakehead,” said Lakehead Vice-Provost (Students) and Registrar Andrea Tarsitano.
Lakehead (ON)
The Government of Quebec has provided $10M over five years to the
recently-announced First Nations Executive Education (FNEE) school to ensure the sustainability of the initiative, according to a recent release. QC Premier François Legault called the new school a win for all of Quebec and stated that the creation of the school would allow for the training of a new generation of Indigenous leaders and entrepreneurs who would be able to inspire and prosper in their communities and beyond. However, this move reportedly drew some frustration from Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief for Québec and Labrador Ghislain Picard, who dismissed the funding as an effort by Premier Legault to “polish his image.”
Le lezard |
MSN (QC)
Miriam Maus writes that publishers can take a variety of steps to address peer review fatigue, such as growing the peer reviewer pool, addressing imbalances in geographical location of peer reviewers, and offering recognition to those who peer review articles. The author also encourages publishers to offer feedback on peer reviews to help foster high quality reviews in the future and lift the administrative burden. “As the volume of demand for peer review continues to mushroom, publishers’ approaches to delivering it must evolve at the same rate,” writes Maus.
Times Higher Ed (Editorial)
Queen’s University and Canadian University Dubai have established a pathway that will allow computer sciences students to transfer from UAE to Canada to complete their studies. Eligible students in computer science, cyber security, and software design at CUD will be able to complete the last two years of their program at Queen’s. Upon graduating, they will receive a Bachelor of Computing degree from Queen’s Faculty of Arts and Science. “[M]ore students will be able to benefit from the opportunity to participate in this 2+2 agreement and participate in an education that straddles two continents,” said Queen’s Vice-Provost, International Dr Sandra den Otter.
Gulf News (ON)
A growing number of students from the UK are choosing to study at Canadian universities, writes Salma Nurmohamed. Nurmohamed says that the number of UK students choosing to study in Canada has risen in the past few years as perceptions of a Canadian education have changed. Students are reportedly drawn to studying in Canada for a variety of reasons, including having flexibility in their areas of study or credential, a streamlined application process, and lower international tuition and fees.
CBC (International)
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