January 25, 2022
Memorial University has announced that the Labrador Institute will be transitioning into a full academic campus. This spring, the university will be moving into its new space in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The new Labrador Campus of Memorial University will give students in Labrador the opportunity to pursue education while remaining in their communities, and Memorial and the Innu Nation will work together to provide education that is relevant for Innu individuals. Students will begin studying at the Labrador Campus in Fall 2022. “[H]aving a campus in Labrador will also strengthen relationships with Indigenous Peoples in Labrador,” said Memorial VP (Indigenous) Catharyn Andersen. “It will also position the School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies to be a true leader for Indigenization.”
Memorial |
NTV |
Saltwire (Subscription) (NL)
McMaster University has opened a new Indigenous Health Learning Lodge (IHLL) at the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS). The lodge, which officially opened yesterday, is named Tsi nón:we ayakonniyóhake táhnon aonsayakota’karitehake in Haudenosaunee and Mino Bimaadiziwin Mishkiki Aapjishnik Gamik’ in Anishinaabe. It provides a home for Indigenous faculty, staff, and students, as well as a space for those who would like to know more about Indigenization in the health sciences. IHLL is a hub for curriculum development and training, and will focus on advocacy and raising awareness. Its establishment is also a response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations, and IHLL will work on weaving Indigenous education into existing FHS programs and creating an Indigenous-specific curriculum.
McMaster |
InSauga (ON)
Government of Nunavut Education Minister Pamela Gross says that her department will be investigating after Nunavut students experienced late payments from Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students (FANS), reports CBC. Seven students have reportedly not received their funding, which led to difficulties such as food insecurity and inability to pay rent. Additionally, CBC says that some students say they are at risk of being removed from their programs because they cannot pay their fees, and that the students have been additionally stressed by a lack of sufficient updates from the FANS program. Gross had reportedly previously denied that FANS was not up to date on payments, but apologized for the delays on Thursday, promised to investigate the issue, and requested that affected students contact her office.
CBC (NV)
A recent survey by Athabasca University has found that Canadians are becoming more interested in micro-credentials, with 61% of people aged 18-54 saying they want to pursue them post-pandemic. Respondents also said that they wanted their employers to provide them with more training and on-the-job learning post-pandemic. To meet this need, some employers have implemented micro-credentials into their existing training or have told employees to use their professional development funding to pursue micro-credentials that are relevant to their positions. “For learners who lead busy lives, micro-credentials have emerged as a quick and bite-sized way for them to continue their education without compromising their other priorities,” said AU’s interim director of PowerED Kristin Mulligan.
AU (Editorial)
Holland College and the University of New Brunswick have announced the renewal of a pathway program that will allow eligible college graduates to apply credits toward a Bachelor’s Degree from UNB. Graduates from Holland College’s Environmental Applied Science Technology and Wildlife Conservation Technology programs will be able to transfer more than 60 credits to UNB’s Bachelor of Science in Environment and Natural Resources program if they choose to do so. “This pathway will help students achieve their goal of earning a university degree,” said UNB President Dr Paul J Mazerolle. “We will continue to foster similar partnerships that provide students with pathways to success.”
Holland College (PE | NB)
Trent University’s First Peoples House of Learning will be launching the Enwaaying Training Initiatives program in order to break down barriers for Indigenous women and drive systemic change. The project, which is funded by nearly $500K in funding from Canada’s Feminist Response and Recovery Fund, will provide interactive professional development workshops that will teach community leaders and decision makers about systemic issues facing Indigenous women and girls. The workshops will be developed and led by Indigenous women and will feature local elders. “[T]his new experiential training initiative has the potential to shift the paradigm we are working within – a fundamental part of changing the attitudes and beliefs that are at the foundation of our nation,” said First Peoples House of Learning Director Dr Dawn Lavell-Harvard.
Trent (ON)
The University of Saskatchewan has launched a new undergraduate degree in food and nutrition. The Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition degree will be housed in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, and will teach students about topics such as food chemistry, food processing, and nutrition. Students will also have the opportunity to take classes from the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. “People are more health-conscious than ever, with a focus on what foods we eat and how they function to promote health,” said dean of USask’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources Dr Angela Bedard-Haughn. “This program fits with our core college mission of helping feed a growing, hungry world in sustainable ways.”
USask (SK)
Peer counseling can help students who are struggling find additional support and expand institutional counseling capacity, writes Maria Carrasco, but it must be developed strategically to be effective. Carrasco says that, in a recent survey, almost half of all students have indicated that they are more likely to seek peer counseling due to pandemic-related stresses. Many students said it was important to connect with a peer counselor who shared the same demographics as their own. Carrasco also discusses the challenges peer counselors can face, and emphasizes the importance of sufficient training and having proper emergency protocols in place.
Inside Higher Ed (Editorial)
The University of Regina and the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) have partnered on a new mental health program in PEI called Public Safety Calls. The program, which will run as a pilot for two years, will offer tailored, bilingual mental health support to public safety personnel who may face mental health challenges as a result of their work. The program provides virtual cognitive behaviour therapy and course work that is focused on the needs of personnel such as correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, and police officers.
CBC (SK | PE)
Submitting a book proposal to an academic publisher is often an anxiety provoking activity, writes Laura Portwood-Stacer. To deal with the anxiety of this experience, Portwood-Stacer encourages academics to focus on the idea of their book rather than whether their book proposal is perfect, and to reflect on their qualifications and either recognize their current platform or make a statement about how they will improve their author platform. While peer reviewers will be hard on an author’s idea and sample chapters, a heavy focus on a book may indicate that they see its potential. Finally, Portwood-Stacer writes that editors at academic presses are excited about new books and authors, and emphasizes the fact that responses and requests for revisions indicate their interest.
The Chronicle of Higher Ed (Editorial)
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