November 11, 2022
Several colleges and universities are hosting special events and ceremonies in recognition of Remembrance Day. John Abbott College, McGill University’s Macdonald campus, and four K-12 schools held a joint Remembrance Day ceremony earlier this month at John Abbott’s Memorial Field. Institutions such as the University of Toronto, Fleming College, and the University of British Columbia are hosting in-person ceremonies for faculty, staff, students, and the broader community, and are additionally livestreaming the events for those who are joining remotely. First Nations University held an Indigenous Veterans Day Service at its Regina campus yesterday, and the University of Alberta lowered its flags this week to mark Indigenous Veterans Day and Remembrance Day.
Montreal Gazette |
PTBO Canada (Fleming) |
UofT |
UAlberta |
FNU (PDF) |
UBC (National)
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR), which is housed at the University of Manitoba, will be receiving $28M in new funding from the Government of Canada over five years. The funding will support the NCTR’s work collecting, reviewing, and making available historical records, survivor statements, and sacred items; efforts to locate and memorialize missing children and unmarked burials; and initiatives such as the National Advisory Committee on Missing Children and Unmarked Burials. “At its core, this funding is an investment in healing for residential school survivors, and families, for communities and for our relationship with the people of Canada,” said residential school survivor Brian Normand.
Winnipeg Free Press (Sub. Req.) |
CBC |
NCTR (MB)
The Government of Ontario recently announced two major investments to support training and development in in-demand fields. $10M will be provided to Mitacs to support the creation of over 2,700 paid internships in high demand areas. The internships will provide undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with real-world experience through hands-on learning with employers. ON has also invested $1.5M into three training projects in Thunder Bay that will help over 100 Indigenous people take part in pre-apprenticeship programs and prepare for careers as general carpenter, welders, plumbers, and more. Two programs will be run by Anishinabek Employment and Training Services, the Carpenters Union Local 1669, and Confederation College, while a third program will be run by Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services (KKETS).
ON (1) |
ON (2) |
CBC (ON)
Cumberland College and Parkland College, which are currently operating as a coalition, have proposed a merger. Cumberland Board Member Brian Hickie attended the recent Melville City Council meeting to ask for the council's support in the merger. Hickie argued that the merger would help secure the colleges’ financial stability while also increasing their geographic reach, brand recognition, and ability to advocate for rural and Indigenous communities. “If we have a strong regional college system, we’re going to be able to maintain a big presence in rural Saskatchewan,” said Hickie. The full merger would be expected to take place by July 1st, 2023.
GX94 Radio |
Parkland-Cumberland (PDF) (SK)
The RBC Foundation has committed $3.5M to support students and programming in sustainability fields at the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Conestoga College. $2M will support the launch of UWaterloo’s new Bachelor of Sustainability and Finance Management program, the creation of a network of mentorship, and the development of a sustainability integration hub. $850K will go to WLU to fund research, teaching, and experiential learning opportunities in climate change management and prepare students for emerging careers in the climate industry. $650K will be used to expand Conestoga's Jill of All Trades program, a series of workshops designed to introduce women from grades 9-12 to the skilled trades.
News Wire |
The Record (ON)
Keyano College has announced that it will be reinstating a northern living allowance that was cancelled in 2020, reports CBC. Keyano President Jay Notay said that reinstating the cost of living allowance (COLA) was a priority due to the impacts its cancellation had on staff. “For some of our staff, this was … 26 per cent of their salaries. It was significant,” said Notay, who told the
Whitecourt Star that the cancellation resulted in a “mass exodus” from the college’s staff. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents Keyano staff, indicated in a statement that it has not received any confirmation of COLA’s reinstatement in writing.
CBC |
Whitecourt Star (AB)
Assiniboine Community College has received a $1M gift from the Joyce Family Foundation to create financial awards for students in the college’s Practical Nursing program. The annual $9K awards will alleviate financial barriers for those who want to study nursing. “Assiniboine is proud of our contributions to ensuring there are nurses trained and ready to step into healthcare careers that are in demand,” said ACC President Mark Frison. “This significant donation will open a door for many hopeful nursing students, enhancing their opportunity to be successful in the pursuit of a healthcare career.”
ACC (MB)
In a recent article for
The Evolllution, Amy Finamore discusses the findings of a survey on the strategies faculty use to identify students who are struggling in online classes, the accuracy of their assessments, and the effectiveness of their interventions. Finamore surveyed faculty members at a US university and found that they used a variety of factors to identify students who were likely to struggle in class, such as missing assignments. In these situations, faculty often offered supports such as referrals to academic tutoring or help by email. However, the accuracy of faculty members’ prediction of which students would struggle was mixed: Faculty missed most of the students who would not be able to complete the term successfully, but two-thirds of those who they did identify faced challenges during the course. Finamore recommends that faculty members offer proactive supports for students who are struggling, listen to students’ concerns, and streamline the instructor outreach process to make it less time-consuming.
The Evolllution (Editorial)
Faculty at Western University are preparing for a possible strike at the beginning of next week if a last-minute deal is not reached with the university. Due to the current wage cap introduced by Ontario’s Bill 124, University of Western Ontario Faculty Association President Hiran Perinpanayagam stated that the faculty is striking for better job security, better health benefits for part-time faculty, and an increase in the number of faculty to be able to handle an increase in student population. UWOFA voted 91% in favour of a strike if these key issues are not addressed at the bargaining table. The
London Free Press reports that the university has not yet reached an agreement with UWOFA and that a conciliator was not able to bring the two parties to an agreement.
London Free Press |
CHCH |
Global News (ON)
Lethbridge College has launched a Health Sciences certificate program for students who wish to prepare for a diploma or degree program in health sciences. The certificate includes 10 courses and follows a curriculum that ladders into six other health-related programs at the college. Students who complete the certificate can enhance their standing for admission to these health programs and gain credit for non-specialist courses. Credits can also be applied toward Lethbridge’s Exercise Science and General Arts and Science diploma programs or transferred to other postsecondary institutions. Students completing the certificate will learn in a highly flexible (hyflex) manner which allows them to choose between in-person and asynchronous online instruction.
Lethbridge (AB)
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