August 20, 2024

The University of Manitoba is expanding its clinical psychology program to address the province-wide psychologist shortage. The university has increased the number of seats in its master’s and doctoral clinical psychology programs to 12 for this fall and has announced plans to expand this number to 16 by fall 2025. “It’s going to mean better access to psychological care for Manitobans,” said UManitoba Associate Professor and Clinical Training Director Kristin Reynolds, who added that this increase doubles the program’s seats. While the expansion has been met with positive reception, CBC reports that some experts are saying that more must be done to combat the shortage of psychologists and reach underserved communities.

Brock University has introduced a new model to expand its non-credit programming and improve access for learners. The Non-Credit Programming Model centralizes non-credit programming through Brock Professional and Continuing Studies, which will better support the various stages of non-credit program development, including pre-program research, internal approvals, budgeting, and instructional design. “The new non-credit programming model is an important step that will ensure a more efficient use of University resources as well as a consistently high-quality experience for our learners,” said Brock Vice-Provost, Teaching and Learning Rajiv Jhangiani. “With this streamlined process, we are continuing to make lifelong learning experiences more accessible.”

The Government of Saskatchewan is making a one-time $530K investment into bursaries for paramedicine students throughout the province this year. The bursaries—which will be administered by the Saskatchewan Health Authority—will support Primary Care Paramedic and Advanced Care Paramedic students and new graduates who are committed to a minimum of two years of employment with EMS in SK. The funds will support approximately 58 bursaries. “The Saskatchewan government’s initiative to provide bursaries for the second year in a row for paramedics is a crucial step in continuing to address the pressing shortage of health care professionals in the province,” said Paramedic Services Chiefs of Saskatchewan VP Jessica Brost.

The Québec Court of Appeal has reversed a lower court decision made in November 2023 that ordered McGill University to comply with an agreement made with the Mohawk Mothers earlier that year. This agreement put conditions on how excavation work at the site of the old Royal Victoria Hospital could be conducted. Last week, the Court of Appeal found that in November, the judge “misapprehended the scope of his power to make safeguard orders,” making the order issued by this judge unenforceable. “Under the guise of a case-management measure, he decided the parties’ rights under the agreement and appropriated the power to supervise the application of the agreement without a genuine debate on the merits,” wrote the Court of Appeal.

In a recent article for Inside Higher Ed, Laura Kuizin (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) discusses ways to prepare students to enter the workforce. Kuizin writes that a personalized, integrated approach gives students the skills, insights, and networks they need to succeed in a variety of career pathways. The author encourages those offering professional development programs to provide comprehensive skills assessments before exploring diverse career paths, offering hands-on experience, fostering mentorship, and teaching confident communication. Kuizin provides strategies for those creating a professional development program, including prioritizing collaboration across departments, leveraging alumni networks, staying current with industry trends, and ensuring inclusivity.

A few weeks ahead of the fall semester, several postsecondary institutions in Calgary have reported that their student residences are already at maximum capacity. According to CTV News, the University of Calgary has placed over 1,000 students on its housing waitlists this year, which means that many students are looking for off-campus housing. UCalgary Student Union President Ermia Rezaei-Afsah says that finding off-campus housing is challenging for many students, given the lack of affordable and suitable options. CTV New reports that in past years, other postsecondary institutions would offer residence space to UCalgary students in need of housing, but that these schools are also full this year. City News reports that residences at both Mount Royal University and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology are operating waitlists this year.

A pro-Palestinian encampment located at Vancouver Island University has been dismantled after standing for more than three months. In a statement issued Sunday evening, VIU said that it had hired a security firm to assist with dismantling the encampment and fencing the area. This clearing occurred shortly after the BC Supreme Court granted VIU an injunction ordering the removal of the encampment. According to the Canadian Press, protesters have since expressed their disappointment over the university’s actions and said that they will continue to demonstrate in other ways.

Cégep de Sept-Îles has installed a miniature railway on its campus that will support students in its Transport ferroviaire – Chefs de train program. Designed by Canadian modeler Serge Lebel, the piece will be able to reproduce most of the operating conditions of a real railway. The miniature will provide learners in the train conductor program with an immersive experience, giving them opportunities to put their knowledge into practice. The system was installed by the continuing education department and is one of many new features and improvements made to the train conductor program in the past two years.

British Columbia Institute of Technology has planted a new orchard on its Burnaby Campus. The orchard includes a variety of hardy fruit trees and cross-pollinating species, including apples, Asian pears, plums, and cherries. The trees will fruit and flower at different times, extending the period during which fruit can be picked. BCIT chose to plant the orchard near Guichon Creek, a location that will help improve the natural drainage into the creek and support pollinators such as birds and bees. “We try to find creative ways to use the land on campus that add to our biodiversity and climate resilience while improving the experience for students, staff and visitors,” said BCIT Manager of Transportation, Landscaping and Grounds Adam Dickinson.

Conestoga College’s Bachelor of Engineering – Electronic Systems Engineering (ESE) degree program has received reaccreditation from the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). This reaccreditation follows a successful on-site evaluation and confirms that the program meets high educational standards, setting students on the path to becoming professionally licensed engineers. “This reaccreditation is the result of the hard work and commitment of the many students, faculty and employees who come together on a daily basis to create an atmosphere where students can thrive and launch great engineering careers,” said Conestoga ESE Program Chair Rafik Guindi. The reaccreditation is effective until June 2027.