September 10, 2024

Several members of the Canadian postsecondary sector arrived at the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend and into this week. OCAD University, which has an ongoing partnership with TIFF, is hosting a tent at the TIFF street festival, interviewing artists and filmmakers on the red carpet and showcasing an exclusive virtual reality exhibition of works from Cannes. Several short films at TIFF were also directed by members of the postsecondary sector, such as Dalhousie University PhD Candidate shalan joudry (welima’q), University of Winnipeg Instructors Milos Mitrovic and Fabian Velasco (Serve the Country), and York University Master of Fine Arts film student Alexander Farah (One Day This Kid).

The University of New Brunswick has received a $3.25M commitment from the New Brunswick Law Foundation. The funds will be used to support the UNB legal clinic; bolster the Law Foundation’s law trust, which supports student experiential activities such as the moot court program; and create a scholarship fund for Indigenous students from the province. UNB Faculty of Law Dean Michael Marin thanked the foundation for the commitment, which will “improve access to justice and legal education in New Brunswick.”

Vanmala Subramaniam of the Globe and Mail reports that “tens of thousands” of postgraduation work permits (PGWPs) held by international students and graduates in Canada will expire in this upcoming year. Most are not expected to receive extensions or an invitation to apply to permanent residency, which is reportedly creating a sense of panic among some students. University of Waterloo Professor Mikal Skuterud stated that federal policy and system changes have made the probability of a successful transition to a permanent residency an unknown. A protest site has reportedly been set up in Brampton, where demonstrators are calling on the federal government to extend their visas and offer a “fair pathway” to permanent residency.

Several student and worker groups are calling on the University of Toronto to rescind its recently published “User Guide to U of T Policies on Protest and Use of Campus Spaces.” The guide, which was published on the university’s website in August, outlines the limits and policies surrounding protests on the university’s campus. An open statement signed by 31 student and academic worker groups asserts that this guide introduces “a slew of new sweeping and repressive regulations” and calls for these rules to be rescinded immediately. U of T reportedly says that the policies are based on existing school policies and the court order issued in July. Student-led protesters also held a “back-to-school rally” at U of T’s campus on Friday; a team of volunteers called Magen Herut Canada were on site during the march and told City News that they were there to protect Jewish students.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic has received $2.5M from Cenovus Energy to support the construction of the Joseph A Remai Saskatoon campus. In recognition of this gift, the chemical technology lab, power engineering lab, and instrument engineering lab will be renamed the Cenovus Energy Labs. “Energy sector careers are well-paid, interesting, and technologically forward-thinking,” said Sask Polytech President Dr Larry Rosia. “This investment helps ensure Saskatchewan remains at the forefront of the oil and gas sector.”

The Canadian Press reports that an 18-year-old Durham College student has been arrested after allegedly threatening on Snapchat to carry out a school shooting. CTV News reports that the Durham Regional Police Service were alerted to the Snapchat post by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Officers then went to Durham and arrested the suspect on campus without incident. The suspect has been charged with uttering threats. A search warrant was also executed at the suspect’s home in Whitby, where police seized 18 firearms, five airsoft guns, and ammunition. The police stated that these firearms were acquired and stored lawfully. Durham states that the arrested individual is no longer a student of the college.

The Government of Canada is investing $1.1M into projects at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, One Beauty Grand Prairie, and Portage College to bolster skilled trades training in Alberta. NAIT is receiving $888K to purchase equipment for apprentices in construction, manufacturing, and transportation; One Beauty Grande Prairie Inc—which operates One Beauty Academy—is receiving $149K to upgrade its hairstylist training curriculum; and Portage is receiving $131K to acquire equipment for welding training. “Today’s announcement is all about providing equipment and jobs and pushing businesses forward—one project at a time,” said Canada Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages Randy Boissonnault.

The University of Prince Edward Island has received a donation of more than $1M from the Saint Dunstan’s University (SDU) Board of Governors. This gift will support UPEI’s “Love Our Library” revitalization campaign, which aims to raise $15M to expand and enhance the Robertson Library. In recognition of this donation, the high-traffic foyer within the library will be named in honour of SDU. “Robertson Library has served our campus well over the years, and now, with support from SDU, we will transform it into an innovative and inclusive hub that will meet the needs of our campus and broader community well into the future,” said UPEI President Wendy Rodgers.

Sheridan College has introduced a new Board Undergraduate Certificate (BUC) in Resilience, Ethics, and Adaptation. This program draws on topics in global culture, humanities, and the social sciences to explore questions of self, identity, and relationality. Designed for students already enrolled in a degree program, the BUC requires no additional courses beyond the regular semester load; students earn the certificate by completing specific electives. Sheridan Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Genevieve Amaral said that the BUC “offers students a way to demonstrate to employers a unique skillset and interdisciplinary understanding of critical human questions and issues that are only becoming more important in the age of AI.”

Two postsecondary institutions have recently struck new partnerships to advance educational opportunities for their respective partners. University of Niagara Falls Canada and Saigon Business School Vietnam have signed an articulation agreement that will create a new pathway to a UNFC Master of Management degree for graduates of the Vietnamese school’s Global Mini-MBA program. Portage College and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have partnered to support CAF veterans seeking to pursue further education and transition into civilian careers. Portage will offer specialized programs and services that build on the skills veterans acquire during their military careers, such as communication and finance, and will also recognize their prior learning with advanced credit.