September 7, 2023

The Government of Alberta is investing $27.3M over four years into innovative technology research at the University of Alberta and University of Calgary. With this funding, UAlberta and UCalgary will lead four province-wide strategic initiatives that aim to accelerate research in the areas of medical devices, electronic and mobile health, clean energy, and space and defence technologies. Athabasca University and the University of Lethbridge will be involved as partners on the projects. “This is great news for Alberta’s post-secondary institutions,” said UAlberta President Bill Flanagan. “This government funding will reinforce our province’s reputation as a place where academics and industry work together to commercialize ideas and solve real-world problems.”

The University of King’s College has received a $1M gift from the Alpha Aquilae Foundation to initiate redevelopment plans for the university’s southeast corner of campus. This gift allows the university to accelerate the next phase of project planning and create concept drawings, initiate early design work, and select an architectural firm. Early plans for the redevelopment project feature a brand-new facility which will house an updated wellness centre, student support spaces, and a residence that will accommodate up to 250 beds.

Cathlene Hillier (Crandall University), Yujiro Sano (Nipissing University), Roger Pizarro Milian (University of Toronto), and David Zarifa (NipU) have published an article in the on transfer patterns in Ontario postsecondary education. The researchers mapped transfer student flows across ON and created a statistical model for predicting student transfer. They found that postsecondary students from the northern parts of ON tend to transfer to institutions in southern ON at a greater rate than southern students transfer north. The authors discuss possible strategies for policymakers and northern postsecondary institutions to both retain and attract transfer students.

Mohawk College and Cégep de Granby have revealed new logos for their respective athletic programming. Mohawk’s Department of Athletics and Recreation announced a new logo and colour scheme for their Mountaineers. Their new logo features an M in a burnt-orange colour, which signifies Mountaineer pride and “the ever-burning heart” of student-athletics. The word “Mountaineers” is written in steel grey to represent the City of Hamilton. Granby unveiled a new logo for its L’Indigo sports teams. The logo showcases a determined deer, which symbolizes strength, endurance, and the spirit of community, as well as leadership and the ability to recover from adversity.

Northwestern Polytechnic and the University of Lethbridge have forged a new collaborative partnership that will give NWP’s Animal Health Technology (AHT) diploma students a pathway to a degree at ULethbridge. Eligible AHT graduates will be able to seamlessly continue their education in ULethbridge’s Post-Diploma Bachelor of Arts or Post-Diploma Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Studies) programs. “NWP is proud to work with partner universities on collaborative programming that supports students,” said acting NWP President Dr Vanessa Sheane. “This new agreement gives our AHT graduates the option to build on their studies and gain a four-year degree qualification.”

International students across Canada are calling for more queer-specific supports on postsecondary campuses, including counselling services and mental health resources. Bhagyashree Chatterjee of reports that many queer international students experience a “double barrier” where they feel isolated from both other international students and from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community on campus. Chatterjee also discusses how many queer international students feel they must “suppress their authentic selves and adopt a different persona” when they go back to their home countries, especially if their home country has criminalized the LGBTQ+ community. In response, many queer international students are calling for more campus counselling resources that are focused on their distinct lived experiences.

St Lawrence College recently unveiled a Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack “legacy space” at its Kingston campus. These spaces are part of a broader initiative run by The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund to bring people together in shared spaces to celebrate and represent Indigenous perspectives. SLC has announced that it plans to open other legacy spaces at its Cornwall and Brockville campuses as well. “The opening of this first legacy space will foster a culture of belonging for Indigenous students and employees who have been underrepresented, providing opportunities to connect with their own history and culture,” said SLC President Glenn Vollebregt.

The University of Regina is auctioning more than 300 pieces of artwork to the public in an online event. The artworks up for auction are from a donation made by the late Dr Jacqui Shumiatcher and her husband Dr Morris “Shumi” Shumiatcher, who have donated almost $3.5M to the university in total over the course of their lives. “The Shumiatchers’ many gifts to the University were in fact just some of the countless ways in which they supported arts and culture throughout the province,” said URegina President Dr Jeff Keshen. “We’re all beneficiaries of the Shumiatchers’ generous spirit and boundless love of our province.”

Northern College and Red Deer Polytechnic have announced that they will provide their students and graduates with secure, digital access to their credentials through ARUCC’s MyCreds’ digital credential platform. MyCreds’ enables students and graduates to securely access and share their educational documents, such as transcripts, parchments, graduation letters, and badges.. At Northern, this implementation is expected to streamline paper-based processes. RDP Interim Dean of Enrolment Management and Registrar Dr Trish Nuyten said that implementing MyCreds’ will give students and graduates more opportunities and agency by making it more convenient to share their documents.

The Government of Québec is providing $500K in funding to five university legal clinics with the aim of helping more citizens obtain free or low-cost legal services. The funding will go to clinics at McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, Université du Québec à Montréal, and the University of Ottawa. This announcement comes in response to the recent provincial adoption of Bill 75, which allows law students to offer legal advice at university clinics. “The support the Government of Québec is giving us today will also give us free rein to achieve our ambition of reaching out to people living in remote regions who have difficulty accessing our justice system,” said UMontréal rector Daniel Jutras.