April 14, 2023

The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology’s Applied Research and Innovation Services has launched the remotely-piloted aviation training centre. The centre focuses on training, certification, research, and development for Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) that are designed for heavy lifting and work beyond the operator’s line of sight. The centre will train pilots and technicians for work with specific aircraft, facilitate technological enhancement, and support skills development and employment. SAIT has received $1.48M for the project from the Government of Canada’s Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative.

The Government of Ontario has made a $7.5M investment to support the construction of a new Innovation Arena building at the University of Waterloo. UWaterloo and the City of Kitchener broke ground on the $35M facility this week, which will house UWaterloo’s Velocity program, a health tech incubator, and a small business centre. It will support health technology development, intellectual property commercialization, and investment and job creation. UWaterloo and the City of Kitchener will operate the Innovation Arena through a partnership. “The Innovation Arena will enable the collaboration and connections among researchers, talent and health care practitioners while supporting innovators and entrepreneurs from start to scale,” said UWaterloo President Dr Vivek Goel.

The University of Saskatchewan has received a $2M donation from BMO to accelerate critical research into regenerative and digital agriculture. The funds will support the Jarislowsky and BMO Research Chair in Regenerative Agriculture and the BMO Soil Analytical Laboratory. Both initiatives will support sustainable agriculture practices by focusing on regenerative agriculture, an approach that preserves and restores food production systems while maximizing their productivity and profitability. “Expanding our research capacity in regenerative agriculture and our analytical capacity in soil health will accelerate development of targeted solutions for food security while protecting our natural resources,” said USask Dean of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources Dr Angela Bedard-Haughn.

Canadore College has launched the Water Teaching Lodge, an initiative enabling researchers and First Nations to collaborate on bringing clean water and water treatment technologies to Indigenous communities. The lodge is called Mshibizhiwgamig in Anishinaabemowin, which translates to Great Lynx Lodge. Canadore First Peoples’ Centre Director Judy Manitowabi explained that the lodge provides learners, partners, and Indigenous communities with a place to access educational tools and Indigenous knowledge; learn how to address systemic issues related to clean drinking water; and participate in ceremony. “What we’re doing today really starts to reshape how we train people,” said Canadore VP Enrolment Management, Indigenous and Student Services Shawn Chorney. “The people who consume the water should be the ones treating it.”

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is reminding postsecondary students to be vigilant against scammers who might be posing as the Canada Revenue Agency. Nelson Star reports that postsecondary students are often targeted by scammers; one recent instance was a student in Metro Vancouver who lost $2.8K after becoming victim to a tax refund scam. The student received a message saying she was owed a tax refund and followed the instructions to enter her bank account information; by the next day, the scammer had taken cash from her accounts and changed her online banking password and verification method. BBB media and communications specialist Aaron Guillen is reminding consumers to be cautious and consider their safety before giving out information in response to unsolicited messages.

In a recent article from the Chronicle of Higher Ed, Kevin Dettmar provides advice to a new dean who is interested in planning a retreat for their department chairs. Dettmar writes that a retreat can provide an opportunity for new deans to get acquainted with department heads, while also helping department heads to build relationships with one another. The author recommends a variety of strategies to help participants form connections with each other, such as finding an off-campus venue for the retreat, providing catering to break up the day with a meal, and including a social hour at the end of the schedule. Dettmar further encourages new deans to take the opportunity to explicitly lay out their communication styles and how they plan to support department chairs, so that their new colleagues know what to expect.

McGill University’s student newspaper has officially removed “McGill” from its name to distance itself from the colonial legacy of the school’s founder James McGill. The McGill Tribune will now publish under the name The Tribune in what it refers to as an important step towards reconciliation and decolonization. A statement from The Tribune emphasized that the newspaper will also integrate practices to create a safe environment for Black, Indigenous, and racialized students and faculty. This will include creating more avenues for community engagement and incorporating more diverse perspectives into the newspaper’s journalism. Editorial leadership have also called upon the university to reconsider the relationship with its namesake, contending that the name “McGill” perpetuates ties to colonialism and oppression.

Trent University has announced that it is leasing land to Residence Development Corporation for the development of student housing. The lease will enable the corporation to build and operate a three-storey townhouse-style building near the Symons Campus, which will have approximately 215 beds for upper-year students. Trent says that the plans will help to resolve the housing shortage in the region. “[T]his development will provide more housing options for upper-year students close to the Symons Campus,” said Trent VP, External Relations and Development Julie Davis. “There is a need for more housing in Peterborough, and this new student housing project is just one of the ways Trent is working to help alleviate some of the housing pressures in our community.”

Kwantlen Polytechnic University students are collaborating with learners from around the world – including in Brazil, Mexico, and the United Kingdom – thanks to the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program. Courses with a COIL component create experiential learning opportunities for students, enabling them to share their perspectives with international peers, complete projects with students from other places in the world, and build an awareness of themselves and others. “There is nothing better than hands-on experience when you are developing your ability to work with different cultural perspectives,” said KPU Melville School of Business instructor Lesley McCannell. McCannell outlines her own experience partnering with a university in Mexico in order to provide a virtual exchange experience to her human resources students.

The University of Toronto and the University of Windsor have both released tools to help staff, students, and researchers engage respectfully and inclusively on gender and sexuality issues. U of T has unveiled its Asexuality and Aromanticism Bibliography, a resource containing more than 500 references to asexuality and aromanticism that will aid scholars in conducting inclusive research. UWindsor has launched its Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Pronouns, a tool that helps users understand and respect the use of pronouns outside the gender binary. The guide includes an informational website as well as a 30-minute video profiling members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.