April 16, 2024

The University of British Columbia will add 778 new student seats over six years to technology-related programs, thanks to a $23M boost from the Government of British Columbia. This funding will add new seats to existing programs in the faculties of applied science, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences, and science at both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. It will also be used to launch two new programs: a Bachelor of Data Science in Vancouver and a Master of Science in Biotechnology in Okanagan. “This investment not only provides our students with exciting new education and career opportunities, but it also helps meet the demand for talent in B.C.’s rapidly growing tech and life sciences industry,” said UBC President Dr Benoit-Antoine Bacon.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic has received a $25M boost from the Joseph Alfred Remai Family Foundation toward its fundraising campaign for a new Saskatoon campus. In honour of the gift—which Sask Polytech says is the largest it has received from an individual—the Saskatoon campus will be named the Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Joseph A Remai Saskatoon Campus. “This is a gift that keeps on giving,” said Sask Polytech President Larry Rosia. “We graduate 5,000 students a year. You can only imagine in … 50 years from now the number of students that will benefit from the significant and heartfelt donation.”

CBC reporter Kate Rutherford has penned an article on the impact that the end of public-private partnerships (PPPs) will have on colleges in northern Ontario. Cambrian College President Kristine Morrissey said that while the Sudbury campus is facing a smaller reduction than it initially feared, it will experience revenue loss as its partnership with Hanson College in Brampton winds down. This will reduce the college’s revenue by about $25M each year. Northern College will phase out a partnership with Pures College in Midland and Scarborough, which will reduce Northern’s revenue by about $30M a year or a third of the college’s budget. Northern President Mitch Dumas said that the college will make adjustments and that “some part-time positions may not be required.”

A recent report has brought to light the low amount of research that has been conducted on Quebec’s student housing. Institut national de la recherche scientifique assistant professor Nick Revington reviewed current research on student housing in the province and argued that more research on the topic needs to be completed, ideally with the Government of Quebec’s involvement. In particular, Revington pointed to the need for Quebec-wide studies that gather data on students, socio-economic and socio-demographic characteristics, academic success, work-family-study balance, and work. Since nearly 70% of students live in the private rental market, Revington also noted that questions such as affordability, availability, and vacancy rates are also relevant.

In a recent opinion piece for The Conversation, Athabasca University scholars Jason Foster, Bob Barnetson, and Susan Cake discuss the challenges associated with bargaining processes between public sector workers in Alberta and their employers. Unions representing workers from almost every public service are currently in or will soon begin the bargaining process. Foster, Barnetson, and Cake explain that, through the Public Sector Employers Act, the AB finance minister can impose secret bargaining mandates on public sector employees. The authors discuss the obstacles that arose when secret mandates were used in 2020 and conclude that secret mandates in the future may lead to work stoppages.

Nipissing University recently celebrated the opening of the George and Helen Vari Simulation Centre, which will provide an immersive learning environment for nursing, social work, and criminal justice students. The centre features four hospital simulation suites with life-like manikins and two spaces equipped with immersive projection technology. “The Simulation Centre offers students a space to build competency in their skills, practice critical thinking, and make mistakes in a low-risk, supportive, and controlled environment to help prepare them for professional practice,” said Nipissing Associate Dean, School of Nursing Dr Karey McCullough. The development of the centre was made possible through donations from the George and Helen Vari Foundation.

McGill University has obtained an injunction to limit the scope of graduate teaching assistants’ ongoing picketing. According to the Montreal Gazette, Superior Court of Québec Judge Catherine Piché ordered members of the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill to not impede access or exit from McGill properties, limit its picketing to 10 people in certain locations, and abstain from activities that could lead to a “degradation or deterioration of McGill property.” The teaching assistants (TAs) have been on strike since March 25, advocating for pay raises, protections from overwork, and better healthcare. In a recent opinion article, McGill Sociology Professor Barry Eidlin called for McGill to negotiate a fair agreement with the TAs imminently, writing that unresolved contract issues run the risk of “poisoning the campus climate.”

In a recent article for Times Higher Education, Andrew Woon (Queen Mary University of London) explains how increasing numbers of academics are dealing with compassion fatigue. Woon explains that compassion fatigue consists of feelings of depersonalization and disconnection that diminish one’s ability to empathize with themselves or others. For educators, diminished job satisfaction and growing personal and work responsibilities are triggering this phenomenon and making it difficult for them to express compassion in the classroom, which in turn negatively impacts students. The author encourages to universities invest in compassion-related training, introduce self-assessment tools so that staff can monitor their satisfaction levels, and organize wellness and mindfulness activities to build more inclusive and empowering work environments.

The Kingston Learning Centre (KLC) College, a private career college with campuses in Kingston and Toronto, has reportedly closed. According to The Kingstonist, the college has faced financial difficulties and was unable to meet payroll for staff and faculty in February 2024. After a faculty walkout and class cancellations, the college reportedly issued a notice to students stating: “we regret to inform you that we must close the college doors due to unpaid wages.” The college offered a variety of career-oriented programs.

Members from the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations recently visited Vancouver Community College and held a traditional ground blessing to prepare for the construction of the Centre for Clean Energy and Automotive Innovation. The ceremony honoured the history of the land and included a traditional song, land acknowledgements, and ground blessings from the three host nations. “Our collective blessing of the grounds for the new building at VCC symbolizes much more than the start of construction — it signifies a deep recognition of our shared past and a collaborative step towards a sustainable future,” said Tsleil-Waututh Nation Elder Carleen Thomas.