April 18, 2023

The Université de Moncton’s Board of Governors will appoint two officials to consider whether the institution should pursue a name change. The appointees will develop a report—to be released in October—that assesses the political, social, legal, and economic ramifications of a potential name change. This decision comes in response to a recent petition that called for UMoncton to cut its ties with the 18th-century British military officer Robert Monckton. “A decision as critical as whether or not to change the name of the university requires a rigorous process,” said UMoncton Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors Denise Frenette.

The University of Niagara Falls Canada, which is backed by Global University Systems, recently announced its upcoming programming and plans for a campus in downtown Niagara Falls at a community social event. The university announced its first two programs—the Master of Data Analytics and the Master of Management—which will commence in January 2024, with more programs starting in Fall 2024. The university’s website also went live on Saturday. The school will be located in downtown Niagara Falls, though the exact location is reportedly still under consideration.

MacEwan University has officially kicked off the MacEwan Means Business fundraising campaign. The campaign aims to raise $25M to support the construction of a seven-storey School of Business building, which is expected to open in 2027. “This new School of Business building is about more than just our campus,” said MacEwan President Dr Annette Trimbee. “It’s also about our students, and future students, and giving the best possible academic experience that allows them to dream big, chase opportunities and create an Edmonton where we can all thrive.” The building also recently received $125M in capital funding.

The Office of the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal has provided further comment on the deaths of four Royal Military College cadets last year. The office identified dangerous use of a personal vehicle as a factor in the event and confirmed that the cause of death was drowning. Additional information has not been released out of respect for the families. A Department of National Defence spokesperson said that said that the internal summary investigation report is still being finalized and communicated to the families.

In the wake of rising GPAs, postsecondary school administrators will need to have a serious discussion about grading standards, write Jeff Denning, Eric Eide, Kevin Mumford, Rich Patterson, and Merrill Warnick. The authors write that while grade inflation increases the number of students who graduate by reducing their academic anxiety, it can also cause more students to graduate without learning job-relevant information. They conclude that administrators should endeavor to balance “the learning-incentive effects of lower grades with the graduation-increasing effects of higher grades.”

Construction is officially underway for a new 12-storey mass-timber building at the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s Burnaby campus. The housing tower will provide 470 students with affordable on-campus housing and will more than double BCIT’s on-campus housing. The development includes studio units, private rooms with shared bathrooms and kitchens, study rooms, common areas, and a collaboration space. “The Tall Timber Student Housing project is a much-needed addition to the BCIT Burnaby Campus community – allowing more students the opportunity to live on campus while they pursue their hands-on education,” said BCIT Interim President Paul McCullough.

The University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law and the Manitoba Law Students’ Association (MLSA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide more articling opportunities for diverse students and facilitate building renovations on Robson Hall. Effective immediately, two new articling positions will be created through this agreement. The articling students will be supervised by the Faculty’s Director of Clinics. These additional positions will provide increased opportunities for equity-seeking students facing systemic barriers relating to diversity and inclusion. The MOU also indicates that Robson Hall will begin renovations in the fall and will include expanded study spaces and gender-neutral washrooms.

The Michener Institute of Education at UHN and the National Medical Imaging Clinic, Education & Research Centre (NMICERC) are partnering to bring MRI training to Saskatchewan and Western Canada. Saskatchewan does not currently have an MRI training program, Michener explains, and so the partnership was developed to bring Michener’s MRI Technologist training program to students in Saskatchewan. The program will be delivered remotely by Michener faculty and NMICERC will host the hands-on clinical training in Saskatoon. Looking to the future, NMICERC President Dragan Racic expressed hope that Michener’s continuing education and professional development courses would be offered in the future. This partnership will also include initiatives such as a bridge program for Indigenous youth in Saskatchewan and Western Canada interested in entering the MRI technologist program.

An initiative launched by two University of New Brunswick students is making learning spaces at the university safer and more inclusive. UNB students Shilin Pentz and Arnab Mehfuz Taranga created the Heart to Heart program, which is modeled after the Building Bridges program at the University of Saskatchewan. The program is focused on bridging the knowledge gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Pentz and Taranga worked together to develop the groundwork for the program during the 2022-23 academic year. “The most important thing for us was to make sure that we didn’t base our perspectives on outdated information,” said Pentz. “There were times when we would find information in a book, but then two pages later would realize that it was problematic.” Next year, they plan to engage more people in the program.

Humber College has launched an infrastructure project to address its heating and cooling systems. Project SWITCH focuses on decreasing carbon dioxide emissions at Humber’s North Campus by switching to a modern hot water system that uses electricity. SWITCH will also act as a Living Lab for students and provide them with work-integrated learning opportunities. “SWITCH will reduce our carbon footprint while providing unique real-world learning opportunities for students to become future leaders and champion a more sustainable tomorrow,” said Humber President Ann Marie Vaughan. “We hope to inspire our community by showing the world what is possible when we prioritize sustainability.”