April 25, 2024

The University of Prince Edward Island is renaming its business faculty the McDougall Faculty of Business to honour Dr Don and Marion McDougall’s longstanding connection with the institution. The McDougalls recently donated $3M toward the faculty, building on a previous gift of $2M in 2008. “The McDougalls are allowing us to attach their name to our Faculty, which will be transformative in so many ways, and their gift will make a huge difference in the lives of UPEI’s students, supporting scholarships, academic initiatives, infrastructure, and more,” said UPEI Dean of Business Tarek Mady.

Red Deer Polytechnic has created an accelerated Practical Nurse Diploma route for health care professionals with previous training. Eligible applicants who have earned a domestic or international health care credential can complete evaluations to receive prior learning credit towards the program’s first year courses. Students will prepare for future work in the areas of community health, maternity and pediatrics, and mental health. “Through this program, students will be able to build upon their previous knowledge and skills by receiving expert instruction in modern facilities and enhanced practicum and learning experiences with industry partners,” said RDP School of Health and Wellness interim Dean Heather Dirks.

Government of Québec French language minister Jean-François Roberge recently told the Canadian Press that the provincial government is not ready to officially extend Bill 101—QC’s French language law—to cégeps. Roberge asserted that the current provincial government has gone “further than anyone” to protect French at the college level by taking actions such as imposing French courses and a French proficiency test. Emmanuelle Latraverse of Journal de Montréal penned an opinion article arguing that the provincial government has not done enough to counter the broader social pressures pushing youth away from a French-speaking identity. She argues that if Bill 101 was imposed on the cégep system, where an individual’s cultural and philosophical roots are planted, QC could “rescue” its youth from becoming anglicized.

Royal Roads University’s Cascade Institute has received a $3M gift to seed its ultradeep geothermal research program. The research—which Royal Roads says is the first of its kind—will support Canada’s national pursuit of net-zero emissions by 2050. “There’s enough energy beneath us to power the entire world thousands of times over, indefinitely into the future—enabling any kind of society humanity may want to build,” explained Royal Roads Cascade Institute Executive Director Thomas Homer-Dixon. The funding was provided by the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, Founders Pledge’s Climate Change Fund, and Rethink Charity Foundation’s RC Forward Climate Change Fund.

In a recent article for University Affairs, Loleen Berdahl and Christie Schultz discuss the need to acknowledge the emotional labour associated with academic work. Berdahl and Schultz write that emotional labour is different from other kinds of labour and must be recognized and calculated into workloads, performance metrics, and reward structures. The authors identify several challenges that surround emotional labour, such as this work being “invisible” or “unrecognized,” demanding in nature, and disproportionately allocated to women and racialized employees due to stereotypes about empathy and care. The authors advise institutions to apply a “care ethics” lens which recognizes the complexity of care-related work and the way that this work requires individual and institutional-level care for the self.

Three updates related to labour negotiations on postsecondary campuses have recently been issued. At McGill University, the Association of McGill Professors of Law (AMPL) has launched an indefinite strike after failing to reach a tentative agreement with McGill University. Saltwire reports that the New Brunswick Union–which represents 700 instructors at New Brunswick Community College–may go on strike in the new school year. This announcement reportedly follows the Government of New Brunswick’s rejection of the basic framework agreement that was negotiated between NBCC and the union. In Ontario, CBC reports that Western University teaching assistants may end their strike soon, with representatives of the Public Service Alliance of Canada Local 610 reporting that they are close to reaching a deal.

Universities such as NSCAD University, OCAD University, and the University of British Columbia have recently announced new galleries and special collections. NSCAD U’s Dawson Print Shop is hosting the “Wandering Calendar” project, which explores the different ways that cultures and communities have recorded time. At OCAD U, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery and the DESIGNwith lab partnered on the new Form Follows Care collection, which aims to spark more thought around marketing waste. UBC officially opened the Chung | Lind Gallery, which showcases two library collections: the Wallace B Chung and Madeline H Chung Collection and the Phil Lind Klondike Gold Rush Collection. Community members can access the collections to explore the province’s economic and social growth and the experiences of Indigenous peoples and Chinese immigrants.

The Native Education and Training College is facing allegations from students that it is accepting tuition and fees without offering courses or making it possible for them to finish their programs. The college is reportedly facing financial troubles, as Bay Today states that the college’s doors have been locked since mid-February due to “non-payment of rent” in the amount of nearly $18K. Three instructors have also reportedly filed complaints with the Labour Board after not receiving pay. When asked for comment, NETC administrator Larry Stewart stated that the “college is open and [it is] fine.” The students shared their experiences with being unable to access the software hosting NETC’s online courses, struggling to reach the college with their questions and concerns, and not receiving a promised refund. The Government of Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities told CTV News that the Superintendent of Career Colleges is working with the parties to facilitate a resolution.

Portage College has officially launched the MyCreds™ Digital Document Wallet. The wallet gives students and graduates 24/7 access to their transcripts through the MyCreds™ platform, which enables students to securely share their academic documents with postsecondary institutions, government parties, employers, and third parties. “Implementing the MyCreds™ platforms allows Portage College to modernize an important aspect of engaging with and supporting students, allowing them to easily access and share official documents anytime and anywhere,” said Portage VP, Student and College Services Bev Moghrabi.

Conestoga College has hired a group of “lamb-scapers” to maintain the vegetation growing under solar panels at its Cambridge-Foundation Street campus. Ten sheep will graze the property for two weeks in the spring and return throughout the summer to maintain the grounds. The first year of this pilot project will focus on setup and implementation, while the second will prioritize educational and engagement opportunities. “It presents a unique opportunity to integrate urban agriculture at Conestoga while eliminating the need for herbicides and gas-powered landscaping equipment,” said Conestoga environmental sustainability and energy performance manager Samantha Tremmel Lamb.