April 30, 2024

The Government of Québec has announced a $603M plan focused on reversing the decline of French in Québec. QC has outlined nine priorities, which include attracting and retaining a greater number of French-speaking international students and accelerating the process of obtaining permanent residence for international students graduating from French-language programs. Starting in November 2024, those in the Québec Graduates stream must have completed an eligible program of study in French or have completed three years of full-time secondary or postsecondary studies in French. $12.8M will go toward strengthening Quebecers’ attachment to the French language, which includes initiatives related to French-language scientific publications.

The Government of Manitoba has transferred ownership of the Crown land and buildings on Assiniboine Community College’s Parkland Campus in Dauphin to the ACC board of governors. The Brandon Sun reports that the move was facilitated at a nominal cost of $1. “This allows the college to be the responsible steward and ensure scarce resources are directed to areas of highest priority,” said ACC President Mark Frison. “There are currently no major construction nor renovation projects planned for this location in the immediate future.”

Protesters set up an encampment on McGill University’s campus on Saturday afternoon, reports the Montréal Gazette, and lawyers representing the group have indicated that it plans to stay “indefinitely.” The group of protesters, which City News says includes students from Concordia University and McGill, referenced the protests in the United States as they called on the universities to divest any funds connected to the war in Gaza. Government of Québec Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry stated that she is “very preoccupied and concerned about the situation on campus.” McGill initially instructed protesters to remove their tents on the weekend; on Monday morning, the university indicated that the situation had “shifted significantly” and that it is considering its next steps.

The Government of Canada Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller has announced that a temporary policy around work hours for international students will not be extended, but a new policy will be introduced in the Fall. The temporary policy, which comes to an end today, allowed students to work more than 20 hours per week off campus. This Fall, students will be able to work up to 24 hours per week off campus during the academic year. “As international students arrive in Canada, we want them to be prepared for life here and have the support they need to succeed,” said Miller. “However, first and foremost, people coming to Canada as students must be here to study, not work.”

Northwestern Polytechnic and the University of Alberta have formalized their medical education partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding. Through the partnership, the two partners will work together to fill 30 seats in an inaugural Doctor of Medicine program. Students can complete the entirety of the UAlberta degree at NWP’s Grande Prairie Campus and the adjacent Health Education Centre. As part of the partnership, a dedicated teaching clinic will also be created in the upcoming Maskwa Medical Centre development.

Residents of a limited income apartment who have been living in hotels after being evacuated from their building will be moving into Okanagan College student housing for the summer. Eighty-four residents were displaced after Hadgraft Wilson Place sustained damage due to the ground shifting when the pit was dug for the parking garage for the University of British Columbia Okanagan’s downtown construction project. Okanagan will temporarily house the residents in the upper three floors of the new Okanagan College student housing building, which is equipped to accommodate individuals with varying needs. Work will continue on UBCO’s construction project. “Engineering teams for the project have advised this work is not expected to impact surrounding properties, including Hadgraft Wilson Place,” read a UBCO statement.

Cégep de Sorel-Tracy has announced that it is suspending admissions to its restaurant management program, which is offered in partnership with Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec. Sorel-Tracy explained in a recent release that the program was not seeing sufficient demand from students to continue the program. Sorel-Tracy deputy director of educational programs Manon Lalancette lamented the “unfortunate” need to suspend the program and noted the many achievements it had made in recent years, such as successful marketing to attract women to the program and the launch of innovative educational approaches.

As the school year ends and students prepare to move home, Queen’s University and the University of Alberta hosted initiatives focused on keeping items out of the landfill. At Queen’s, the Second Hand Shuffle event gave students the opportunity to donate a wide range of items from clothing to electrical appliances. Community members and representatives from non-profits attended the event to pick up items that they could use for free. UAlberta hosted an Eco Move Out initiative that gathered clothing, toiletries, home goods, and recyclables to help students move off campus sustainably. Students were invited to drop off items over a series of weeks. Items were then sorted and sent to community partners such as the food bank.

The decision of when to retire is not one that faculty members have to consider alone, write G Anne Bogat (Michigan State University), Kathleen McCartney (Smith College), and Rena Repetti (University of California at Los Angeles) for the Chronicle of Higher Ed. Bogat, McCartney, and Repetti discuss the experience of joining a group focused on the topic of retirement. The group met twice a year to discuss concerns, fears, and hopes; strategies for approaching administrators about retirement; and the institutional supports available for the retirement transition. The authors reflect on the many lessons learned through this period—such as accepting ambivalence in the process and regarding post-retirement life as a “work in progress” that will evolve on its own time—and conclude that the process offered “a way forward” for the authors.

Capilano University, Durham College, and Université du Québec à Rimouski have each launched new short-term programs for working professionals looking to improve their skills and designations. CapilanoU announced a post-baccalaureate certificate in financial planning for finance services professionals who want to advance their career with a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP) designation. Durham will be offering Supervision and Leadership in Early Childhood Education micro-credentials, which are designed for registered early childhood educators who are interested in developing the financial and leadership skills necessary to become a supervisor. UQAR announced a new postgraduate program focused on artificial intelligence for business managers.