August 26, 2024

The Government of Canada and Government of Saskatchewan are investing a total of $35M over two years to provide tuition-free early childhood education (ECE) training across the province. This free ECE training and professional development will be available at Carlton Trail College, College Mathieu, Dumont Technical Institute, Great Plains College, North West College, Northlands College, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Southeast College, and Suncrest College. “By offering tuition-free early childhood education training throughout the province in a variety of delivery methods, the postsecondary sector is creating access and ensuring a supply of skilled graduates will be available to serve within the centres and allow for expansion of child care spaces,” said Great Plains VP of Programs and Students Keleah Ostander.

The Government of Québec plans to introduce a bill that would limit the number of international students beginning studies in the province. According to the Canadian Press, QC Premier François Legault stated that this measure would alleviate pressures on housing, education, and health care, while also protecting the French language. CTV News reports that Legault is also using the bill to prevent private colleges from “abusing the system” by charging high tuition fees to international students. In response, McGill University issued a statement expressing its hope that institutions “which have consistently engaged in ethical and sustainable recruitment practices [would] not be the focus of the proposed legislation.”

In a recent article, Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) President Pari Johnston emphasizes the immediate effects of the federal cap on international student study permit applications. While the policy has effectively reduced permit applications and approvals, Johnston warns that it is also creating significant challenges for the postsecondary sector. To avoid budgetary deficits, she explains that some institutions are cutting programs, limiting intakes, and reducing hiring, which undermines their ability to train essential workforces for national and global needs. Johnston urges the Government of Canada to “pause and reassess” these policy changes, urging “smart, deliberate, and predictable solutions” to sustain the sector.

Some international graduates who return to China after their studies abroad are considering themselves “wastes,” write Xing Xu and Ly Tran in an article for The Pie. While these individuals were once viewed favourably in the local labour market, Xu and Tran write that Chinese students now face significant barriers to their future employment, relationships, and home ownership after returning home. The authors discuss the “Haifei” (“overseas returning wastes”) discourse and how graduates are resisting unwanted pressure and supporting others by establishing a subculture of self-protective self-deprecation. Xu and Tran write that policy changes in host countries have made international students more vulnerable and recommend that host institutions provide international students with targeted support programs that help them prepare to move back to their home country.

Vancouver Island University President Deborah Saucier has outlined the institution’s priorities following the recent dismantling of the pro-Palestinian encampment on its campus. Emphasizing the need to strengthen the VIU community, Saucier offered three key actions: the establishment of an Ethical Investment and Sourcing Taskforce with equal representation from students and employees; the development of a clear Framework for Protest Activity and Security Relations; and vigilance against all forms of intolerance, including racism, sexism, and xenophobia on campus. “In the coming months, we will continue to strengthen our VIU community,” concluded Saucier. “I am confident we will embrace our full potential together.”

Students returning to school this year at Concordia University and Western University may be met with picket lines. The Concordia University Professional Employees Union—which represents 600 members— announced plans to begin a strike on the first day of classes, scheduled for September 3. The union adopted a two-week strike mandate in the spring after negotiations with the university stalled over teleworking policies. At Western, members of CUPE Local 2361–which represents 330 trades, custodial, and landscaping staff–voted 99% in favour of a strike mandate after discussions with the university regarding fair pay reached an impasse. According to CTV News, a walkout at Western could occur as early as August 30.

Marek Kwiek (University of Poznan) and Lukasz Szymula (Poznan) have published a longitudinal study of scientists from 38 OECD countries in Higher Education, examining retention and attrition in the scientific community. The authors analyze the publishing careers of STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) scientists who started publishing in either 2000 or 2010 and found that the reasons and factors contributing to them “leaving science ” are widely nuanced and are changing over time. Among these differences, they noted that attrition is becoming less gendered over time: The 2000 cohort saw a higher attrition rate for women than men, while no significant gender differences were noted for the 2010 cohort. Kwiek and Szymula conclude that traditional assumptions about attrition in the sciences may need to be revised.

Humber College and Habitat Learn have co-launched a flexible online micro-credential in Captioning for Academic and Professional Purposes. Guided by an accessibility expert, students will learn about captioning standards, typing, and note-taking while they develop professional skills such as communication and confidentiality. “Captioning is essential for fostering inclusivity and enabling content to reach diverse audiences,” said Humber Associate Dean, Continuous Professional Learning Larisa Duravetz. “This in-demand skill is beneficial across all fields – especially in media, education, marketing and communication.”

University of New Brunswick researcher Dr Trevor Hanson has launched a new transportation lab that will bring together researchers, community members, and technical staff to consider transportation solutions. The Community Transportation Research Laboratory (CTRL) will equip New Brunswick communities with resources as they consider the future of transportation in their areas. The lab will address challenges such as age-friendly, accessible on-demand and active transportation; postsecondary education mobility; and seasonal transportation. Partners such as Southeast Regional Service Commission (SERSC), which is conducting regional transportation planning, will also be involved in the lab’s work.

In a recent article for Inside Higher Ed, Kevin Gannon (Queens University of Charlotte) offers four strategies that faculty can use to approach the upcoming school year. Gannon writes that while each new school year in recent times has been called “unprecedented,” using this term suggests that we view change as an aberration when, in reality, disruption may be the new norm. To navigate this ongoing disruption, Gannon encourages faculty to set boundaries to define their scope of practice, build solidarity with other like-minded colleagues, act with generosity towards themselves and others, and recognize and use the power they have.