December 1, 2023

At the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) conference, a panel discussion with speakers such as Academica President Rod Skinkle and Worldwide EduConnect CEO Vinay Chaudhry highlighted Canada’s weakening brand position in India and the need for change. Skinkle highlighted the findings of an agent sentiment survey conducted by Academica and Worldwide EduConnect, which found that Indian agents are optimistic that there will continue to be a strong demand for study in Canada. However, agents shared that deteriorating international relations had affected their referrals to Canada. Chaudhry expressed concern about the declining quality of students applying to Canadian education and noted that Canada lacks an in-market advocate in India. “Are students and parents still proud to display a letter of admission from a Canadian institution,” asked Fanshawe College Dean of International for Wendy Curtis, “or does that go to the bottom of the pile, superseded by our competition?” ICEF Monitor reports on some of the opportunities raised in the survey and discussion for institutions and the Canadian higher ed market as a whole to strengthen their offerings and brand in India.

The University of Victoria has opened its newest student housing complex, named Sŋéqə ʔéʔləŋ (Sngequ House), meaning “snow patches” in lək̓ʷəŋən. The residence has 385-single-room dormitory style beds and an Indigenous student lounge, was constructed with natural stone and wood products, and designed in line with global building standards for sustainability and energy efficiency. The building opened a year ahead of schedule; it is part of a larger housing project which includes a second residence building that opened in September 2022. UVic stated that together, these two residences have increased on-campus housing by 25%. The university received $127M from the Government of British Columbia toward the construction of the two residences.

According to La Presse, the Government of Québec may backtrack on its plan to almost double tuition prices for out-of-province university students. La Presse reports that QC plans to increase tuition for out-of-province students from $9K to $12K–instead of the previously proposed $17K–in exchange for more ambitious francization programs at QC’s English-speaking universities. QC reportedly still plans to maintain its pricing plan for international students, but may grant Bishop’s University an exemption. Full details of the plan are expected to be released next week. McGill University Deputy Provost of Student Life Fabrice Labeau said that while it is encouraging to see modifications to the plan, a $12K tuition rate would still price the province out of the market for many students.

Loyalist College has launched a new 911 and Public Safety Communications Certificate program. Students will be equipped with strategies for communicating with a diverse group of people in emergency and non-emergency situations, preparing them for careers as public safety personnel, call centre agents, dispatchers, and more. The program is delivered over two semesters and combines online courses with hands-on, experiential learning. “As our communities grow, so does the demand for critical infrastructure and services to maintain quality of life and public safety,” said Loyalist President Mark Kirkpatrick. “Students will graduate from this program ready to make an immediate impact and help keep our communities safe and connected.” The program will begin in Fall 2024.

Bow Valley College’s Open Doors – Open Minds campaign has surpassed its $25M fundraising goal. The “quiet” phase of the campaign raised $26.5M; the campaign will be continuing for the next three years with a goal of raising $35M. The funds raised will provide student financial support through initiatives such as a $27M endowment fund that will distribute $2M in scholarships and bursaries each year. The campaign will also support economic ignition programs, student learning materials, and more. “We aim to shape the future of college education by continually offering new and innovative programming to expand access to upscaling, rescaling and work-integrated learning opportunities,” said BVC President Dr Misheck Mwaba.

The Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH)–led by Toronto Metropolitan University’s Diversity Institute–has received $3.8M from the Government of Canada. The funding will support the national network’s efforts in facilitating partnerships with diverse business organizations; building relationships with Black, Indigenous, and other diverse women entrepreneur ecosystems; raising awareness about the success of women’s entrepreneurship; and connecting with corporate, government, and media organizations to apply correspondingknowledge and research. “We are pleased to see the continued support of women entrepreneurs by the Government of Canada,” said WEKH Founder Wendy Cukier. “Women entrepreneurs play a critical role not only in creating jobs and driving innovation and growth but also in advancing social development and sustainability.”

A recent Amazon Web Services report highlights the importance and difficulty of finding workers with artificial intelligence skills. The report notes that 42% of surveyed employers are actively looking for employees with AI development qualifications and nearly three out of four report difficulty finding qualified candidates. Organizations are also willing to increase pay for workers with AI skills, as they feel that AI has a high return on investment. Amazon has launched eight free AI skills training courses to address this need and partnered with Udacity to provide scholarships to underrepresented and underserved high school and university students. The organization announced the goal of providing free AI education to 2 million people by 2025.

The Toronto Starreports that at least three York University employees were suspended after being charged by Toronto police with mischief in relation to defacing an Indigo bookstore. In total, police charged 11 individuals in relation to vandalism that allegedly targeted Indigo CEO Heather Reismen over her charity that provides scholarships to “lone soldiers” who served in the Israel Defence Forces. A statement from YorkU said that the university placed the three individuals on non-disciplinary leave out of concern for the safety of the community. The Star reports that one of the suspended individuals is part of a group of students, faculty, and staff calling for the reinstatement of the three YorkU employees who were recently suspended.

A Simon Fraser University computer science lecturer has been replaced by a temporary substitute instructor after sending his students an email titled “My Statement on the Insanity of Transgender Marxist Divide and Conquer Cultural Weapon.” Castanet and City News report that the email contained anti-feminist and anti-trans statements and compared his students to “little elementary school child[ren]” if they chose to bring up his email to administration. SFU was made aware of the email and has responded with a statement, asserting: “These values do not represent those of the university, and we want to assure you that the matter is under review.”

In a letter to the Laurentian University community, Interim President Sheila Embleton and Board Chair Vern Cameron discuss the university’s past year of transformation. Embleton and Cameron offer an update on the situation at Laurentian, noting that its financial sustainability has begun to stabilize and enrolment is improving with a 19% increase in incoming students. However, Northern Ontario Business reports that some individuals are still grappling with the impacts of the insolvency: Terminated Faculty Committee Spokesperson Eduardo Galiano-Rivero has called for Laurentian to make a formal apology to address the impacts of the restructuring on professors and students. CBC reports that a recent survey of Laurentian’s staff and faculty found that many are dealing with exhaustion and frustration, with half reporting that they are considering working elsewhere.