December 14, 2023

University of British Columbia Forestry recently launched the Centre for Wildfire Coexistence (CWC), a new initiative that will use innovative research and proactive solutions to revolutionize wildfire coexistence. Supported by a $5M gift from the Koerner family, the CWC will undertake cutting-edge research, assess the efficacy of wildfire management strategies, and co-develop solutions for communities at risk. CWC will use multidisciplinary and holistic approaches, prioritizing collaboration and engagement with all key partners. “By actively involving the public, communities, Indigenous leaders, all levels of government, and non-governmental organizations in our research and initiatives, we can co-create effective strategies for wildfire coexistence and build more resilient landscapes,” said UBC inaugural Koerner Chair in Wildfire Coexistence Dr Lori Daniels.

George Brown College and equity partner Halmont Properties have acquired Corus Quay, a 480,000 square-foot media complex located on the Toronto waterfront. George Brown states that it first established its presence on Toronto’s waterfront in 2012 and has since been growing its presence in the area; BlogTO notes that this joint acquisition will help consolidate George Brown’s buildings on the waterfront into an “expanded campus.” “By 2040, there will be an estimated 130,000 new residents and 50,000 new jobs along the waterfront,” said George Brown Senior VP of External Relations, Communications, and Real Estate Development Joe Cressy. “With our unique position on the waterfront, George Brown College is poised to be a foundational part of that growth.”

The Assiniboine Community College School of Business has received a $10M gift from Gord and Diane Peters. The gift—which ACC says is the largest ever received by the college from an individual, family, or business—will support scholarships and bursaries, programs, industry engagement, and planning for a building that will house the school of business. In honour of the Peters’ gift, ACC has named its business school the Peters School of Business. “They see our vision, and have stepped in to help us transform the lives of our students in a big way,” said ACC Peters School of Business Dean Terry Burgess. “This transformational gift from the Peters will have such an impact on the advances we are making for the future of our School.”

In an opinion piece for Nature, Jessica Farrell argues that librarians and digital archivists are a valuable–and yet underused–tool in making research data open and accessible for all. Farrell underlines that open-data initiatives often face many technical, legal, organizational, and financial challenges and that librarians and digital archivists have applicable experience to help tackle them. The author discusses how archivists and librarians are often overlooked due to a combination of cultural reasons, including outdated conceptions about what information management actually entails. Farrell concludes that many digital archivists and scientists share the same vision of making more data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable and should therefore partner in this endeavour.

The University of Calgary’s Faculty of Nursing will offer a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program in September 2024. The program introduces teaching and learning approaches that promote resilience. It will eventually succeed the university’s existing Bachelor of Nursing program. “The name change distinguishes the forthcoming program from the current one and follows a national and international trend in degree nomenclature,” said UCalgary Associate Dean of Curriculum Development Dr Andrew Estefan. “One of the elements we heard [during stakeholder consultation] was to emphasize the relationships between the sciences, humanities and the diverse relational-ethical contexts in which RNs (registered nurses) encounter and care for patients. The name change reflects the knowledge that informs registered nursing practice.”

Carleton University and live event and video production technology company Ross Video recently announced a three-year partnership that aims to facilitate innovation and boost talent development in robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital systems and hardware design. The partnership will provide Carleton students with opportunities for cooperative education, internships, research initiatives, and experiential learning, while contributing to the development of the workforce for the video and live event production industry. Ross Video has established the Ross Video Award for Indigenous Students and additionally agreed to remain a founding partner of the Women in Engineering & IT Program for three more years.

In a recent article for the Chronicle of Higher Ed, Beth McMurtrie and Beckie Supiano share reader perspectives on how generative AI such as ChatGPT has changed teaching. Most readers said that they had changed their assignments and policies in response to the software, with many noting they had added information to their syllabus that outlined appropriate AI use. McMurtrie and Supiano commented on how unevenly the impacts of AI can be felt within different classrooms. Many instructors shared that they allowed students to use AI in some assignments; while others shared how they have tried to design their assignments to minimize the potential of cheating using AI. They also called for their institutions to develop a dedicated AI policy.

Mohawk College and the Hamilton Public Library (HPL) are partnering on a new research project to help college students balance their academic life and caregiving responsibilities. Mohawk’s College Student Success Innovation Centre and HPL will develop, implement, and evaluate a new model of educational support programming–called “tandem educational programming”–that supports student caregivers and their dependents in the same space at the same time. The aim of the model is to provide dedicated learning time for student-caregivers without separating them from their caregiving roles. The initial three years of this research project will support local student-caregivers, but there are plans to create a scalable model of the project that can be applied to other communities across Canada.

Lethbridge College President Dr Brad Donaldson has received a Blackfoot name from Peter Weasel Moccasin, the college Kaahsinnoonik (grandparent). Weasel Moccasin said that the name—Nináímsskaan isttokimaan/Thunder Pipe Drum—was inspired by Donaldson’s responsibility as a leader. “Drums are very important,” said Weasel Moccasin. “It’s how we connect ourselves to the Creator of Life. When we hear those drums and the songs that come with them, it inspires us to heal, to overcome and to challenge again. It’s appropriate and deserving, and I hope he continues to do good work in the future.” Donaldson was also gifted with a ribbon shirt and a Pendleton blanket to be used in future Indigenous ceremonies.

Academic staff associations at three universities recently voted in favour of strike mandates. The Association of McGill Professors of Law voted 85% in favour of a five-day strike mandate. The MSVU Faculty Association (MSVUFA) voted 97% in support of a strike mandate. MSVUFA’s key asks include modernization of the collective agreement, an increase in compensation, and improvements to accessibility and inclusivity for Black and Indigenous students. The Syndicat général des professeurs et professeures de l’Université de Montréal (SGPUM) voted 97% in favour of a 12-day strike mandate; a statement from SGPUM stated that this should send a message to the university that it is “high time to negotiate.”