December 3, 2024

Fanshawe College has received $20M from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to establish the WSIB Centre of Excellence in Immersive Technologies Simulation for Workplace Safety. This new research lab will leverage extended reality and artificial intelligence to enhance first responders’ preparedness for high-risk situations and support their mental well-being. “By harnessing cutting-edge technologies, we will revolutionize how we educate, train, and support those who dedicate their lives to public safety,” said Fanshawe President Peter Devlin. “These tools aren’t just innovations, they’re catalysts for reimaging how students learn, how educators teach, and how graduates will lead.” Construction on the lab will begin in early 2025.

The University of Lethbridge recently unveiled the Institute for Geospatial Inquiry, Instruction, and Innovation (i4Geo). This multidisciplinary institute will address a broad spectrum of environmental challenges and opportunities by promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, business incubation, and community outreach. “There is so much opportunity in geographical information science, geospatial positioning and imaging technologies, sensor networks, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and 3D digital twins,” said ULethbridge Professor Dr Chris Hopkinson. “Bringing these fields of study together under the i4Geo umbrella, encompassing research, training, networking, business innovation, and community outreach will further establish ULethbridge as leaders in geospatial technology and its applications.”

The Globe and Mail recently published the 25th edition of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. This list identifies top employers according to criteria such as work atmosphere, vacation and time off, and community involvement. Four postsecondary institutions made the list: Carleton University, Simon Fraser University, Université de Montréal, and the University of New Brunswick. Carleton and UNB each issued releases highlighting some of the employee benefits for which they were recognized, such as ensuring access to on-campus amenities like secure bike lockers and fitness facilities, providing flexible work arrangements, and offering educational and training initiatives.

In an article for University World News, Gerardo Reyes (Lakehead University) highlights how digital learning tools (DLTs) can enhance the student experience. Citing findings from a recent study in Education Studies, Reyes writes that DLTs boost levels of student engagement and satisfaction, but do not necessarily translate into improved academic achievement. For this reason, the author notes that understanding how to effectively integrate DLTs into courses “can only be beneficial.” Reyes offers recommendations for course creators looking to use DLTs, including ensuring that technical support is available for students and staff, using the tools to complement–rather than replace–instructors, and applying DLTs across varied pedagogical contexts.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the University of Regina have partnered to create a pathway for Sask Polytech’s creative technologies and design students. The pathway will enable eligible graduates of select Sask Polytech’s diploma programs to transfer up to two years of credits to a URegina Bachelor of Design degree program. “This partnership is an exciting development for students passionate about art, design, and technology,” said URegina Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance Dean Dr David Dick. “By building on the solid foundation provided by Sask Polytech’s diploma programs, we’re helping students expand their career prospects and thrive in growing creative industries.”

NOSM University’s Dietetic Practicum Program has earned full, national accreditation from EQual Accreditation Canada. The post-degree program prepares learners for roles in nutrition care, population health promotion, and food service management. Graduates are eligible to apply for a temporary license with a provincial regulatory body and write the Canadian Dietetic Registration Exam. “The accreditation process is onerous for good reason, and the bar is very high,” said NOSM U President Dr Michael Green. “Congratulations to our Dietetics team for meeting and exceeding that bar.” The accreditation is in effect for six years.

A recent report from the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d’université (FQPPU) emphasizes the critical contributions that international students make in Québec’s higher education landscape. The report—which follows the Government of Québec’s recent introduction of Bill 74—argues that international students are not merely a funding source for the province, but also enrich academic vitality, foster innovation, and expand the global influence of the province’s francophone institutions. To safeguard the integrity and strength of QC’s universities, the report recommends that the government set baseline targets for international student recruitment to ensure program diversity, preserve the autonomy of universities in managing their own admissions, and establish a stakeholder consultation process to improve decision making on international student admissions.

First Nations University has become a postsecondary member of the Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER). With FNU as a member, the two organizations will work together to increase Indigenous talent development. “[FNU] and the BHER members have a similar commitment–tackling skills, talent, innovation, and productivity challenges that we are encountering and preparing pathways to success that will strengthen society and Canada overall,” said FNU President Jacqueline Ottmann. “Ensuring that Indigenous students transition successfully into the workforce and enacting economic reconciliation are tangible means to meeting these goals.”

Thompson Rivers University’s athletics community is expressing disappointment and anger following the court’s decision to not lay criminal charges against the driver involved in the McGill Road crash last November. Three TRU student athletes were involved in the accident, one of whom was killed. “We said back in the beginning of the year that we wanted to focus on volleyball and moving forward, but that has not been the case so far and it certainly won’t be the case right now,” said TRU men’s volleyball Head Coach Pat Hennelly. The parents of the three TRU students who were involved in the accident have started a letter-writing campaign to have the charges reconsidered and the case reviewed.

Memorial University has launched an Elders, Aunties, and Uncles Program at its Labrador Campus to strengthen its relationships with the community. The program will bring local ways of knowing, doing, and being into campus work; foster relationships between the university and local Indigenous community; and enhance Memorial’s visibility in the Arctic. “The program was created to work more closely with a wide range of skilled and knowledgeable people in Labrador, so that we can learn from and with them as they share their knowledge and skills,” said Memorial School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies Dean Dr Sylvia Moore.