December 4, 2023

Cape Breton University will be offering two new accelerated Bachelor of Education programs to help meet Nova Scotia’s need for more certified teachers. The first program is an online pilot that enables students to complete their studies in eight months from anywhere in the province; the second will take 12 months to complete and will replace CBU’s 15-month program. With these programs, the number of funded seats at the university will increase by 75, with the province providing funding for the additional seats for the next three years. “These new programs provide new ways to offer the same high-quality bachelor of education program online and in a shorter amount of time to help get teachers into classrooms faster,” said NS Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Becky Druhan.

Royal Roads University and non-profit organization Howl have partnered to provide land-based field-study experiences to youth across Canada. These experiences bring together natural sciences curriculum, Indigenous knowledge, on-the-land learning, and opportunities for resume building and community building. Royal Roads will help Howl expand its programming and formalize their curriculum and curriculum outcomes. The partnership is supported by a $1.5M investment from the Canada Service Corps service placement funding stream.

The OWN.CANCER campaign—a partnership between the University of Calgary, Alberta Health Services, the Alberta Cancer Foundation, and Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation—has received a $25M gift from the Riddell family. The donation will support the creation of the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy. “Immunotherapy enables us to boost a patient’s own immune system to recognize and attack their cancer cells,” said Riddell Centre Director Dr Douglas Mahoney. “With more research, I am confident that it will become a mainstay of cancer treatment for patients with many different forms of cancer.”

York University’s Schulich School of Business has announced that its Centre for Customer Centricity has received a $1M commitment from StarTech.com. The centre—which creates and disseminates knowledge to help organizations become customer-centric—was originally established through a $1M gift from StarTech.com. “The Centre for Customer Centricity is providing invaluable, real-world learning for our Schulich MBA students as they help companies solve complex problems, boost their bottom line and grow their customer base,” said YorkU Schulich Dean Detlev Zwick.

The University of Winnipeg celebrated the launch of new Rocky Cree language resources—an app and teacher’s guide based on the Amō’s Sapotawan picture book—as part of the Six Seasons of Asiniskaw Ithiniwak language revitalization project. “As described by the Knowledge Keepers on the project, collaboration means walking this path together side by side,” said Six Seasons project director Dr Mavis Reimer. “The practice of collaboration really shapes all aspects of our project: the research and creation of picture books, apps, and teacher’s guides.” The AMO app includes Rocky Cree and English narrations of the book; book text in Cree, English, and syllabics; songs and notes that add additional context to the story; and participatory games. The teacher’s guide is designed to support educators who are using the book and app in the classroom; it consists of four thematic modules with teaching strategies and connections to Manitoba’s curricula.

Sheridan College has struck partnerships with two organizations recently. The college signed an agreement with Ahram Canadian University in Egypt to establish a dual degree program. Business administration students will have the opportunity to receive a double bachelor’s degree through the partnership. Sheridan also partnered with the online homesharing platform SpacesShared to help bring more affordable housing opportunities to its students in Brampton, Mississauga, and Oakville. “We’re delighted to partner with SpacesShared to expand opportunities for affordable student housing and innovative solutions to aging in place for older adults in our communities,” said Sheridan President Dr Janet Morrison.

In a recent editorial, Tom Williams explores the idea of “troubleshooter” presidents who take the helm of a troubled postsecondary institution for a short period of time with the goal of turning it around. Williams profiles a number of interim presidents who have been hired to work with struggling institutions in the UK who shared their experiences and perspectives on leading in this environment. They reflected on the rewarding experience of helping an institution avoid a closure or merger, the intensity of this “emergency room surgeon” role, and the benefits of being a part of the local community when taking on a role like this. Other academics critiqued the idea of hiring presidents as “turnaround agents,” as the president is not always what needs replacement.

The University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Computer Science has partnered with MESH/diversity to pilot an EDI-focused leadership program. The two-year program includes seven modules that cover topics such as diversity, inclusion, and belonging; compassion; privilege and oppression; and communication. UNB Professor Natalie Webber anticipates that this training will help students become more aware of equity issues. “Having students who will put what they’ve learned into practice will have a big impact on our faculty,” said Webber. “It could have the power to change the entire climate.”

George Brown College, Cumberland Private Wealth Management Inc, and Infinite Investment Systems Ltd collaborated to launch a virtual Wealth Management certificate program. The certificate’s courses will support the wealth management industry by preparing students for roles such as Operations Administrator, Portfolio Administrator, Client Relations Specialist, Sales Support, or Compliance Support. The program, which will begin in January, will focus on wealth management fundamentals and introducing students to career opportunities.

A member of Thompson Rivers University’s men’s volleyball team has passed away and two teammates have suffered “life-altering” injuries after a multi-vehicle collision in Kamloops. The students were in a car that was involved in a multi-car accident after it was struck by an out-of-control vehicle. “It is hard to find words that express how we feel in these moments, in the face of such inexplicable tragedy,” said TRU President Brett Fairbairn. “Our most sincere thoughts are with their families and loved ones, and on behalf of TRU, I offer our deepest condolences. We grieve with them, along with others, including their teammates, friends, classmates, and professors. This is a loss for the TRU community that will be felt for a long time.”