February 14, 2025

Several postsecondary institutions are hosting special events and held workshops for Valentine’s Day. Institutions such as Algonquin College, MacEwan University, McMaster University, Selkirk College, and Thompson Rivers University held social events where students could take part in activities such as card-making, cookie decorating, games, and festive photobooths. Coast Mountain College, MacEwan, the University of Windsor, and Western University hosted workshops and talks on topics such as fostering healthy relationships, consent, and sexual wellness. Western is also bringing “puppy love” to campus later today in the form of therapy dogs.

St Lawrence College has initiated a round of mass layoffs this week. SLC President Glenn Vollebregt explained that management and administrative positions have been reduced by about 42%, while support staff will be reduced by about 34%; the college will also reduce faculty positions. The Kingstonist and Kingston Whig-Standard report that the layoffs are part of the larger restructuring taking place at the college, which includes the elimination of several departments and program suspensions that were announced earlier this year. Vollebregt stated that “these changes are intended to help us be financially stable and able to deliver on our commitments, while ensuring we are focused on our core business.”

The British Columbia Institute of Technology has started a $48M revitalization project on its Burnaby Campus. The BCIT South Campus Infrastructure Renewal project is focused on enhancing public spaces, improving accessibility and inclusivity, and upgrading infrastructure to support climate and sustainability efforts. “The South Campus Infrastructure Renewal Project is vital to BCIT’s future–creating a sustainable, interconnected community that enhances education, supports staff and faculty, and fosters industry collaboration,” said BCIT President Dr Jeff Zabudsky. The revitalization project will also serve as a Living Lab for students, faculty, researchers, and industry partners. Students will be able to gain hands-on experience by participating in the Living Lab as they collaborate with industry professionals.

Several members of the postsecondary education community held special workshops and learning opportunities to celebrate Love Data Week, which runs from February 10th to 14th. The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research—a consortia of 750 international academic institutions—encouraged researchers and students to “adopt a dataset” and help share the information it contains. McGill University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Waterloo held interactive workshops focused on the use of different tools to wrangle, analyze, and interpret data. Meanwhile, the libraries at Simon Fraser University, UBC, the University of Northern British Columbia, and the University of Victoria collaborated on a series of talks and workshops about the use of the Abacus open repository.

Mount Saint Vincent University is launching a 14-month version of its Bachelor of Education (BEd) program in May. This delivery format will enable students to complete their degree 10 months earlier, while still completing the same course and practicum requirements as the 20-month BEd. The program runs continuously, with students beginning their studies in May rather than September. “Our aim […] was to help get more qualified teachers into the classroom faster,” said MSVU President Dr Joël Dickinson. “We’re committed to working with our partners in government and across the system to find solutions to the teacher shortage while ensuring that our graduates have the skills, experiences, and supports needed to successfully transition as teachers in today’s demanding P-12 classrooms.”

Postsecondary administrators should work with retiree associations to encourage retiring academics to become members, writes Walter Archer (College and University Retirees Associations of Canada). Archer describes how many retiree associations—which support member wellbeing as well as institutional output and reputation—struggle or close because they are unable to gain new members. This situation, argues Archer, often stems from administrators safeguarding the privacy of retirees and those who are about to retire. The author encourages administrators to work with retiree associations to provide support without compromising privacy, such as by having association members speak at sessions for retiring staff and providing brochures and links to association webpages.

The University of Prince Edward Island Health and Wellness Centre has received full accreditation from Accreditation Canada. The centre was evaluated on 15 standards, including service excellence, planning and service design, infection prevention and control, and emergency preparedness. “The team has worked diligently to create a culture and primary care practice that genuinely places the patient at the heart of their care,” read the accreditation report. “The clinical team views patients as partners and, as consistently reported by patients, they go above and beyond to ensure they receive the care they need.” UPEI said that this is the first stand-alone university health centre to earn this accreditation.

The College of New Caledonia is considering cutting several programs, according to My PG Now. These include the Associate of Arts – Modern Classics, English Language, and Community and School Support programs, which have reportedly been recommended to the board for cancellation due to declining enrolment. The recommendation to cancel the English language (ENLA) learning program has been met with criticism from instructors, students, and community members who say that marginalized community members will have fewer learning opportunities. The Prince George Citizen reports that students from ENLA Level 4 also sent the CNC Student Union’s executive director a formal objection letter, which asserts that CNC should conduct a full assessment of the impact the program’s cancellation would have on students.

Cégep du Vieux Montréal and the Université du Québec à Montréal—both located within the Quartier Latin—have signed an agreement that will consolidate their partnership, explore new collaboration opportunities, and move to revitalize the neighbourhood. The two institutions will work together on select services and resources with the aim of promoting the enrichment and deployment of their respective training offerings. Cégep du Vieux Montréal directrice générale Mylène Boisclair said that the partnership will promote the development of bridging options for flexible academic pathways to meet the needs of the Quartier Latin. The agreement also includes research and student experience partnerships.

The University of the Fraser Valley and St George’s University (SGU) in Grenada have launched an admissions partnership to support students interested in becoming doctors or veterinarians. Under this agreement, qualified UFV students will receive fast-tracked admission into SGU’s School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine. Students will have the opportunity to take their clinical year or years with SGU-affiliated organizations in countries such as Canada, the UK, and the US. UFV students pursuing medicine at SGU who meet select requirements will also receive an $85K USD scholarship from SGU.