February 15, 2023

The governments of Alberta and Manitoba have each made new investments to support healthcare training. AB has invested $15M to train and support internationally educated nurses who intend to work in the province’s health care system. The funding will be used to create bursaries and new seats in the nurse bridging programs at Bow Valley College, Mount Royal University, and NorQuest College. MB will be funding 80 additional physician training seats in order to address the physician shortage. The expansion includes 40 undergraduate physician-training seats, 10 one-year international medical graduate program seats, and 30 seats in the two-year postgraduate medical education program for internationally educated medical students.

A recent international study commissioned by IBM has identified program cost as a leading barrier to professional or technical skills development for STEM careers. The study drew on 14,000 interviews with students, job seekers, and career changers from 13 different countries and explored their perceptions and experiences with careers in STEM. The study found that many learners and workers plan to actively seek a new job within the next year and are interested in upskilling over the next two years, but that they frequently held concerns about the cost of digital credentials and were unsure of where to start with credentials. Respondents were highly optimistic about the labour market opportunities in STEM and 75% felt that digital credentials would supplement traditional education and increase career opportunities.

Nova Scotia Community college and Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa have partnered to offer hospitality and culinary diploma programs on-site at a historic Nova Scotia resort. The Business – Hospitality program will start in Fall 2023 with up to 30 students, while the Culinary Management program will launch in Fall 2024 with up to 20 learners. “These programs will connect students with local experts — experiencing how they operate first-hand,” said NSCC School of Business and Creative Industries Dean Scott MacPherson. “It is our hope that by including the option for accommodations, transportation, meals and direct experience, this program will eliminate some of the barriers for students interested in the sector.”

York University’s School of Continuing Studies has launched a Post-Graduate Certificate in CloudOps program that will prepare students for entry-level cloud computing roles. Students will build their theoretical and practical competencies as they work with industry-standard tools. “Organizations are looking to bring talent in-house to build a cloud workforce from the ground up, creating a talent pipeline of entry-level roles with advancement potential to senior positions,” said YorkU Interim VP of Continuing Studies Christine Brooks-Cappadocia. YorkU says that it is the only program of its kind offered in Canada.

In a recent article for Nature, Amanda Heidt speaks to several principal investigators and academics about the importance of taking faculty mental wellness seriously. Heidt highlights the challenges that arise throughout a career, such as the “crush of new demands” that many early-career faculty members contend with or the loneliness that comes with taking time away from the role. “You end up putting yourself on the back burner often, which you shouldn’t do, but it’s hard not to when there are people relying on you,” said York University Associate Professor Dr Christine Le. Hedit encourages institutions to address systemic mental health challenges by implementing a wellness strategy, improving mental health training, improving the resources available on campus to staff and students alike, and cultivating a stronger culture on campus. As that systemic change is pursued, the article offers a series of tips for researchers looking to support and protect one another in the short-term.

The University of Regina has issued a release announcing that it has rescinded Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond’s honorary doctor of laws degree. URegina reviewed the honorary degree and made the decision to rescind the degree in accordance with University of Regina Senate bylaws and procedures. “While the University recognizes that Turpel-Lafond has been a strong advocate for Indigenous rights and child welfare, her accomplishments are outweighed by the harm inflicted upon Indigenous academics, peoples and communities when non-Indigenous people misrepresent their Indigenous ancestry,” read the release. Turpel-Lafond has been provided with a notification of the decision. The announcement comes just days after Turpel-Lafond voluntarily relinquished her honorary doctorate from Royal Roads University.

Faculty and support staff unions at Memorial University, Trent University, and Queen’s University have reached agreements. Memorial’s board of regents and the Memorial University Faculty Association will be voting on a tentative agreement that would end a strike that started in late January. Queen’s and the Queen’s University Faculty Association have reached a tentative deal which includes annual wage increases of 3.5%, 3%, and 3% over three years, as well as increases to the Scholarly Research Fund for Adjuncts. Trent and OPSEU Local 365, which represents the university’s support staff, have ratified a new collective agreement after ratifying the agreement. Highlights of the agreement include a conversion to the University Pension Plan, benefits increases, and wage increases.

Postsecondary institutions can use a variety of tactics to combat the “Peter Principle” in academic leadership, writes Stefan Niewiesk. Niewiesk argues that most institutions fall into this trap by continuing to promote people based primarily on academic performance. The author writes that there are two tiers of this problem: Tier 1 problems occur when departments are in crisis or are believed to possess unrealized strategic potential, leading to undue emphasis being placed on a candidate’s previous administrative performance; Tier 2 problems occur when institutions only consider internal candidates without using established performance criteria. Niewiesk recommends that institutions define clear standards for their academic leadership and examine the recruiting pipeline to review the appointment, promotion, and tenure standards.

Waterloo regional police are investigating an alleged assault at the Wilfrid Laurier University. The victim was reportedly walking in a building hallway when they were assaulted and left with non-life-threatening injuries. Several students shared with CTV News that they are concerned about the violence on campus, and some stated that they have begun taking extra safety measures while walking through campus. Police believe the incident was targeted and are requesting that anyone with information or who witnessed the incident come forward.

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada has decided to remove former international student Karamjeet Kaur from Canada over a fake letter of admission from an Ontario college that was supplied as part of her student visa application. Kaur was unaware that the admission letter was fake, as it was filed by an immigration agent, but the board ruled that it was Kaur’s responsibility to verify that the admission filed with her application was real. Kaur sought judicial review of the decision, but the review was dismissed in January. “The way Canadian law is drafted and the way it is applied – that leaves no room for discretion,” said Kaur’s lawyer Manraj Sidhu. “They do not look at the intent of a person doing an action.” Kaur has filed an application for humanitarian and compassionate consideration as a final effort to stay in Canada.