February 21, 2024

The Fonds du recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC) has created a new research network that will connect experts across the province on topics related to the social and solidarity economy. The Réseau de recherche en économie sociale et solidaire will provide a space for interactions and innovations between Québec’s research establishments on topics such as legal frameworks and social practices; community prosperity and economic sustainability; and government strategies and urban, regional, and community benefits. The network will receive $4M over five years to facilitate these activities. The co-chairs of the network are Claude André Guillote (Université de Sherbrooke), Valérie Michaud (Université du Québec à Montréal), Luc Audebrand (Université Laval), and Marie-Laure Dioh (Université du Québec en Outaouais).

The University of Calgary’s Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) is calling on the Government of Alberta to launch a pilot program modelled on Québec’s rent increase policy that gives tenants the right to refuse a landlord’s rent increase. The GSA explained that students have been hit hard by rent increases and housing shortage. Under the proposed model, if a tenant believes that a proposed rent increase is not reasonable, they can refuse it and have the dispute brought to a housing tribunal. The association has proposed that AB could pilot the policy on a small group of students in student-dense areas. UCalgary Graduate Students’ Association President James Steele said that a pilot would determine whether this policy could stabilize rents and keep tenants and landlords happy.

The University of Manitoba Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous) is hosting a series of territory acknowledgement workshops that are intended to empower university community members to better understand and personalize land acknowledgements. UManitoba explains that the impetus for the workshops was to move away from land acknowledgements being used in a “rote” manner. UManitoba AVP (Indigenous) of Students, Community, and Cultural Integration Christine Cyr explained that territory and land acknowledgments “need to evolve; they can’t be static.” The workshops cover the history of UManitoba’s acknowledgements, the controversies surrounding land acknowledgements, and considerations and resources for building a personal statement.

In a recent article for University World News, Philip G Altbach (Boston College) and Hans de Wit (Boston College) discuss the the “chaos” that has hit international student recruitment throughout the Global North. Altbach and de Wit discuss the history of international student mobility and the flow of students from the Global South to the Global North. In recent years, however, Altbach and de Wit write that countries like Australia, Britain, and Canada have seen their dominance in the international education sector challenged as they contend with factors such as reduced public support for higher education and immigration, an increased reliance on international student fees, and the rise of a “huge and varied private sector in higher education” that includes private institutions and recruiting firms. Throughout the article, Altbach and de Wit provide examples of how different countries are approaching this “chaotic” international student file.

McGill University has announced that is cutting 65 floor fellows–students who are hired to live in residence and help their peers navigate dormitory life–and replacing them with up to 45 residence life facilitators. According to CTV News, the university made this decision after a residence life review found that the role of the floor fellows was duplicated by other university services. However, floor fellow union VP Graeme Scott contested this: “What sets floor fellows apart is we are there, and we live there, and you don’t need to navigate bureaucracy to interact with [us].” The Association of McGill University Support Employees is reportedly considering legal action against the university for eliminating the jobs.

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and the University of Regina have established a transfer agreement that creates new pathway opportunities in human kinetics. Through this agreement, students who complete NAIT’s Personal Fitness Trainer program can enrol in the third year of URegina’s Bachelor of Kinesiology in Human Kinetics program. “This will provide our graduates an easily accessible pathway to build on the strong base knowledge they obtain at NAIT, allowing them to pursue careers beyond the fitness industry in sectors such as healthcare and advanced athletics,” said NAIT Personal Fitness Training Program Chair Kate Andrews.

Some students living in a McMaster University residence that has previously experienced a water quality issues will reportedly need to relocate again. CBC and Global News report that recent tests detected total coliform bacteria in water samples on select floors; CHCH reports that McMaster has issued a temporary move-out order to 23 students so that it can treat the issue. McMaster is offering tenants a 100% rent reduction for the month of February, as well as a continued supply of bottled water, a virtual meeting, and construction updates.

Two university faculty associations have released updates on their labour negotiations. The Brandon University Faculty Association (BUFA)–which represents 260 full-time faculty members and 90 contract staff–voted in favour of a strike mandate. According to CBC, the union’s last contract with the university expired in March 2023 and membership is now mobilizing around issues of workload; academic freedom; salaries and benefits; and equity, diversity, and inclusion. BUFA has set a deadline of March 31 to reach a deal with the university before a strike occurs. The Mount Saint Vincent University Faculty Association (MSVUFA) is heading into its second week of a strike. The association hit the picket lines last week and stated that it would continue striking until a tentative agreement is reached with MSVU.

Cégep de Drummondville will offer a double diploma program in education and criminology. The diploma will take four years to complete. Students will begin in one program, with the second program integrated into their curriculum in the third year onwards. Cégep de Drummondville directeur des études Mario Carrier said that the program will equip learners with a dual expertise that will make them highly sought after upon graduation. The cégep will welcome its first cohort of students starting in Fall 2024.

Tyndale University has launched a Post-Doctor of Ministry (DMin) Certificate program with five different certificate options. The program will give DMin graduates the opportunity to complete three courses over three years to earn a certificate in one of five different concentrations: Communicating the Gospel Leadership, Non-Profit Organizational Leadership, Pastoral Thanatology, or Reframing Church in Context. The certificates are coursework-based, which allows students to complete the certificate without a major writing project.