February 23, 2023

Queen’s University has received $30M from alumnus Bruce Mitchell to advance ground-breaking research and graduate student recruitment. The gift will support nine faculty members’ research programs and teams, as well as the recruitment of nine new faculty members and 54 postdoctoral fellows. Queen’s will also use the funds to increase its graduate student body and provide financial supports to an estimated 97 grad students, enhancing its competitiveness. “With these additional funds, we are realizing our aspirations to become a world leader bringing scholars and innovators together to make improvements across our many fields of study,” said Queen’s Principal Patrick Deane.

The Government of British Columbia has announced that it will be investing $1.7M in annual funding into the University of British Columbia’s midwifery program, which will nearly double the number of training seats for midwives. The program—reportedly the only of its kind at a BC university—will now have space for 48 training seats, including eight new seats for the Internationally Educated Midwives Bridging Program. BC reportedly has the highest rate of births with a midwife present in the country, and CTV News states that the profession has a high rate of burnout.

The University of New Brunswick’s McKenna Institute, the Ulnooweg Education Centre, and the Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI) have launched the Digital Acceleration for Indigenous Youth initiative. The three-year initiative, supported by $5.2M from the Mastercard Foundation’s EleV Program, will teach Indigenous youth in Atlantic Canada the STEAM skills they need to pursue postsecondary studies. The program will use a mobile technology unit to bring Indigenous communities educators and tools to students in their communities. Through these mobile units, students will learn about the entry points to STEAM careers in areas such as fabrication, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and robotics through hands-on learning.

As Black History Month continues, several institutions and professionals have taken a moment to reflect on the month and commit to change in the future. The University of Winnipeg has signed the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion, joining over 50 Canadian university signatories who have committed to addressing anti-Black racism and promoting Black inclusion through their policies and practices. At Concordia University of Edmonton, students held a Gala with the theme Black Gold to showcase local Black art and poetry, celebrate Black music, and share African-inspired food. Anita Girvan (UBC Okanagan), Nicola Dove (York University), and Priscilla McGreer (Athabasca University) penned an editorial for University Affairs discussing the paradoxical necessity of and challenges posed by having a month dedicated to remembering Black history.

University of Toronto Faculty of Law Professor Kent Roach and JD program alumni Amanda Carling, Jessie Stirling, Joel Voss, and Sarah Harland-Logan have launched the Canadian Registry of Wrongful Convictions. The registry includes 83 cases where a criminal conviction was overturned based on information that was not considered when the accused was convicted or pled guilty. Students will be able to use the resource to learn more about wrongful convictions and how some groups of people–including women, Indigenous people, racialized people, and people with cognitive disabilities–are more vulnerable to miscarriages of justice. The data will also be used by researchers. More cases of wrongful conviction and information about existing cases will be added.

Université de Sherbrooke and Cégep de Jonquière have received a pledge of $2.8M over five years from the Government of Quebec for a research project on the mental health of students in Quebec’s higher education system. The project’s objectives include monitoring postsecondary students’ mental health, engaging in research and knowledge development, developing training, and engaging in knowledge mobilization. The researchers have also received a mandate to conduct a national survey on student mental health in order to assess its evolution over time.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology and Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on innovation projects that will address real-world challenges. The partnership, which expands on a collaboration forged in 2021, will provide BCIT students with a broader opportunity to learn, collaborate, and apply their ideas in the YVR through Innovation Hub initiatives. “This pan-institute collaboration will create a living lab for our BCIT students and faculty as they work alongside industry leaders to solve real-world problems – all critical to building an agile workforce with sustained and meaningful impact,” said BCIT Interim President Paul McCullough.

Instructors must help students learn the soft skills they have not mastered during their K-12 studies, writes Steven Mintz. Mintz discusses how skills such as focus, time management, stress and anxiety management, impulse control, and executive function must be taught not only in K-12, but also in postsecondary. The author discusses strategies for teaching students “soft skills” such as prompting students about due dates, encouraging them to understand how their skills can improve with practice, cultivating active listening habits, teaching them to set realistic goals, and discussing the signs of stress. “[I]f you fail to do more to nurture your students’ executive functioning strategies and a positive mind-set, you aren’t doing your job,” writes Mintz.

Algoma University has announced that it is planning to put over $63M into capital investments to support expansion and enrolment growth. The university will be expanding its presence in Brampton with new classroom, student, and academic spaces and additional academic programming. AlgomaU will also be offering new programming, such as a bachelor of arts in community economic and social development and new master’s degrees. The university plans on expanding health sciences opportunities and increasing the global opportunities offered to students and faculty.

Bishop’s University has officially inaugurated new housing and a newly renovated pool this week. The new campus housing building will accommodate 93 students, which Bishop’s notes will help to address student needs amidst the region’s ongoing housing crisis. “This new residence building has also been designed to help us achieve our environmental sustainability goals,” stated Bishop’s Principal Michael Goldbloom. “The building will benefit from the University’s geothermal heating systems to avoid unnecessarily increasing greenhouse gas emissions and is built to state-of-the-art architectural standards to minimize our environmental footprint.” The university’s renovated pool is now the proper dimensions to support competitions. The renovations also introduced large windows to brighten the pool area.